Thoughts PLEASE!!!

DCBaby 10months won't stop eating! He's a chunk of a baby but not anything insanely obese, he's still in average percentiles. But he will NOT stop eating. I don't think his mom sends enough food, but it probably SHOULD be enough, but it isn't enough for him.

He CONSTANTLY is crawling around looking for crumbs, he tantrums if he sees other kids eating and he tantrums when he finishes his food. He doesn't even seem to play much anymore, just constantly searching for food.

I don't know what to do because I offered my $2/day nutritious meal plan to the mom, every other family said yes and it's been terrific but he's the one family that said no, so she packs her own stuff for him which is fine, but it isn't enough and he's always tantruming and trying to steal other kids food.

What do I do??? Just feed him anyway??? Tell mom AGAIN (I've already made several comments again and again.)??

Is something wrong or is that normal for a baby to eat so much? It doesnt' seem to be a growth spurt because it's been this way for couple months.

He just ate an ENTIRE banana, an entire clementine, a handful of large raspberries, spaghetti noodles, and now is working on a wheat dinner roll and cheese crackers, all in one sitting!!!! How can this be possible???? This doesn't include the food he already ate this morning, the stuff that his mom packed and is gone so now I have to either listen to him tantrum for food or feed him for free, but I don't want her to be mad if she thinks I'm making him obese or something. Don't know what to do.

My own 10 month old son is breastfed, never had formula ever, and he's tall and thin (not skinny just very fit for a baby!) and he eats a wide variety of food but has a small appetite so I don't know what to do for this DCBaby.

Is this normal for a 10month old to be obsessed about eating and pack away huge amounts??? What should I do regarding the mom???

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Wow! That is kind of crazy. Here are the meal requirements for a child his age. Maybe give mom a copy too and honestly, I would feed him the serving sizes and perhaps a smidge more if he has a great appitite but you really don't want to just keep feeding simply because he wants it.

Eventually he will learn to adjust to the correct serving sizes and if he gets a good breakfast, morning snack, lunch and then afternoon snack and supper, he should feel full. Really young kids don't always know how to listen to their bodies and will over eat because they simply like the taste, even thought they are really not hungry anymore. I would focus on good foods that help you feel full over quantity. Like oatmeals and whole wheat toast for breakfast and stuff like that.

Sounds to me like he is on the road to having one unhealthy eating pattern and may be obese before even beginning school. Especially because you said he plays very little so being so inactive is a bad sign.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/Pro...l_Patterns.htm

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yes it sounds like you will have to help him overcome some poor eating habits. perhaps he is eating out of boredom or a desire to do what the other kids are doing. I would figure out a reasonable portion size and then make him go play once the meal is over. He will have to learn that screaming does not mean an immediate offering of a snack. Its possible that mom isnt sending enough on purpose, so she can fill him up at home and keep him quiet and happy. he may snack constantly at home and she really not even know what a reasonable meal would be for his age. sounds like you are on your own with this little one.

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His body should in all honesty tell him how much to eat....and this is a sudden thing? Maybe a growth spurt? If he's in the right percentiles, I would not worry. But mom needs to send you some extra food. Maybe some things that take a little more work to eat...slow him down a bit.

I would also offer him water more often in between and just before meals. Maybe he's thirsty, but think's he's hungry?

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wow, that is alot of food. I would offer him more water. Sounds to me like he's my niece, every time she made a noise my sister would feed her, well she is now 4 and wears my dd's size 8 clothes.

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I imagine he eats more than what you listed, but it sounds like he is eating too many sugars/carbs. Ask mom to bring more proteins (meats, cheese, yogurt, beans) and add more water to his diet. Fruit and white carbs need protein to balance them out and he will feel full longer. I too think that most little ones should know when they have had enough, but maybe all that sugar in his system is causing cravings.

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Where is the formula/breastmilk for him? He's 10months, so he should be having forumla/breastmilk still, correct? DD started whole milk around 11months, but she still had some breastmilk along with foods and rice cereal. I just don't see how a 10month old would be hungry enough for all that you listed. You said your 10month has a small appetite, which is how my dd was.

I would definitely be worried about him if he's eating that much food already. I like the chart Blackcat posted. I would stick to portions like the ones listed on that chart.

