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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Just been told that BF DD is too fat, thought that wasn't possible, feeling very guilty.

77 replies

MrsTittleMouse · 09/05/2007 13:05

DD is 6.5 months, and been slowly introduced to solids for the past month. She is BF, but has 1 or 2 FF a week when DH or DM looks after her.
She was born just over the 50th centile, but grew very fast on exclusive BF in the first few weeks and reached the 98th centile and has stayed there ever since. We were a bit concerned at such rapid growth, but we were told that it was impossible to over-feed a BF baby. She was 91th centile head circ and 99th centile height at the 8 week check, so in proportion.
Now the GP is saying that she's too fat and is at risk for obesity when she's older . I've never forced solid food on her, she gets offered the food and only if she opens her mouth do we continue. I told him that she wouldn't drink water (we were there for her constipation), and he suggested adding something sweet to the water to get her to drink it. He thinks that she has too many milk feeds. I now offer 20% apple juice 80% water several times a day, but she refuses to drink it. She has a "disgusted" look on her face and purses her lips. I don't want to add any more as she now has 2 teeth coming through. She gets really upset (because she's thirsty I suppose) and in the end I give her BF, but I feel really guilty that I'm putting through this, and simultaneously guilty that my BM is making her fat!!!
Any suggestions?

OP posts:

friendlyedjit · 09/05/2007 13:17

all my BF children looked as if I had used a bicycle pump on them at that age , and I stopped having them weighed, as we used to get the "look".. as they had all been wee 5lbers at birth. They were big and are all completely normally sized now.

Spagblog · 09/05/2007 13:17

My DD was a hefty baby. Her arms looked like marshmallows on a kebab stick.
She was exclusively BF and we weaned her at 4 months.

Everyone commented on how chubby she was, but thank god, our MW and GP would NEVER have made such a stupid, dangerous and crass comment.

She is now 5, lean and healthy

misdee · 09/05/2007 13:18

i am so so reading this.

just a little story for you and check my profile for pics afterwards.

dd2 was 9lb at birth. by 6months she had shot off the charts competekly for hewight and weight. was around the same square for each so perfectly in proportion, like your dd. I was told when she was a year old that she was 'too big' ie. FAT. I made the Hv compare her height to her weight and she mumbled she was in proportion but i needed to keep a food chart, give her semi skimmed milk etc etc. at a year old??!!

she is now a tall slim 4 year old. she carried on growing heightwise but her weight evened out. her older sister who was a slimmer baby is now chubbier at 7 (same height) but she hasnt grown in height recently so am expecting to slim down as she shoots up.

dont deny your baby breastfeeds, dont listen to the Gp about adding anything sweet to water, your baby sounds fine.

mamijacacalys · 09/05/2007 13:19

What a muppet gp.

My DD has been on the 91st centile since birth. She is still bf and I introduced solids from 6 months. She is 10 mo, has started crawling and has dropped to the 75th centile. My HV said this was perfectly normal.

bf is one of the best ways of avoiding obesity in later life (don't know link to relevant research but someone more knowledgable may come along and post).

Original poster

MrsTittleMouse · 09/05/2007 13:19

Actually, the HV at the practise told me a couple of weeks ago that I would have to be careful not to overfeed her now that she has solids too. This was after I asked her about protecting my back and told her that DD was 9.5kg.

OP posts:

Original poster

MrsTittleMouse · 09/05/2007 13:21

PS
LOVE marshmallows on a kebab stick! Describes DD perfectly.

OP posts:

beansprout · 09/05/2007 13:25

First of all - congratulations for b/f for 6 months and secondly, your GP is a nob.

One of the many wonderful things about b/feeding is that they learn to regulate their own appetite. We can't force them to feed and there is none of this "finish the last bit" stuff. Ds is now 2.5 and if he doesn't finish a bowl of food, so be it, I know he will eat what he needs.

You are doing brilliantly, and as others have said, she will lose a bit of weight when she starts to move around a bit more.

Please, please don't start giving her sugary drinks. B/milk and water are all (in fact they are exactly what) she needs.

fishie · 09/05/2007 13:27

i think half the time these 'health professionals' just say stuff without even thinking about it, to take their 'advice' further....

limited food + sugary water - breastmilk = malnurished baby.

CheesyFeet · 09/05/2007 13:29

MrsTittleMouse, my dd was exactly the same. She was born at the 50th centile and then rocketed to 91st/98th (both weight & height) and stayed there until she is about a year old. No idea where she is now but she is tall and slim (not skinny, has a toddler pot belly and slim everywhere else). At 2.10 she is completely in proportion. She was a chubby baby but what's wrong with that>>>

The only comments I got were that she looked healthy and that my breast milk must be uber good stuff.

Your gp is talking bollocks imho. Your health visitor too. Surely your dd needs the calories from your milk as she won't be getting much from her food at this stage???

Stick to what you are doing. Sounds to me as if you are doing the right thing instinctively and the so-called "professionals" give you crap advice.

