My daughter is 10 months old and has pretty much always been a good eater. But the last couple weeks I feel she is eating too much. At her nine month appt her doctor said she should eat only "regular people" food (and formula). The transition took a little while but she is doing great. She has always just stopped eating before. She would push her food away or start throwing it off her highchair but now she just keeps eating. She eats about as much as me in a day and I am 8 months pregnant! I stop feeding her and she just cries and whines and wants more food. She wakes up and has breakfast of sippy cup of 6oz of formula and either oatmeal or fruit and lunch of meat, grain, veggie, fruit, water/juice(watered down; snack of 6oz formula and cheerios or fruit or graham crackers and dinner (same as lunch) and bed time 8oz bottle of formula and she snacks on fruit puffs through the day and stuff off my plate.
I can't eat around her even when she is eating her own food because she always wants mine too. I just don't want her to be overweight when she gets older because she doesn't know when to stop eating. She has always been in the 25% for weight and 90% for height so she is tall and skinny and she is very active. Her activity hasn't changed but I just don't know when to stop feeding her. I just feel that eating as much as me when you are 10 months old is a little too much. Has anyone else experienced this? Does anyone have advice? Thanks!
Hi J.!! I really wouldn't even worry about it. She is probably growing. There are times when my 6 year old and her friend eat like maniacs, next thing I know they grew another inch or two. If you teach her good eating habits (and it sounds like you do), weight will not be an issue.
Good luck! *hugs*
Let her eat! My guess would be that she is going through a big growth spurt. My girls (now 4 and 18 months) have both gone through weeks where they eat more than I do, and then all of a sudden they are not eating anything at all. Just keep giving her healthy food and let her decide how much to eat. I know how frustrating it is not ever being able to eat anything without her grabbing at it, but she is also trying to let you know that her body needs the food. My youngest is also tall and skinny, and she eats a ton! Stock up on groceries and know that you are not alone:)
I would not even worry about it. She will eat as much as she needs. And honestly the food that you stated you are giving her doesnt even seem like it is too much. I have two children and one is not that great of an eater and the other one has always been a good eater. She is probably in a growth spert and needs that much, maybe she needs that much because she is so active. Whatever it is I would not worry about it, and if it becomes a big problem for you haveing her eat whenever you do then I would stop eating in front of her when it was not breakfast lunch or dinner time. Good luck but I am sure she is fine
Babies, unlike a lot of adults, know how to self regulate their food. Your daughter is probably going through a growth spurt and just needs more food right now. I would trust her that she knows when it's time to stop eating. My daughter is 12 months and eats a lot too. Yesterday she ate an entire plate size pancake by herself. Sometimes I wonder where she puts it all. Her height is in 90% and weight is 75%. Your daughter's weight is so much lower than her height that she probably needs some extra calories to grow. I wouldn't worry about her getting fat. Those babies are smarter than we give them credit for.
P.
I would feed her, but make sure its healthy foods. Fruit and veggis. Give her water, to help fill her up. I think kids deserve snacks as well, like crackers and pretzels. Just make sure they are 1-2 times a day.
I believe if a child is hungry, feed them. I couldn't deny my kids food or water, ect.
Maybe looks over some web sites to get some snack ideas that are healthy :)
My son is two and has gone through the same kind of spells. they were just growing spurts and as long as she isn't overweight i wouldn't worry about it. but if you are really concerned you should talk to her doctor. there are some deseases where children and adults don't know when to stop eating and have to be monitored through out thier lives. but honestly, it sounds to me like a growing spurt right now. good luck H. ayer
I agree with some of the others - let her eat but make sure it is healthy and scheduled - not snacks galore while playing, etc. - just at mealtimes and snacktimes. Her little body may be trying to even out a little bit. Another option is to write down what she is eating and how much for a few days and then consult with her pediatrician - just in case there is some sort of metabolic problem. Good luck!!
My 19 month old son has always been a great eater as well. Our Pediatrician recommended feeding him servings of each food group and if we get through all and he's still hungary, start over until he's satisfied and stops. They do self regulate. The first year they go through an incredible amount of growth and development that can require a ton of nutrition. Then they start to move and that increases what they need. My son was VERY chubby as a baby, but once the crawling and walking started he slimmed out. He goes through spurts where he does not eat all that much, and then eats more than me. I try not to worry...I know as long as I'm feeding him healthy things I can let him decide how much he needs.
As you know, babies grow a ton in their first year, even in the later months. If she's active...crawling, etc., she's probably justifiably hungry. I don't think you need to worry about her being overweight at this point in her life. Babies know when they are hungry. As long as you are feeding her healthy food, you shouldn't worry. My 11 month old eats all the time including breastfeeding and now wants to eat whatever we're eating too. I think that is normal development. Babies want to imitate their parents. (Sure makes me keep the junk food out of the house).
There was just a article in one of those Parent magazines. Having a "Fat" baby has nothing to do with what will happen when they are older...
