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Am I under feeding my 2 year old? Worried af

103 replies

Nc4post99 · 19/09/2021 14:31

Hi,

So DD is 2 and a wee slip of a girl. Little bit of a backstory for her, measured small in pregnancy so was induced at 37 weeks and weighed 5lbs- 1st centile weight and 5th length. Bad tongue tie resolved at 3 months. At 6 months 9th centile all around, except head at 25th. At 10months, just under 25th for length and weight head just above- she ate well at that point. At one year check Real tough time from HVs about her size (they wanted her bigger) and breastfeeding, told to force feed her which led her to have quite a bad food aversion. She fell a centile and she’s never recovered. We paid to see a private paediatric dietitian ( looked at her diet and observed her eat) and private paed who weren’t concerned about Dd but were infuriated at the HV suggestions.

Now at 2 she’s still in 12/18 clothes and just looks so small compared to her peers, a lot of people comment on how tiny she is and how they think she’s 1. She’s got bundles of energy and is quite developmentally advanced for her age (3/4 word sentences).

We have her 2 year check coming up and whilst milestones don’t concern me, I’m worried about the comments on her size. She’s unwell constantly (colds, coughs, the runs etc) so GP requested a full blood culture to check all is ok there so we’ll get the results if she’s deficient in anything this week but I just wanted to check that her daily diet looks ok or if we’re under feeding her.
We do 3 meals and 3 snacks a day, nursery have no concerns of how she eats. She isn’t breastfed anymore but has at least 10oz of cows milk in the day+ 2 petite filous yogurts + portion of cheese. She has a large cup of oat milk before bed (too much dairy can cause anemia apparently)

This was yesterday;

Breakfast- bowl of cereal -1 weetabix (but we alternate rice crispies, coco pops for a treat, shredded wheat etc) with about 3oz of blue top milk and half a medium banana ( the bowl is one of those blue munchkin adhesive ones)
Snack - slice of buttered malt loaf with a cup of blue top milk
Lunch- 3/4 slice of buttered toast with a scrambled egg (scrambled in butter) veggie sticks (hummus on the side but she left that) half a large apple and a petite filous.
Snack- cheese and crackers (3 circular crackers, you know the kind) with some cheese about the size of 2 index fingers. Small cup of milk.
Snack 2: box of raisins and 2 squares of dairy milk (doesn’t normally have a lot of chocolate but we went to a park where there was a fair so it was a treat, this also isn’t typical but we fed the ducks at the park and she ate one of the hot dog buns we’d bought for the ducks lol, she normally wouldn’t have that much for a second snack)
Dinner : nachos (dw not Doritos, I made the ‘chips’ from white tortillas that I sliced, spritzed with oil and baked. Topped the chips with tomato salsa, then veggies, then cheese and some shredded chicken from the day before and then more cheese) she probably ate about half a tortillas worth (just a normal
Size one from asda) with toppings. She then had some grapes about 5 and another petite filous
Bed-5oz of oat milk

Does this look ok to you? If not please tell me. Some days she eats really well but others not so much, not full on refusal anymore (thank god) but just smaller quantities.

I guess I’m just after a bit of reassurance if this looks ok or if actually I’ve been under feeding her.
Also any sort of ‘encouraging’ her to eat more leads her to dig her heels in and refuse. Lately we’ve been letting her ‘cook’ ie assemble things like the nachos and she’s taken a real interest in it but it’s not helped up the quantities xx

OP posts:
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Nc4post99 · 19/09/2021 20:19

@Letsallscreamatthesistene

For those interested - theres about 3 tsps sugar per big pot of petit filous.

Im going to switch now too

Shiiiiiiiiittttt that’s dire. She was having the little pots but still it’s a lot for such a small pot.
OP posts:
Nc4post99 · 19/09/2021 20:23

You’re probably right @User0ne, it was awful when they had weight clinics. Must be something in the water with my local hv team. We constantly got mithered about her size. Told breastfeeding was the problem and I needed to stop as it was cause for concern and theyd need to escalate it. It’s been better since we’ve had less contact but it will come up at the 2 year check.

I’m considering opting out for dc2 given the nature of advice received with dd x

OP posts:
1forAll74 · 19/09/2021 20:25

I would not be stressing about what your daughter eats, and not be making lists on here about what you feed her with. You seem to be getting anxious about things. Just find things that your daughter really enjoys, and likes to eat. You don't have to go round a shop, and buy everything you consider is the best thing for a child to eat.