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My daughter was a huge eater at that age (and somehow still underweight?!?). Anyway, I would just cut her off at some point (usually when it exceeded the amount an adult would eat) and tell her "no more, all gone." After awhile, she got the hint. When she was around 14 months old, her appetite went down (well, to a healthy toddler eater). At 10 months old, she would eat 1 1/2 cups of plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup of pureed peaches, and 2-3 homemade whole wheat blueberry pancakes (no syrup) for breakfast. She would eat more yogurt and peaches if I offered it, but she was always cut off after 1 large bowl. She would also freak out if she saw someone else eating, so I made sure that she ate at the same time as everyone else. Some kids have huge appetites!

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See I disagree....I do think that older babies and toddler age children can be taught to NOT listen to their bodies, can form bad habits at an early age, can be overfed or fed as an "activity", can start looking for food out of boredom, can use eating as a comfort thing. I wouldnt necessarily trust a kid to eat as much as they want whenever they want because you dont know what habits are being formed at home.

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Jen-I think you're right. I just looked over the list, and it's all carbs and fruit. Mom needs to provide more protein, vegies, and whole grains.

Totally unsolicited, I know, but if I were you, I'd just up your rates slightly and include meals for all incomming parents. No more "choices". Sorry, but too many people send a bunch of junk and you get to deal with the consequences. It may be hard to push on existing customers, but it's something to consider.

Unsolicited advice over...

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Let me clarify, the foods I listed weren't what mom packed or his whole diet, that was just what he ate in ONE SITTING!

DCMom packed him 1/3 of a string cheese cut up, dozen blueberries, 1 tbsp pot roast/carrots, 2 tbsp mashed potatos/peas, 8oz bottle formula. That was what he had for the 8 hour day. I don't think it was enough, at least not for this kid.

The other foods were what I gave him and I totally recognize I should NOT have let him eat that much, he was just tantruming and I literally couldn't believe it and wasn't sure what to do, keep feeding him or stop him.

I talked to DCM again and she made it clear, although VERYYYY nice about it, that she doesn't want me giving him any extra food at all and to only give what she sends and stretch it out. She says they are very scheduled at home and that's what she sticks to. I'm not saying she's wrong in that, I just am very much the opposite of that so it's hard for me to let him cry and not give in. I'm a sucker, I admit it. My own son while not an over-eater, doesn't sleep even a wink in his crib. I nurse him down for every nap in our family bed and co-sleep every night. I know, I'm a sucker but I love my time with him. Hard to be tough when I should be though and respect that other parents aren't as soft as I am and that's fine too, I have to learn to cut this baby off I guess.

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And about the carbs and fruit, I give much more balanced meals, but that is just what I was giving him in a hurry one item at a time not thinking about it as a whole, and trying to think what was cheap since she specifically opted not to pay for my balanced meal program. I guess I just shouldn't have fed him anything extra at all, I'm just a wimp I guess.

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No wonder why he is hungry! That is not nearly enough for the entire day! On top of that, he only gets one bottle?

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I completely agree. If you look at the chart Blackcat posted, the minimum of formula for all day would be 14-16 ounces. That's double the 8 ounces she's sending. Plus, the baby should be having cereal to feel full (unless the baby has some sort of reaction to cereal of course).

Maybe he's tantruming and eating so much because dcm isn't giving him enough at home. I would print out the sheet and hand it to dcm. That or you start feeding him the rest of the requirements but charging her more per day because you are providing what he needs.

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I assume he's having a bottle for breakfast and dinner before and after daycare?? I'm assuming?

She specifically said no she doesn't want to pay the $2/day for my food plan (although she pays more to send the gerber foods). I think she really wants to control the amount of food he eats, I think maybe she's trying to diet him already because he's a chunk, but not huge by any means.

ALL of my other families were happy to pay the $2/day for their toddlers. So now I'm making delicious meals and the baby is dropped off right when breakfast is being served and he wants to eat it but mom said no, only his own food. I feel bad because all the other kids are eating and he's not allowed.

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poor kid sounds like she's starving him. I have a 3 yr old like this too. Mom even said that she doesn't want her to be big and controls her food. Poor kid is so hungry when she gets here that she eats everything so fast that I wonder if she tastes the food. We are busy all day their bodies need fuel to keep up.

this is where I would just feed him, not over feed him but more than mom is giving him. This is where common sense prevails stupidity. Oh, he needs more milk too.

