Can I rant a little bit please? I'm usually pretty quiet around here, but I have a friend who is pregnant and she is irking me so badly right now. She had to take a 3 hour glucose test today because her first one came back high, and she is worried that she is giong to have a big baby if she has the gestational diabetes. Now I wouldnt want a 10 lb baby coming out of my crotch either, but I was trying to make her feel better and say that chubby babies are so cute (which I think they are, my daughter was always and still is chubby) and she was just like, "Well, Jason (the father) and I dont want a fat baby... blah blah blah... He is very insistent that he doesnt want a fat kid." I was apalled! Of course no one WANTS an unhealthy obese child, but there are ways of feeding your child the right food and making sure they're not sitting on the couch all day so they stay healthy. I was like, "I hope he's not one of those fathers who tells his 6 year old that her butt looks big" and she kind of laughed. I didnt think it was very funny. She used to have an eating disorder and she was always very concerned about her weight and having the right figure. She got induced 4 weeks early with her first child to reduce the amount stretch marks for god's sake! And she's also planning on inducing this one with NO medical reason! And she thinks she's special because the doctor that's doing it is friends with her grandmother! She had the NERVE to say to me, "You would do it too if you could!" to which I replied, "No I wouldnt, I am more worried about my baby getting everything she needs from me and coming out HEALTHY on her own time than I am about stretch marks." She doesnt care, whatever. I am just so disgusted that her baby isnt even BORN yet and she is worried about her being skinny. What a shame that child will probably grow up with the same body image issues as her mom. And while I'm on the subject, my other friend took her 3 month old to the doctor and the doctor told her to stop feeding her so much because she was getting too chubby!!!!!! She wasn't even that chubby! I was like, "Do not deny that child food; if she is hungry, feed her!" so she did and she now has a new doctor. People are so ridiculous sometimes it makes me sick. No wonder everyone in this country is obsessed with looking perfect. What ever happened to being happy just being HEALTHY??
I didn't know doctors induced labour to help someone avoid stretch-marks. Isn't that....unhealthy? I've yet to see a baby that doesn't have a little meat on the bones....I like babies that are fluffy. My boyfriend doesn't want our baby to grow up a fat kid....in that meaning he doesn't want her to just be lazy and sit inside on pretty days and become a food junkie. In no way will we deprive her of food, but we'll keep her active to help her avoid having an unhealty adult life. I was always kinda chunky as a kid and when I reach puberty and gained MORE weight, it was difficult to shed. When I was 15 I was pushing 180-190 (I'm 5'3") and that wasn't healthy....nor was it easy to lose. I don't want my daughter to go through that. All in all, I'd say your friend needs some help. If she's already worried about her BABY being too fat, she's going to cause some mental damage later....I would guess, anyway.
my babies are and always have been skinny. The only time either of them has any meat on their bones is right before a growth spurt, and then they get taller and bonier overnight. We even had one pediatrician recommend fattening Jenny up on hotdogs and twinkies (can anyone explain how that is supposed to make her healthier?) Especially when they were babies, people always assumed they were sickly because they weren't the typical roly-poly blubber babies you see around here. But neither of them were ever sick as infants, and my oldest was never sick at all until she was three years old. Your friend will learn the hard way that while our society has this problem with fat adults, it has the same problem with skinny babies, and everyone will give her a hard time about it, from relatives to doctors to strangers on the street, everyone will have something to say, some idea on how to get the child to put some weight on her bones. But honestly, babies come in all different shapes and sizes, and there's not a whole lot anyone can do to change that. That's not to say that there is a big problem with obesity in children and young people these days, there surely is. And if that's what your friend is talking about, I agree with her completely. But that's easily avoidable if you don't ever buy junk food and pre-packaged or pre-prepared "food" items, and if you feed the family a healthy well varied diet with lots of fruits and veggies.
yeah, it is...britney spears did something like that, too...yeash, what people do for looks. As for denying food: bull shit! if you baby is hungry, feed him/her! it drives me insane when doctors say that! Babies know what they need! Yeah, a healthy life style is important and so is good nutrition, but never put a baby on a diet! moon has it right, be active and eat well , but that's more of an issue for when they're a little older. Your friend needs some help! She needs to know that regardless of weight, that baby has to be healthy! That child is not there for her to pawn her own issues on, nor does it deserve it! Leane's ped. said the same thing, that she was eating too much, and I should DIULTE her formula to help her skinny up a bit! I was baffled when I heard that! Never did it, either, and Leane is already thinning out a bit now that she's older, and still healthy as could be! She looked like a marshmellow before, and is starting to look more like a kid now!
