Confused about health visitor advice.

[Becksies]

Hi all,

My 7 month old son has been having 3 meals and 4 bottles a day for a while now, the health visitor was concerned that he was overweight and had me reduce his bottles to 3 a day, 2 weeks later and he's lost weight and now she's telling me I need to double the amount of solids he's having (he currently has around 4oz each meal) and I'm not to mash his food at all just to give it as we have it, he struggles and gags on food that I've mashed instead of pureed so I think this will be a disaster.

For example tonight we're having chops with veggies and roast spuds, how is he supposed to eat a roast spud if I don't mash it?

God health visitors just confuse me!

Thanks

[Lolly]

You do know they have special training in order to do this to parents

I would go with your gut feeling about what he needs and don't worry too much about the HV. Until he is 1 milk should be his main source of nutrition, so at 7 months 4 bottles is really what he should be having. Most formula fed babies drop to 3 bottles around 9/10 months and then to 2 bottles when they turn 1.

The BW way is to do the milk feed first and then solids about 1-1.5 hours later depending on what time naps etc are. How much is he taking in a bottle now? Maybe limit his milk to 6/7oz a feed which would be plenty of liquid milk in 24 hours.

With the solids you can give him finger foods but like with his puree/ mashed foods you need to be aware of added salt and sugar. Some babies have finger/real foods from the start so never have puree, they manage really well as their gums are very hard. I did a combination, so along side puree/mashed food both of mine were given finger foods from 6 months. They had things like strips of toast, finger sandwiches, steamed/roasted fingers or weges of veg like carrot and chunks of steamed broccoli.

Gagging is totally normal, this is a sign that they are learning to manipulate food around their mouths, if you keep offering he will get used to it. For tonights tea I would offer whatever mashed food you were going to but also give him some of the veg and pieces of roast potato and see how he does with it. Just make sure that whatever you give him is big enough for him to pick up with a bit sticking out so that he can manipulate it by him self.

What do you think?

Laura

[Emami]

She sounds like an idiot.  I don't mean to be rude.... ok yes I do, I think that is ridiculous advice!  There is nothing wrong with a chubby baby, and I'm really surprised she is telling you to drop milk feeds.  He needs those!  He should still be getting most of his intake from those, not solids.  He's doing great on 3 meals, why does she want to shove more food down his throat that he can't handle?  Honestly I would ignore her and go back to what you were doing.

Wrt to not mashing his food, she might be trying to encourage baby led weaning, which is fine except if she wants him to double his solid intake it's not going to happen that way!  Babies who start blw typically eat very little solids at first because it's more licking, gumming, getting used to the idea of food than eating huge quantities.  If he was healthy and happy before then do what you want to do for him!

Posted with Laura

[Becksies]

Hi Laura,

Thanks for the advice, I pretty much agree and have been doing everything that you have said, hence why I'm so confused as I thought I was getting it right!

At the moment he's having 4 5oz bottles of formula (I tried 3 of 7oz like she asked and he was just beside himself) he's having mashed fruit and a yoghurt or things like toast or cubed cheese and yoghurts for lunch and our food minus the salt for dinner I've always given him veg whole and will give him slices of chicken etc but potatoes I've always mashed as they're quite tough. I've never given him chops before so this ones new and I'm not sure how he'll manage it.

Thanks

[Becksies]

Thanks Emma, I did think he should be getting most of his nutrition from milk and did raise this with her and she said no he needs to be getting most of it from the food.

He's just had lunch of a yoghurt, 3 oz of mango mushed up and a rusk and seems pretty full now so I don't want to shove more food down his throat.

He is a big boy, I'll give her that he's 7 months and is now 20lb3oz and was 8lb2oz at birth.

[Lolly]

Try this trick with the HV - nodd like you agree with everything she says then do what you think is right - works every time

He sounds just right to me - my DS was 8lb born and 75th centile most of his first year (am at work so can't check his red book now, but I'll look later!), he's nearly 7 now and just about 9th centile for weight, that's about 42/43lbs so a big baby doesn't mean a big child at all!

Laura

[Becksies]

Hes just under the 91st percentile according to his red book!

