feeling like i did something wrong weight related

I took ds to the dr yesterday for his 8 week check up - he got his first set of immunizations which of course i was a wreck for.
anyway we did a weight check and ds is 12.8 lbs and 21 3/4" tall dr said hes on the heavier and shorter side. he was born 19" and 6.6 lbs so he pretty much doubled his weight in 8 weeks (mind u he had a wet diaper too)

a week ago i called the ped and asked what i could do about his feeding schedule. around 6pm every night ds was drinking a 6oz bottle in one sitting and an hr later he was screaming bc he was hungry again and would ONLY stop once a bottle was in his mouth - he would drink another 2-3 oz. another 2 hrs later he would have another 6oz bottle. Ped told me to keep the 6oz bottle at 6pm but add a bit a cereal. this seemed to work - that bottle would hold him over from 6pm to around 11 -12

Now the ped said to stop the cereal and make him a reg 5oz bottle but add an additional ounce of water to his bottle so its a watered down 6oz bottle.
He said if this doesnt work we can go back to cereal bc it seems to fill him up and hold him over for several hours.

i feel like its my fault ds is chunking up so quickly - i dont want him to have the same weight problem i have and feel terrible. Am i malnourishing him by giving him a watered down 6oz bottle? even though the dr said to do it i feel so guilty.

any advise on weight/height or what ur dc gained
thanks

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Don't stress...you really can't do much about DC's weight at this point...a lot of it is only genetic now...

I would just listen to your PED and ask her/him questions if you're not sure but don't blame yourself


ETA: we water down dd's bottle a little but its more for her struggling to poop problem...she had her 4 month check yesterday and she weighs 15lbs and she's 25.5inches

Message edited 12/1/2009 12:05:43 PM.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

With my first son, the ped gave me a really hard time about his weight. He has always been in the 97%ile but he looks good to me. He was like your DS - always wanting to eat. It was a struggle and the ped wanted me to always stretch his feedings to 4 hours. It was a nightmare. After that, I promised I would take everything the ped said with a grain of salt.

In retrospect, sometimes it seems like they want to eat when they may have some reflux - I wish I would have checked that out instead of overfeeding him.

my second DS is 9 weeks and 12.2 lbs. He eats 6 oz every 4 hrs. Ped said this is "the most" he should eat for now. He's 24 inches so he hasn't given me a hard time about his weight.

Honestly, I think watering down his bottle is a BAD idea. Even though my ped is crazy about weight - he always said not to do this. It waters down their nutrition. If anything, I would stick to using cereal!

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

I wouldn't worry. It's not like you are feeding him transfats. He's getting formula/breastmilk which is the most nutritional thing you can give your baby. He's just a hungry baby.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Posted by MikesWife

I wouldn't worry. It's not like you are feeding him transfats. He's getting formula/breastmilk which is the most nutritional thing you can give your baby. He's just a hungry baby.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

honestly, I cannot understand how a ped could essentially put an INFANT on a diet.

my son is 6 weeks old. we just bumped him up to 4oz of breast milk/formula every 3 hours and sometimes when he asks for a bit more, we give it to him.

after that, we give him the pacifier. especially if he's tired. He just really likes to suck, and before we introduced the pacifier, he'd get more milk, either from bottle or breast, than maybe he really wanted or needed.

if you haven't introduced a pacifier yet, that could be an option for you. he may just have a very strong sucking reflex. I'll give Luce the pacifier until he makes it clear he wants the REAL deal.

but yeah, if it IS hunger, let him eat. he's too young to have weight issues. now they eat when their hungry.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Some babies grow faster than others. I'd be uneasy about watering down the formula. DS is EBF so it may be different, but he had his largest weight gain during the first 2 months. He was also on the heavier and shorter side though my pediatrician never gave me a hard time about it.

Could his crying possibly mean something else other than hunger? As a newborn, DS had a very long "witching hour" at night and nothing really calmed him. 14 or 15 oz in such a short period of time seems like a lot. Have you tried the pacifier? Also, if he has reflux, it could act up at night. Reflux babies sometimes drink a lot though they aren't necessarily hungry.

ETA: Was he weighed with a diaper on? DS is always weighed naked in order to get an accurate reading.

Also, unless he has reflux or is taking in more formula than the recommended daily amount, I wouldn't put cereal in the bottle.

Message edited 12/1/2009 12:16:50 PM.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

i know how you feel

at 6 weeks DD was 10lbs13oz and 22.5ins (75th% for weight and height) although my Ped says shes do amazing and is very healthy people constantly say "Oh my -- look how chunky!" DD was born at 7lbs6oz and 20ins

i polled the mamas here and found that her weight was totally normal for her age, and it made me stop worrying as much. the poor thing only eats between 24-30oz/day! They pack on more weight the smaller they are, and as they become more active it evens out

we have another well visit coming up and I think at about 11 weeks shes about 12.5-13lbs. i would miss her little chin/neck/thigh rolls if she didnt have them. there wouldnt be enough of her to nibble on

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

trust me theres NOTHING you did wrong. and your baby is FINE and normal!

my dd at her 8 week check was 12lb4oz and 22 in
shes in the 96% and has been since day 1.

and i was giving her cereal in EVERY bottle. because she was just SO HUNGRY ontop of reflux issues.

shes now happy and healthy at 5 months old weight a bit over 17lbs 8oz and they claim shes 26 inches but when i measured her lastnight it said 24inces and YES they tell me shes aBIG girl...a nd i get comments and loosk "wow shes big" but noones told me anything different. they did try and tell me to limit her bottles but she was so cranky ad we switched peds because what possess a doctor to say STARVE your child when they are hungry!

