Breastfeeding overweight baby

[YvonneC-M]

My 9-month-old baby girl is in the 95th percentile in weight, so her pediatrician has advised her stay-at-home dad to NOT feed her expressed milk during the day (while I'm at work), saying that she should get breastmilk only when I'm home (evening, night, and morning). She has three meals a day of solid food. She sleeps through most of the night, waking around 4am to nurse, and then nursing again before I leave for work.

Cutting out the breastmilk during the day doesn't sound right to me. How am I supposed to keep up my milk supply--pump during the day, as I've been doing, and dump it? I'm planning on breastfeeding beyond one year.

Could it be that because she feeds from a bottle during the day, she overindulges?

I should also add that she's not quite crawling yet; I've been told that once she starts crawling and walking, she'll shed weight.

Have any other working moms had weight issues with their breastfed baby?

[bandgeek]

My son was off the charts his whole first year. He slimmed down around 18 months to 2 years and now he's 75% height, 25% weight at age 5. Nice and slim. He nursed for 3 1/2 years.

Breastfed babies are not likely to over eat, and even if they do, at least it's GOOD food. Fat breastfed babies usually don't stay fat. Breastmilk should be her primary source of nutrition for the whole first year, so no I wouldn't restrict it during the day. If you were struggling to keep up with her needs I might suggest supplementing with more solids, offering water, or maybe even a non-dairy milk, but I wouldn't dump the precious milk for those things!

I'm sure she's very healthy. I think as a society we are so obsessed with the obesity epidemic that people forget that normal infant feeding can produce fat babies, but not necessarily fat children.

ETA: My DS crawled at 6 months and walked at 8, and still didn't slim down until later. He did start slowing down with the weight gain, but he was still a big chunk until 18 months. So if she doesn't immediately slim down, don't panic. It takes time.

ETA again: Here's some pics: 4 months 7 1/2 months 11 months 18 months 2 1/2 years 5 years

[mum21andtwins]

what that dr said is imo cowspoo.
With y ds1 from the moment he was born till he was 6 wks I was told I would not be able to bf him because he was huge (8pounds 7) at my 6 wk wbv the HV told me he was obese and I needed to cut down feeding him. he was on the 90-95centile then and was till he was 2 or so. fwiw he cruised at 7 months walked properly at 9months.
i say listen to your mummy gut and keep doing what you are doing now

[YvonneC-M]

I've been suspecting that some of the concern about weight is unnecessary at this stage. Thank you both! You've reinforced my gut feeling, and given me solid evidence to support it.

[stormborn]

He wants to put a 9 mo on a diet?! Thats crazy....someone has to be in the 95th percentile, right? I'd personally throw that advice out and think about a new ped, but that's just me.

[Halfasianmomma]

My buddha-baby was in the 98% percentile for weight and height for a time...I think she was 21lbs at 6 months. Totally chubby and very cute. Completely breastfed until she was 10 months, and then started to be slightly interested in food. DD is now 19 months, 26 lbs, so in the 75% percentile for weight but off the charts for height.

IMO your doctor's concerns are ....um...silly and your DD does NOT have weight issues

As a working mom, I pumped until DD was 14-15 months (so 5 months total), after which a) I couldn't get anything out of the pump anymore, and b) DD was eating solids at daycare consistently. Trust your instincts, your DD will be fine.

[MeepyCat]

I just want to second the others that I don't think you're having weight issues with your breastfed baby, I think you're having sanity issues with your pediatrician.

She is likely to slim down a bit as she gets more mobile, as all babies do, but she may stay 95th percentile, and y'know? That's fine. I would be worried that a nine month-old might not be getting enough fat and protein from the solids that are generally recommended for that age group (read the labels on baby foods - they're empty vitamins), and I'd want to make sure either that breast milk or formula remained a core part of her diet for a bit longer (that, or be really aggressive with feeding fatty foods, like whole-milk yogurt and avocado, but frankly, breast milk is easier as she's already used to it).

[jecombs]

I would be very wary of a ped who suggested putting my 9 mo. old on a "diet," particularly one that cut-out the most nutrient-dense source of food my LO consumes (breastmilk!). Here is a good article on infant weight-gain from kellymom.com.

Question: does your DH usually feed your DD solids first or BM first? He might try feeding BM first, then solids. That way your DD is getting the most nutritious food first and the "filler" second. It is possible that she is "comfort nursing" from the bottle and getting more calories than she really wants, on top of the solids. Giving the BM first might help eliminate this problem. Does you DD drink any juice? This is an area where my toddler will over-indulge if I let her, because juice just tastes so darn good! We seriously limit juice in our house (even 100% juice) because I feel like it's basically empty calories and sugar.

