Is there such thing as "giving too much breastmilk and too little solid food"? Which one has more calories?

Question

So, this doctor said something along the line of "You're giving your baby too much breastmilk and not enough solid food. And that is why he's lean, instead of round and rosy like babies in TV commercials..."

Which one is actually higher in calories, breastmilk or solid food (vegs, fruits, etc)?

Note:

Weightwise, my son is a little above the "average" line.

But lengthwise, he's above all those lines.

And according to his grandparents, he's lacking the rolls and rolls of fat that all healthy babies should have.

He eats a lot, but never sits still, hence the shape.

Genetically, both his parents are also more on the "long and lean" side. Thus.

Answer 1

You just have to remember that at 6 months all babies have totally used up their iron store...they do need 3 meals at day at 10 months...

Answer 2

I really wonder about some of these dr.s you people have.  Breast milk is one of the fattiest, calorie dense foods.  Don't feel pressure to include more solid food unless your baby is 2 years or older.  I am sure you are doing just fine.

Answer 3

my son was a breastfed baby, and the doctors were the same way! my mother-in-law had her first kid in 1975 and her doctor said that breastfeeding only for the first year was the best. and the same advice was her mother too.... doctors now days are use to formula fed babies. and you know the growth chart has bumped up since we were babies. my son was really lean too, lost all the rolls when he was 7 mos old. but he is well portioned, but very small. he passed all his mild stones, so the doctor said he is fine, she never goes by those silly charts, goes by how happy, healthy my kids are.  

Answer 4

How old is your son?

If he's younger than 12mo all he needs is breast milk, and breast milk has more calories than any veggie or fruit. Solids are just for practice and fun, not to substitute breast milk.

If he's older than 12mo then i think he does need more solids than just fruits & veggies, give him meats, dairy, bread, etc..

God Bless

Answer 5

You might want to change your doctor and don't listen too closely to the grandparents. - My daughter is just like your son, long and relatively thin - and she is thriving.

Breast milk is the very best baby can get, especially during the first six months of life, when it should be the only thing baby gets. Babies differ in their way of using their food. There are some that grow really fat on breast milk and others that don't. Babies who are very agile and start moving early often are a bit thinner, because they use up so much energy for moving.

If you start feeding additional food to make baby fatter than he naturally would be, you are only paving his way to a lifetime of weight-difficulties. My parents did that to my sister, because she was a  lightweight baby, as a result she is struggling with body weight issues for all her youth and adulthood. Don't do that to your son.

Answer 6

Breast milk is highly caloric.  But what type of solid foods does this doctor think your baby is supposed to be downing?  

While there is such a thing as over breast-feeding, (I have seen it happen to some kids), usually it's not that often.

Your baby knows when to eat and when to sleep all on his/her own!  And by the way, you should have the baby on a schedule, where he/she only nurses at certain times throughout the day.  Do NOT nurse on demand, or during some crying jag.  Kids can easily get carried away with the nursing, and make you worn out.

Answer 7

Both are nutricious but as your baby grows he will need more nutrients than breast milk  alone can provide. Breast milk is the ideal "food" for babies under 6 months of age but after 6 months solid food should be introduced side by side with breast milk and gradually he will be weaned onto solid food alone with cows/goats milk as a drink.

I doubt a doctor every said the line "like the babies in TV commercials" it just isn't something a GP would say and despite what his grandparents say "rolls of fat" just mean a fat overfed baby.

If your child is at the "not sitting still" stage that means he is probably 7 or 8 months old, ie crawling. So he needs plenty of solid food for his future development.  

Answer 8

Wow, that actually came out of a Doctor's mouth?  How old is you son?  I would think breastmilk has more calories.

Answer 9

Maybe your baby isn't meant to be the chubby baby with the rolls. My cousin breastfeeds her baby and she is chubby with the rolls. I also breastfeed and my baby is not. Now both my husband and I are both lean. Don't listen to "everything" this doctor tells you. You are the mom and know what is best for your baby - hence the reason you want a second opinion. Good for you. Overall until baby is 12mths I think your fine  

Answer 10

I agree with Pipen, what a terribly awful thing for a doctor to say!  Inaccurate, too.

I wouldn't worry about it at ALL, especially in the first year, and especially since it sounds like long and lean is in the genes.  Sheesh, whats wrong with being long and lean anyways?  . . . in a country where over half the population is technically overweight.

Plenty of breastmilk is a good thing.  That was one of the greatest aspects of breastfeeding a toddler.  Toddlers are prone to have their "I don't want to eat anything" days, and when they're being breastfed, you just don't have to sweat it.

You CAN have too much cow's milk past a year, however.  My first daughter had milk related iron deficiancy anemia from drinking too much cow milk in her second yr, but iron in breastmilk is readily absorbed, so no worries with my second.

Although he's only 10 months I found this:

In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:

29% of energy requirements

43% of protein requirements

36% of calcium requirements

75% of vitamin A requirements

76% of folate requirements

94% of vitamin B12 requirements

60% of vitamin C requirements

-- Dewey 2001

I wouldn't worry . . . there is NOTHING wrong with your babys proportions!  Rolls of fat don't necisarily = beacon of health.

Answer 11

Breast milk does have more calories than a bowl of steamed veggies, but you can't add more calories to the breast milk like you can the veggies.

I've battled with doctors about my underweight daughter and that's the first thing they said.  Decrease the number of nurses and increase the amount of solids.  

I went to a dietician, same thing.  I ended up having to add butter, whipping cream and lots of extra calories to her foods to keep up with the amount of calories she burned.

I have no idea why, but it seemed to work.  I can't tell you what to do with your own son, because it sounds like he's fine.  Not all babies are chubby and rolly polly.  I only know that there was great concern with my daughter's weight and the numerous amount of professionals I spoke with gave me the same advice.

Good luck!

Answer 12

breastmilk has about 22 calories per ounce. so sure, he'll probably gain weight on regular food, considering most people eat things they shouldnt. the link is calories in different milks, including human.  Im sure I can find a link for fruits and veggies if you give me a minute

heres fruit

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/cal...

and veggies

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/cal...

WOW im actually shocked with some of these fruits and veggies, I never knew they had that many calories

Answer 13

Breastmilk contains more calories and fat than most typical babyfoods.

And no, a baby cannot have 'too much breastmilk' -- nor is there anything wrong with being long and lean.

If it was MY doctor who made such an idiotic comment, I'd be looking for a new doctor today.  

Answer 14

A proper main meal for your son, such as beef casserole with some potatoes in it, followed by some fruit puree would have significantly more calories than breastmilk.

It also contains fibre, which breastmilk doesn't, which will keep him feeling fuller for longer.