I am sure, given time, she will change her eating habits, and will flourish well. Just don't give her junk food, to fatten her up !

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Ihaveoflate · 19/09/2021 20:32

My 2 year old eats less than that and doesn't have milk as a drink. She's small (just into 18-24 clothes) but so were we as children, and still are really. I'm not in the least bit worried and no medical professional has ever commented.

Actually when I read your OP I immediately thought 'stealth boast' but you're obviously genuinely concerned and I'm a cynical old cow!

Also, if you can get your toddler to eat plain yoghurt, let me know your secret! I tried mixing some fruit pouch in but she won't touch it. She won't even entertain the healthier Yeo valley ones. Petite filous will unfortunately remain a daily staple here.

Nc4post99 · 19/09/2021 20:34

I’m not overly concerned @1forAll74 as my general philosophy is she eats what she eats and division of responsibility. Wanted to arm myself with some peace of mind in case I’m told I don’t feed her enough again.
Her height does however concern me, especially due to her birth size, she’s monitored by a paed for her growth just in case further intervention is needed

OP posts:
Nc4post99 · 19/09/2021 20:38

Definitely not a humble or stealth brag @Ihaveoflate lol. My little girl is still comfortably in 12/18 she wears 18/24 vest but if we got some dungas from next In 18/24 they’d literally drown her. We just got some 12/18 from next for her bday outfit and they fit perfectly. Got some 18/24 leggings and tops and they are quite big. She’s so so small compared to her peers, people think she’s 1 because of how small she is.

OP posts:
T0rt0ise · 19/09/2021 20:39

Personally I wouldn't cut out the dairy. I'd just make sure it's full fat and remember to add cream/butter to things like mash potatoes to increase the calories.

I also think, given your anxiety, I'd personally book an appointment with a qualified nutritionist
and follow their advice as there's a lot of conflicting information on this thread that I don't think will help ease your anxiety or help your daughter. (and by qualified I mean proper degree, not local health food shop)..

hauxwell · 19/09/2021 20:43

My toddler is 2.4 and 14kg. She doesn't eat as much as your daughter. An average day is:
Breakfast - banana and a slice of wholemeal toast.
Lunch - tuna sandwich made with one slice of bread, Cucumber, half an avocado, pot of applesauce.
Tea - pasta, pesto with veg, fruit or yogurt.
Snacks occasionally of breadsticks or crackers.
Occasional cup of milk at home, more regular at nursery.
She's very solid and wearing 3-4 clothes. Honestly I don't think you have anything to worry about food wise, except maybe cutting down a little on the milk.

Ihaveoflate · 19/09/2021 20:45

Just as an aside, have you tried Sainsbury's clothes? They come up really small and 18-24 months leggings fit my daughter nicely whereas other brands are too big.

I just see the positives - I can still get away with claiming she's under 2 for free entry to stuff (naughty, I know!) and she's still wearing the winter coat she had last year!

Nc4post99 · 19/09/2021 20:46

We know a paediatric dietitian @T0rt0ise but we’ve not really seen her since 18 months as it’s quite pricey but she was happy with dds diet and how she eats and her appetite. She cautioned against things like pedisure and any sort of pressure. I just wanted to double check as dds portions haven’t really gotten bigger in 6 months and with what looks like a loss on the scales of nearly .5kg I was a bit worried if they were related.

Dh thinks as she’s eating consistently it’s probably our crappy scales x

OP posts:
Nc4post99 · 19/09/2021 20:49

@Ihaveoflate

Just as an aside, have you tried Sainsbury's clothes? They come up really small and 18-24 months leggings fit my daughter nicely whereas other brands are too big.

I just see the positives - I can still get away with claiming she's under 2 for free entry to stuff (naughty, I know!) and she's still wearing the winter coat she had last year!

See @Ihaveoflate I always thought tu clothes come up quite big, but I’ve never got the leggings from there. George come up quite small but seems to get a bit bigger at 12/18. Next leggings are normally a good fit for dd (scarcely tight on her little bean pile legs) but normally decent in length and waist and she’s not got much room her existing ones so I sized up today and they’re massive (we’re a multi pack loving family lol) x
OP posts:
catsjammies · 19/09/2021 20:50

That diet sounds brilliant. Some kids really are just small. If she's meeting her milestones than I would try and just keeping her brilliant diet going!