But, like pps have said, someone has to be in the 95th percentile and it's your DD! It is highly, highly unusual for the BF baby to be overweight.

[Bokonon]

I agree with the PPs that your ped's advice sounds ridiculous.

That said, is it possible your DH is overfeeding her from the bottle? How many ounces of EBM is she taking while you are at work? The average breastfed baby takes between 19-30 oz. per day, with 25 oz. being the average; so about an ounce an hour.

[mama2myloves]

My 2 1/2 month old DD just had a doctor's appt and she's in the 90% for weight (50% for height). Her pediatrician said that she doesn't worry about weight one bit with breastfed babies and that she fully expects DD to even out as she becomes mobile.

[mnnice]

Every child had his/her own growth curve. DS1 was at 95% for weight at 6 months and only about the 5% by 18 months and from age 3 to 8 has been at or near 50% for height and weight. I suspect he will be a very average sized adult. Anyway you sound more relax about it and it sounds like your instincts are right on.

[goodygumdrops]

That is the most insane recommendation. Please do not listen to that doctor....

[rivkah]

Originally Posted by mum21andtwins

what that dr said is imo cowspoo.

I have an 8-month old and she is at home all day with DH. She drinks maybe 12 ounces during the day, eats some solids throughout the day, and nurses all night. She is in the 98th percentile weight and about 50th height. Your baby is not overweight--your baby is just well-fed! Both my other two were equally as large, and now at ages 10 and 12, they are quite slim, as are my husband and me. Fat baby does not equal fat child or fat adult. Keep doing what you are doing and making a happy baby!

[annekh23]

So your doctor thinks 1in20 nine months old are overweight? That is completely illogical, you never determine being overweight by what centile you are in, if you did, the percentage of people overweight would remain constant. With a nine month old, all that's going to happen is that by not offering a bottle in the daytime, she'll probably end up eating at night instead and if she doesn't, she'll likely end up lacking on nutrients that aren't found in the types of solid food she is eating at the moment.

[Megan73]

Originally Posted by Bokonon

That said, is it possible your DH is overfeeding her from the bottle? How many ounces of EBM is she taking while you are at work? The average breastfed baby takes between 19-30 oz. per day, with 25 oz. being the average; so about an ounce an hour.

I agree with Bokonon on both fronts. Your DH could be overfeeding. Your doctor is most definitely insane.
Kids on the whole range of the growth chart are healthy.

[kalamos23]

That is INSANE. My EBF until 11mo baby was 27 lbs at 9mo. She hit 33 lbs at 12mo and 37lbs at 18mo. She was literally WAY off the charts for weight (like about an inch over the 97th percentile line). She walked at 10mo and crawled at 6mo and is SUPER active, fwiw.

Enjoy your chubby baby! My ped tried to tell me that DD was eating too many carbs at her 9mo appt - I told her she wasn't eating ANY at that point, and I sure wished she *would* eat! Someone has to be at the top and the bottom of the growth curve, we both just happen to have ones at the top.

[LilMomma83]

my BF little sis was huge and they told my mom to put her on a diet when she was 1yo...she stayed chubby until she was maybe 4-5 and now at 16 is TEENY...she's actually really tall lol, but, very slender. My mom continued to let her BF and eat solids etc as much as she wanted.

My 2 kids are both slender, but they both were as close to chubby as they got right before they started crawling.

[YvonneC-M]

Thank you, Ladies. I showed my DH your responses, and after some discussion we agreed that he would NOT follow the ped's advice. In fairness to the ped, he had told her that our DD nurses 2-3 times a night, which is not correct. Our DD drinks about 10-12 ounces of EBM while I'm at work, so there's no problem there. But in case she IS overeating, my DH is going to try to be more careful about watching for hunger/fullness cues. She's healthy and solid for sure, and as long as she stays where she's at, I'm not going to worry.

[colsxjack]

I think your doctor is crazy and you should probably try to find a new one.

Has your DD always been up in the percentile or did she go from 50% to 95% over the past couple of months?
Our DD is in the 97% for height and weight. Our doctor wants her to stay there until at least a year old. She said that she is not worried about what percentile she is in, she just doesn't want her to drastically move from one end of the spectrum to the other. If a child does move from 50% to 95% or the other way around then it may signify an issue.

I used to be very worried about my DD's size because I have struggled with my weight since puberty. But I just breathe and try to remember our doctors words of wisdom.

[Meksmama]

I agree with your doctors a little crazy!!

Our DS was way off the charts and my family practice doc said it was "baby fat" that would go away with age... He is now slimmed down somewhat and is very mobile. He hasn't gained more than 2 lbs since his 12mo well check, he is just growing taller. He will be 2 next month...

So I wouldn't listen to that doctor... actually I would probably find one more on the pro breastfeeding spectrum.