MY 17 MONTH OLD WEIGHS TOO MUCH! HELP!

Michele - posted on 07/20/2011

First of all, I would only stop breastfeeding if you are wanting to stop. The babysitter can just as easily overfeed with milk, formula or food. I found that babies will drink more breastmilk from a bottle than they would have from you, in most cases. Find out how much she should be taking in in a day and only give the babysitter the amount she should be taking in during that time frame. I left an "extra" bottle a couple of times and the bottle was gone every time so I stopped doing it. Give specific instructions on bottle and food intake with your babysitter and if she can't do it then find someone else. Only give her "good" foods to snack on and for her meals. I would give 3 meals and 3 snacks a day sticking the milk in between (some give milk with the meals though - which ever works best for your daughter). My son eats more if I separate the milk from the meal. If she says she is hungry give healthy snacks or offer water instead of more milk. I would just slowly lower the amount of milk intake to the right amount and call it good. He just said to regulate it not to put her on a diet so to speak. He shouldn't tell you to stop breastfeeding though, that has nothing to do with it. She might be hungry from not getting her food and milk spread out more and then over eating to make up for it. Babies this age are active enough to burn off the excess, in time. That is just my opinion anyway. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Stacy - posted on 07/16/2011

I like the idea of packing your own food for her.

Charleen - posted on 07/16/2011

I understand and sometimes you cant always take the amount of time needed to find another one that you can trust especially since your trust was broken previously in such a way that it brought harm to the child. I would personally remove the child immediately and place them with a center that hasnt had complaints from the cps or social services and then search after work for another one unless you really like the center. I would talk to the other person and suggest what you need to have changed if you are going to remain with that person if you have no other choice then make sure that all they are doing is over feeding and mistreating the child which by the way depending on the laws can be cause for a neglect charge becuase it is causing harm to the child. But I would be careful on who you pick I understand people cant always have the best believe me I have had bad daycare expirience the first one my daughter went to at age 2 had me on the phone and told my child to shut the f up and i had to come get her cause she wouldnt stop crying If i hadnt been on the phone she would have been left in the center because at that point i had no choice and wouldnt have known the abuse was going on. I hope you can get a handle on her weight it is easier for children to lose weight i think becuase their metabolism is still developing but hard for adults like me to lose it becuase it has been in our bodies so long. I hope there are no further health issues but try changing diet and daycare if possible or pack her lunch and see what the babysitter is feeding her too or drop in on her and see her at lunch if possible to make sure she isnt eating a bunch of crap

Andreina - posted on 07/16/2011

you are right charleen. And just so u know.. i think u are right! there are babysitters out there that just to shut a kid up will give them whatever anytime! =( unfortunately for working parents they are blind because they cant be there all the time to see the issues the babysitter is doing.

Charleen - posted on 07/16/2011

No stacy I think it was pointed towards Stephanie and Myself even though I was just reitterating what I had said the time before bringing out new points towards the issue at hand

Stacy - posted on 07/16/2011

If that was directed at me, Andreina, not necessary. Nowhere was I berating anyone. I was trying to keep to the topic at hand. As a grow woman, you should see that some people just try to make things about them.

Andreina - posted on 07/16/2011

This woman is seriously asking for our help and you two are berating each other..,. as grown women u should be ashamed for this bickering back and forth. Weight issues are def a huge deal... and should be controlled now before this mom has bigger issues than just weight....

Katie - posted on 07/15/2011

Wow, lots of issues here in this post. In my opinion some children are bigger than others but you can only go so big before it becomes a problem. When children are not incontrol of their diets the fact that they are bigger than is recommended is down to the childs carer. I would make sure as somone else says to have her checked for medical conditions to rule those out! I would generally replace any naughty foods with good foods and if shes hungry be sure she has some dried fruit or yogurt. Try and up her exercise levels and as somone else says i think as she grows she will grow into her weight if she doesnt gain any more. Try your best and im sure it will all work out. Dont be afraid to ask for help from your dr.

Laura - posted on 07/14/2011

I'm so sorry about this! :( Were I you, I would slowly cut back her food portions over about a month. Particularly I would watch her bread/cereal/cracker intake and give her more fruits and veggies. I don't think you need to stop nursing her if you aren't ready, but watch what other kinds of fats she's taking in as breast milk is high in fat (good, healthy fat though). Is she taking a sippy cup with water? I would try to offer her that throughout the day. A lot of kiddos recognize thirst incorrectly as hunger.

