Just had nine month old weighed - feeling like the worst parent

[Rarfy]

Nine month old dd has just been weighed. She's 19lbs. Almost on the 75th centile. Not bad I know but she was born on the 9th.

Anyway I felt like they were interrogating me about what she eats. I'll be the first to admit I don't do baby led weaning. I don't like it I'm frightened she'll choke. That isn't going to change.

I don't just give her pouches and mashed food though I give her bananas, toast, crumpets, bagels etc I just break them up for her. A typical day is cereal. Usually weetabix, porridge or shreddies. Lunch is usually a sandwich - chicken, tuna or cheese then tea is a meal pouch Ella's kitchen or aldis own. After each meal she will have a dessert which will be a fruit pot, a from age frais or a small custard pot. I very very rarely give her snacks as I don't feel like she needs them.

She is still having three 6 ounce bottles a day. First thing, mid aft and then last thing.

Is this quite bad? I feel like I'm doing something wrong it's really upset me.

You only give her carbs

Same fears here op.

DD is ten months, 50th centile, was 9th. She's still on four bottles, hV said she will reduce when ready.

I also eat late, so now plate her tomorrow tea from ours tonight.

Lots of diced fruit, diced cooked veg. Grated veg, carrots cucumbers. Petit peas, corn.

Egg muffins are great, scrambled egg mix baked for ten minutes in muffin cases with whatever you have in fridge added. Also quiche.

Stew, mince dishes, chicken casserole.

I blend a lot of fruit and freeze it into ice lollies as an after tea thing.

Soup, homemade.

I've taken it very slowly but am getting more confident and finding planning our tea today to feed her tomorrow helps a lot.

Thank you everyone. I'm sat here in tears. It really gets to me. She's not even chunky. If you saw her you wouldn't call her chubby.

I think it was the talk of what she eats rather than her weight.

I've googled all the manoeuvres for choking and am confident in it. I think it's the cooking side and knowing what's good things to try. All the health visitors ever say is give them what you're eating meat and vegetables but we just don't eat that every day.

I don't think it sounds too bad to be honest! I'd maybe mix it up a bit if you can. I've got nothing against the pouches but maybe do one every other night and cook in between. It doesn't have to be too elaborate, pasta is good for example and she can feed herself. I would mix cooked pasta, a bit of olive oil, peas and grated cheese and then let them dib in.

Annabelle Karmel does some quite nice recipe books (my DS1 was a huge fan of the butternut squash risotto!) and you can bulk cook and freeze.

Also, when you cook for yourself freeze a couple of small portions for your DD (spag Bol, cottage pie, stew, curry etc) as long as you don't cook with loads of salt all that stuff will be fine for her.

I was advised to give a "pudding" after lunch and dinner too. I found natural Greek yogurt with fruit bits for them to feed themselves worked well. Aldi do a lovely Greek yogurt really cheap.

Did the HV's give any practical advice?

I don't understand...are you saying she's overweight? My ds is same age and 20lb.

I wouldn’t worry either

My dd was a right little chunk when she was a baby. She was born on the 9th centile too and was diddy but quickly put the weight on.

She had rolls on her rolls at one point

Soon as she started walking, it dropped off.

She’s perfect now. She’s 6 and you can see how skinny she is

It’s just baby fat

My other ds was on the 99th percentile at that age. 🤪

Well, what do you eat? Why do you think that’s unsuitable for her?

I don't give her anything with stock on either, I have thought about soup but all the recipes seem to include stock. Same with casseroles etc. She doesn't just eat pouches for tea but they are my go to.

I'm going to try harder you're giving me the push I need.

My eldest was born on the 9th centile and went up to 75th at 9 months, then came down once crawling. You need to get over your fear of choking, it is really quite misplaced and the time for exploration of new foods and textures is right now. If you delay a lot you may have a fussy child for a very very long time! Go on a first aid course to recognise signs of choking (ie its not gagging) and what to do should it ever occur (and it is very rare). I am surprised you're using normal cereals as they are not meant to have the salt content in normal cereals.