KnobJockey · 19/09/2021 20:54

I think she probably eats more than mine, she's 2 this week, was born on the 99.9th weight and height and she's stayed on them since. She is comfortably in 3-4 clothing, for both height and weight.

A typical day involves:
1 Weetabix with full fat milk
A small beaker of milk (had to stop the bottle of milk as she was refusing food)

Snack of banana or yoghurt or oat bar

Lunch normally is 1 egg scrambled with ham, a plum tomato or some beans. Will offer half a slice of toast or crumpet but mainly refused.
Sometimes fruit

After nap snack of roast chicken and a babybel, maybe some fruit if none earlier

Dinner of pasta with bolognaise and veg or similar, she will normally eat about 3/4 of one of those suction plates

After dinner some kind of pudding- fruit and yoghurt, mini milk, maybe a small amount of chocolate

Bottle before bed, 9 Oz of milk, sometimes a biscuit with it

Sometimes they are just the size that they are 🤷‍♀️

KnobJockey · 19/09/2021 20:55

Tesco's is by far the slimmest brand for kids. Lindex leggings are handy too, as they have buttons to adjust the waistband in (92 is 18-24, but she would probably get away with an 86 as generous)

GuckGuckDoose · 19/09/2021 20:56

@Letsallscreamatthesistene

For those interested - theres about 3 tsps sugar per big pot of petit filous.

Im going to switch now too

Ummm… no, no there isn’t….

Teaspoon is approx 5g. 8g of sugar in an apricot or strawberry petit filous.

So one and a half teaspoons. Not amazing, but nothing to get worked up about.

RogerThatBravoOne · 19/09/2021 20:57

Looks fine to me! I just wanted to come along and say that I started drinking oat milk about 6 months ago - due to breastfeeding a baby with a milk allergy and I found that it gave me a dodgy stomach for a while and took a little while for me to adjust! Just something to be mindful of with the cup of oat milk she has. X

Moonwatcher1234 · 19/09/2021 21:16

That looks like a generally good amount OP but I really just came on to say don’t worry too much about the colds and sniffles. Been through it many times with mine when they start nursery and it can drag on a bit as their immune systems develop and are being exposed to lots of new people and their germs. Especially the lockdown kids who haven’t mixed much at all.

Fuscialuscia · 19/09/2021 21:21

A lot of these menus are huge and my daughter would never eat all of this?! Do they actually finish all of their meals? I definitely wouldn’t worry if they did and I were you!

WashableVelvet · 19/09/2021 21:39

Hi OP, you and her dad sound same size as me and DH, and your girl eats more than my 4yo. I swear he photosynthesises! He’s about 25th for height, less for weight, and full of energy.

Boombadoom · 19/09/2021 21:42

I’m a bit boggled by the amount of dairy if I’m honest.

Nc4post99 · 19/09/2021 21:43

Thanks @RogerThatBravoOne she’s had it for a while now before bed about 6 months, her loose stools have come a bit after. Nasty virus went around in July, not really got back to normal since. Thanks for the heads up though, I’ve tried oat milk myself and just can’t get used to the taste lol.

Thanks @Moonwatcher1234 it’s been relentless since she started this time last year. For the first 6 months she’d get maybe a day inbetween colds and then she had a whole month lol, then she went up to the toddler room and bam just ill all the time without a break. I do wonder if that’s hindering her growth a bit, constantly being under the weather.

@Fuscialuscia at least for me I tried to give the quantities of what was actually eaten, or at least what wasn’t left on the plate. She scarcely finishes a meal, she normally has 3/4s id say, occasionally half and occasionally all and here and there asks for more (more is normally spaghetti or noddles and she gets excited when she eats it so drops a lot lol)

OP posts:
Megan2018 · 19/09/2021 21:43

We buy the No added sugar petit filous. Available in most but not all shops @Nc4post99

Abouttimemum · 19/09/2021 21:48

My DS is 2.5 and fairly tall for his age (he was prem and also 5lb so it’s quite miraculous) and he doesn’t eat that in a day to be honest so I think you’re feeding her just fine!

I usually just put his food down for him and if he eats it he eats it and if he doesn’t he doesn’t. He hoovered up everything in front of him yesterday but today he’s basically had a box of raisins and an ice cream 🤷‍♀️ Kids are pretty good at regulating.

ohthatbloodycat · 19/09/2021 21:48

Goodness OP, I think you need to relax! You're clearly very anxious over this, and you don't want to pass this on to your daughter.
You sound like a brilliant mum and your lass sounds like a star! It could just be that she's petite.