Fat??

I agree with the other moms on this. All three of my kids were breastfed for a year, and the first one wasn't interested in anything else until he was around 10 months old. He's 11 yrs. old now, and certainly not malnourished, lol. My 5 yr. old's first pediatrician told me to start him on solids at 6 weeks. 6 weeks!! I wasn't ready for that, and neither was he. I switched doctors and never looked back. Trust your instincts, you do know what's best.

D.

Who is your pediatrician. I had one in Duncanville try the same thing on me 6 yrs ago. I quit going to him and the next pediatrician said all was fine.

i don't think that you should feel stressed out at all. My friend has a 6 month old and her daughter weighs 25 lbs. and her doctor doesn't seem too concerned. My son didn't start eating that much jar food until he was about 8 months old. My doctor always told me to keep him on breast milk as long as possible because that is the best thing for a baby. So don't stress out. If Rhiannon doesn't want to eat baby food, it's ok as long as she is still nursing well, there shouldn't be any problems. Hope this helps you feel a little at ease.

If you were stuffing your baby with baby food and cereal, then that might be the case :/ Sorry, but your pediatrician is off the mark on this one. There's really no such thing as a fat six month old, breast fed baby. I mean, alot of breast fed babies are VERY plump, with chubby rolls. They soon outgrow it as they start walking and running.
Don't worry about the solids. Give her some if she's interested, more as a snack. Maybe some cereal mixed with fruit. Soon she'll be able to take very small chunks of table fruit and veggies too. My third and fourth didn't even use baby food jars! You're doing the very best thing for your daughter by breast feeding her, and she's getting plenty of nourishment. Trust your mother's intuition, it's usually right...first time Mommy or not. Good luck and enjoy your daughter :)

Get a second opinion and possibly a new pediatrician!
C. S.

I think you need to see someone else ... my son was bigger than your daughter buy and inch and a half and a full 2 lbs ... at that appointment he said to begin introducing baby foods ... not to force him into it. My son nurses/bottle 90% of the time and we play with solids but he isnt forced into them ... it's often like a snack for him and he's growing just fine! Good Luck, I would look for a 2nd opinion or another pedi.

Well if your baby is fat weighing 16lbs at 6 months then my son is huge. He weighed that at his 4 month checkup and he was not fat at all. His doctor said that he was right on target. I would check into taking your daughter to a different doctor.

I know doctors have to use those growth charts to spot anomalies, but it's usually to note failure to thrive, not the other way around! :0) I've never heard of an overweight 6-month old, unless you're talking about one that's 25 inches and weighs 30-40 lbs. 17 lbs is fine. If you like everything else about this dr., you don't have to change. Just take her nutritional advice with a grain of salt. I've heard of some babies never eating baby food, but I'm a little leary of that. Try nursing for a few minutes to knock off the hunger edge, then feed some cereal w/ breast milk mixed in, and maybe some fruit mixed in, too. Remember to introduce solids one-at-a-time to spot allergic reactions. Try to work around to a regular solid schedule at mealtime--breakfast, lunch & dinner. Even if it's just a few bites, that's ok. She's learning to eat when the rest of the family does, eventually anyway. Try to see if she'll drink some water from a sippy cup...she may just throw it, but it's all about introducing new things and not making a big deal.

M.:

I would seek a second opinion. If you lived closer to Bedford, I would give you my pediatrician's name but I doubt you want to drive to Bedford. And look up growth/weight charts to get an idea of average weight but all babies are not average. I would recommend getting a second opinion and possibly switching pediatricians. I do not think your baby is fat. Her weight sounds on target and if she is breastfed she may not want 3 jars of babyfood a day. Good luck.

I'm really sorry that this misinformed physician gave you cause to worry. If the doc's this far off on this issue, I would have a hard time trusting him with almost anything else. Your daughter is only 6 months old and her weight if fine. I know women who didn't do anything but breastfeed until their baby starts reaching out for what they themselves are eating. Sometimes that could be 12 months. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for your baby. No need to give solids until they show an intrest. Most of my moms skip the bottle and baby food phase. They just nurse until baby wants more. You will know. Trust your instincts! I love chubby breast fed babies! Blessings!

A. Crowell, CPM, LM
Gentle Beginnings
Birth Services

I have a 3 1/2 month old who was 6 weeks early and now weighs 17 pounds. The doc said " keep up the good work " !!! Def. go somewhere else.....if your baby doesnt eat a lot of solids..dont worry...she will soon enough...one jar a day is plenty to start with!!

I agree that your doctor's comments are crazy! I gave my daughter breastmilk exclusively for 6 months, and then we slowly started on cereal with breastmilk mixed in. She wasn't eating jars of baby food for several months after that.

Like the other moms said -- trust your instincts!!

I would definitely seek a second opinion and even a new doctor. I live in Duncanville and my son sees a group of doctors right next to Charlton Methodist. The practices is called pediatrics southwest and from what I have heard from Children's Hospital they are the best in the area. (my son had acid reflux and the doctors sent us there to get him checked out)