Tapster · 09/05/2007 13:31

Understand about protecting your back. My 6 month old daughter must be at least 20lb and I'm only 5ft and 8.5stone and my back is killing me. Did the HV have any useful advice?

HenriettaHippo · 09/05/2007 13:31

Whaaaaat???

Your DD sounds just like my DS1 - he started on 25th centile, put on masses of weight through exclusive bf, and by 6 months was above 75th, by a year, was on 91st. Is still way up there now, and is nothing like 'fat'. Chubby babies are BEAUTIFUL, and once they learn to crawl and then walk, the rolls of wonderful fat on their legs go. DS1 is now 3, and no longer has them, and I miss them... Busy building up DS2's instead!!

I am shocked at your GP. Keep doing what you are doing already. There's nothing wrong with bf as a drink. In fact, a lot right with it...

lemonaid · 09/05/2007 13:35

She's in proportion and you're feeding her on demand on the appropriate intake for her age. Please ignore your GP and don't worry about your DD.

FeelingOldnGrey · 09/05/2007 13:38

Carry on BF, absolutely! You are doing a great job by the sound of it! Your baby obviously loves your BM, and BF is the best way to avoid obesity in later life not cause it.
My BILs LO is ridiculously heavy too as 7.5 months old, exclusively BF too, shot up the charts, nothing wrong with him at all. He is just going to be a big baby (he has a very tall father, not surprising).

I am not an expert but I was under the impression that BF babies do not necessarily need to drink lots of water, if being weaned should be offered, but not essential to drink, more to get them used to taste? My Lo, at 10 months likes to spit water rather than drink it.

suejonez · 09/05/2007 13:38

Is your GP aged 120?! Can't believe any GP suggesting a 6 month old is fed sweetened water and thinks thats going to be less of a problem for future obesity than breast milk.

"Any suggestions?" - change GP. Seriously, the man is obviously demented.

FeelingOldnGrey · 09/05/2007 13:40

I agree with other comments too. GPs and health visitors often say things without realising the impact of what they are saying on mothers, esp first time mothers who hang on every word they are told. I expected up until the last two months that the HV/GPs would know best, I now realise that is crap and I stopped going. DD is healthy and very small. I will go back if her behaviour changes.

nogoes · 09/05/2007 13:42

I don't see how you can overfeed a bf baby. Her weight is in proportion to her height so I wouldn't worry. Lots of babies are chubby. Ds was a real porker and I felt really guilty because he was ff and then took really well to solids. HV's always raised an eyebrow when he was weighed even though he was very long too. Now he is 2.9 and weighs exactly the same that he did at his 2 year check and we haven't been doing anything differently he eats really well but just doesn't put weight on and is now on the 50th centile when he was on about the 99th at his 2 year check.

Ignore your GP you are doing everything right.

NappiesGalore · 09/05/2007 13:46

i stopped going too. stupid HV was forever trying to weigh asnd meansure and compare my perfectly healthy happy babies to some chart... for what???

suejonez · 09/05/2007 14:05

I do think that measuring/weighing/charting babies can be useful - sharp changes can help identify a problem. But wen the child is obviously healthy I don't see what it adds.

LazyLine · 09/05/2007 14:12

I stopped getting DS weighed as he was near the top of the charts (in proportion) as had falling out with a HV who was convinced that I was feeding him all sorts and that I must know nothing about weaning. She was convinced I was weaning him earlier than I was.

He's lost all of the baby "porkiness" now that he is running around.

Ignore your GP, or seek a second opinion from another.

DaisyMOO · 09/05/2007 14:22

Bue suejonez, surely sharp changes would be obvious to an attentive parent anyway and if indicative of a serious problem would be accompanied by obvious symptoms?

Londonmamma · 09/05/2007 14:27

My DS2, now a very slight 7 year old and the smallest in his class, was like a sumo wrestler at 6 months, solely breastfed. Even I worried he was a bit lardy!

suejonez · 09/05/2007 14:31

Yes Daisy you're right but sadly healthcare professionals are not always dealing with "attentive" parents. Doubt there would be anyone on here that it would apply to but sadly a few in RL.

FourJays · 09/05/2007 14:37

DS1 was HUGE- always on 98th centile and bf until he was 18 months. Now he is five and so tall and thin - I can count his ribs!

DS2 was always on 25th centile and was bf just as long and as regularly.

Babies use what they need and come in all shapes and sizes. I doubt I overfed one baby and starved the other - they are just different.

Your GP is clearly mad. What does your HV say?

whomovedmychocolate · 09/05/2007 14:38

Oh FFS! My DD is nearly seven months and jumped from the 50th to the 98th centile too but there is a reason centiles exist and that is that there is a huge range of 'normal weights.

Also some people weigh more - I weigh 12 stone (5ft 3) and am a size 12 (and not a big 12 either). Technically I'm obese but people would not say this to look ay me.

You doctor is talking out his arse, it'll all change once she starts moving around anyway!!!!

DaisyMOO · 09/05/2007 14:50

But would inattentive parents even be taking their babies to be weighed ?

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