Jessica - posted on 07/14/2011

she attacked me in the beginning. again. shove it and go play. You would think you would leave me alone, but no. you just KEEEEP going.

Jessica - posted on 07/14/2011

bitter? nope. your just an irritating and infuriating person. Although I have a lot of reasons TO be bitter....... nope. and yes. I am not always right. however, you should remember that neither are YOU. You have twisted what I say from the beginning, just ignored some things, and found some things where they did not before exist. That drives me up the fricking wall. I have people behind me on this. people I KNOW would tell me if I was wrong. Guess what? my kid isn't overweight by anything but a chart(which was the point). His height is also up their. Your little friend should read the posts. then she would know that I was talking to YOU about what you said to ME, about MY son. Funny. My doc says he is fine. So yes. the nicest way I can put what I feel about you right now is one phrase "shove it".

Charleen - posted on 07/13/2011

stepahnie look up knock knee on the internet and you will see weight as a number one issue of knock knee but still it is all un healthy if you are ok with your children being a little over on the charts then that is up to you but it is un healthy to be 40 lbs at 17 months old and diet or change in diet and some exercise wont hurt that child at all or yours it will improve their quality of life

Charleen - posted on 07/13/2011

Thank you stacy I just didnt want to say it and be saying it in a rude way I agree that if your child is overweight at this age it is yours or in this case the babysitters fault because she was doing the wrong thing and over feeding the poor baby and kids dont know yet when to stop especially when they are being fed every minute of the day they see something they want it they dont know if it is good or bad or if they need it or just want it no matter what it is it is up to the parent to decide when they need it and when they want it if they just ate 5 minutes ago and they point at the same food give them another table spoon and if they eat it chances are they will be satisfied with that last tablespoon and not want anything else becuase they will be full but even full children you hand them chips or candy and they will eat the whole bag it is portions that you have to take care of and exercise children in school arent even getting enough exercise nor us adults so go on a walk with them and get them active and healthy

Stacy - posted on 07/13/2011

Stephanie you are mixing to many issues with the one at hand.
Her daughter is not a healthy weight.
You are making excuses for your children. You may have had a horrible life but don't put that on to your children as an excuse.
A bit over is still over.
As for your comment, you sound like a woman I would avoid.

Jessica - posted on 07/13/2011

also. pigeon toe and knock knee have nothing to do with weight. She would have it anyway.

Jessica - posted on 07/13/2011

First off Charleen. you took what I said and gave it all new meaning. My son is only a small amount over. It is being monitored and is deemed OK. he is where our doctor says he needs to be, even if the charts don't. charts don't care about body type, muscle mass or anything else. They are just a single minded opinion on paper really. A box I will never put my children in.

Furthermore, I never mentioned pills where my kids are concerned. I mentioned them in concern with ME, and I said nothing of weight.

Third. Nobody is debating the fast food issue... though a happy meal is fine with me. In fact.... when we went, that is what I had.

My medical problems are not related to my size... though I wonder why you "presume" to know it. In fact, I was born with most of my physical problems. My mental ones... well having your dad shot/killed in front of you, your mother poisoned and dropping dead in front of you sibling who you tried to protect from knowing about stuff like that a few years later, and multiple cases of rape, child molestation, and various other forms of abuse, I think I earned the right to say I have severe issues. The physical problems I have that I was NOT born with are either off-shoots of the things I was born with or directly caused by abuse. I was also MEDICALLY abused(it can be done).

Our kids are not athletes "making weight". If they want that later then fine. In my very vocal opinion, you are a very sick woman. these are little children not triathlon competitors.

I have been told my kids are FINE. And you blame your step daughter health on her being "a little overweight"? I have never been so stupefied by any woman when concerning this subject. You just blame it all on weight.

Well news flash. It is my opinion that you are a lot of dirty names I am calling you in my head but cannot call you here because of "THUMPS".

The mental repercussions of this type of treatment are staggering. My best friend has a past checkered by the results of child dieting/weight consciousness. She become so obsessed with it due to her parents, that she developed an eating disorder. She has since, overcome it, but this is how she got it.

Also. My son is a walking bundle of energy and runs everywhere. He gets plenty of exercise. In fact, he loves it.

In my home dieting is not allowed until the kids are old enough to CHOOSE it, however we keep to the healthy eating and healthy lifestyle.

