Help! Am I overfeeding?

[Frenchsticker]

So DD is 9 months and I'm worried that I'm feeding her portions that are much too big. Well, I wasn't worried til I got her weighed and while I don't think she's enormously heavy - she weighs 19lb at 39 weeks - she has gone from the 9th to approaching the 75th centile since we started weaning

For lunch she'll have maybe one and a half slices of bread for things like cheese on toast or eggy bread. If I give her chicken goujons then I'll give her half a chicken breast cut into strips though I know she'd eat more if I offered it. For dinner it's mostly pasta in homemade tomato/veggie sauce and she can eat loads of it. Like 15-20 adult pasta spirals, and I think she'd keep going if I gave her more. She doesn't so much chew it as inhale it... Afterwards I usually give her yoghurt with stewed fruit or a squirt of Ella's Kitchen stuff and she has a normal-sized Yeo Valley plain yoghurt for that. Snacks are maybe 2 rice cakes a day, or 1 of those Ella's Kitchen biscuits.

Are all these portions too big? I was working on the assumption I should feed her til she stops wanting any more but is that the wrong way to do it? She's cut right back on her milk and now only has about 100-120mls at 7am, 2.30pm and bedtime (plus a dreamfeed which I daren't drop).

Oh, and she's not tall either - only on the 9th centile for height.

Any advice gratefully received!

[MolotovCocktail]

Although the 9th/75th centile ratio does sound disproportionate, OP: how does your baby look to you? Is she okay? Is she chubby (gorgeous baby podge aside!)

Have you discussed your concerns with your HV? Remember that babies do tend to gain weight during weaning because a) they are eating more and b) they don't move around much at this age.

For a 9mo, I would typically feed

• 7am morning milk (breast or 6oz bottle)
• 9am banana or porridge snack and water or diluted juice
• 12:30pm lunch - a matchbox-sized chunk of cheese, a slice of buttered bread or toast, half a tomato and a Petit Filous (or something), water or diluted juice to drink
• 3/4pm snack - rice cake or a baby biscuit & drink
• 6pm dinner - a small portion of whatever we're eating, a baby rice pudding and drink
• 8-9pm - breast or 6oz bottle

[Lightupatnightpants]

I think half a slice of bread is a "serving" for a baby.
And half a chicken breast is what I would serve to a 5yo so I think maybe a bit much for a 9m baby?

Are you feeding her or does she feed herself?

[MolotovCocktail]

Sorry, I waffled on so much there I had to refer back to your OP!

Looking at your OP, I think you're giving too much milk. You need to drop the 2:30 milk now, I think. What time do you give her dream feed?

Fwiw, I used to worry because I thought that I used to accidently overfeed dd1. She has always been tall and went between the 75th and 98th centile for height/weight. Around 2.6yo, ahe balanced out perfectly and stayed on the 91st for both. I think because they're so active, if they're fed right it all balances out.

However, now at 4.8yo, she is incredibly active and an incredibly fussy eater. She's tall: on the 98th centile and skinny: 75th for weight. So don't get too hung up about it. Talk to your hv and see what they recommend

[MolotovCocktail]

Just re-read my last sentence and it didn't come over right. I have a new problem in that my dd1 needs to gain a bit of weight now.

[tiredteddy]

For comparison my dd is 9.5 months old and eats:
7.30 porridge
9.30/10 7oz milk
12 half slice bread or rice cakes with cheese and some soft boiled veg e.g broccoli carrot etc yoghurt and a handful of berries
2.30-3 I offer 7oz milk which she rarely takes, think we can drop this feed.
4.30/5 dinner pasta and sauce/ shepherds pie whatever the family meal is a small portion then fruit like banana, soft boiled apple pieces, pear etc
7pm 7oz milk

If anything I worry that she doesn't get the full quota recommended of milk now. She is growing and staying on her line (she is petite 25th percentile for weight and height).

To me the food you are feeding your dd sounds lovely and nutritious. Maybe just ask the hv if you should be concerned at the speed she has gained weight since weaning. Maybe try redcuing the portion size a little. I am sure that my dd turns her head away when full if I spoon feed her, or she just stops eating when full if feeding herself. Maybe your dd is regulating herself like this yet?

[MolotovCocktail]

I find it very interesting teddy how your 25th centile baby mirrors what both of my then 9mo/91st centile babies ate (my dd's are now 4.8yo and 18mo)

[tiredteddy]

Yes it is isn't it, Molotov. She's the smallest of mine yet. Ds1 is 98th for height and 91st for weight, now 9. And 6 year old ds2 is 50th for height and weight. I think she had a fast metabolism. She crawls fast a lot. And sleeps very well. She doesn't really get through all her milk. She. Is not thin but not chubby at all either.

[tiredteddy]

Has not had.

[Frenchsticker]

Thanks all. Really needed the advice because it sounds silly to ask but how are you supposed to know what a portion size for a baby should look like if nobody tells you? We do a mix of me feeding her and her feeding herself, she loves to feed herself but often shoves a giant lump of food in her gob and I panic and end up fishing it out...

I'm going to cut down portion sizes based on what some of you have said. Gave her less pasta tonight and she gave a little "Seriously? This is IT??" kind of whimper but soon got over it.

She refused the 11pm dreamfeed tonight for the second time ever so maybe she doesn't need it? Though HV told me to keep it up.

And Molotov she looks chubby in a cute way to me but she does have the makings of a double chin! She's just started to crawl like a demon though so I'm hoping she'll start burning it off...

[tiredteddy]

That sounds great to me. Smaller portion sizes and I'd drop the dream feed. Why wake a sleeping baby? Good luck, you sound like a great mum it's always hard to ask.