My daughter is 18 months old, and eats till her belly sticks out and is hard as a rock. I am not worried about the weight gain, since she is under weight, according to the doctors charts. I can't trust her to stop eating when she is full, so how do I know when to take the food away? at dinner last night she had 2 plates of food. (baby sized servings) she would have kept eating had I not decided that was enough for that meal. some days, I will feed her, then fix myself something to eat after, even though she is already full, she stares at the food on my plate like I haven't fed her in days. I make sure to feed her enough that she won't leave the table hungry. I tried to go with the "if she stops eating she is full method" but that doesn't work. so I go with the poke the belly method. if it is firm, she is full. What I want to know, is there a better way to get her to eat the right amount of food at each meal, instead of eating so much her tummy turns into a little rock for a few hours? what is the correct amount of food to feed at meal times?
I like to make sure she has a meat or protein, a veggie and a starch at meals. and eggs or cereal for breakfast. I give her either milk or juice to drink.
If she is not stopping, you need to limit her portions. One baby-sized plate and one 6-8oz cup of milk is PLENTY for a little one. Once she's done with her plate, say "all gone!" and take her down. Don't just keep on feeding her. You're stretching out her stomach and will cause her, over time, to ALWAYS have to eat too much to feel full.
It's all about portion control.
Luck!
If she is underweight, she is not eating enough. There is nothing wrong with her tummy sticking out when it is full. If she is still hungry, she needs more food. You likely need to feed more frequent meals or snacks.
First off, I feel I need to defend you. There seems to always be that one person that interprets a question differently or answers in somewhat judgmental way . It is clear to me and most that have posted, that you are not wanting to put your baby on diet. Back to your question...My son eats very fast also and seems to never stop unless I make him stop. What I noticed , was that he was full when he would get to the point in the meal , where he only wanted the " good stuff". Then I know it' s time for us to start wrapping the meal up. I know that probably wasn't real helpful and may not apply to your situation but that's the only way I have been able to manage our meal situation.
Have you spoken with your pediatrician about your "tummy poke" method? That isn't a proper way to gauge whether your child is full...at that age, they don't eat for emotion or any other reason. If she wants more food, it's because she is HUNGRY.
There is no "correct" amount at this age. Feed her appropriate portions of healthy foods. Do a little research on what a toddler sized portion should be, and you would be surprised. For example, the folllowing are each ONE serving of a food for her age...
1/2 cup yogurt
2/3 to 1 oz. cheese
a whole egg
1 oz. meat
1/4 cup peas or beans
2/3 c. fruit
3 Tbsp. vegetable (proper, not talking about white potatoes)
1/3 slice whole grain bread
1/2 oz. ready to eat cereal
1. tsp oil, mayo, margarine, butter
Now, they need 3 servings of dairy, 2 servings of meat/protein, 4-5 servings of fruits/veggies, 6 servings of breads/cereals, and 3 servings of fat/oils. So an entire SLICE of bread only takes care of 2 out of 6 servings...so let's work this out.
Breakfast...cereal with one serving of milk, 4. oz of juice mixed with water, and a banana.
Lunch...an entire tuna sandwich, some whole grain crackers, strawberry slices, an 8. oz glass of milk
Dinner...some sort of casserole with meat, veggie, and cheese, a slice of bread with butter, another 8 oz. glass of milk...
And you still haven't met your daily requirement, so you could supplement with healthy snacks.
Sounds like a lot for a little one, doesn't it? The key is some days they'll eat all that, and some days they won't touch a thing.
My biggest concern here is that your daughter is "underweight" (which is why her tummy feels hard when she eats, or because she's constipated, but it's NOT because you feed her too much) and you want to put her on a diet!!!! Babies are NOT to be on diets!!!
I would offer her "courses" to slow her down, but it may be that she's that hungry. Toddlers are very active little people. My DD would regularly surprise us at meals. Also, does she get snacks? Like maybe breakfast at 8 (for example) and a small snack at 10:30 and then lunch at 12:30?
I am also wondering if her being underweight is due to something in her metabolism. My SS was a very skinny boy, but we always fed him well. It was just HIM.
I would check with your pediatrician, but what came to my mind, is she may need more frequent and more substantial snacks in between meals.
I would try offering her something every 90 minutes (banana, yogurt, rice, cheese, turkey, etc.)and maybe even have a plate of snacks within reach.
while I believe this is a growth phase, by allowing her to graze all day on healthy snacks, maybe she will be less likely to eat herself silly at meals:)
If you already do this, sorry for the redundancy.
Other moms have had some great feedback below!
You might want to take her to her doctor and have her checked for Prader-Willi syndrome. It is an actual inability for the mind to tell when the stomach is full. Might just want to cover your bases.
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When my daughter is going through a growth spurts she eats a lot, just like your daughter, so I asked my pediatrician about her food intake. He told us that she can have as much as she wants as long as it is healthy food. It is also normal for her tummy to be hard after eating. After a meal, my daughter looks like she's pregnant because her tummy sticks out so much.
I agree with CAE. I know my daughter is done when she will not eat anymore veggies but wants more potatoes or pasta, etc. If she is not hungry enough to eat all of her veggies, then she is not hungry enough for anything else.
