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Am I overfeeding?
Guys,
Please can I have your advice as I'm sat here in tears...
Hubby has just come back from pub and said one of his mates got a shock at the size of Evie earlier today and thinks we are feeding her too much. So I'd like to know what you think - this is the rough routine:
8.30am - 8oz bottle
9.30am - 1 and a half tablespoons porride with fruit puree or half a weetabix
12.00pm - 1/2 jar stage 2 baby food and a petit filous
2.30pm - 7oz bottle
5.00pm - 1/2 small jar fruit puree
7.00pm - 8oz bottle
Does this seem about right for a 6 and a half month old? She is a big girl and has always been on around the 91st centile but we weighed her today and she is heavier than my friend's 10 month old.
Hubby's issue is that she never gets to the point where she's crying for food, cos the clock always beats her to it. My worry is that if we feed on demand, I wouldn't know whether to give her a bottle or solids, and that my routine will just go out of the window and I won't know whether I'm coming or going.
All books I've read / advice I've been given is that they should be on 3 solid meals a day by 7 months (and that once you start on 3 meals you shouldn't go backwards as that's confusing) but that they still need 20oz formula daily until they're 1 year old.
Do you all wait til your LO's are crying for food?
Please help..... I feel like such a bad mother xx
Please can I have your advice as I'm sat here in tears...
Hubby has just come back from pub and said one of his mates got a shock at the size of Evie earlier today and thinks we are feeding her too much. So I'd like to know what you think - this is the rough routine:
8.30am - 8oz bottle
9.30am - 1 and a half tablespoons porride with fruit puree or half a weetabix
12.00pm - 1/2 jar stage 2 baby food and a petit filous
2.30pm - 7oz bottle
5.00pm - 1/2 small jar fruit puree
7.00pm - 8oz bottle
Does this seem about right for a 6 and a half month old? She is a big girl and has always been on around the 91st centile but we weighed her today and she is heavier than my friend's 10 month old.
Hubby's issue is that she never gets to the point where she's crying for food, cos the clock always beats her to it. My worry is that if we feed on demand, I wouldn't know whether to give her a bottle or solids, and that my routine will just go out of the window and I won't know whether I'm coming or going.
All books I've read / advice I've been given is that they should be on 3 solid meals a day by 7 months (and that once you start on 3 meals you shouldn't go backwards as that's confusing) but that they still need 20oz formula daily until they're 1 year old.
Do you all wait til your LO's are crying for food?
Please help..... I feel like such a bad mother xx
0
Replies
First of all in terms of size dont stress about 'how big she is' as long as she is following her centile lines and any weight increase is gradual (most babies jump up a bit when weaning starts as they are eating alot more until the milk decreases - they can also look a bit 'chunky' until they are crawling about, burning some of it off and then they can jump back down the line)
My dd is also a 'big girl' (between 91st and 98th which for weight and length and has always been round about that so i know its 'normal' for her she)
i would say both professionally (which i know doesnt always go down well on here) and personally based on my experience that you arent feeding her too much - they need 18-20oz a day from 6 months but thats when they are taking 3 meals but i think you should be increasing the food amounts now and getting her taking 3 meals and increasing portion sizes so that milk in turn will decrease.
i dont leave my baby to cry for food but she has always been in a good self established routine and also took to food quite well...we started weaning about 6 weeks ago (just under 23 weeks) and 6 weeks on we are on 3 meals, snacks and now 3 bottles (She dropped one herself last week) and now takes the recommened amount of milk anything from about 17-22oz a day depening on what she has eaten but milk in cereal and used in cooking eg a cheese sauce counts towards that as does yoghurts.
its up to you what you feed your baby, when and how you do it not anyone else but while i wouldnt let my baby cry for food i try to feed on demand e.g a few weeks ago she would want a bottle before her lunch and would get upset if i tried to feed her 1st so i had to switch about or she might only go a few hours in between when other days go 4 happily but i have never had a 'routine' as such - Megan got into one herself but it varies slightly daily depending on what we are doing etc.
