6 Month Checkup, Questioning Doctors Opinion

Balabusta · October 2014

Good Afternoon all of you fine ladies! So I had my 6 (1/2) month checkup on Friday and I am questioning what my doctor told me. Ellie is in the 84% for her weight (18.75 pounds) and 95th% for her height (28.5in). The doctor tells me that she needs to go on a diet. She shouldn't drink more than 24oz a day (she was drinking around 28-30) and should be eating solids 3x/day. He said that she should be eating solids more than drinking, and I should supplement the additional formula with diluted juice.

Anyone else have bigger babies? Does this sound right It was my understanding that babies should still get most of their nutrition from formula. He also said I should avoid cereal all together. Now I am totally lost on how much I'm supposed to be feeding my baby from formula, solids, food groups the whole thing!

AHH! TIA Ladies!

babylimas · October 2014

No way. Diluted juice? That is absolutely horrible advice. A baby should not go on a diet. My daughter was 99th for weight and only 75th for height until she was 3 or so. She is very average now. Some kids are just bigger. I have never heard a doctor recommend juice at this age aside from constipation.

babylimas · October 2014

Oh, but I will also say that we don't do cereal, and have had this confirmed by doctors and therapists. Will is at risk for obesity and we are told to avoid empty calories like cereal. But that is a medical issue and not one a typical child would deal with.

sopranoali · October 2014

Worst baby advice ever.

My LO was 19 lbs 2 oz and 27.5 inches long at her 6 mo...after being EBF. My Dr. said to start solids when I was ready, and we started oatmeal + BM 3x a day the following week. She still drinks 20-30 oz of BM per day...and I know she has gotten even bigger.

My dr told me the so called "charts" are probably mostly white babies from military bases in the 1950s.

Balabusta · October 2014

My baby doesn't want to eat solids 3x/day yet, she's not that hungry. We don't try to force feed her, when she turns away we don't try to give her more. I am just going to look for a new doctor because that was ridiculous. I felt like such a bad mommy thinking I was making my baby fat (DH and I are both overweight, so I didn't want her starting off on the wrong foot.

yalllow · October 2014

Ha! My kid is in the 98th percentile for weight and height. His doc stated "oh my" when she saw him but was not concerned at all. At the time he was mostly interested in bottles and not solids - DS1 was the same way. Don't worry they will lose a lot when they become more mobile. New doctor STAT.

mfarmer0811 · October 2014

Umm ya! get a new doctor!!

And, just curious, do you have a new screen name?

MA&CB · October 2014

There are so many things wrong with that advice! I woudn't be comfortable continuing to use that doctor based on that.

Ahutch428 · October 2014

Brooke is almost 7 months and is 19lbs. 90% percentile for height and weight. She was eating 36 oz a day, but now eats a little less with solids. Her peditrician called her heal

kaking78 · October 2014

Another member of the giant baby club (21 lb. boy at 6 months) and another one who says get a new doctor.

Statistically speaking, as long as she's on the growth chart and more or less following the same curve from appointment to appointment she is "normal". Some babies are just bigger than others.

rockopera · October 2014

Terrible advice.

I have a giant baby. 98th for weight, 95th for height.

I have a tale of two doctors. Dr. S and Dr. R.

Saw Dr. R when we had BFing issues at the beginning (week 2). She just said "feed the baby." No big guidelines. Just feed him, do what works. BF, pumping, formula. She wasn't terribly worried about him losing weight that one week, and that once we cleared up the dehydration, she was cool. Not to worry. (She did have breastfeeding advice, but was also very supportive when we needed to supplement).

Saw Dr. S between week 3 & 4 for a 'sick' visit for baby acne. I got lectured about M's weight. Dr S is younger, still very academic. Wanted me to not overfeed him since we were on formula, and talked about childhood obesity. Gave me a max number of ounces to give him a day. Freaked me the fuck out. I went from not being able to feed my baby enough that he was dehydrated to now overfeeding him. I felt like a huge failure. But I didn't listen to him and kept feeding M when he was hungry.

Saw Dr. R for his next appt. Asked about it. She said "98th percentile babies eat at the 98th percentile." She saw no issue. I asked her about max ounces. She said, um - if he gets up to 36-40 average daily then maybe that would be on the high side. And this was at 2 months. Felt much better, stopped second guessing every ounce I gave him

Got stuck with Dr. S for M's 4 month appt (we backed up his original appt a week so we could travel, but didn't want to fly without his shots, Dr S was all that was available.) Once again, spent the whole time talking about weight. First off, they plotted him wrong, so he looked above the curve. But still wasn't happy at 98%. Wanted me to put him on cereal because for the bulk vs the calories, basically a diet. And said I should be maxing out at no more than 32 oz (we have been at a pretty consistent 36 oz for weeks and weeks). I pushed back that time, but it still stuck in the back of my head that I was screwing something up.

Saw Dr R for M's 6month appt. I brought up "he's still right at the top of the curve" and she said "...and?" Her take is that he's always been on the top. That was his curve, he hadn't deviated from it except for the feeding issues in the beginning. He is also proportional. And that I was doing a good job and had a healthy happy baby. Asked me if he turned his head away when eating solids and/or stopped bottle feeding if he wanted to. Yep, not force feeding and he can tell me no. She said, no problem, just feed the baby. And again, I started gaining confidence that I wasn't screwing up the food thing 6 times a day. We are still at 36 oz a day unless he drops a few because he's full or if he adds some in in the middle of the night because he is hungry.

Your doctor's advice seems so ridiculous. Ignore it. Ignore it and don't second guess it. Nutrition should mostly be from BM or formula for the first year. Solids are practice. We still do oatmeal cereal, he loves it mixed with prunes. And then he gets fruits and veggies and puffs and mum mums. But he's the one who drops the formula oz, and we just feed the baby. And I don't lose sleep over it anymore. (I am also going to avoid Dr. S forever and ever now).

Balabusta · October 2014

I'll be looking into a new doctor for her 9 month appointment. At her 4 month appointment, she was in the 78th percentile, then jumped to 84th. But when he started telling me to give her a regimen of diluted fruit juice I nearly fell to the floor! Never heard of that before and it made me feel like such a bad mommy for "over feeding her".

@mfarmer0811, I have had this screen name for awhile. Posted a lot when TTC (Infertility Board), then a bit on this board when I was pregnant, but then when Ellie was born, I fell off the wagon! Trying to jump back on!

htn1763 · October 2014

That is so ridiculous! I have a big baby too (21lbs at 6mon). He is in the 92% for weight and 95% for height. At his 4mon appt. his weight was off the chart. Never has my Dr. once mentioned him being too heavy. The opposite in fact. She even wanted the LC to see him because she just loves a big healthy baby.

Please find a new doctor!!