Pedi called my baby fat

BeanieWeanie · February 2010

Had our 6 month wellness visit with a doc we haven't seen before. DS is big - in the 98th percentile for weight (23lbs 8oz) and 96th for height - and has been since a week old.

The pedi basically said that I'm making him fat by BFing him 6-7 times a day at this age (including once or twice at night). He commented on his weight numerous times, said he's at risk for obesity, etc. I asked if that was true even though his height is proportional and he said, "Well, you can see just from looking at him that he's eating more than he needs to." Angry

He also told me that it's my fault that DS is not STTN yet (he sleeps 7:15pm - 6:30am waking once or twice to nurse, which I thought was pretty good). Apparently I should just let him scream indefinitely if he wakes up at night wanting to eat & CIO is the only way DS will develop good sleep habits. He said there's no reason why a 6 month old shouldn't be able to go 14 hours without eating.

Tell me I'm not wrong in being really PO about this!

Jackswife123 · February 2010

If I were you, I`d find a new pedi. That's ridiculous.

WaitingforOlivia2009 · February 2010

Find a new Dr. I am PO for you!!!

oohlalagirl · February 2010

Indifferent I am a firm believer that baby will wake up if he's hungry. My DS also wakes up once or twice a night and I too thought that wasn't bad. My pedi pretty much said that DS should be going from 8pm to 6am without food and waking up and suggested gentle CIO. I won't be doing that, but I would be so PO'd too if I was you, ESPECIALLY calling your baby fat! Our pedi said that his weight/height and the percentiles are not an accurate way of knowing if the kid will have any weight problems in the future.

katypresson · February 2010

I'd be looking for a new pedi asap!!

MegDC · February 2010

Everything I have read and our pedi told us that as long as DC was being EBF that she could eat as much as she wanted without restriction. If you are not feeding solids I can't see why your pedi would say to limit his milk. That seems way out of line from the normal advice. Also any doctor who used the word fat for a baby should go into a different line of work, IMO.

Heffalump · February 2010

I got the spiel about feeding DD at night at her 6 mo. appt., too. I felt bad, like I was some how hampering her development by encouraging a bad habit. We tried night weaning, but she wasn't having it--when we cut back the amount we fed her, she just woke up more often. We concluded that she really is hungry, went back to our original schedule, and everyone is happy.

I generally like our peds office, but I'm not sure why doctors think they know your LO after seeing them for 15 min. every few months?

Do what you want--he's not the boss of you, and it's not like STTN is some sort of medical necessity. It's not like your pedi is the one getting up, either. Your kid, your call.

KoCoLoCo · February 2010

Agree that no pedi should call a kid fat, that is ridiculous. But I think there might be some merit to what your Dr. was saying, especially regarding the night feedings.

Mrs.Kent · February 2010

Heck no, you're not wrong! That's horrible. You said you hadn't seen this doc before - was he just filling in for your regular pedi? If not, find a new one!

FWIW, your DS is sooooooo adroable. As long as he's not spiking on the growth charts, that he's consistently 98th percentile, I wouldn't be concerned.

Nicavesani · February 2010

I don't think that your pedi was right in calling your DS fat... that's just insensitive and wrong.

Have you tried to wean any night-time feedings? Technically, he's right, a baby that age shouldn't NEED to nurse that often. He may WANT to, but he doesn't NEED to. Also, just because he wakes at night, doesn't necessarily mean he's hungry. Have you tried to soothe him in other ways before resulting in nursing? We started to wean night-time feedings around 4 months... only one. I would try to soothe him to sleep with his paci or caressing his head/face. Then we only had to deal with ONE nighttime feeding... which he weaned himself of off! Thank God!

I don't think that weaning him off of the feedings will help him "slim down", especially since he should be starting solids soon, but wouldn't it be nice for you to be able to sleep a whole night through?! HALLELUIAH!

