HV saying DD is overweight AGAIN.

[Dipsydoodlenoodle]

Been to get my 8 month old DD weighed at the Health Visitor clinic...and feeling like a complete and utter failure.

This is the 3rd or 4th time they've told me that she's overweight.

She still will not entertain BLW -
she doesn't even put any toy in her mouth (soft ones occasionally, but that's it) - she's more than happy to be fed (anything) but HV said feed an ice cube amount per meal (3 x per day) then moaned she was still having milk. A friend (same HVs) was told to keep feeding her baby food until he turned away!

It's just so frustrating that they say one thing and then another...and keep telling me DD is fat. We go to baby class with babies that have rolls on their rolls...yet we are the fat ones :(

She is 98th centile for weight and 99.5th centile for height.

I'm just having a moan as yes she's heavy...but she's also tall but they solely focus on weight and take no notice of anything else. DD was born on the 9th centile which adds to their argument - DD was measuring small so I was induced early as she wasn't growing, but again they don't take any of this into consideration, just that shes shot from the 9th centile to the 98th :( . I just feel that they don't look at the bigger picture.

Sorry, just feeling low about it and needed a rant.

HVs are almost universally useless. Ignore. As long as she's tracking her lines and similar centiles for height and weight, you're fine. At 8m she still needs milk.

Just stop going. Covid meant that we didn't see the HV at all after DS was 6 months old. Much less stressful so long as you're happy with them!

🙄 I would ask her why she doesn't understand that if her height and weight centiles are nearly the same how is she overweight?

If height and weight are in proportion why is there a problem? I would ignore her or take advice from another health professional if you are unsure

DD was on 0.4th centile. My HV once told me to fry more of her food and give her more cake.
I obviously didn't!

I know you are all right and I know I am right. But FTM here with no one to really talk to about it. Its just hard when they keep saying it.

But yes I've decided no more official weigh ins. We've got the 9-12 month check coming up at some point (but then again I am waiting to hear weaning advice from them at 4-6 months)...I'll get someone to be with me when they do the next visit.

Exactly.

Mine follows basically the same centiles and she's not overweight at all - when she was about 8-9 months she was a bit chubby, but now that she's running round she's in proportion and lovely.

Ignore ignore ignore

Health visitors mostly talk shite to justify their own existence. They just can’t cope with anything that doesn’t grow by numbers. Let her deal with a screaming baby because it’s hungry.

How unhelpful of HV and I didn’t even think babies could be overweight at that age- ours have always been big and lots of rolls of fat and it seems healthy ; they certainly don’t have any extra weight now they’ve grown. I would only see a health visitor if I was worried they were not putting weight on or if there was another issue!. (Ours has been great and we haven’t weighed our youngest for a while as she can clearly see he’s put plenty of weight on)

My DC1 was a massive lump. She was born on the 50th centile but went up to the 90-somethingth for weight and height. I got repeatedly told off for too much breastfeeding and given the side eye like I was sneaking her protein shakes. She was at her fattest from 8-12 months while she transitioned from mostly milk to fully weaned and pre-crawling/walking. She’s now 5 with a bmi of 50% but tall for her age and alas no more squidginess. I stopped going to the weigh-ins with subsequent DC after the first few weeks.

Your HV sounds like a nightmare. Sounds like you've got an adventurous eater there and it doesn't matter if she isn't in to BLW or if she still has milk. It does not matter! My 16 month old still has two bottles a day and it took him until he was about 12-14 months to enjoy eating at all. Everything works out when they're ready. And in terms of weight, you've got a thriving baby there. You're doing a great job - honestly it's so so good that she's happy to eat

You are not obliged to get her weighed, stop going.

I would stop seeing the HV you be honest. An 8 month old isn’t fat. That’s not a thing.

I couldn't have told you what either of my DC weighed at 8 months old. Both were born large (8.5lbs at 38 weeks and 9lbs) and stayed on 90th centiles. Both are still tall but skinnier now.