That's really sad. True, there are some babies that are naturally skinny, BUT most babies are at least a little chubby, it's a survival thing. Your friend has major control problems. If SHE want's to have an eating disorder, that's her own business, but forcing one on a child that isn't even born yet is beyond abusive.
Both my daughters are super-skinny...especially by today's standards. People always accuse me of not feeding them properly. We have a serious problem with fat kids in this country and what does society do? Make clothes bigger and point fingers at people with kids who are petite and try to scream neglect. Screw that. Babies should be cherubic at most but the average American infant/toddler is a rolling/waddling ball of blubber. Blubber produced by fattening formula's, fattening processed baby foods, sugar-loaded juices, and the outlawing of walkers that actually allow babies to be mobile. It's disgusting and it only gets worse as the kids get older, they grow from fat, lazy babies into fat, lazy kids that inevitably turn into ornary, fat, lazy adults who meet an early grave from heart disease, heart attacks, and obesity-induced diabetes. Pfft.
I'm another mama that would love to see her kiddies just a little chunkier. 10yo DS is 4'10" and 68lbs (LOOK at those knobby knees!) 6.5yo DD is 3'11" and 38lbs (she was showing me her knees shivering... heeheehee) You can clearly see my son's backbone in the background of the pic of DD... skinny skinny skinny, both of them. But then again, DH is 5'9" and 135lbs... so I've never really worried too much. But it does strike me as odd when I see them playing with a group of kids & realize that the 4 year old my son is playing with probably outweighs him by 20lbs. I never know whether I should be worried that my son is so skinny, or horrified that there are preschoolers that fat. love, mom
mom, they look gangly but healthy. I say we are a bit jealous (that the meatosaurs can consume the crops of eth world and WE gain weight) My kiddo has weight issues and he is aware and working on them
I'm sorry. I agree with everything else but this. Walkers actually can harm a baby's walking development. my cousin was put in a walker when she was a baby and when she actually started walking without it, it was really hard for her because she had learned in the walker to push off with her toes. it was so bad that she had to just crawl everywhere for awhile because walking was just too hard and confused her.
I disagree with that walker statement as well... Putting a baby in a walker when they can't even crawl yet causes their developmental cycle to be placed out of whack. "You have to learn to crawl before you walk..." and all of that jazz. In fact, it was the NATURAL community that discouraged me from getting a walker. The conventional people I knew told me to get one. As far as the whole weight issue, I'll admit to being a bit paranoid about Moire being a fat baby. But then, I'm an obese momma. And have been all my life. My paranoia stems from my own struggle with being too big and focuses more on following good nutrition guidelines rather than starving Moire.
Both my babies were chubbies, but you cant tell it now. I agree that a baby being chubby has little to do with how she will look when older. it makes me sick when people limit a babies bottles/ breast feeding to avoid wt gain. uggg.
If you feed your kid healthy, whole foods rather then sugar-filled, calorie-filled, fat-injected processed foods...then you don't have to limit your kid's diet. If you get your kids on healthy snacking habits, you don't have to limit their diet. My daughters eat raw veggies, fruit, and dried fruit for snacks. My youngest loves carrots and apples. My oldest is an orange and cherry fiend who also loves asparagus. When they want a snack, they dive for the veggies not the package of Fig Newtons that's on hand. Parents are just lazy these days. Lazy and indulgent. They don't want to hear little Arnold cry, so they just give him all the cookies and Velveeta that he wants. BTW, regarding walkers.....everyone I know up until my daughters generation...was put into a walker and we all turned out just fine. I find that most people who bitch about walkers are the same ones who carry their kids in a back carrier until they are 5 years old. I'm not saying anyone here has done that but that has been my personal experience. Some people chose to use them and some didn't. Doesn't mean that your childhood was any better then anyone elses. Not only could I walk properly as a kid after using a walker, I had excellent balance and excelled in the balance beam portion of gymnastics. Every kid reacts differently to different techniques. The reason why walkers were tabooed is because of the lamo "they could fall down the stairs and die" argument. Um. Watch your damned kid and that won't happen.
What's wrong with carrying your kid in a carrier until they're 5? Lots of people find it benificial to carry their kiddies for that long.....if they can handle the weight. And as stupid as you might think that walker argument is for falling down the stairs, I personally will never take the chance. There was a lady who goes to my husband's college who was playing with her son in one, and he unexpectedly pushed himself and he flew down the stairs and was unconsious for 3 days. She felt sick to her stomach and threw it away that minute. As for walking...if there is even a chance that it will harm her develpoment in anyway, I'm not going to even think about using it. It'll let things work their natural course and find her legs in her own time.