Your doctor is not omnipotent. His opinion sounds like a real "average" modern doctor. And if your kid is average height then they are supposed to be the average weight. My kid is wherever he needs to be NOW. He is tall (though I have not update his profile yet), taller than you know. You sound like a woman I would avoid.

Charleen - posted on 07/13/2011

well when they are hungry is it overdoing it though that is the point. and you dont always need pills for things but a change in diet which controls how much they eat and portion sizes is not a bad change for n e of us like i said look at the size of the fist look at your fist that is how much we are supposed to be eating that is the size of the stomach and since fast food was born bigger portions were deemed better instead of one serving like it used to be there werent really any seconds in the 40's until fast food was born then it was a treat then super size and bigger meals came along and that is when people started getting fat;. the issue that i have is if your child is over by so much it could cause health issues big health issues it can start effecting muscles and development i have wittnessed this with my step daughter she was overweight when she was little little and now she is knock kneed and pigeon toed and although very tall has health issues so all i am saying is diet does not necissarily mean this and that it simply means change what and how much you are eating. just by doing that i have lost 6 lbs in one week with walking and chasing my kids along with not eating ontop of eating so over eating is bad the baby should be eating about every 2 hours and it should be small not a full plate of food of numerous choices just because they go up there my son comes up to me it seems all the time points at his high chair and signs eat hungry mom hungry so i ask him what he wants and he points to what he wants i give him very little becuase he will sit up there and since his sister isnt eating he will take one or two bites and then be done he says finished so we go and take him down then a couple hours later it is lunch then nap then snack then dinner then he gets a bath and bed in the morning though he runs and is now in the 75th percent mark instead of 100 or above so i know how it feels to be told diet diet diet but it is how you take it if you stick with it or not there have been several things i have been told to do it is up to you with what you do with it. you are the parent with the ultimate decision but i really think that a diet if they were a normal growing rate before the babysitter then became overweight then ya change the diet so she doesnt have the problem anymore

Stacy - posted on 07/13/2011

What a tough situation. That is not a healthy weight for a 17 month old child no matter how tall they are.
Did the doctor run any tests to make sure there aren't any underlying medical conditions?
I hope you are able to find another babysitter too.
Weight is such a touchy subject. One either weighs too little or too much.
What was her weight a birth? Has she consistently been off the charts percentage wise? There are so many aspects to look at.
I hope you are able to figure something out.

Jessica - posted on 07/13/2011

offend the overweight? no. Doctors who forget that their job is to heal, not control, offend me. The Hippocratic oath has become ignored and merely an empty vow. When they uphold these things... they actually are breaking this vow.

And in the percentage range, my son is not far off. as I said, VERY tall. However, the one time we went to the hospital, a doc there complained about his weight(5 pounds over at the time) and told me (a little crying never hurt anyone) when I told him him I fed my son when he was hungry.

They get just plain anal. I am glad we found this doc. He is also my doc now. I have multiple medical problems, and as a natural healer, I have problems coming to terms with docs who will just put me on pills for everything. I am well aware how rare a doc who listens and works with you is.

I am blessed to have found one. Again, my son is not actually that FAR over(only a few pounds) and it is a consistent trend, which is why our doc looks at everything. His bone mass alone, will never allow him into the weight box that is set for us.

Charleen - posted on 07/13/2011

stephanie I am not being my way only I was making a suggestion off of what my doctor had told me and fyi i have been told several times by people my son is over weight at 26 lbs there is an average of what kids are supposed to be like and that is sad but it does help so your kids dont be overweight and it isnt really what they eat it is the quantity of what they eat you can eat 10 apples at one sitting and that is as bad as having a big mac it is about the calories you in take versus how much you are burning like how i got fat if you are eating mcdonalds everyday and driving to get there then sit on the couch every day for hours watching tv then have some veggies you will be fat if you walk to mcdonalds everyday and it is like a mile away from you or somethign similar then go home and run around with the kids and go to the mall and walk or go to the park you wont gain as much because you are moving more than what you are eating. that is all i was suggesting stephanie sorry if it came off wrong but after having a similar expirience with my doc saying that about my son when he was 29 lbs before walking then lost weight and what averages are i was putting my knowledge out there didnt mean to offend anyone and the overweight ya maybe she will grow into it but until then it can be managed by not over eating like she said the babysitter is doing that will cause it big time