I only ever weighed my kids if I was worried about how they were feeding. Even now I don't weigh my DC. I can tell by looking at them if they've put weight on. Even then, I encourage them to get out on their bikes before I'd tell them to eat less.

She sounds perfectly in proportion, her height and weight centiles are the same.

Id stop getting her weighed unless you’re concerned at any point, but I did find both my babies got very chubby between 6-12 months, as they eat/drink more but they’re not really moving yet.

She sounds lovely and like she’s growing perfectly for her. Enjoy her.

I wish mine had had rolls of fat. I love a really chubby baby.

Stop going. It’s absolute bollocks and she sounds perfectly in proportion. They change loads once they start moving more anyway.

Honestly when I hear stories like this I’m glad that we’ve never actually seen a health visitor in person due to DS being born in lockdown one.

You know your DD best. Also how can a baby be overweight?! She’s not even one.

Ignore and keep doing what you feel is right.

Weigh ins aren't necessary after the first early baby days. Just stop going. Ridiculous to say a baby is overweight.

Sounds absolutely fine to me. Stop seeing this HV. Useless!!! If it helps, see it as a waste of public money so don’t use her services 😂 wonder what she would make of my baby boy who is well over 100th centile ha. Please do not listen to her or let this affect you!!! Xx

Ignore the charts. I had a 98th centile baby and she was absolutely fine and has grown into a totally healthy child. Some babies are big, some babies are small. Enjoy all the squishy chubby cuddles!

Different perspective here OP, my daughter was small in utero, born early due to severe pre eclampsia and we have had a horrific reflux/allergy journey which led to her being tube fed. Once we figured out the right milk for her, she’s piled on the weight (from being completely below any centile line to now 15-20th). I prayed every day for my baby to suddenly develop rolls and dream of her being 98th percentile! What I realised though was that no matter what the health professionals were never happy, and even when my baby was small she was developing beautifully, whereas now she’s romping up the chart and I’m sure it’s because we are force feeding her with her being tube fed. If your baby is following her line, eating to her appetite (babies and children in general have excellent appetite regulation) and is developing normally then just ignore them, when she is on the move I’m sure she will naturally drop a bit. But definitely don’t stress and take everything the HV says with a pinch of salt.

I would request a new HV. My own HV was absolutely lovely and such a great help to me as a FTM. It's sad that not everyone has the same experience.

As previous posters - stop going. As a FTM I was constantly told from 4 months my baby was ‘overweight’ and even got monitored because of this. He was breastfed. I had to fight for them to do his height as ‘it’s not something we measure now’ but only then did they realise he was 99 centile for weight and height. Absolute nightmare and I made the decision to not take 2nd baby to any weigh ins etc (although COVID helped that too) and had a much nicer and happier time all round. Enjoy your baby!

Born in the 50s when the advice was completely different and much of it now seen as wrong.
I was 9.5lb born and breast fed for 9 months (probably baby rice, farex and mashed potato and gravy added from 2 to 3 months old as that was encouraged then). Always been chunky then severely overweight and still struggle.
My younger sister was 11.5 pounds at birth (I suspect mum had gestational diabetes but ???). Refused to breast feed. Midwife advised Farex added to bottle from the start due to weight being over the recommended for beginning mixed feeding at that time. She was a podgy toddler (photos) slimmed down in her teens and has always had a BMI of around 20 21 ever since.
She is also only 5ft 5in and I'm 5ft 7in

Whilst there is 'best practice' for baby feeding it is only ever guidance and children will thrive (or not) on very very different regimes. The good HV (of which there are many) know this. The poorer ones think babies should behave like text book babies

Mums do not ALWAYS know best but loving mums usually do

My son was early and small but was on the 96th centile at 3 months, ebf so not overfed. The consultant told me he would take a long time to crawl etc. because he had so much bulk to heave off the ground but when he did his weight would sort itself out. He was absolutely right, and once he started moving he dropped down to 70th for height, 50th for weight.