Upset over baby's weight and health visitor... What am I doing wrong?

[LeeLee21]

My daughter is 11 months old and she was 9lbs 15ozs born (just over 4kgs I think) and she is now 28lbs (about 13 kgs).

My Health Visitor has said her weight is a serious concern as she is over the 99th centile and I know she is a big girl but she is active. She crawls, rolls, can climb the stairs and stands independently but isn't walking yet.

She has on a typical day....

on waking - 6ozs formula bottle
breakfast- porridge made with 2ozs cows milk
mid morning - very diluted juice and half a banana or a biscotti
lunch - fruit (usually strawberries or kiwi) a small scotch egg, some bread with jam, a fromage frais and maybe some cheese....
then she sleeps
on waking - 4 oz bottle
mid afternoon - very diluted juice and rice cakes
dinner - half a jar of baby food or fish, sweet potatoes and carrots or shepherds pie or something like that I've made fresh followed by a fruit pot
maybe a bit of banana if she still wants to eat later
before bed a 6oz bottle.

What should I change? I have two older daughters and they ate loads but were about 4lbs smaller than baby3 at this age.

I try to keep her away from sweets, chocolate, crisps etc. I just don't know what to do.... its not like I can make her walk or run it off as she cant walk yet. I'm trying my hardest I just feel defeated by health visitor at the moment and really sad about it all.

thanks for reading

 

[LoraLoo]

She sounds fine to me. They like their birth weight to triple by 12 months so she's perfect in that sense. She's just a big girl.
Bloody hv and these centile charts, when will they learn that each child is different. Keep going as you are and take no notice x

 

[mel28nicole]

Sounds great to me. Big girl but as you mentioned she isn't walking yet. When she's walking I bet her weight slows down from being active. Keep doing what you're doing!

 

[MindUtopia]

I would say she sounds very similar to my two friends who both also had babies who were on the larger side at birth. They were definitely both around that weight at 11 months. Many babies tend to plump up around that age just before they start walking and running and then the weight drops off a bit after. The only thing I would do in terms of her diet is to cut back on the sugar as it sounds like she might be getting a lot for still being not even a year. I'd cut out the diluted juice and offer water, and I'd only offer jam sparingly, maybe once a week. Also, I'd offer a sugar free fromage frais if you aren't already (Tesco does one that is just sweetened with vegetable juice and fruit puree) or maybe your own natural yogurt and some fruit puree mixed in. Many of the commercial brands of fromage frais (like petit filous) contain a lot of added sugar. That's the only thing I would do differently, just because it's healthier (and less sugar = less empty calories). But I just think she sounds like she's just a bigger baby and always has been. I got a lot of dumb advice from the HV when we did our 8 month check up too. I ignored it and it's all turned out fine. They don't always know best.

 

[noon_child]

I would say she sounds very similar to my two friends who both also had babies who were on the larger side at birth. They were definitely both around that weight at 11 months. Many babies tend to plump up around that age just before they start walking and running and then the weight drops off a bit after. The only thing I would do in terms of her diet is to cut back on the sugar as it sounds like she might be getting a lot for still being not even a year. I'd cut out the diluted juice and offer water, and I'd only offer jam sparingly, maybe once a week. Also, I'd offer a sugar free fromage frais if you aren't already (Tesco does one that is just sweetened with vegetable juice and fruit puree) or maybe your own natural yogurt and some fruit puree mixed in. Many of the commercial brands of fromage frais (like petit filous) contain a lot of added sugar. That's the only thing I would do differently, just because it's healthier (and less sugar = less empty calories). But I just think she sounds like she's just a bigger baby and always has been. I got a lot of dumb advice from the HV when we did our 8 month check up too. I ignored it and it's all turned out fine. They don't always know best.

I agree. I'd ignore the charts and just ensure her diet is balanced - so maybe a bit less sugary drinks/yoghurts/biscotti and the opportunity to fill up on proteins, grains, green veg etc before moving on to the strawberries etc. But honestly it doesn't sound like you are feeding her trash!

That said, at that age my LO was just a bottomless pit eating more than she does now at 4yrs! She'd have two bowls of porridge for breakfast, then a buttered crumpet, then a whole banana and possibly more fruit after if still hungry. Then in two hours time she was ready for a snack of cheese chunks and grapes and maybe some rice cakes with humous. then two hours later would eat an adult portion of shepherds pie with an adult portion of peas and still be hungry for pudding of yoghurt and fruit! Don't even ask about supper as she just went on and on and I'd be searching the cupboards for anything to fill her, so I did end up resorting to biscuits because there was nothing left!!

 

[Aleeah]

My little girl ate practically exactly the same amount of a typical day at that age, only difference was she only has water and I made the food myself (not through choice, she point blank refused jars, little monkey!!) and honestly... she was born on the 75th percentile and dropped to the 25th whilst on that diet plan! So she was small on the same amount of food, so I wouldn't worry you're giving her too much or the wrong stuff. We're all wired differently, and absorb food differently, like others have said, she'll slim down when she starts walking xx

 

[liz1985]

She sounds fine to me. Ive had the hv tell me both my children are too big and with dd that was before she was even on solids, and basically accused me of lying and said i must be giving her something i was forgetting about!!! I never took her to get weighed again untill her 1 year check where they were perfectly happy with her weight and was in line with her height. I would carry on as you are if you know she is getting a balanced and healthy diet.

 

[StranjeGirl]

DD1 was almost 27 pounds at 6 months, so she sounds fine to me! Dr wasn't worried at all and she has totally thinned out now!

 

[horseybird]

I know I shouldn't say this but I hear of so many people and friends being upset by health visitors. I think her diet sounds fine and she sounds active. I only took my second daughter once to get weighed. Trust your instincts, I'm sure as she gets bigger and runs about at playgroups/ indoor play places she will burn it off!