Please advise re baby weight/feeding

[AngelUK]

Hello ladies,

I hope you FF ladies can advise me. I have just come off the phone with my mum and she just drives me crazy sometimes! We always weigh the boys on Sunday and she asked what they weigh now, especially Dominic. He now weighs 10.6Kg (23.36lbs) and I know that is at the very top of the chart. He is however also 74cm (29.13inches) tall. My mother thinks I am overfeeding him and that I am setting him up to be fat all his life cause apparently at this age fat-cells form for the rest of life.

She suggests that I should not give him his 4am night time bottle any more. I told her he wakes for it and wants it but she thinks I should substitute it for something else. She sent me a Hipp Organic baby tea which is very normal thing to give to babies in German speaking countries but is not known here. I tried this for a night but Dom hated it and just cried for his bottle. Mum thinks it is just habit and shouldn't be hunger at his age cause at his age he should be sleeping through. I agree with this last bit of course but what am I supposed to do? She hinted that the only reason I am giving him the bottle is to shut him up when he cries. That is not true cause while he woke every hour at night till recently I only ever gave him a bottle at midnight and then again at 4 no matter how often he woke before.

She asked if I give him solids twice a day now and when I said yes she seemed to think I should then at least not also give milk. I am following the meal plan by Karmel and while he does get his meal of fruit puree and porridge/baby rice in the evening as well as a bed time bottle a lil later, I don't give milk at the boys' lunch at 11:30. What do you ladies think? Is she crazy or am I really setting him up to be fat all his life? Should I cut down on the amount of milk I give? They are both getting 210ml with every bottle and drain it. Please advise and sorry this is so long.

 

[AP]

I wouldn't listen to your mum at all! Thats a shame she thinks she's giving her expert advice when in fact all babies are different. At their age I would still say they are waking for the bottle because they need it, perhaps if they were older I would say habit but this could all even out once you are more into weaning

Also his weight will calm down when hes running around on his feet!

 

[Ktothema]

All babies are different, and whilst some sleep through without wanting a feed from a few weeks others sometimes go for months like that. If he's waking and taking more than 2oz, then the likelihood is he needs it still. Under 2oz and they say its just comfort feeding. No point in making him upset if he needs it still. You may find that as he has more solids then he'll need the feed less. Just go with what baby wants.

 

[skunkpixie]

If your baby can tell the difference between the tea and the milk then he is waking because he is hungry, not due to thirst or wanting comfort. Has your HV raised any concerns over your sons weight? If not then I would continue as you are and he will stop wanting his night bottle when he is ready. Mosy likely once he is taking more solids during the day, but dont rush with the solids just because of this.

As for setting your son up to be fat his whole life, this isnt true. Both my daughters gained 10-11oz a week (even though 1 was BF and 1 was FF) and were always between the 91st and 98th centile for weight. After 8-9 months they both started slimming out and now my eldest daughter is in the right size clothes for her age, and my youngest is only 1 size ahead (they were always 2-3 sizes ahead in clothes as young babies). xxx

 

[AngelUK]

Thank you ladies
I haven't seen my HV since the boys were a few days old. She called once after about 2 months to see if we were ok but that was it. I am not sad about cause she wasn't all that good I don't think. But my sons' GP seems to think that feeding on demand is fine and he never mentioned anything about Dominic being too fat. I will ask him next time we have occasion to go. But you all reassured me, so thank you again

 

[Kage76]

Personally- i take ANYTHING people say to me with a grain with a grain of salt. until a health professional has an issue then dont worry. Bring up their concerns with a health professional by all means. but until then keep on keeping on with what you are doing. Babies are SUPPOSED to be chubby now- they will run it off when they start to move.