Concerned about DD's weight/ eating

[Happy 2B mommy]

DD is 20 months old and weighs 34 pounds, already. She's 34 inches tall, but still seems to have a lot of 'baby fat'. SHe was just over 9 pounds at birth and has always been a good eater.

At DD's 1 year appointment the ped told me to forgo whole milk and put her on skim or 2%. I'm pretty careful about what I feed her (very little processed or typical 'kid' food, lots of veggies) Cookies and crackers are rare and she still gets oatmeal for breakfast rather than cold cereal. She just eats a LOT and loves, loves, loves milk. I've even been watering down her milk for the last several months because she won't drink water or even watered down juice.

She also still spits up periodically. She spit up a LOT as a baby, but because it really didn't seem to bother her and because she was definitely gaining weight, her ped didn't worry about it. Should a kid her age still be spitting up?

I've always read that babies/toddlers don't overeat, but I'm wondering if she doesn't have an 'off' button. She also sucks her thumb a lot and still mouths things like crazy.

So, any advice or thoughts? Both DH and I are overweight and we really don't want DD to go through being 'the fat kid'.

[kijip]

If it helps you, consider that my son was a totally chunky little tot (30 pounds at 12 months, super tall and he was also in the area of 9 pounds at birth) and he is now a stretched out skinny 5 year old whose pants have no where to stay on (because if they are long enough, they are a touch too big in the waist). Unless you are cramming her with junk foods and cookies (which you are not), I doubt the weight is any thing other than baby fat...she is less than two years old. She sounds tall and healthy. She is at the top of the chart or nearly so for both height and weight. I'd only be worried if she was way high for weight and low for height and she was eating junk exclusively. Keep teaching her good habits and encourage activity and wait out her baby/tot years. Also, while it seems counter intuitive, whole milk regulates blood sugar better than skim. At the very least I'd stop watering down her milk. And I would give her 2% or whole. Don't make your weight issues her issues by instilling from a young age worry or a pattern of dieting. It's normal to worry about it if it is an issue for you and your husband but try hard to avoid giving her anxiety about it.

[jhrabosk]

I agree with Katie...it sounds to me like you have a healthy kid and you're teaching her healthy eating habits.

My DD was just over 8 pounds at birth and has been 100th percentile in both height and weight since about 2 months. At her 2-year checkup, when I asked the doctor whether I should switch her to a lower fat milk, she said "well, if I were concerned about her weight..."

So, I guess my point is that (at least what I've gotten from my ped) it doesn't sound like you have a weight concern right now. Different peds have differing opinions on milk, so it may have nothing to do with her weight...search the food section of this board, I know there have been discussions there.

[Happy 2B mommy]

Thanks Katie. I probably should have been more clear in my concern. It really isn't her weight that I worry about because she is so tall. it's more that she eats/drinks so much and then spits up. I guess I'm under the impression that she should be done with the spitting up and I'm wondering if the spitting up is caused by eating too much.

And I have been giving her 2%, rather than skim. At her 18 month appt the ped really pushed skim, but I've stuck with the 2% and started watering it down mostly because milk is the only liquid she drinks.

[bubbaray]

There is a big push about childhood obesity now -- I notice the difference in how dr's view children's weight even between DD#1 and DD#2 (who are on almost the same growth curves and neither are overweight, though they were both big babies and 95th% for weight for the 1st 6m).

It sounds like you are very aware of the issue and that's a great start. I would keep her on the skim milk, but I would really try to only offer her water between meals. It may take a while, but if that's all she's offered, eventually she'll drink it. My 18m has never had juice and my 4yo only gets it rarely as a special treat (like at a party) and even then it is only 1/3 juice, 2/3 water.

The oatmeal you are serving, is that instant? If so, its probably high in sugar and also has a high glycemic index. If you want to feed her really healthy oatmeal, look for whole flake/large oats or even steel cut oats that you cook overnight in a slow cooker. Instead of adding sugar, you could add some lower fat yogurt to it or fruit.

Neither of my girls ever spit up, so I'm not sure if spitting up at 20m is normal or not. I've not encountered any 20m children that are spitting up (my girls are in daycare FT), so if it were me, I'd be raising that question with the dr.