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My foster son is like that - he is 30mo now, but he was like that as a baby, too. He came here straight from the hospital eating 4oz every 2hrs. And he would scream the house down for food from day1, and still does. At around 1yo he would eat essentially 5 meals a day...a snack could never be a snack, it was close to meal sized. Just now, it is starting to even out a bit. HOWEVER, he was always proportional, 75% for height, and 75% for weight.

Mom just might be following her pediatrician's advice, too, on what to feed baby. I know my son's pedi freaked out at every appt on how much he was eating. Like TOLD me to cut back his bottles at 6mo(yup, he wanted me to let him scream and withhold food from a baby). Stating 'obesity risks' as a huge concern....that is when I started lying to the dr about his eating because I was not going to put a baby on a diet. Ds has NEVER been overweight. Always right on his curve.

I could never just let a baby/young toddler scream for more food. I would encourage more water drinking, only give self-feeding items (slower to eat), and let loose with the rice cakes. They are satisfyingly crunchy & take a bit of time to chew, and very few calories. It is what I give my ds while I am making dinner (as soon as he hears someone in the kitchen he HAS to eat). I would tell mom to pack more things for baby to eat, or I would send him home if he cries constantly b/c he thinks he is starving.

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If you have already had multiple talks with mom about this I think it is time to give choices. Hand here the typical meal plan for that age, she can provide a drs note stating a different plan, or bring food according to the plan. This would be a good time to give her the opportunity to do the $2 meal plan again. If she continues to be unreasonable then it would be time for me to give notice. I can't imagine any of my parents expecting me to let their child go hungry.

On a side note, do you have access to a food program in your area? You might be surprised how much more you could get than just $2 and it wouldn't cost your parents anything extra

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As for encouraging more water: remember that babies should have very little water-only 2-4 oz./day for babies over 6 months and under one year.

I too would have a VERY hard time not feeding a hungry baby.

It seems like mom is sending appropriate amounts of food for lunch (at least on paper) but is not sending any snacks for him at all. I think he needs food and he is really hungry!

I'm afraid what is happening is that he's so hungry and so worried about food that when he does get the chance to get some (like when you fed him more) he's going to overfeed himself because he doesn't know when he's going to get the opportunity again! I think mom is unwittingly setting up a pattern of an unhealthy obsession with food by trying to limit it at such a young age.

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When I suggested the water, I thought he was eating too much...didn't know the whole story!

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Dear Doctor So-and-so mentioned above:

Regarding that obesity problem in America:

Lets face it... it's NOT because BABIES are getting too many nutritious meals and breast milk or formula to their hearts content...

It's because people feed their babies "desserts" designed for babies (really?), put juice (or soda) in their bottles, and put them in contraptions to contain them 80% of the day (in front of the t.v, quite often). It's because people let their 3 year olds carry bottles or glorified bottles (those sippy-cup things) around wherever they go, every waking minute.

It's because people don't kick their kids outside in the yard often enough and say "for Gosh sake's GO PLAY". They let them eat Cheetos and soda (but it's diet soda...) while watching endless hours of TV or playing video games.

It's because they have 24hr-a-day access to ice cream, chips, candy bars, store-bought cookies, and other junk disguised as "nutritious", like Go-gurt, "granola bars", pop tarts, and high-sugar cereals. Most of us now-adults got ONE of those treats a few times per week. I remember riding my bike 2 miles to get them. "Oooh...let's drive down to the milk depot and get chocolate milks!"

It's because dinner 4 out of 5 nights a week is picked up from McDonalds, Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut (no offense to those particular companies...just the most popular around here).

It's because most of us (looking in the mirror now) sit in front of the TV too many nights a week instead of getting our butts outside.

So, yeah...THAT"S why we have an obesity problem in America; not because a baby got too much formula or drank (the horror) whole milk after the age of 2.
My dh grew up drinking gallons of milk from the bulk tank daily, and he was certainly not an overweight child. Of course, he was helping with farm chores as a young child already, and I doubt they owned a T.V., much less cable.

So, Mr. Doctor, please don't worry because baby is in the 75th percentile! Parents have enough to worry about without being told hogwash, and you probably have more serious matters to deal with.

Sincerely,

Heidi

This is my opinion, and is NOT directed at anyone here. I just can't understand how a doctor, someone who is supposed to be educated, could come up with that kind of baloney. Uh, I mean carrot sticks...bologna is fattening!

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