So they arent saying shes overweight just that shes jumped a lot of percentiles, they like kids to grow on the curve of the charts, a little up or a little down isn't a concern. If they jump loads either way that's when they worry. I honestly wouldn't worry if I were you though. Just make sure babies diet is varied, try to start reducing the pouches and give more real food. Once baby is walking they will level out.

I think the clinic staff felt they had to say something even if there was nothing to say, from what I have heard, that's not unusual.

She'll soon be tucking in to meat and two veg, spag bol, etc. I'm glad you give her cheese, yum.

My ds is 20lb 4oz at 8 months. 75th centile. We also dont eat until late, so i save some and he has it the next day. He has

B - weetabix or similar
L - some sort of dinner, beef casserole, chicken curry blah blah and some fruit
D - sandwich or pinwheels ect, yoghurt and some cheese or something.

Health visitors havent said anything to me and are pleased at being on 75th centile

Yes, they didn't even say it was an issue she had jumped. She's still on the 50th centile but close to the 75th and she passed comment on it. It was more that then questions about her diet that I've taken to mean I'm doing something wrong.

The health visitors suggested trying normal cereal just keeping an eye on what's in them so no cocopops for example.

These are you friend. They do chicken and vegetable

www.boots.com/baby-child/new-in-baby-child/piccolo-chicken-stock-cubes-6-months-10264092

I wouldn't worry! My daughter was born on the 2nd centile and now at 17 months she's a chunky 26 pounds and a bottomless pit!

How tall is she?

I second Annabel Karmel recipe book. I didn't do baby led weaning. DS had a dairy allergy when he was little so had to adapt some recipes. He too loved the butternut squash risotto

I know you are trying to avoid junk but Kiddylicious do wafers that melt (like a really thin Skips or Quaver I suppose). This will help with feeding and chewing and minimise any choking risk because it will literally melt away.

Don't panic.

She'll slim down when she's walking and in the meantime you can tweak her diet.
Bit more veg and finger food will help.

Kallo also do baby stock cubes.

You can get low sodium stock - Kallo foods does one that’s sold in most supermarkets and boots do a baby stock cube.

But seriously -
Surely you and your DH don’t just eat sandwiches and casserole? She can have anything you do - just no honey, no added salt or sugar and no whole nuts.

So for example, spaghetti bolognese as long as you cook the wine off thoroughly and use a low sodium stock cube. Chicken curry, just use low sodium stock cube and then add some natural yogurt to the DD’s to tone down the spice. Quiche with new potatoes and broccoli, an omelette with veg and cheese in, a roast dinner as long as you leave gravy off and don’t add salt.

Please don’t upset yourself over this at such an early age.
I remember my health visitor telling me my son was obese when he was just 6 months old. No I didn’t restrict his diet and he’s now 6ft 5 and a normal weight.
And don’t be bullied into baby led weaning if it isn’t for you 💐

@Rarfy - what do you eat normally? Maybe if you said what you are eating people could help you adjust that to be LO friendly.

Just have fruit for "pudding", or nothing. I prefer to mash banana into weetabix, for example, rather than having it afterwards as a separate pudding - otherwise they start to expect something sweet after every meal.

A home cooked meal is better than an aldi or Ella's pouch because will have more meat and veg in. Also the touching process loses nutrients, so homemade is better if you can manage it.

Don't worry OP. Just gradually introduce more foods that you eat and she'll be grand. Incidentally I did traditional weaning with my now 2yo and it did him no harm at all. He was born on the 75th centile, jumped up to the 98th when breastfeeding and is now back on the 75th. He also is in no way a fussy eater - in fact he eats loads and a lot more varied food than many other toddlers I know! Plus he has no trouble using cutlery etc. to feed himself now. And he loved an ella's kitchen pouch at 8 months old! Just keep an eye on sugar and salt intake but don't stress too much.