Pediatrician comments..should I Let It Go?

What is there to confront? He asked you completely legitimate questions and gave you a completely legitimate medical opinion about juices for kids. Why take offense when he is just offering you his best medical advice?

My daughter is very skinny and her pediatrician still says "no juice" since is a lot of sugar and hardly any nutirtional value.

I don't think his comments were triggered particularly about her weight. Most pediatricians are trying to get the word out on the new 'no juice campaign'.

Mama, let it go.

I'm not sure I see where he said she was fat. From my perspective, it sounds like what he was saying was exactly what he said: they now recommend that children not drink juice, only water. That is completely true.

If you are sensitive about your daughter's weight (which it sounds like you might be) maybe you should consider why that is. Even if your daughter is built just like her father at that age, it doesn't mean she couldn't be healthier than him. Heavy parents don't HAVE to have heavy kids.

HTH
T.

I doubt they were implying your daughter is fat. I would bet they don't want juice in kiddos' diets simply because unfortunately most "juices" are simply sugar based. They offer little to no nutritional value. It's best to give them fruit directly.

My 19 month old is on the skinny side, but I don't give him any juice - milk, water, and occasionally some passion tea from Starbucks (caffeine and sugar free).

I would simply ask why they suggested that. Remember, they only want what's best for your daughter too.

(:

I asked my dad (a pediatrician) about this and there is a campaign to not have kids under 2 or so drink juices (even diluted) b/c of the sugar content. He doesn't necessarily agree with it but there are some that do. The Dr. wasn't trying to say your daughter is fat, just what one of the new studies/campaigns/thinking is at this time.

Also when a child is sick it is better to push water and not juices (even the 50/50 mix)

I think you have a wise doctor to educate you about juice. We very rarely, if ever have juice. It is nothing more than sugar. If you want the fruit, eat the whole fruit where you get the fiber also. This doesn't mean that your child is fat. But, juice is bad for their teeth, their health (sugar is a drug, which makes your immune system very weak!), etc. If you are concerned, please ask him to clarify why he was concerned about the juice and diet. Perhaps he was just trying to get a feel for what you are giving your daughter so he can know how to best treat her. Communication is so important.

I would be feeling the opposite! Far too often docs never discuss the nutritional aspect of their patients lives. Good for him! I wouldn't have interpreted it to mean he thinks she is overweight. He was sharing the latest nutritional info for little ones with you. And that's part of his job.

I have had friends who are Asian and sometimes they would come across as a bit gruff but it was really just more of a cultural thing. I had a dear friend from the Philippines that always seemed to be yelling or just a hair too loud but she explained it was just cultural.

Why do you assume he's talking about her weight? My children's dentist has told me about that campaign in order to save their teeth. Be careful that you don't projct your own concerns on to your doctor.

I would say don't confront him. Ask him with an open mind to explain to you why they suggest that.

You can why no juice. I just do not get where he said she was fat.

I was told the same thing about the juice intake, when I took my 6 months old baby for a check up. He was 13lb aprox. and had nothing to do with overweight. Every visit, the nurse asks me the amount of food or drink I give to my kids. The ped. comes and always confirm the information with me. Do not take it personal. It is a routine that nurses and doctors do when they check up children. What it seems odd to me is that you take it so defensive. I did not ask at that time the specifics about the juice because I do not like to give juices to my children, but the doctor said to me that it is something that ped are evaluation in terms of benefits for the children. Just ask next time if it is something related to you kid's weight or if is something more related to all kids now.

I'm not sure exactly waht you would confront him about. Juice is not healthy- it is full of sugar, calories, and little nutrition. Water and eating fruit is a far healthier choice.

I don't understand how he said your daughter is fat. With a fever & illness, it probably is best to push more water than sugary juice anyways. That's what I assume from the "no juice only water" comment.

In my experience, this is what pediatricians ask on every visit. My girls are skinny little string beans, and our pedi asks this too. The reason they tell you not to give juice is that it's all sugar, really no nutrients involved, so it's empty calories. Like if you were to give a child soda. Obviously if they're going to consume calories at this age, it's better to have the calories count - for instance, she could eat an apple and get good fiber and complex carbohydrates, or she could drink apple juice and just get sugar. You know? That's what he was trying to tell you. I don't think he was trying to tell you that your little girl was fat. He's doing his job in making sure she is eating properly, and coaching you in one small way that you could make her diet even better.