My daughter was a preemie. She was 4 lbs. She needed to be taught how to suckle and forced to eat. It was sad and we pushed and pushed her to gain weight. I backed off when she was about 2mos. old. By her first birthday she was a CHUNK. She could wear size 2T. She had rolls everywhere. I brought her to a birthday party where I guess ppl had talked behind our backs asking if something was wrong with my child because she was so chubby. (real nice huh?) well I have always let her decided what and how much she wanted to eat. I always gave her a healthy variety. She loved her food and you couldn't take food away from her. She would eat an entire can of mandarin orananges and want more. She would cry and scream and use the signlanguage for more. My family told me I needed to cut her off at a certain point during meals. I talked to my pediatrician who assured me my daughter knew her body and knew when she was hungry or not. So I kept letting my daughter be in charge of the amount she ate. This was around 10mos. old. She was off the charts on her weight and height. She was not proportionate and her weight was over 100%. Then she started to walk and slowly lost all of her baby fat. I've continued to let her decided when she's full or not. She is now 5 years old and not the least bit chubby. She's beautiful and healthy and has great eating habits. Your daughter will be just fine, she obviously must be getting ready to grow or start something new and needs this. My daughter will go from eating a few bites of a favorite dinner one night- to eating 4 pieces of fried chicken the next night.
In child pyschology class I heard that kids have their eating habits for LIFE by age 3. You are naturally born knowing when your full or not. If you have parents that decide for you when your full or not or make you clean your plate your teaching your children to not listen to their own bodies and not instinctively know when they are full or not. They then come to count on someone telling them or looking at their plate to see if it's "Clean". This is why people over eat. They have been taught to quit listening to their own bodies.
she knows somethings up and it sounds like she is comforting her self. break the habit or she might not stop and could be a little on the heavy side. or she is going threw a growing spirt.
Hi J., I am glad that you wrote about this subject, as I too have a very healthy eater...you are not alone! My son is almost 9 months and eats about what your daughter does, and is in the 90% for height and weight. He is already going into 2T size clothes! I do not worry, as long as I am feeding my son healthy food, I am not going to give a second thought. He is happy and active and thats all that matters. He isn't even very chunky, he is just a big boy. I think you are doing a great job on feeding her all the right foods, that is all the matters. Let her decide how much she wants to eat...she is probably just going through a growth spirt.
Hi J.,
Congratulations on your 10 month old and soon to arrive son. Generally, kids do not overeat at this young age. She could very well be going through a growth spirt. And if you are concerned about her eating the food you eat -- make sure you model good eating habits -- in other words, eat healthy foods, yogurt, bananas, toast, etc. Things that would be good for her to try and eat.
I also recommend getting a couple books -- the first book is called "Super Baby Foods" This book is awesome and with another baby on the way, it will be well worth the investment. The book is organized much like the "what to expect when your expecting" book, so set up by months. And although your daughter is 10 months, the author gives great ideas on how and when to introduce new foods to your child's pallete, starting at age 6 months.
The foods she suggest are fresh and cooked and frozen for later use. Therefore, you could even eat these foods unlike the baby food out of a jar.
The other book I recommend is "How to mother a successful daughter". This book helps you to educate you on the subtil messages we give our daughters that impact their self-esteem -- therefore helping us as mentors to model more empowering behaviors. This will also help you when trying to raise your son to be respectful and compassionate to women and not objectify them. I suggest this now so that you can properly handle eating issues with your daughter instead of accidentally invoking them. (If you concern yourself now with eating issues, you have a long road ahead of you to the teenage years when it could be more life-threatening. That is why is it important to model the right things for your daughter in your own life.)
Likewise, the auther first wrote a book, "how to father a succesful daughter" so very helpful for your dauther's father to realize how important his role is in her life as well.
If books are not of interest to you -- enroll in some Early Childhood Family Education classes (ECFE). Nearly all school districts offer these early childhood classes (very affordable - financial assistance available if needed), and they provide a terrific forum for you to discuss with a parent educator and other parents of similar aged kids, like issues and how to handle them.
Good luck
I would not worry if she is only at 25% weight. I think I read that kids really do know when they are full. You just need to make sure the stuff she eats is healthy and she will be fine. My son is the same way - he eats sometimes more than me and he is still skinny (2yrs old).
My son was like that. Then all of a sudden he just stopped. Now sometimes it is a struggle to get him to eat. I think as long as she is eating healthy food, give her as much as she wants. She may be going through a growth spurt.
What did the doctor say about her weight at the doctor at this last appoinement? Because your daughter is small (25%), and probably going through a growth spurt and needs more food. Unless her weight was way up at her last appointment and her doctor thinks it's her diet, I would say she is fine. She will know when to stop eating, otherwise she would throw it all up. If she is eating until she throws up, you should consult her doctor, to know what you should be feeding her. If she whines when you eat, is possible you think she is getting more than she really is.