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

he takes the pacifier but spits it out when hes hungry.
im not sure about the reflux. how would i know he has reflux? this only happens during that time of the day.

my dr is the kind of dr that says let him eat when he wants to eat etc so this was kinda surprising that he said to water down his forumla.

ds been on formula for only a month, he was breastfed for the first month until i couldnt bf him anymore

and yes ds was weighed with a wet diaper

Message edited 12/1/2009 12:29:47 PM.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

I'll be honest.. I would be uncomfortable with my pediatrician implying that my 8 week old was chunky enough to necessitate a 'diet' of any kind.

My boys were both very big and my doctor only commended me for feeding on demand when they demanded so much! My girlfriend's son is one of the largest babies I have ever seen and her doctor has not told her there are any challenges.

You have nothing to feel insecure about. You have a beautiful baby who has a big appetite. I guarantee he slims out as he gets more active.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

my DS is 6 weeks almost and just over 11lbs. He was 7.13 at birth. we started adding rice to his bottles 2 weeks ago to help his reflux. He's also on alimentum which is a thin formula. DS eats 3 oz ever 2-2.5 hours during the day. overnites he'll go anywhere from 3-4hrs (at best) between bottles.

The rice made him chunk up a bit, but the dr. hasnt said anything about it.
I have cut back with putting rice in every feeding. i do about half now.

but if the baby's hungry he needs to eat.

my brother was 10lbs at birth (mom had gestational diabetes). My brother is 26 now and 6'2 and a skinny dude. So really, i wouldnt put too much stock in it right now about him chunking up.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

I can't believe they weighed him with a diaper on- considering every ounce is counted, thats ALOT of extra weight.

Seriously, I'd be switching doctors.

My DD gained 3.5 pounds her first month and ate every 2 hours until 5 months. My pediatrician never said anything negative about that. She was/is a big eater. She was off the charts for height and weight until she was 9 months old. She has thinned out considerably since she started walking.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Posted by MikesWife

I wouldn't worry. It's not like you are feeding him transfats. He's getting formula/breastmilk which is the most nutritional thing you can give your baby. He's just a hungry baby.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Honestly your Dr's reaction makes me angry! My pediatrician doesn't do percentiles at all before 6 mos and even then I have always had to ask. Some babies are chunky, some are slim. You can not make an infant fat. You aren't feeding him all day long and its not like your feeding him cake and brownies!!! My DS ate every 2-3 hrs for months. He was on Good Start, my pediatrician said that formula is lighter and digested faster. My DS was always a little chunky baby and now at 3 yrs old hardly eats and is imo skinny. Once they Become mobile and active it all works out. Worry about his weight when he gets a little older. And by worry about I mean make sure you make healthy choices for him, but I think diets for infants are rediculous.
DS was:
8lbs 15oz and 21 3/4" at birth
12lbs 14oz and 23 2/3" at just under 8 wks
At 8 wks he was eating an avg of 28 oz a day.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

my DS was 13lbs even (diaperless) at 8 weeks, but i think he was 23". not that much different.

you know your baby best - feed him when he's hungry.



eta: i was told to never ever water down the formula bc there's a risk of the baby "drowning" - too much water throwing off their electrolytes. I would google that before considering it as an option.

Message edited 12/1/2009 2:33:52 PM.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

I would definitely NOT water down the formula, that can be dangerous

feed on demand at this age IMHO

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Posted by Shorty

my DS was 13lbs even (diaperless) at 8 weeks, but i think he was 23". not that much different.

you know your baby best - feed him when he's hungry.



eta: i was told to never ever water down the formula bc there's a risk of the baby "drowning" - too much water throwing off their electrolytes. I would google that before considering it as an option.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

My son was 8lbs when he was born and by the time he was 3 months old, he was in the 95% for weight. He is now 17 months old and in the 25% for weight. I wouldn't worry about it right now. When they start rolling, crawling and walking, they thin out a LOT. I don't like the idea of your ped telling you to the put the baby on a diet.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Message edited 12/1/2009 4:02:36 PM.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Posted by jlp63

Posted by Shorty

my DS was 13lbs even (diaperless) at 8 weeks, but i think he was 23". not that much different.

you know your baby best - feed him when he's hungry.



eta: i was told to never ever water down the formula bc there's a risk of the baby "drowning" - too much water throwing off their electrolytes. I would google that before considering it as an option.

I agree with the above poster. My DS was 12lbs, 10oz diaperless at his 6 week checkup - 23 inches. My doctor had no problem with it. As she said, he's a big boy. I wouldn't water down the formula -- if you do, make sure you research it a bit yourself first.

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Re: feeling like i did something wrong weight related

Posted by Goobster

Posted by jlp63

Posted by Shorty

my DS was 13lbs even (diaperless) at 8 weeks, but i think he was 23". not that much different.

you know your baby best - feed him when he's hungry.



eta: i was told to never ever water down the formula bc there's a risk of the baby "drowning" - too much water throwing off their electrolytes. I would google that before considering it as an option.

I agree with the above poster. My DS was 12lbs, 10oz diaperless at his 6 week checkup - 23 inches. My doctor had no problem with it. As she said, he's a big boy. I wouldn't water down the formula -- if you do, make sure you research it a bit yourself first.

Do not do this without on your own. Watering down formula can seriously harm a baby....I was also told NEVER water down formula.