Pediatrician says I should reduce calories in 12 mo's diet

[oolongtea]

Just went to our 12 mo checkup and the pediatrician was advising that our baby is getting too many calories. First of all, is he? He is a fattie, 30 lbs, but has been chubby since 3 months old. He was EBF till 8 months old, then we started baby-led solids.

He BFs around 5X a day: early morning before getting up, at 1st nap, at 2nd nap, at bedtime, and generally once in the middle of the night. Pediatrician supports extended BF but says this is too many feedings.

He eats solids around 3X a day, and my goal with this was for him to eat a wide variety of flavorful foods so that he wouldn't become a picky eater. So he eats pear and mango and kiwi and blueberries, black beans and hummus, couscous and rice and quinoa, spinach and broccoli and peas, cheese and yogurt, various meats... etc. The pediatrician says I should be giving him oatmeal for breakfast and soup for lunch. First of all, I don't think he'll go for it because he likes to finger-feed himself. I asked what I could give instead of oatmeal so he could feed himself and she said bread. Another issue is that stuff is a lot blander than what I like to give him.

So what do I do? Ignore her suggestions? Try to limit BF? Give lower-calorie solids? (Maybe drop cheese and the fattier meats?) Should I start giving him bread and soup?

I was figuring he'd shed some chub when he started walking, but the ped was implying that he will be a late walker because of his weight, which is why she wanted to reduce the calories.

[KempsMama]

Your LO sounds a lot like my DS. He was about 32# at his one year WBV. My ped never suggested limiting his calories in any way. I would say ignore this advice, your LO has a wonderful diet, and try and find another ped. Seriously.

DS is now 2+ and has only gained two pounds-but he's shot up like a tree. Things even out.

ETA: Bread? Instead of OATMEAL? Seriously, who would think this is a more nutritional option??

[womenswisdom]

No! Your LO is eating a wonderful variety of foods and still breastfeeding. I would not be concerned about his weight at all. Seriously, she wants you to put your 12-month old on a DIET. Your son knows how much he needs to eat and sounds very healthy to me. Get thee to a new ped!

[Aufilia]

5 times a day is definitely NOT too often to breastfeed! I'm pretty sure my DD didn't get down to "just" 5 sessions a day until 18 months or more.

[Norasmomma]

Get a new ped. His diet sounds wonderful and varied. My DD was 28lbs at a year, no one ever blinked an eye. You know what she weighs now? 36.5 and she's going on 4. It evens out. The only flak I ever got about her weight was when she was almost 3, we do WIC and the know it all nutritionist told me DD's BMI was too high because she was in the 80th percentile. She'd been there since 6 months. Now she's fine because she only gained a half pound in 6 months.

Ugh it's annoying. Another vote for a new ped. Bread and soup come on

[alegna]

Ignore the advice and find a new ped. I'd actually be concerned about ONLY 5 nursing sessions at that age

-Angela

[AFWife]

Uhm, your son only nurses 5 times a day at a year old? Can I be jealous for a minute here? :P

[colsxjack]

Def. ignore your ped. Oatmeal or bread for breakfast and soup for lunch?
All people should have more than just oatmeal (orcarbs) for breakfast. Your LO should eat fruits, vegetables, protein and carbs all day.
My DD's average breakfast is fruit and yogurt or cheese. Sometimes cheese is on toast.

If you LO just gained a lot of weight I would wonder why. But if he has been a big boy for a while I wouldn't worry. A baby should follow their own place on the charts. Our DD is 95% and our ped is happy with it as she has been 95% from the beginning.

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by oolongtea

So what do I do?

Find a new doc, maybe an FP who has more actually sick patients, so they don't try to micromanage the healthy ones. (bad snark today, but not aimed at you, just... dang, way to try to break something that's just fine)

The really helpful docs worry parents about fat babies, then worry them again when said fat babies barely gain any weight at all for months and months when they start running everywhere.

Lots of kids thin out when they get more mobile, and barring actual problems, most kids get mobile on their own schedule.

Enjoy the eating now and encourage the flavors, it'll be cool if it lasts, but if it doesn't and pickiness sets in for a bit, you'll know you laid a good groundwork to get back to.

[prothyraia]

I'd be really hesitant to change a healthy breastfed infant's diet when they're eating a wide variety of healthy foods, just because of where they fall on the weight chart.

I understand the panic about childhood obesity, but when a *baby* is obviously eating a healthy diet of fresh foods, I think worrying about weight is ridiculous.