Uiowachick01 · February 2010

I'd be PO too. Find a new Pedi. I have a great one. I see your in Chicago, I can give you my Pedi's number. He's in the burbs.

MarriedBestFriends · February 2010

UNACCEPTABLE that he is a doctor!! I am livid on your behalf. BF babies are excellent at regulating the amount that they take in- that's why supply is based on baby's demand. Bottle feeding is much more prone to overfeeding due to "forcing" baby to eat the rest of a made bottle and/or comfort sucking and eating when LO doesn't actually intend to (one thing H and I think about a lot).

MegDC · February 2010

KoCoLoCo:
Agree that no pedi should call a kid fat, that is ridiculous. But I think there might be some merit to what your Dr. was saying, especially regarding the night feedings.

I disagree. I BF DD until 7.5 months or so and she fed twice at night until a week or so ago. She's in the 50th percentile for weight and 80th for height and that hasn't changed. Some kids take more milk during the day and some take more at night.

jolis_petits_bijoux · February 2010

Time for a new pedi. What an asss. My DS has always been 95th+ and the doc has never said anything negative about it at all. Maybe it's because my 6'3 255# DH comes to most of his appts?

But seriously, he is not eating too often. My DS has a similar nursing schedule (minus the night feedings), but he def. cannot go more than 14 hours w/o nursing - at 6mo or now!

egsquared · February 2010

We have a similar schedule for DD including the night feedings (also BFing). We go for our 6 month appointment on Wednesday, and if our pedi would say anything like that, I'd be angry too. I for sure wouldn't schedule any more appointments with that doc.

sunnyday016 · February 2010

If he is BFing then don't even worry about him overeating. He knows what he needs, and it's extremely difficult to overfeed a BFed baby. Also, he sounds like he's just a big kid. Our pedi likes to see that babies generally stay in the same-ish percentages as time goes on-for example DD has always been in the 25th for her weight and 50th for height. If your LO has always been on that trajectory of the percentile graph, then there's nothing to worry about. It's major changes either up or down that are worrisome.

orion09 · February 2010

Heffalump:

I got the spiel about feeding DD at night at her 6 mo. appt., too. I felt bad, like I was some how hampering her development by encouraging a bad habit. We tried night weaning, but she wasn't having it--when we cut back the amount we fed her, she just woke up more often. We concluded that she really is hungry, went back to our original schedule, and everyone is happy.

I generally like our peds office, but I'm not sure why doctors think they know your LO after seeing them for 15 min. every few months?

Do what you want--he's not the boss of you, and it's not like STTN is some sort of medical necessity. It's not like your pedi is the one getting up, either. Your kid, your call.

APPLAUSE!

BeanieWeanie · February 2010

Nicavesani:
Have you tried to wean any night-time feedings? ... Have you tried to soothe him in other ways before resulting in nursing?

I should've mentioned that he does wake occasionally and will get himself back off to sleep. I only go to him if he really starts shouting, then once he's eaten he goes right back to sleep.

And we just started solids yesterday, so I imagine he'll eat less during the day once he's eating more solids, but so far it's a couple mouth fulls and he's done.

pink.dutch.tulips · February 2010

KoCoLoCo:
Agree that no pedi should call a kid fat, that is ridiculous. But I think there might be some merit to what your Dr. was saying, especially regarding the night feedings.

ditto

my 8 month old niece was down to 0-1 feedings at night when she was 6 months old ... ebf.

Tabby2727 · February 2010

I agree, find a new pedi!

Hannah had her doctors appt today too (6mths). She's off the charts again this visit by 23lbs 12oz.

My pedi said she's fine and since her head, weight and height all lined up she's distributing the wieght perfectly. SHe's a very happy and healthy baby, that's all that counts.

BeanieWeanie · February 2010

Uiowachick01:
I'd be PO too. Find a new Pedi. I have a great one. I see your in Chicago, I can give you my Pedi's number. He's in the burbs.

Yes please - can you PM me?