Cori - posted on 07/13/2011

I was also advised the same thing from my ped. for my son who is the same age and weighs 30 lbs. He simply stated cut out all juices and up the veggie intake. My son is at his grandma's house when I'm at work so I don't always know what he's eating, but I always pack some healthy snacks for him that way I cam still control something that he eats when I'm at work. And one last thing my ped. stated that there is no correlation between a child being overweight now and being overweight as an adult, which I totally agree with, just keep those healthy foods around at all times :)

Jessica - posted on 07/13/2011

ps: A GOOD doctor/pediatrician looks at everything and sees every child as a new experience. If you doctor just sees a statistic, then be careful.

Jessica - posted on 07/13/2011

Does anyone think of the mental problems this can cause a child as they get older?

Jessica - posted on 07/13/2011

Charleen, careful, your judgmental "do it may way" side is showing.

My son is perfectly fine. His weight fluctuates like any healthy child, and last we went to the doc(though he is going again soon) his height and weight were fine. He isn't quite that big(but not smaller by much), however keep in mind that he is TALL, and his structure is built thick. Structure, as in bones, it can happen. In fact I have that same bone structure and so did his dad. I am not surprised he did too. His lil bro on the other hand is built with the same thicker bones but his frame is thinner.

His pediatrician takes into account, muscle, bone mass, how they look(do they look overweight?), development(does it interfere?), diet, exercise, and the fat, THEN we take a look at his growthe pattern. Is he on the pat where he is about to "shoot-up" again or is he on the part right afterwards where he almost has no chub(after he shoots up)?

My point was that for the reason that they are growing, children of this age should not BE put on diets. When they "chub" up it usually means they are about to grow.

You may not realize this, but I have training and i am well aware of where you views come from. On the other side of the fence is where I side.

I am not the only one who has observed that at this age where their metabolisms are developing, if you put them on a diet, then you could slow it. I am all for not overfeeding... but that would simply mean to give them healthy food, and not make them eat when they are not hungry.

You should know. My son has had McDonald's three times his entire life(the last time was fathers day with my husband). For the most part his favorite foods are steamed vegetables(if you fry it it won't touch it), chicken(again not so much with the fried), goldfish crackers, ketchup, strawberries, blueberries, dried fruit (thou he doesn't like a couple of them), tuna fish sandwiches, and the occasional piece of chocolate, usually in the chocolate chip pancakes I make once a month. I believe in moderation, NOT making my kids overly self conscious about their weights.

Jackie - posted on 07/13/2011

And our doc insists adding calories to our 17 month old... She's very active and weighs 21lbs... Personally, we think she eats just enough, if not too much... Her juice is never watered down and she eats 3 full meals and lots of snacking during the day.. all healthy though.. cheese sticks, yogurts, dried fruits and fresh fruits

Charleen - posted on 07/12/2011

stephanie campbell my daughter is going to be 6 and she is at 40 lbs for a 1 1/2 year old the average is to be about 20-30 lbs that is why at 30 lbs or 1 yr old you can turn their car seat to forward facing my son is only 26lbs and is 30 inches so he is short but he is chunky in my book and he is eating more veggies and fruits than meat and he walks everywhere an overweight child is not anything super bad until you start thinking overweight as a child overweight as an adult or that is what i have seen and expirienced i also suggest that if the doctor is suggesting a diet it is for a good reason the baby could be at risk of sleep apneia and diabetes as well as fatty liver tissue and other health issues knock knee can happen becuase the childrens knees are still developing the more weight put on them the more the bow in or out and cause a whole other issue not to menchine if they have extreme fatty tissue in the heart and lungs they can have a potential heart attack. so think about all of those and then see if you are ok with your baby being slightly bigger it may or may not cause issues just be careful

Charleen - posted on 07/12/2011

Do you see the size of her fist that is the size of her little tummy so nursing gives her a lot of vitamins and that is why breast fed babies are bigger than formula because it is more nutrition but the over weight can cause so many health risks if that babysitter is over feeding her find a new one quick do not let her have soda or candy or chips or french fries or a lot of fried food do just a little bit of grilled chicken and a little bit of broccoli or spend a little extra and buy the gerber toddler meals and let her have half of it for lunch and the other for dinner. it may seem like you are starving her but you arent you need to shrink her stomach and for her snack give her cheese and maybe some peaas or carrots or something. good luck on that also go to the park a lot and wherever you go walk with her let her walk everywhere in the store and park and you can even have her walk the sidewalk with you if you can keep hold of her if not walmart has thos backpack things with the tail that you can hold onto i love those specially in the mall they feel so big but no one can scoop them up if they get away from you if you need anymore advice we are all here

Andreina - posted on 07/12/2011

.. oh and my 4 year old who is at perfect weight and height is at 32lbs.