Is she getting a snack? At that age my kids had a morning snack and an afternoon snack...sometimes two afternoon snacks. At this age I would not limit her food. Unless she is eating so much it's making her sick, if she is still hungry, let her eat. Even at this age she can read her own cues, in fact it's the only drive. Kids at that age have a high metabolism and she may also being going through a growth spurt. I can remember my kids being constantly hungry and eating us out of house and home and then a few months later, begging them to eat. Don't stress mama. Let her eat.
Nothing wrong with that-- it's partially the way the infant/toddler body is shaped. My son used to eat until he was pot bellied. Now even though he eats with the same gusto he doesn't get the pot-bellied thing. I don't think it was coincidence that the pot-bellied thing seemed to go away in the same growth spurt last winter where he grew legs and went from looking like a large baby to a small boy....
And remember, just because they LOOK uncomfortable doesn't mean they ARE uncomfortable-- you should see some of the positions mine SLEEPS in!
You just described my 18 month old to a T. The dr. told me to let her eat as much as possible since she is right where she should be for weight, but I can't stop worrying that I am setting her up for failure in the long run of how to eat properly.
Instead I have tried having her graze throughout the day on vegetables and fruit, although she still looks at me at meal times like she is starving even after a full meal. We are still trying to find a balance, and now we are on a no dairy diet and that is not helping.
if she's underweight, then perhaps her metabolism just runs crazy & she needs more food than you think. She may require full snacks in between meals. None of this has to be junk food...it can all be healthy.
& as a head's up: in my daycare, I have a 2yo boy who eats 2 x what the other kids eat....& rarely fills up. He shovels in the food so quickly that he never feels satisfied. When I serve sandwiches, I cut it into 1/4s. He is sooo bad about pulling off the top piece of bread,sticking 2 fingers in the middle of it, & shoving that bread fully into his mouth. I have to be vigilant in watching him....that's how he eats most foods! ...& he never feels content.
Take a look at her table manners & see if she's eating too fast, but I seriously think that she simply requires more than you think....kiddies can take us by surprise! Especially if they're under on the weight scales....
Baby's, toddlers, young kids eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. They aren't like us adults - who eat when we are bored, tired, sad, mad, etc.. Encourage her to graze - meaning, don't just feed her 3 square meals a day. Put out a tray of veggies, etc.. As long as each meal includes a protein, healthy carb. (veggie/fruit), and her healthy fats, you shouldn't need to worry about her eating too much.
What does underweight mean? Is she in the single digits for the weight chart? If she is really underweight, why are you limiting her food? Does she get frequent snacks? She sounds like she is so hungry at meal time that she may gorge herself. But then again, I am not sure what a "baby size" portion is. If she really is eating as much as you say and is truly underweight you need to have her evaluated by the doctor as she should be putting on weight. Is she in discomfort after her meals?
My youngest is the same way. Although he just turned 2 and I have to tell you he has SLOWED down considerably. I never made him stop eating, although there were times I felt maybe I should. I figured as long as its healthy and not junk food then really who cares how much he eats, unless it makes him sick. I also started offering him more milk, before I didn't because he was mildly intolerable--this seemed to help out a lot more with his portion control too.
I'd discuss with your pediatrician to make sure everything is okay and then just let her eat. I remember the day my youngest put down two bowls of oatmeal, a banana, cup of milk and then asked for an apple. Really? but he ate it no problems. According to my pediatrician the correct amount of food to feed a toddler is as much as they want as long as its healthy.
I would check with your pediatrician just to be safe, but if she is underweight to begin with, than I am not sure this is something to actually be concerned about. You didn't mention how long this has been going on for, but if it is relatively recently, she might be going through a growth spurt. I could always tell when my daughter is going through a growth spurt because she will eat non-stop...and then after a week or so, she slows down to normal. Or she might have a naturally high metabolism. As long as what you are feeding her is healthy, and the doctors can rule-out a medical issue, I would just let her eat. Kids at that age don't know and don't care about portion sizes - they just know they are hungry. Is she eating this way at every meal or getting snacks throughout the day? You didn't mention what kind of food she is eating or how frequently, but at that age my daughter was typically grazing more during the morning and early afternoon, so she didn't actually eat very much during actual meal times. It was more spread out during the day. Talk to your pediatrician first but these are just some of the thoughts that I had. Good luck!
at that age they eat what they need. It may seem like allot, but I would maybe replace some of the foods she is eating with healthier options.
Babies go through growth spurts, today they eat like a horse, tomorrow tney just pick at their food... it's normal.
If she does fill up to the brim, then good for her.. as long as she is not constipated.
Also keep snacks to a minimum.. it is the grazing during the day that leads to eating problems later on. Keep just a handful of snacks for travelling/running errands...
Juices and milk are also filling...
Let her have a good healthy portion of food at meal times. She will know when she has had enough.
You need to google the food pyramid for toddlers. It will give you serving sizes and even though it says X Cups of vegetables that is the whole day. I always let the kids have more if they wanted it though. So if the serving size was 1/4 Cup and they wanted seconds of something I would let them have it but after that it was gone.
Complex carbohydrates fill everyone up more that things that have simple carbohydrates in them. Maybe you need to find some foods that are very filling and offer those.
When my daughter was around that age she ate a ton! She was a pretty small girl, so nobody believed me when I said he eats a lot. Then at a wedding, people watched her eat plate after plate of food. I have no idea where she put it! In her case, it was just a growth spurt and she needed the calories. Now she eats very normal size portions. So your little one just might need the food right now. I don't remember checking my daughter's belly though, so you might want to check with the dr to make sure that she isn't eating too much. Good luck!