I don't think he was calling your baby fat at all, right now there is a huge campaign agaisnt diabetes, I think his concerns were about diabetes.
My daughter is a toothpick and still they tell me not to give her juice, if he is a good doctor otherwise I wouldn't confront him, I really think he wasn't trying to be offensive to you.
Good luck,

Never make assumptions- get clarifications when you are not sure. Find out exactly what he meant, and why he said it, so you can be clear and avoid misunderstandings. I try to do this in all my relationships- it really helps avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Good luck,
T.

Here's something that I got from your post: it's not a good thing to "misunderstand" you doctor. It sounds to me like there is a communication problem there if you are unclear what he says b/c of his accent. You should probably think about changing doctors.

As far as the juice...I belive that one of the MOST important things that we can teach our children is all things in moderation. IMO we are failing our children miserably in this country by "banning" certain foods/drinks. I have seen it happen all too often where the kids from the households who allow no sugary treats or junk food will gorge themselves on it the second that their parents are out of view. The kids who have been allowed these foods in moderation only have a few bites and are sated.

So, juices like grape (LOADED with antioxidants btw) and orange are going to be OK. Just not every day.

Ditto Dori W.

I don't think he inferred that your daughter was over weight etc.
It is just normal Ped stuff that they ask... to see how the child is doing overall.
My Ped's do that too.
For us, we did not give our kids any juice... until after 2 years old... and closer to 3 years old. And like yo u, we only give juice if it is watered down with 50% water. Even when we go out, we request that.

His being a Korean Doctor... is aside from the point. But culturally, they do speak in a certain way... that may seem gruff to others, but it is not. I am sure he meant no insult.

all the best,
Susan

You're reading WAYYYYYYY too much into his comment. If he was concerned about her weight, he'd mention it directly.

Hi- I think you are taking it wrong. He just meant to tell you not to feed your daughter any juice. By reading posts on this site and looking around my school and neighborhood it seems that for some reason American Moms are really crazy about feeding thier little ones juice. I just don't get it. I mean watered down or not, it is not good for children and especially toddlers. If you water it down by 50% then your cutting her daily juice intake by 1/2. Why serve it at all? 1/2 of something bad for you is still something bad for you. 8 OZ of juice everyday for a 19 month old seems like a ton to me. Just so you don't think I'm a crazy food controller, I have juice boxes in the fridge right now. Once in a while my 7 year old will have one, no harm in that. I think your doctor was just saying to stop serving your baby 8 oz of juice a day, makes sense to me no matter what she weighs!

It doesn't come across as offensive just reading it. And the questions seem pretty reasonable. They ARE saying no juice only water now, which I've been doing with my 20m old but only because I hadn't given him juice yet anyway so I guess I figured why start when he isn't constipated or anything. I guess I thought I'd wait until he asks for it. And now I'm rambling... But politely bringing it up at the next appointment - asking him to clarify himself perhaps - wouldn't hurt.

I would tell him that i took it that way and flat out ask him if this is what he ment. Plus she is only 19 months old once she hits a growth spurt around age 3 she will fill out any xtra weight she may have. if u start to feel she is overweight then that is when i would worry about that but all babies ususally have baby fat ya know. I have seen it many times and then the child hit their growth spurt and end up looking skinny for their age. but i would deffinitly in some way confront her dr about what he said. Goodluck and keep us updated on what happens!

Most juices have no nutritional value whatsoever...so he was just giving you good advice. The only juices my kids drink are The Bolthouse and Naked Juice drinks with a lot of different types of juices mixed with vitamins and minerals. Then I mix them 1 oz to 7 oz of water. Then they can have several glasses a day with out going over the 6 oz juice maximum my pediatrician told me for juice drinking and kids.

My pediatrician always asks how much milk/juice/snacks my kids eat and they have been on the same curve for weight since birth. She then uses the time for us to discuss how to get enough calcium in my daughters diet, as she doesn't like milk.

If you are concerned about her weight just ask the pediatrician if he feels her weight is in the right range for her age. I don't see a confrontations as he didn't say your daughter is "fat", just asked about her diet.

I'd let it go. He's your doctor, not your boss! You don't have to do what he says. The "campaign" could be for childhood obesity, or for dental health, or whatever. Juice can totally be part of a healthy diet.

