Is My 10 Month Old Eating Too Much?? What Are Some Activites During the Day??

I agree with all those saying to start switching from baby food to bite-sized solid foods. Even if she doesn't have teeth, she can still gum and dissolve foods like cheerios, cheese, steamed vegetables,etc. Babies do have a mechanism in their brains that tell them when its time to shut the appetite off.
As for activities, you have already gotten some good suggestions, but I can't stress enough that there is no benefit to her watching Baby Einstein or any other video. She should not be watching TV at all! I can't stress this enough...the rapid changes in light, motion, and sound are not good for her developing brain. The AAP recommends no TV at all before the age of 2. I am also a SAHM and I understand the challenges of keeping a little one entertained, but everything she experiences is helping her learn and develop. Expose her to different types of music, dance with her, play "hide and seek" with toys and yourself, take lots of walks, let her hold and manipulate the books any way she is willing (besides destroying them unless you are ok with that) and make sure she naps during the day if she will so she can recharge and absorb all those great experiences into her memory. Have fun!

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Never limit a babies food. Just don't give her sugary snacks and so forth. Keep it healthy and keep it coming!

As far as things to do, check with your local school district or Child Care Resource and Referral to see if they have any early childhood classes. I know in Rochester, MN, there are several classes offered for parents and children. Also look for story hours at local book stores, coffee shops, toy stores, or the public library.

Hi D.,

Doesn't sound like she's eating too much to me...at first 6 jars of baby food sounded like a lot, but if you are doing breakfast, lunch and supper it should be fine. Besides I think babies usually get too heavy because of drinking too much formula, not from baby food....and that doesn't look like a problem.

My little ones love music...do you have any CD's for children yet??? Put her in her walker or jumperoo, put on some music and dance. The magnetic frig toys are awesome, too. I know she is a little young for ABC's, but you will be surprised how quickly she will pick it up.

Have fun!

C.

I think you should take her outside a lot. Go out in the backyard and sit in the grass, go to the park and play in the sand. And take her for a walk every day, and while you're doing that, talk to her (animatedly) about everything you see.

"Ooh, a plane up in the sky! Do you see it? Oh look, there's a biiiig doggie. He has black fur. Oh, I see a pretty tree, it's all covered with flowers." Etc. Etc.

As for books, keep trying. Maybe try reading stories before naps and bedtime.

No, feed your child as much as she will eat. She's just bigger and needs more food to grow. I would recommend eliminating the daytime bottles and decrease to only one at night in preparation for complete weaning by age 1. I would also recommend feeding her some of your food, solids that she needs to chew. Cheese, fruit, yogurt etc. She needs to begin eating regular food and trust me it will save you a lot of $ and actually it is more convenient and easier in the long run. It sounds like she's ready for that. A really good book is "first meals" see if they have a copy at your local library.

Stuff to do during the day:
-Go to the library
-Take a long walk-let her walk some of the time, but take the stroller along, she needs the exercise.
-Nature hikes, identify flowers and animals.
-Take a bike ride and put her in a seat or carrier on the back.
-Look for a mom and me class.
-Work with her on sitting through books and helping you turn the pages, maybe try some smaller board books (more durable) and either let her read the book by herself before you do or after you are done. Try reading AFTER you have gone for a walk or done some other physical activity, so she'll be more likely to sit still.
-Try putting her in day care one day a week. This would give her the socialization she needs and would give you a day to yourself. Maybe even just a few hours.
-Look for a playgroup or start one.
-Go to a museum
-Wander through a mall or store, this is also good exercise and can be fun to talk to her about things you see, it will develop her vocabulary and let her get better and minding you and being in public.

This is a fun age! My 11 mo old loves to feed himself and has been since about 7 months, so start giving her finger food -- keeps her entertains while you're cleaning. Blueberries, grapes, turkey, whatever. He ate tacos for dinner (didn't like the shell but ate the cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, meat). Don't worry about her weight. She's probably hankering to feed herself!

As far as stuff to do, W sits and crawls around the yard while I garden (I don't worry about dirt), he loves to roll balls and we play "catch" a lot. We do lots of walks and go to the park all the time. Just get out -- it'll do you good to see the sun. And give her the books -- W loves to turn the pages of his board books. And he loves to empty out drawers and I don't care -- I open a few bottom drawers and he pulls out all the clothes and sometimes puts a few back. Messy yes, but it keeps him entertained while I'm folding or doing whatever. Have fun!!

Join a mom's group in your area! That way you and your baby can get out to different organized activities during the week with other moms and their kids. They have playgroups, often meet up at a park, zoo or coffee house and have many other activities as well. It can feel isolating and boring being a SAHM. Mom's groups are a great way to make new mom friends and have daytime activities to look forward to each week!