Andreina - posted on 07/12/2011

my daughter is 17 months old, I give her 3 8oz bottles a day of milk. 1 int he morning 1 before nap and 1 before bed. i also feed her breakfast, lunch and dinner... for breakfast 1 waffle or, 1 pancake, or 1 yogurt... or 1 bowl of cereal.. something a long those lines. for lunch is a full meal like white rice, beans, apple sauce and for dinner same thing full meal. for snacks (only 2 a day) i might give her a little bit of cheerios, apple slices or applesauce or cheese cubes. i try to keep the juice down to a minimum if at all, and i give her water through out the day. my daughter is a big baby, tall for her age.. and she is at 22lbs. I hope this helps! =)

Michelle - posted on 07/09/2011

Ask your doctor for a recommendation on a nutritionist. The goal would be to maintain her current weight instead of losing weight. That way as she grows taller, she will grow into the weight. The nutritionist can give you the best plan of attack.

Jessica - posted on 07/08/2011

diet? a 17 month old? stop breastfeeding? first off. drop the doc. NO doc should suggest putting a 17 month old on a diet. second off my kids weighs about that much and our doc has no problems since he is still LITTLE. If you simply cut back on the sweets/fatty food and let her run around more, it will rectify itself.don't deny her food when hungry and otherwise get a new doc. At 17 months old a little chub is how they grow... an please don't blame it on the baby sitter. if you didn't NOTICE they were overweight then they are not. The charts they use now are biased and in a few years some of these same kids will be overweight because the lack of metabolism from the early years.

Susan - posted on 07/06/2011

I feel you. I was a fat child and I am working very hard to keep my children at a healthy weight by teaching them about good food choices--versus "sometime" foods. Here's a few suggestions--you may already be doing these things; if so I apologize in advance.

Try giving her smaller snacks throughout the day rather than large meals so that she gets accustomed to eating a little less. Also, make sure you are portioning out her food into bowls rather than handing her the entire bag or box of whatever it is she is eating. You're better off giving her smaller portions more consistent with her size (rather than giving her a larger portion all at once) because young kids often don't realize they don't have to eat everything you give them--or they engage in mindless eating because it tastes good. If she's hungry, she can always have more or something else.

How about reconsidering her food choices? Give more cut up fresh fruits (sliced bananas, pears, strawberries, whole blueberries), dried whole grain cereals for snack/breakfast, low-fat string cheese, low fat or ff yogurt. Look for healthier alternatives (lower-fat dairy, lean turkey or chicken products)--turkey hot dogs, turkey meatballs, diced grilled chicken... Low fat graham crackers instead of cookies with trans fats. Sugar-free popsicles. Try veggies she might think are fun that she can pick up and eat with her hands--peas or soybeans, tomatoes, zucchini cubes. Also, don't give her juice or sweetened drinks (which are completely empty calories) but switch to water--make it appealing with a fancy cup or ice cubes or whatever it takes. She will likely protest the new foods, but keep trying. Is she eating because she's bored or tired or cranky? Maybe a cuddle or a book will help redirect her. Get her to move more--get the baby sitter to chase her, play with a ball, get her outside and just explore. Two small pails of water and a cup should keep her busy for at
least an hour. =D

One thing though: you can't sit there with a box of cookies and tell her with a straight face that she can't have any. Give her one, give yourself one, then put those cookies away. You've got to eat and move like you want her to do--that will make the biggest impact because they want to do everything we do. It's also not easy, sometimes.

Stick with it and she'll eventually develop new favorites.

Finally, write up a feeding schedule, give it to the babysitter, tell her it was doctor-ordered and that the baby needs to follow it. If she won't comply...well, I'd think about getting another baby sitter if you can.

Good luck! You're going to do great.

Mary Ann - posted on 07/06/2011

Im not sure how to help you but my son is also 17months and weighs 33lbs and is 34inches tall and his doc has sd nothing about his weight.