Smile and nod, then do what you think is best! I always dilute my sons juice and try to get the 100% juice and all natural juice boxes like Caprisun. I think it's mostly the sugar that you have to worry about. I think people tend to go over board with juice, but I think everything in moderation! I'm sure he was not meaning to insult you. (Some doctors have no bed side manner!)

If he continues to make comments that make you feel uncomfortabel, don't feel bad about finding another pediatrician. always listen to your mothers instincts no matter what a doctor (or anyone else) says!

When you visit next, you can ask him "You mentioned no juice, only water. Why is that, can you elaborate on that for me as to why it is no longer reccomended to give children juice? I cut mine 50/50; is that still considered problematic?" and see what he says. Sometimes tone of voice or choice of words can create misunderstanding. Just make sure you really understand what is being said. If your docotor does not support an open dialog, then perhaps it is time for a different pediatrician.

Here are some links that might help shed some light on what the pediatrician was trying to communicate. Of course, you won't know for sure until you ask him.

http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/fruit_juice.htm

http://www.greatgrins.net/prevention/baby-juice-bottles/

I don't think he was calling your daughter fat at all. We've been asked at every visit for our twins, who are the same age as your daughter, about their fluids, meals, and overall eating/drinking habits. I think he may have said no juice because water is healthier for kids. And, his job as a doctor is to help you to raise a healthy child. I wouldn't worry at all.

Most pediatricians understand that juice is a nutritionally useless beverage. He probably meant to imply nothing about her weight but just wanted to share the information with you about avoiding juice for children, especially younger children. There is no reason for them to drink it which is why there are recommendations for daily limits on juice intake. Both of my boys are very stocky and solid (my 3 year old was 40 pounds by his birthday) but my doctor has no concerns about their weight and I do not give them juice (just a watered down cup for special occassions).

I would let it go. It was probably just an awkward way to share the nutritional information with you. You could try mentioning it on your next visit by asking for more information if there is any in writing for you since he was so vague at this appointment. Doctors usually check on children's diets just to see if they are eating or exposed to a healthy variety of foods.

I was told by our pediatrician no more than 6 oz. of juice a day. I think peds are just trying to find ways to cut out unnecessary sugars from our children's diets. There is sugar added to EVERYTHING, so the younger you start with less juice, more water the better. I still dilute any juice I give my 5 and 7 year olds. I would just ignore it- I doubt he meant your daughter is overweight. He's probably just concerned with sugar intake.

If he wanted to tell you she was fat, he would have calculated her BMI (now routine for most drs visits) and told you it was too high. He basically would have told you she was fat. It sounds like you're worried about it more than he is. The juice thing is also for cavities, not just weight. It was a recommendation, do what you think works for your child.

My pediatrician gives me the same lecture every visit (not that it matters, but our boys are beanpoles), so I think it's something that many of them practice with every patient. I wish I could remember where I read the article that said that recent evidence shows that kids whose parents give them 100% juice (rather than juice flavored drinks) tend to feed them a well-balanced diet. In these cases, there is no reason to eliminate juices from their diet. Many juices (orange, grape, etc.) come close to rivaling the nutrition of the fresh fruit. However, many (including most of the 100% juice boxes that I've checked) have mostly apple juice with some other juices for flavor. These don't have the same level of nutritional content (producers do it to save money). You are her mom, and you seem to have educated yourself quite well on the topic. Do what is best for her, adopting the advice that makes sense and ignoring (easier said than done, I know ;) the rest...

When you return, ask him why he made the suggestion, rather than take offense.

If you're going to give your little one juice, don't dilute it! If you dilute it, then she won't get the nutrients that are in the juice; that being said, make sure that when you do give her juice that the bottle says 100% juice, otherwise they are getting too much sugar and it isn't healthy. A lot of dentists are recommending that the amount of juice the children drink is decreased; WIC actually told us not to let our children drink more than 8 ounces of juice a day or they'd get cavities; again, having a juice that is 100% juice will cut back on that. I would cut back on the amount of milk she's drinking, if she's able to eat solid foods (and at 19 months, she should be) she doesn't need 12 ounces of milk a day. If you think she's not getting enough fluids while she's sick, give her pedialyte; it'll help keep her electrolytes in balance.

