I'm so glad they've thought of new ways to torture us.

[Scuff]

I hate growth charts. My babies are always too small and my girls are always too big. Well so what. We're all healthy, even if we don't fit the preconcieved notion of what numbers we should have. And we eat just fine. Every single time, someone is off and I have to hear about it. One of the girls is creaping up in weight or the baby isn't creaping up enough. People do have differing body types. The girls were both fluffy from birth (until they weren't gaining enough on breastmilk). The other two were/are lean from birth. It's the way God made them.

 

So we had a pretty good well visit. The baby is following her (new, lower % than before) curve. Dd6 followed her curve. Few. No speaches. Nope. It's not enough to follow your curve. Now if your heavier and shorter than average you get to be measured by a BMi chart and then told again that you're too big and "at risk". Thanks. Just shoot me now. (and before anyone says anything, we eat healthy. The kids look fine and fit into clothes fine.)

[TXMomof4]

I agree. I absolutely despise growth/BMI charts. I wish just once I could meet that "average" child. I'm not sure where that child is.

[PiCO]

Switch to a doctor that has judgement. The charts are supposed to be a tool- you take the data, look at the kids, and make a judgement call as to if there needs to be any intervention.

 

My kids don't follow growth charts either. I switched doctors once, and since then have had better luck.

[Jennifer in MI]

I agree with the others. Switch doctors. I had one child that was tiny. She still is. (At 5 1/2, she is barely 29 pounds and still wears mostly size 3.) My doctor is absolutely FINE with this. She eats normally and is actually very advanced physically. (And, she looks so darn cute in her ballet and gymnastics classes!!)

 

Also remember that most doctors don't use the newer charts that are meant for breastfed babies. They go by the formula-fed ones.

 

Oh - my oldest was "too big" when he was little. (We had a different doc then) They were worried he'd be FAT when he grew up if we allowed that to continue. Um. He's now 15. 6' tall. He weighs a whopping 130 pounds. I'm not worried about obesity in this one!!! LOL (At our last physical our doctor joked that he should eat more!! I told him I didn't think that was possible!!!)

[Jennifer in MI]

I agree about the doctor being overzealous about it. Both my kids have always been tall and thin (i.e. like 90% for height, 10% for weight). My doctor's response was "You're tall and thin. Your husband is tall and thin. The kids are living up to their genetic potential." I think there needs to be some common sense that comes into play here.

 

LOL! Love it.

 

That reminds me - at my kids' last physical, where they all measured very low on the BMI scale, he said, "They're thin! Thin people live longer. Keep it up!!"

 

I love my doctor!

[Mom-2-7]

I am so irritated at our pediatrician for this very thing. I need to find another one. :angry:

 

Of my younger 7: 1 is tall and thin, 2 are average height and thin, 1 is shorter and average weight, 1 is tall and average (was VERY fluffy as a baby and up until age 4), 1 is average height and weight and 1 is currently tall and a little fluffy.

 

We have all body types. She's the doctor for all of them. She can see they are all different. I don't starve one and feed the other cookies all day.

 

At our last well check, the doctor looked at my fluffy one and said "tsk tsk" and told me she was obese. Now, a year later she is following the same pattern as her brother and she's growing into her fluffiness. I knew she would.

 

Whew, the vent felt good. I've been irked at that doctor for a year!!

[kchara]

I despise well kid visits. I only do them b/c we had one family member threaten to turn us into CPS for homeschooling (she was woefully uninformed, but enjoys staying ignorant), so we keep up with stuff like that just to have a record of yes, we are taking care of our kids. But I hate hate HATE them. We were blessed at our last pedi. He had common sense. And he homeschooled, although all of his are grown now. :D But we moved, and now I'm looking for a new one with no luck.

:grouphug: Here's hoping you find a good one soon. :grouphug:

[mom31257]

I would switch doctors or ask them not to use the charts. My dd was always 90th percentile for height and weight, and the doctor would say she weighs what she should for her height. She now is over 5'8" and probably 140 pounds. She's not skinny but she looks great to me and well proportioned.

[mlbuchina]

I hate those charts, too. At our last well check, my dd7 was low on the hight and high on the weight. Has been that way from birth. She's gonna be short and pudgy. Maybe. Her body type is what I call a "solid" or "stocky" body type. She has some fat, yes, but she is solid. Strong, muscular, not the willow-y look at all. Reminds me of a gymnast. She takes after her dad's side of the family.