Wait, so....walkers allegedly ruin the developement of walking skills but toting a kid around in a sling until school age doesn't?? That's not logical. I mean, be honest, if carrying a 5 year old around is your bag, then go ahead and do it but don't try to justify it by bashing another parenting technique. Especially when there is no unbiased research that states that walkers hurt developing children. The only nonbiased reason I have heard against walkers is the possibility of spilling down the stairs...every other argument is just this "organic parenting" elitism. Personally, I could see carrying a kid everywhere rather then making them walk and strengthen their muscles as more hurtful. 5 year olds should be walking and running everywhere, they should be riding their first bikes and trykes...not lazily sitting in a sling just so mommy or daddy can selfishly feel more secure. Kids at that age are becoming independent, they want to play and be with other kids, jump off of stuff and run around things. Slings are cool for babies and even toddlers on occasion but come on...even in tribes and cultures where women carry their babies everywhere...it stops the moment a kid cannot only walk and run but carry things themselves...therefore arguing that it's "only natural" to tote a 5 year old around doesn't hold water. I don't even use strollers. I stopped using those when my girls turned 4. If we are at the zoo and they get tired, we can sit down and rest. I'm not carting 40lb kids around. Not when they have legs that work just fine. But what ever floats your boat..it's your back not mine.
I have an industrial-strength stroller for my daughter. Yeah she's 6, but she just can't keep up with the rest of us. She suffers from premature arthritis, and the doctors think that she may have a double-dose of the joint disorder my husband & I have, and that's why her joints hurt her already. On the one hand I feel like we've got special circumstances and that's why we still use the stroller. But on the other hand, I remember being 6 when my mom also had a baby and a toddler... and being pushed around would've been awful nice. Maybe it's 'cause we all have the same joint issues, but little legs have always gotten tired fast in this house. love, mom
Wow, good luck with that. My daughter is 2 and she refuses to be carried. She has to walk EVERYWHERE. She'll sit in a stroller if she's exhausted, but she would rather walk. Fine with me. I'd rather be holding her hand than holding her.
I agree completely. I watch kids in my home and you would be amazed at some of the things the parents put into the kids bags! I had one mother who gave me fruit snacks and pudding, not the low sugar kind either, to give to her one year old for lunch every day!
I sling both of my kids (Julian more than Danny, for obvious reasons). I also think walkers are bad because they can really cause problems with the spine and muscles. That's why I also don't "walk" my kids with my hands under their armpits, until they are ready to walk. I also don't prop my kids up with pillows until they can sit up on their own. I'm sure many kids use walkers and are FINE, its just my personal preference. I'm pretty sure I used a walker and I seem to be fine! I think kids know what they're developing bodies need, ya know? My older son doesn't really liked to be held a lot and I respect that. I don't EVER hold him against his will, unless he is in the road or something. We practice gentle discipline and we don't force our children into ANYTHING, besides safety issues. So I think slinging until 5 is great unless the child doesn't want to be slung/slinged (??????LOL)
hey, I wasn't bashing anyone. If you took it that way, you read something wrong. Most kids won't want to be in a sling by 5, anyway. That's kind of an exaggerated age. But I'm completely in agreement with smiling mama here. I never hold Leane against her will, it has NOTHING to do with me feeling "more secure." It's for her security, not mine. But it has been prooven that carring you child has numerous benifits. http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/T051100.asp It is rude to suggest that baby-wearing parents are selfish and forcing their kids to be lazy. You make it sound like we tie our babies to ourselves and never let them play at all, when infact, most parents wear them if they need to get something done and baby wants to be held. Leane is hardly put in a sling anymore, she wants to be free to play and crawl. And guess what? I let her do it! She is learning to stand up and walk and do all the normal things kids her age do. But I will not deny the sling if she feels she needs it. As smiling mama said, nothing should be forced upon a child, with the exception of saftey rules. They know when they are ready to take the next step in development. I have heard so many people complain about those walkers, how they've become dependant on them, and walking problems their kids have had. As I said before, if there is even a slight chance that something could harm her, I'm not doing it! It's not fair to put her body or saftey at risk just so I can make her learn to walk. Again, I'm not bashing anyone here, it's my personal belief. Yes, it is my back, not yours. I would appreciate it if you would not treat my ideals so sarcastically.