I just want to remind you that she still needs formula/breastmilk. The baby food teaches them how to chew and swallow but it does not have all the nutrients that formula does. She should be getting 24-30 ounces of milk daily and the food should be supplementing that.

HI D.! You have gotten fabulous advice! The only other thing for activities that I was thinking of was music.... at that age my kids sat on my lap while I played piano and banged away at the keys or "helped" me play the guitar. We also bought a "Band in a Box" and we would shake maracas (or whatever) to whatever CD I was playing. Luckily, at this age, it doesn't take much for them to get excited about music. It's so cute to watch them "dance"! And my babies got such a kick out of watching me make up dance moves..... thank goodness we live in the country with no neighbors to see me :)

My daughter was at the top of the growth charts and had rolls and was a big girl. I was secretly jealous of my friends daughter who was in the 5th% she was tiny and skinny because it seemed like such a cute little, petite girl. My big girl has lost all of her baby weight and is perfectly proportioned now. Please do not worry about your baby eating too much or about her size, no matter how much she eats now she will be perfect in the future. Feed your child when she is hungry and make sure that you are still giving her enough formula.

At 10 months playing games is fun, let her color, let her paint with food, let her play in the sand, let her roll a ball to you in the grass, play on swings, push her in the stroller, hold her gently down slides, do puppet shows, dance with her to your favorite songs, sing with her. Talk to her, Start to have fun with her!

D.,

This is pretty normal. I would probably switch your daughter to table food and forgo the baby food just because of her age, but she isn't eating too much. All my babies were high on the weight chart until they turned one. When they could walk and run, they slimmed way down.

As far as being bored, the weather is nice now. I would take her outside a lot. If you have a stroller, go for walks or to the park to go on the swings. When she starts walking, it will be easier. She will stay busier and the parks will be more about running around and less about putting rocks in her mouth.

Good luck,
S.

She doesn't need baby food anymore, at 10mos she can eat whatever you are eating for breakast, lunch, and dinner, chopped up to smaller bites of course.

She sounds like a perfect size to me, my boys were both around 28lbs at a year old.

Just remember mama, that even though she is 26lbs she still needs to remain rear facing in her car seat, she cannot go forward facing until a bare minimum of 1yr regardless of weight. The AAP also recommends children remain rear facing until the rear facing weight limits of their convertible car seat of 33/35lbs. Please google Extended Rear FAcing for more info. Just wanted to throw that out there since lots of people think once baby is 20lbs they can turn them, and thats not hte case.

My son is 17 months old and has always been at the top of the growth charts for weight and height. I don't think you are feeding her too much. My doctor always told me to let them lead you as far as feeding. If they are not getting an upset tummy or spitting up then pretty much feed as much as needed.
In regards to keeping your daughter entertained, I can relate to that too!! I structure our day similar to that of a preschool day with blocks of music time, reading time, indoor/outdoor play, etc. I even let my son watch a few shows on Noggin and PBS as part of a block of time. He loves Yo Gabba Gabba because he loves music and dancing. The songs are very helpful too, we sing the clean up song when cleaning up, the don't bite your friends song, etc.

The internet has a TON of toddler activities, just google it. You can also go to a teacher supply store or book store and pick up some activity books for ideas. For books to read, my son likes the ones that have things to touch or flaps to lift. He usually stays engaged enough so I can read the story and he can lift the flaps, touch or turn the pages. Good luck!

A.

My son was always at the top of the charts in height and weight. At 10-12 months he was around 30 lbs and not that he is moving, he has started to slim down. I would start introducing things like bananas and yogurt (the baby yogurt has cereal in it) my son still loves both. Soft squishy foods are good!

Hi D.

I think that at the age your daughter is she is ready for a lot more table food than baby food. She might really enjoy exploring the textures of chopped up egg, small bits of meat, small chunks of cheese, and puff cheerios. In the morning instead of starting out with the 6 oz maybe try high chair time with banana and oatmeal (I bet she would love using the spoon herself!) She is probably ready to try feeding herself and eating a lot of what you are eating!

I'm sure it is tough to keep her entertained all day!! Are there any other stay at home moms in your neighborhood you could have a playdate with once a week? You might also look for a library reading time or other outside-the-house activity--like a park. Sounds like you work really hard mom! Hope you can find some things to make the days easier!

Hi, D.!

I recommend joining a Moms group in your area. Also, try to get involved in local activities like open gym at the nearest gymnastics studio, laptime at the library, take walks, go to the playground, etc. Once she gets a little older, you'll always be on the go:)

I ditto all the fun activities outside, but on a rainy day check out www.kiddywampus.com. It's in St. Louis Park and kids can play in their kiddyplay indoor toy room for $5 an hour. A perfect activity when the weather isn't nice!