As a guide our day goes like this:
8.30am: breakfast - a full weetabix, or 2-3 tablespoonfuls of ready break (2oz milk) i sometimes mash pear or banana through. she will then have a small piece of toast or banana or something afterwards.
10am: bottle - usually takes 5-6oz
1pm: lunch - things like mashed brocolli and cauliflower with a cheese sauce, mashed potato with cheese, other mashed veg, boiled egg, tuna pasta or just yoghurt and say an avacado mashed and then a piece of fruit eg melon to suck on or a wee rice cake or something or pieces of carrot or brocolli or a wee 'sandwich' (today with dairylea on it) as i always give some sort of finger food with meals.
3pm: bottle - again usually 5-6oz (only wanted 2oz today so i didnt push it) she has water with meals maybe an oz or so each time.
5pm: dinner - pretty much same things as lunchs (tonight its 'bolognese' with mince and tinned tomatos and some spaghetti as the finger foods)
7pm: bath then bottle then bed - takes anything from 5oz-9oz before bed depending on how the days gone. she goes to bed 7.45pm normally and sleeps (usually) til between 8-9am our feed times alter slightly each day depending on what we're doing, our groups, when she wants to nap, how hungry she is etc.
its quite a bit different to how your day looks but it doesnt make any 'better' or mean any of us are overfeeding - Megan eats alot as she likes her food and took to it well and as long as she is content, steady on her centile line and sleeping through im happy - i think at this stage foods more important.
i would try a lunch then increase portion sizes as you go and see how you dd does rather than completely lose your routine. weaning is often trial and error until you find what suits.
sorry this is so long and prob not much help but sometimes i think its good to see what others are doing (had been going to do a weaning update post to see how everyone else was getting on) hope its not cheeky either.
dont feel like a bad mum - your baby is happy and healthy so your doing a great job and dont let other people upset you unnecessatily.
Lx
also just to say before we started weaning Megan was taking up to 40oz a day (4 x 9-10oz sometimes 11oz bottles) and there was a gradual decrease down to 30oz, 28oz, 25oz and only in the past few weeks did she lose interest in the bottle we dropped - i was convinced I was overfeeding as she was having so much food and the milk but i know im not due to how she is and her weight - your dd is the best indication.
i'll shut up now before this becomes another essay lol.
Lx
Lx
Thanks for all your advice, I think it's really helpful having a professional on here!! I tried to weigh her myself yesterday as not managed to get her done properly anywhere recently (have moved house, hol to Spain, then Xmas!), and I think she has jumped to 98th centile (was always around 91 ish) but apparently that's normal after weaning starts but before crawling begins?!
My gut is telling me she's not having too much, I think she would take more if I let her but I'm stopping at the point where she seems to want to play with the food rather than eating it. 7oz bottles as from tomorrow, then in a couple of weeks I think I'll up the portion sizes and do a proper tea rather than just half a fruit pot.
Need to start making batches of cheese/tomato sauces joy!!
Thanks again
its sounds like you are feeling a bit better today?
it sounds like a good plan...as i said we did 8oz to 6oz and my dd was fine with that (was taking 2 full meals by that point) then when i introduced a 3rd thats when the milk decreased but it was only because Megan was over 26 weeks and had taken to it well that we started the 3rd meal when we did.
As with the centile chart yeah its normal like i said most babies jump up (not just yours - mine too lol) as they are eating more then when they crawl around they burn some of it off and are using there arms as well (which can often look the 'chunkiest') and also when walking they get more excercise or when pulling to try and stand etc so she'll burn it off but main thing is as long as she is in proportion to length then she isnt overweight and a slight jump (up to a centile) then its ok....my dd was always just above 91st centile for both she is now almost at 98th for weigth and about half way between both for her length well she was 3 weeks ago - going on tuesday to get her weighed again just for my own piece of mind giving how much food routine/intake has changed since then.....
if your dd is looking for more food i would just give it and when she wants to play with it thats also normal - i tend to give Megan something to eat herself then (she is good with a pre loaded spoon) see how the milk decrease goes and then when you introduce a 'proper' tea you might notice a further decrease in milk and as food increases etc but at the minute although she is having more than the 18-20oz thats ok as she isnt eating as much food.
