Couple of toddler bf questions

[AngelDog]

Is it normal for a frequently-bf'ing toddler to be chubbier than non-bf toddlers? I've noticed that 22 m.o. DS has the biggest stomach of any other child his age I've met. It's especially obvious in the swimming pool. He basically looks like he's got a pregnant woman's belly.

I'm not very concerned - he gets a reasonable amount of exercise, isn't a particularly sedentary child (though he's not a whirling dervish who never stope) and his diet is okay. We did BLW and he eats anything / as much as he likes; raisins are the only thing we ration as they make his nappies too explosive. We don't really give him cake, biscuits, sweets or crisps so he eats pretty healthily.

He bfs about 8 times per 24 hours, sometimes more, sometimes a bit less. Apart from bf he only drinks water.

He was 99.6th centile for weight and 99th for height last time he was measured, but it's the size of his stomach which makes me feel a bit twitchy rather than his actual weight.

The other question is about bf'ing toys. I know that's normal, but is anyone else slightly unnerved by their toddler's ability to line up their nipple with the part of the toy which wants the milk?

DS wants to get the milk right into the holes in his Duplo train, and yesterday I had to give milk to some penne pasta, with DS saying 'milk! hole!' and examining it carefully afterwards to see if the milk went in.

It's not even as if there is milk on the toy after I've finished, as it's been over 18 months since I last 'squirted' or leaked.

Angel, not sure what others will say re. the rounded tummy... my 19month dd is tall and skinny but has a rounded tummy. She only feeds morning and night mainly, with an occasional daytime feed. Like your ds, she has a pretty healthy diet (she eats constantly actually but very healthy) with very little sweets, cakes etc. Not sure how much help this is, but will watch with interest...

My 5y/o DD1 still has a pot belly as does DD2 & DD3. They are not fat though at all as they are on a higher percentile for height than weight (except DD3 who is now 50th%ile for height and weight).

It's especially noticeable in their ballet leotards as the skirt goes under their bellies .

DS1 is 6yo (and "still" b/feeding) and has a massive belly although he is skinny everywhere else - you can see his ribs sticking out. He was chunky as a toddler and I assumed the belly would disappear as he stretched.

It hasn't but I now know it is related to his tongue tie. He takes in a lot of air when he chews and his belly is noticeably bigger by the end of the day.

He had to fast most of the day the other week for an endoscopy and the following morning, his belly was almost flat.

I am working on getting his tongue tie operated on because the air he swallows gets burped up along with stomach contents (ie like reflux) and he is miserable.

At 22months, I wouldn't say it's a problem, and I'm not saying that every child with a big belly has this trouble, but my DSs situation is something to bear in mind if the big belly persists.

Well DD is lower weight not BF, generally skinny and still has a pot belly.

I thought toddlers were routinely flat footed and round bellied and it took a while to grow into what Penelope Leach calls 'the lithe and leggy elegance of the preschool child'

(I just really like that phrase :) )

Thanks everyone. I know it's normal to have a pot belly, it's just that DS's seems so much bigger than other toddlers'! You could balance something on the overhang, I reckon, if you could persuade him to stand still for long enough.

I suppose I was thinking along the lines that human milk is fattier than cow's milk, so if a child has lots you'd expect them to hold more weight - but then they probably just self-regulate downwards on other things so they get the right number of calories.

@ Truth's DD's leotards.

mawbroon, that's interesting about your DS and I'll bear that in mind. I hope having the endoscopy done wasn't too traumatic for him.

I have read of children whose inflated bellies were due to gluten intolerance. I did briefly take DS off gluten to see if it helped his eczema, but it was inconclusive (his eczema flared up when he started gluten again, but it was at the start of a bad cold so that was probably the cause - his eczema has since cleared up again with steroids). I may do another couple of trials to see if it has an effect on the eczema.

Lots of toddlers have 'beer' bellys and others are skinny things. My DS is 19 months old and is still breastfed... He's one if the skinny things, my nephew (same age) has a 'beer' belly and was last breastfed at 6 months. I think it just varies.

AngelDog, I'm really interested in your first question- I could have written your post. DS is 2 weeks off his second birthday, bf about 6 or 7 times per 24 hours, and his belly is HUGE. I feel a bit embarrassed, specially when we're swimming. I'm tempted to get him one of those full-body swimsuits......His diet is excellent- all home made stuff with no junk at all, and while he has a good appetite, it's not excessive.
DP and I are on the skinny side, so I'm hoping he'll grow out of it later....