10 months and 98th centile: am I feeding him too much?

[MrsMcW]

A two part question:

1. DS is 10months, and has been a huge baby since birth - tracking neatly along 98th centile. In the early days, HVs reassured me that the centile didn't matter as long as it remained constant. However, I also know that in childhood a centile of 98 is considered obese. When does the centile start to matter? My local clinic closed down in October so I haven't been able to discuss with the HV again.

2. as well as being born big, DS eats like a horse. Weaning has been a joy as he will try anything and eats heartily, but I'm beginning to worry about the sheer quantity of food he consumes each day. I spoon feed but also give him lots of finger foods with every meal. Below is today's menu to give you an idea - is it far too much, bearing in mind his size?

On waking: 7oz bottle anti-reflux formula
8am: 2tbsp readybrek made with whole milk, 1 small banana, big handful of berries. Maybe another 1-2 oz formula.
12pm: omelette (1 egg) made with spinach, cherry tomatoes and grated cheese, handful of steamed carrots and broccoli, petit filous pot, 1 plum, small handful berries.
5pm: homemade chicken curry (about 120ml I think - two Karmel size freezer pods!) with basmati rice, handful peas, 1 pear, 1 tangerine.
6.45pm: between 8-12oz anti reflux formula (I offer 12).

He is very active, crawling and cruising all over the place. However he also has one hell of a pot belly... Someone reassure me? It doesn't help that I was an overweight child (and now adult) and so I'm hyperconscious.

Sorry for very long post!

I don't think that they worry about bmi till about 3.
My ds2 was a right wee butterball as a baby but thinnned our a fair bit when he started walking. He's now 4 and a tall child but is a healthy bmi.
Speak to your health visitor if you are worried but I wouldn't stress about it too much.

Babies don’t overeat. Centiles don’t mean anything. When my daughter was born she was beliw the 9th centile. By 6 months she was on the 90th centile. Now, at 4, shes the smallest child in her class. Do not worry. Feed your child they won’t overeat. Babies are natural - centiles are man made scientific mumbo jumbo. Trust your baby.

He sounds like a dream - fab varied, healthy diet. I really wouldn't worry. He'll naturally stop eating when he's full as babies don't overeat. So as long as he's filling up on the lovely healthy stuff you're giving him, I'd say he's good to go!

Thank you all - it's such a silly situation! I love that he eats everything and that he's so big and healthy, and then I read all the awful stories in the papers about obese toddlers and panic that I'm setting him up for disaster. Particularly when I read about recommend portion size being the size of his cupped hand - he has treble that, easily!

But if it's all healthy food and homemade he should fine, I hope...

OP, I've got a big tall baby too (takes after his big tall dad) and he eats lots but has a varied diet and is very active. I think it's hard to compare especially when every other baby seems tiny by comparison!