MrsAmers · February 2010

You should never see that doctor again. Period! He knows nothing about breastfeeding and he should NOT be giving you unsolicited parenting advice about sleep.

a$$

margeincharge2 · February 2010

Your DS is one big boy! But my little peanut is rocking the low end of the scale at 16lbs. So between the two of us we have the whole range of sizes. lol

I'm not a doctor so I can't say but I thought if you ebf then it wasn't possible to overfeed your baby. I can see where the doctor may be concerned about his weight but if you ebf then that should satisfy him. I would definitely get a second opinion.

EdithR · February 2010

I ignore everythign the pedi says (unless it involves his development/health). It's amazing how they make such a big deal over weight the first week (my ds was born 10lbs4oz and dropped down to 9 lbs by the 4th day), and then have the nerve to complain over too much weight. Your baby is getting beneficial nutrients from bf and every lactation consultant I have spoke to has always told me that the best milk is the one at night (vs daytime). You know what's best for your child. NO book, NO doctor, no one knows as best as the mom Smile

My son still wakes in the night for bf, but I don't see it as breaking sleeping habit. From what I have learned, he sleeping habits have changed more than once since birth and will probably change even more until he's 2. People made fun of me for holding him in my arms all the time when he was 0-3 months old and now they're eyes are wide open in disbelief because he's rolling over and lifting his head and everything (that they thought he wouldn't). Go with your gutt instinct.

EmmSquared · February 2010

Your pedi is a dumb shiit.

Symharmony · February 2010

Not only would I find a new pedi, I would be tempted to report this doctor to the AMA. He should not be giving this kind of advice to anyone.

deeanneharris · February 2010

I have no other advice to add, but he is way cute!

lvisser · February 2010

My son can't go 3 hours without eating. he can STFU.

*KC*luvs*RJ* · February 2010

Is this a new pedi you'll be seeing from now on or just a different guy in the office? He's a major douche and is 100% wrong. BFed babies cannot be obese, and you have nothing to worry about. Obviously, since your LO is over 90% in weight AND height he's not fat.

I'd either switch or ask to never see that dr again.

Mama Jan · February 2010

Angry

I would be REALLY upset. Would never see that pedi again. OMG.

And for the record, my pedi says that at 6mo they are likely still getting up once, maybe twice (but thinks it's crazy my 6mo was/is getting up 4-5 times).

Your baby is on MILK. You are not making him fat. My mom likes to tell me I make cream rather than milk because my kiddos chunk up too.

MStason · February 2010

He looks perfect! DD was 97th % for height and weight at her 6 month appointment and she gets up at night like that to eat too and her pedi said she was perfect and healthy.

robbie3982 · February 2010

Jackswife123:
If I were you, I`d find a new pedi. That's ridiculous.

This.

FlaCourtney · February 2010

Nicavesani:

I don't think that your pedi was right in calling your DS fat... that's just insensitive and wrong.

Have you tried to wean any night-time feedings? Technically, he's right, a baby that age shouldn't NEED to nurse that often. He may WANT to, but he doesn't NEED to. Also, just because he wakes at night, doesn't necessarily mean he's hungry. Have you tried to soothe him in other ways before resulting in nursing? We started to wean night-time feedings around 4 months... only one. I would try to soothe him to sleep with his paci or caressing his head/face. Then we only had to deal with ONE nighttime feeding... which he weaned himself of off! Thank God!

I don't think that weaning him off of the feedings will help him "slim down", especially since he should be starting solids soon, but wouldn't it be nice for you to be able to sleep a whole night through?! HALLELUIAH!

Just got back from my 6-month visit and had the same STTN conversation -- that he doesn't need to eat twice at night and to try other soothing methods before the bottle and try to wean him off it. But my son is only in the 31st percentile for weight -- the ped was talking more about our well-being and what he is capable of than anything. Sounds like yours has a really crappy bedside manner and I would look elsewhere.