dr says NO FOOD for my chubby 9 month old!!!!!

Monika - posted on 04/08/2010

You sound like me, all home made organic food, I can't see how bananas or avocados or sweet potatoes could be bad for her. I just started giving my daughter tofu today to boost protein. It sounds like you are doing a great job, I haven't been successful with avocado at all though lets face it, its a pretty high in fat but its extremely good for you. I do feed my daughter carrots, green peas and asparagus, other veggie combinations, along with lots of fruits and some meat. Meat is tough, what to put with it to make it yummy... So far chicken she is okay with and I just made a lamb and lentil dish for her she is yet to try.

It seems weird to cut Azalea off food at nine months, it doesn't sound right and if it was my daughter it wouldn't feel right.

You sound extremely attentive to your daughter's needs, there is no question in my mind she will start walking even if she is a chunky little monkey =D

Marian - posted on 04/07/2010

i wish my child ate all those types of foods she is so fussy . once your daughter starts running around she will burn it off

Jennifer - posted on 04/07/2010

That seems odd. I would go with your instinct on that one.

Nancylee - posted on 04/07/2010

i agree that you know best. both my boys were strictly breastfeed for more than 9 months and both were SERIOUS chunks. as soon as they started to crawl they burned it off. if you feel you want to cut down on her caloric intake you could try using your breast milk to thin the food- that way you could still be feeding her some. other foods to try might be summer squash, blue berries, and adding pureed spinach.

also- i remember reading something about giving soy to babies. i don't remember much of the details- but something about the isoflavanoids and thyroid function. ??? i'm no doctor but i did have a thyroid disease during my college years that caused me to gain weight. i try to avoid soy products now.

good luck!

Beck - posted on 04/07/2010

Awww gotta love chunky monkeys! Big, beautiful healthy bubbas are the best! They are content, happy kids! I also had a boofa boy and now he is a healthy toddler, running around who still loves his food! My brother when he was little was a big boy with rolls of 'padding'!! You should see the pics! hehehe he went to then the skinniest, smallest kid in his class cos he was go, go, go and now at 23 he is over 6 foot, has a great body and can eat what he likes and not put on weight! Kepp going, with what you feel is right for your little girl!

Mindy - posted on 04/07/2010

I love all of Jennifer's good info in her response!

My ds weighted 10lb8oz at birth and was 27 lbs by 8 months. Everyone was always telling my how late he'd roll over because he was chunky (he rolled around 5 months) and how he'd never be able to support all his chunk to walk. Well, he pretty much skipped cruising and was walking by 10 months!
Now, he is 3 and so tall I have started to buy him 4T pants but we are having problems keeping them up because he is so skinny!

I just make really fatty milk and just viewed my chunky baby (and his chunky new sis) and a testiment to their health!
Doctors are not all knowing. YOU know your baby way better than your doc. If you think it will confuse him, it prob will.
I agree with the general idea of nurse first before meals. I look at mealtimes as a time to expand my daughter's tastes, not nec for nutrition as I know she's getting all she needs from my milk.

Jennifer - posted on 04/07/2010

Bethany, Probably once she does start walking, she will start to loose some of it. I really wouldn't worry about it too much, as long as she is meeting all her other milestones.

This is the first time I've ever heard a doc say no to solids for a 9 month old and I work with a lot of moms!

Incidently, after 6 months, babies do start to need other nutrients, in addition to breastmilk (eg. iron, after 6 months is gradually starts to be not enough).

I would just be sure she is guiding her intake, let her feed herself finger food (bits of soft foods like cooked veggies and tender meat.), nurse her first as Breastmilk is still supposed to be her main diet at this age (until 1 year when other things begin to overtake your milk).

I wonder if the doc has considered that because she is eating solids (assuming since 6 months or so) your supply has adjusted accordingly, therefore you are no longer making enough to sustain her 100%. If you were to revert to EBF, your supply would come back up to meet the increased demand, but it would not be immediate, it would take some time depending on how much solids she is taking.

Incidently, breastfeeding does help prevent obesity. One of the theories for this is that it contains leptin, a hormone that helps regulate satiation and food intake. That being said all the major health organizations recommend gradually starting solids at 6 months. If you want to know more of why your doc would suggest you go against this advice and revert to EBF, I would ask him for specifics in relation to your child. Given these recomendations, why do you recommend this. How is this going to help? (BTW, breastmilk is more calorically dense than almost any other food you can give exclusing banana, sweet potato and avocado.) Fat content can vary considerably in one woman's breast milk to the next. Some make skim, but you might make cream. That's ok, it's all good. My 3 kids have each been unproportioned weight to height. (90+% for weight, yet 50% height.) They each evened out as they got older. In fact my 6 year old is such a skinny minny that I've been accused of not making her eat enough, even though she eats more than I do at most meals. She just burns it off because she never stops for a second!

Bethany - posted on 04/07/2010

thanks everybody! i needed some reinforcement!

Sammie - posted on 04/07/2010

Some babies are just chubby when their little. She will begin to walk soon, and slim down. As long as your feeding her healthy foods then there should be no problem.

April - posted on 04/07/2010

that's interesting...usually doctors are pushing the solids way before many breastfed babies are ready!



i would get a second opinion...as you said she would be confused if you took all of her food away.



what i would do is offer breast first and then solids. and just watch to make sure she is not eating too much, that's it.

Kathy - posted on 04/07/2010

your daughter is adorable. I think that you as the Mother of your child know when your baby is hungry and you know what is best. If your child seems to be on all the normal patterns of development then it seems to me like you're doing everything right.

Jessica - posted on 04/07/2010

I would say if you feel that your baby is ready for solids, there really isn't a reason not to. Breastfed babies that start out really chubby will usually slim down sometime before they turn 2.