Lx
P.s With regards to 'sauces' i use a tin of chopped tomatos as a tomato sauce and its also 'lumpy' i just added some cheese to it to make it less 'bitter' and seemed to go down ok after the 1st time lol...i just mix some mashed veg or pasta through it and its quite easy to make in a hurry - im not the best for making/freezing in advance lol.
Mainly been doing fruit and veg purees so far, sometimes mixed with a bit of philadelphia but I'm going to start introducing fish and chicken at lunch times this week.
Keep in touch xx
its just the centile lines you go by to see if in proportion - have you had her length measured? when i go to clinic to get her weighed there isnt a length mat which is most accurate weight to do it so i just do it myself with a tape measure (has to be one you can completely roll out - i use a wee paper one) you measure right from top of the head down the side right down her leg to base of her foot (usually needs 2 espec if a wriggler like my dd) its not as accurate but gives you an idea of length which you can compare on the centiles...most babies are a centile out and its usually that their weight is on the bigger line - thats ok and anything up to 2 centiles out is usually considered 'in proportion' but like weight main thing is growing at a steady rate.
i gave megan tuna for the first time the other day - i had given her a wee tiny bit in her mouth when i was making some for a baked potato for me and she looked like i had poisoned her and it got spat everywhere so i wasnt too hopeful as a meal but with a cheese sauce and some pasta she actually took it all...im feeling rather proud of her as she ate the mince tonight too (although did get a bit frustrated at the time it was taking as she had to 'chew' so much before swallowing) its amazing what they can eat now - we dont have any teeth yet!
i think it sounds like you are doing a great job and have a good plan of action so just try and ignore other people (its hard i know) im no size 8 and when people say my dd is ;big' i think they must think cause of my size i am over feeding her when i know im not....she was 8lbs 4oz at birth so started out a bit 'bigger' than alot of babies and seems to take daddys height. its annoying i would never dream of saying a baby looked 'scrawny' or think a mum was starving it just because they were 'smaller' i see lots of babies in all shapes and sizes including the over weight and underweiht ones and ones over fed and ones not fed enough and i just try and now focus on my dd and how she is - Evie will keep you right with how hungry she is etc and how much she wants to eat.
Take Care,
Lx
Your baby is in a routine and eats well!!! I wish wish wish Emily was like that! I get comments on how small she is (still in 3-6 month clothing) for 6 months and it really upsets me. She has 2 meals per day and snacks but has never been a big milk drinker.
Evie is happy & healthy and following her line ... so wheres the problem? Dont listen to silly people. You are a great mum, well done you!!!!
We've cut her bottles to 7oz today and it didn't seem to bother her, but I made it up with a bit of a bigger lunch (chicken, carrot, onion and sweet potato cooked and pureed myself - really enjoyed it actually!) - and a slightly bigger than usual tea, my usual mixed veg with philadelphia!! Ha ha.
Thanks guys you've made me feel so much better.
Lauz41 - Evie was a similar weight to your LO - 8,5 at birth plus she has a daddy who's 6 foot!
She has jumped from just above the 91st centile to just below the 98th centile but is still technically in between those lines so HV not worried. She said it would have to be a hell of a jump for them to be concerned. Went through what I'm feeding her and she said it was absolutely fine, there is nothing to worry about whatsoever.
Just need to encourage her to get rolling again - she rolled 5 times in one day about 3 weeks ago and hasn't done it since, lazy little thing
I often get comments about "WHAT are you feeding her?" etc., but am gradually learning to let it go over my head! (most of the time!) - sounds to me like you're doing absolutely fine, and we just have hungry babies!!
It sounds very similar to my dd (they were already fairly up the charts to begin with) she too jumped from 91st to in the middle of there and 98th and was 18lbs 12oz 3 weeks ago so will be pretty similar weight wise to your wee one now i reckon(going to go again next week) and length is just above 91st so all fine. Megan also has a tall daddy too (6"3) so seems she will take some of his height me thinks (im only 5"4) we dropped a bottle a week ago and are no on 3 meals and 3 bottles but up til then she was eating loads and about 25oz of milk still!
Keep doing as you are as you are doing a great job!
Lx