[weliveintheforest]

ignore her!

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by prothyraia

I'd be really hesitant to change a healthy breastfed infant's diet when they're eating a wide variety of healthy foods, just because of where they fall on the weight chart.

I understand the panic about childhood obesity, but when a *baby* is obviously eating a healthy diet of fresh foods, I think worrying about weight is ridiculous.

Your doc may be supportive of breastfeeding, but she doesn't seem very educated about it. She wants you to put your baby on a diet so he isn't a late walker? Rubbish. Keep doing what you're doing, and find a new doctor.

[prothyraia]

I should also add that my 28lb 12 month old had no trouble learning to walk, and is currently a 35lb 3 1/2 year old. For cripes sake, children should just eat actual food, when they're hungry. The end!

You can't win. Right now it's "omg! baby is fat!" and in a few years it will be "omg! baby is dropping down in the charts!".

[Pandme]

Ignore her. Find a new doctor. Yours doesn't know what she is talking about, point blank. Your child sounds wonderfully healthy and perfect.

I would honestly be tempted to tell her what terrible advice she gives and ask what her nutritional background is. Bread and soup. Where did she take nutrition courses, in prison?

[Comtessa]

One more vote for "run, don't walk, to a new ped."

My DD is 11.5 mos and nurses approx. 10x/day. Nobody thinks this is problematic over here! Your baby sounds perfectly healthy. If a baby is eating healthy food and not junk, you don't need to worry about him eating too much, IMO. He'll eat when he's hungry and stop when he's full. To force him to do otherwise is to set yourself (and him) up for problems later. Don't starve your baby b/c a misinformed (and lots of other things) ped prefers skinny babies!!!!!!!

[Gimme Pineapple]

I don't understand all this premature concern over weight. It is so frustrating and disheartening. My little guy is 4 months and almost 22 pounds! Of course, I constantly get told that he needs to nurse less because he weighs so much. They forget that they have to measure him on the table because he is longer than the infant scale!! They forget that when they measure his head, the nurse is shocked at his beautiful 18 inch dome. Blah!! All people, baby and adult, come in many sizes.

No suggestions, just empathy from a mother of a big guy.

[Blueone]

I wish my boy where chunky. He's such a skinny boy and he eats a lot too.

Anyways, I'd find a new doctor. Like someone else suggested, maybe a family practitioner.

[Ola_]

I think the diet you're feeding sounds a LOT healthier than what your dr is proposing! I wouldn't change anything and I too think that he'll slim down once he's walking.

[Alisse]

Ok i'll be the first one that says it: Holy crap, that's a heavy baby! Good lord!

But then again, so was mine for the first 4months! In fact, he didn't even have a percentile ranking because he was off the charts. But we and the doctor felt he was ok because his weight was matching his height and head circumference and has since gained like a single pound in 3months.

That said, some babies can increase their weight in an unhealthy way, and sometimes that can be due to some underlying condition. So NOT all babies can self-regulate their appetite. NOT to say that your baby has anything wrong with him!

I'd start a dialogue with your pedo and tell her you don't feel good about altering her diet, if that's how you actually feel, especially with respect to breastfeeding frequency. I bet you and your pedo can come up with a plan that you both feel comfortable with, even if it just involves monitoring your child's weight in the next few months to see if it plateaus once your child becomes more mobile. While i also like to not listen to my physician sometimes when it comes to either me or my child, my actions/reactions are somewhat tempered by the fact that i know my "gut feelings" can be wrong sometimes and my doctor has more experience with the health of children than i do.

Ok, i have to confess i'm not alway so reasonable as i'm sounding above: I recently told my pediatrician friend to go f*** herself when she suggested i should begin to start considering less nursing throughout the night. But after i explained why, she also agreed to not cut out any feedings.




ETA: You're never going to find a doctor who wants to do what everyone else thinks you should do, whether it be on this message board or at home. So i think changing your doctor over this issue is a bit silly at this point, because if you were willing to do it over this given the circumstances, you'll be doctor-hopping for the rest of your life!

Ok, i'm on a roll today, everyone above can start targeting their pumpkins in my direction. *ducking*!

[elmh23]

Ignore the ped! My dd was 25lbs at 9 months when she started walking. At her 2 year appointment, she was still 25lbs! She grew tall and thinned out.

As long as you're not feeding him chips and soda and cakes and cookies, I'd say he's fine!