Good luck!

ETA: I'd give her skim not watered down and only immediately after meals -- instead of 2% watered down all day. Give her water between meals.

[Happy 2B mommy]

[QUOTE=bubbaray

The oatmeal you are serving, is that instant? If so, its probably high in sugar and also has a high glycemic index. If you want to feed her really healthy oatmeal, look for whole flake/large oats or even steel cut oats that you cook overnight in a slow cooker. Instead of adding sugar, you could add some lower fat yogurt to it or fruit.




Nope, it's the slow-cook (though not steel cut). I sweeten it with unsweeted applesauce and sometimes add blueberries or canned (drained and rinsed) peaches.

I come from a family of diabetics and decided when I got married to really work to avoid sugar/high fructose corn syrup for my own health.

[Piglet]

Just a thought - when does reflux subside? With babies, they drink often te comfort their throats from the acid. Could your DD be drinking the milk to ease her discomfort, which then results in too much milk in her diet and more spitting up?

[brittone2]

If it helps you, consider that my son was a totally chunky little tot (30 pounds at 12 months, super tall and he was also in the area of 9 pounds at birth) and he is now a stretched out skinny 5 year old whose pants have no where to stay on (because if they are long enough, they are a touch too big in the waist). Unless you are cramming her with junk foods and cookies (which you are not), I doubt the weight is any thing other than baby fat...she is less than two years old. She sounds tall and healthy. She is at the top of the chart or nearly so for both height and weight. I'd only be worried if she was way high for weight and low for height and she was eating junk exclusively. Keep teaching her good habits and encourage activity and wait out her baby/tot years. Also, while it seems counter intuitive, whole milk regulates blood sugar better than skim. At the very least I'd stop watering down her milk. And I would give her 2% or whole. Don't make your weight issues her issues by instilling from a young age worry or a pattern of dieting. It's normal to worry about it if it is an issue for you and your husband but try hard to avoid giving her anxiety about it.

Agreeing w/ Katie. If she is eating whole foods, and not filling up on junk like crackers, pretzels, sweetened cereal, etc. then I would just keep doing what you are doing for the most part.

I have seen the new recommendations for skim milk for kids over 1 that are on the higher end of percentiles, and honestly, I think it is sad. The human brain *needs* fat. Breastmilk is super, super fatty, and I think that's for a reason. Moms that BF beyond a year certainly aren't skimming the fat off of their milk. In the grand epidemic of obesity, I really think they are barking up the wrong tree. I'm a huge believer in fats in general, and they really promote a feeling of satiety and help regulate blood sugar, as Katie indicated already.

I would continue to offer water and maybe reduce the milk overall, only because cow milk in excess can lead to iron deficiency, etc.

Focus on whole foods, as it sounds like you are doing. I might offer slightly smaller portions and see if she requests more. I would be sure to not praise her for eating, etc. but it doesn't sound like you do anything like that.

I might incorporate some more protein, fat, etc. with each meal. So if she's having oatmeal for breakfast, maybe a small slice of cheese with it (and a slightly smaller portion of oatmeal). The combo of fat/protein w/ carbs is IMO great for regulating blood sugar and staving off feelings of hunger.

The spitting up is IMO unusual and I'd probably look into that issue some more. Neither of my kids are big spitters, but I worked in early intervention primarily with kids under 3 before becoming a SAHM, and I have only rarely seen 20 month olds that were still spitting up.

[egoldber]

I was also wondering about reflux (although that's my first thought about almost anything LOL!!). My 21 month old still refluxes occasionally. I can typically only hear it, but she does occasionally actually spit up. She cannot tolerate cow's milk which makes her reflux worse, even now, so she drinks (calcium fortified, low sugar) soymilk.

I would definitely stop the all milk habit and encourage water between meals.

[Piglet]

QUOTE: Beth, happy bubble-dwelling mama to 2 bubblewrapped children, ages 4.5 and 19 months

ROTFLMA

I am totally picturing the kids wrapped in bubble-wrap and all you hear is pop-pop-pop...