 

My dd5 was high on the hight and low on the weight. Has been that way from birth. She's gonna be tall and skinny. Maybe. This one is definitely the willow-y body type. Everything is long and lanky. Even her fingers and toes. More the ballerina type. She takes after my side of the family.

 

 

Every time I take them to the doctor, I'm afraid he is going to say something about the huge difference in their weights. So far, though, all he has done is tell me he loves what he sees and that I am doing a great job. I really hope that doesn't change, 'cause the girls LOVE him. I would hate to have to change doctors.

[bluemongoose]

I understand. I got the grief a ton at my other pedi. I agree with pp switch peds. It was one of the best things we ever did.

 

I also have kids who are different from each other. My oldest is tall 80% and lean 10%, my middle is tall 85% and sturdy 90% but no chubs-all muscle, my youngest is similar to my first 75% and 10%. Our first pedi was wanting us to fatten DD up and put DS on a diet at 4mos on-he was only breastfed. Their "diet" was to give him a bottle of water between the hours of 10pm and 7am if he woke up to nurse. I ignored them and continued to feed my kids they way I had been all along. Our new ped is happy with my kids because they are consistent on their charts. That is all they want to see. I now no longer dread the appointments. The other great thing about the new pedi is that they are pro-hsing!:)

[Peela]

I never went to those places after the first couple of visits with my first baby. I could see they were fine.

In Australia, we don't tend to go to paediatricians at all- I have never, most people I know have never. We only get referred by the doctor if there is a serious issue. We do basic checks with the doctor or nurse. Which I rarely did because...everything was obviously fine.

[Audrey]

I never went to those places after the first couple of visits with my first baby. I could see they were fine.

In Australia, we don't tend to go to paediatricians at all- I have never, most people I know have never. We only get referred by the doctor if there is a serious issue. We do basic checks with the doctor or nurse. Which I rarely did because...everything was obviously fine.

 

 

Same here. We have a family doctor. We see him when there is a problem greater than your average cold or flu. I remember a couple of pre-arranged well-baby visits from the Public Health Nurse when ds was under 1 yo. That's about it.

[twoxcell]

At my babies last well check up about a week ago our Dr. didn't even mention his percentile. My oldest two have always been in the 85-100 percentile, but my younger two are skinny minis and he has never said anything negative about it.

[Audrey]

I agree about the doctor being overzealous about it. Both my kids have always been tall and thin (i.e. like 90% for height, 10% for weight). My doctor's response was "You're tall and thin. Your husband is tall and thin. The kids are living up to their genetic potential." I think there needs to be some common sense that comes into play here.

 

 

LOL! I remember seeing our old doc once with ds. The doc was quite short himself. Ds, at 8yo, was nearly up to his shoulder. He wanted to measure his height (even though we were in for what turned out to be strep). He measured him, checked the growth chart and gasped, "why is he so tall?"

 

I said to him, "Are you asking me? His 6-foot tall mother?"

[Sugarfoot]

Ugh, growth charts are the bane of my existence...:lol: You know, if there weren't any kids on the ends of the chart, there wouldn't be an actual curve to put everyone on to begin with:confused: I mean, SOMEONE has to be small, and SOMEONE has to be large. It's common sense, for Pete's sake.;)

 

And in case you couldn't tell, my tiny little sweeties are never on the chart.

 

Well, DS15 may be now, for the FIRST time in his entire life! But only because he's finally getting taller. Weight-wise, no way.:glare:

[Hedgehog]

Don't. Get. Me. Started. On. Growth. Charts. :banghead:

 

That is all.

[mom31257]

Do you think the BMI charts are a result on the increase in childhood obesity in America and diseases such as type 2 diabetes?

 

I know more and more insurance companies are starting to charge higher premiums if you don't fall into certain categories.

 

My brother-in-law's cholesterol was a little high at his last employer check up, and they say if it doesn't come down he'll have to go on medicine or pay a higher premium. The man is 6'2", weighs about 160, exercises religiously, and eats super healthy (very little meat, lots of veggies, grains, beans, fruit, adds in barley drinks, ground flax, healthy nuts, uses only healthy oils, etc.).

 

I really think they've lowered the numbers just to put more people on medication. He's not going to take it. He'd rather pay a higher premium.