She also told me I'm letting him sleep too much in the day and thats why hes waking in the night, he has roughly two 1 1/2 hour naps which according to the bw book is about right.

She also said I have to stop letting him stand up and bounce when I'm holding him as he needs to learn to crawl before he starts to stand :S

[Emami]

I think if he was closer to one I would understand her pushing the solids a but more, but some babies have just barely started solids at 7months and definitely wouldn't be eating 3 meals a day and getting most of their nutrients from it.  As for being big... some babies have to be big, some have to be small so that there's an average in the middle lol.  But average doesn't = normal.  He sounds perfect!

[Lolly]

Your Health Visitor sounds like she needs a big reality check

If it's any help, my DD was walking holding fingers at 8 months (and observed by my HV ) but didn't crawl until she was 10 months! She didn't walk unaided until 13 months and my back certainly knew about it!

My red book says that DS was just a shade under 19lbs at 32 weeks so your LO isn't that much bigger!

Laura

[Becksies]

Thanks, I think I'm just going to try and ignore her. He's healthy and happy so I must be doing something right.

[Miamamma]

Ugh, some health visitors are a pain in the arse. There was one that used to reduce me to tears as I seemed to be doing everything wrong. Now with no2 I do the head nodding thing and trust my instincts. My first born is a bonny, happy and healthy little girl so I must have been doing something right! I always thought that 'food before one is just for fun'.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Yeah I would go with the smile and nod advice, works like a charm!  I listen to what they have to say, do my own research and decide what makes the most sense - most often if something is working there is a reason for it! They sent me a trainee this time who was in her early twenties with no kids and I did a lot of nodding as she went through her stuff (all I wanted was the height and weight check!).

[cnaz]

As a public health nurse please know we are not all crazy! It sounds like she is not a very good one though. Every baby is different, and there are always ranges for growth and development. I agree with what most people have said. A lot of babies are not eating that much solids by 7 months old. They are often still just learning how to eat, so there is no way he needs to be eating his solids not some what mashed if he is not ready. Her rationale about the milk makes absolutely no sense to me! If you have been giving him 4 bottles of 5 oz, that is 20oz in a day. If she is suggesting 3 bottles of 7 oz, then that is 21 oz in a day??? This is really the same amount, which will only stuff him full at one time, and possibly make him puke some back up! At the end of the day, I always tell parents what the average range is, then let them know that every baby is different and that you are the parents and need to do what is right for you and your family. Unless, it is harmful to the baby. He is drinking a fine amount of milk, and if he likes to eat solids...great! Don't stress about the texture. Eventually they will all eat solid foods that aren't mashed! You know him best. He may be on the bigger size for a 7 month old, but he was a big baby at birth. If he is following the growth curve, that is all that matters. As he gets more mobile his weight gain will slow down and he will thin out. Their weight gain decreases a lot around the 9 month mark. Please don't stress over this, he sounds perfectly healthy and happy to me. And as far as the bouncing him while holding him, that is just ridiculous! Many babies never crawl and go right to walking! It sounds like she needs some more education on growth and development! As far as the sleeping through the night, well, my 15.5 month old still gets up 2 times a night to nurse! Wonder what she would say about that!

[Jodes112]

Health visitors are really confusing I totally agree! I had one come at three months who said not to start solids until 6 months. Then I had a different one who came at 6 months who said 'is she fully weaned now?'

One says one thing one says another, which is why I believe you should do what you feel is right! I agree with what someone else said that once you build up the solids you tend to notice baby will want to drop feeds on their own which is usually around 9-10 months and then down to 2 at 1yo.

My dd is also 7 months and is not ready for the 'not mashed' food. Just keep doing what your doing sounds like your doing great 

[weaver]

I agree with just nodding and smiling at the HV. 

If she happens to say something you feel is sensible, by all means follow her advice. If not, not.

I really wouldn't take her too seriously as I have heard too many stories of NHS HVs giving rubbish advice, upsetting and worrying mothers for no reason.  In my case, HV didn't even bother looking at baby (who was asleep in this cot throughout our interview) in spite of repeated offers from me, so my opinion of them starts from there.

Remember, you are the expert on your baby, not a stranger!