A.,
After reading your posting it looks like the doctor was simply asking nutritional questions. Additionally, he may have been asking about milk and juice because many parents will give their children juice in place of milk when they have coughs and colds because of the mucus production associated with milk intake. So it seems like it was a legitimate question. Also, you haven't mentioned how tall your baby is. As for the earlier posting by someone that said, "Even if your daughter is built just like her father at that age, it doesn't mean she couldn't be healthier than him. Heavy parents don't HAVE to have heavy kids." This comment was out of line.
1) The question does not mention how tall this child is; therefore, how would you know her BMI and rather she is healthy or not?
2) How do you know if the posters husband is healthy or not? Many weightlifters and baseball players are stocky with acceptable BMIs when you look at proportions of shoulders to waist and thighs.
3) Who said that anyone was heavy? That would be like me saying something ridiculous to the effect of ugly parents don't HAVE to have cute kids.

Please have some courtesy and common respect for other posters. It seems as if we have a first time mom here and she is here for encouragement and support, not criticism.

Know how you feel, my pediatrition was a one man childhood obesity busting machine! My oldest was a little overweight (still is), heard about it every visit, certainly could not disagree with him, but my son was very active, healthy and ate a wide variety of foods, just had the bad luck of being the only one of three with the over eat gene, will always have to be careful. I just respectfully agreed with all his suggestions, and then made sure my son did not feel like he is a substandard person because he has a few extra pounds, or that he's a freak because he wants to keep eating after his siblings are done. The only reason he wasn't EVEN bigger was I restricted his intake, I did not see the point in restricting it further and making the kid feel bad or causing stress in the household...anyway, whenever possible I made his appts with a different doctor in the same practice. I see no need to stick up for yourself here, if you don't like him, find a new dr. After all you wouldn't keep going back to a restaurant if you got poor service would you? btw, there are NO perfect bodies, children OR adults!

Hi, A.:

When you don't understand the reasoning when a doc tells
you something, ask for clarification.

It sounds like you think he said your daughter was fat. It sounds like you are worrying about that.

He could have meant something else.

Call the office and ask him to explain what his reasoning was in suggesting what he did.

Good luck. D.

Haven't heard about this "new campaign" but there's always some kind of new campaign from one doctor or another. I didn't get out of his questions that he thought she was fat or over weight. I assume he would have specifically stated that. There's different ideas out there. For one, we still do the old school of 8oz milk per 3 main meals, which is 24oz total a day. 50/50 juice/water mix is good, but we adjust that depending on the particular child's need. With my triplets (age 5.5), one gets half juice because he gains very easy and he will poop too much with full juice. The other two gets full juice because they're lower on the weight scale (still normal) and one has hard poops. But now that the weather is hotter we're giving more water mixed with flavor packs so they can slam down a 16oz bottle on a hot afternoon. They'll get juice in the morning though with their snack.

So you see there's varying ways to feed and drink kids, just choose what works best for your child. Your going to get varying ideas from doctors as well. I'm sure he was asking all the questions to do a general check on the child which is what a good doc should do, but just do what works best for your child and no need to confront him unless he specifically states something and you disagree.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat
events and chat within 2 hour radius

He is probably obligated to his profession to some degree to spread the word when it comes to these campaigns. Take in mind that there could be a large number of children who do drink too much milk. If your daughter's weight and heighth are proportionate the growth scale I wouldn't be concerned.

Personally, I focus on my kids getting the required amount of milk and water. Once they reach that point, I am free with the juices. My goal for every one in my family on water intake is half their body weight. BTW, none of us get that except maybe my son.

I think if your pediatrician thought maybe you should focus on weight, he would have been more direct about it. If it leaves concern for you, you can always inquire on your next visit if her weight is where it needs to be.

A.,
I would just let it go. My pediatrician always ask me about juice during my son's check ups and he is 6 now. She stated juice is filled with empty calories and sugar and she would prefer that he actually eat the fruit and avoid the juice.

As for the weight, I would not worry about it. My son was very heavy as a baby to the point that strangers used to stop me and ask if they could touch the rolls on his arms and legs. He lost the weight around age 2 when he became very active and is very thin now. Also, pediatrician's normally don't beat around the bush. They tell you directly if the child is too heavy for their height, weight, and age.

Hi A.,
I think that when ever Drs get new info they pass it on to patients or the parents of their patients. You as the mother need to make the final decisions of how to raise your child. Many children are heavy or stocky as kids and lose weight later as teens.

My son was always thin at 8yrs he started getting quite husky and even when I cut the extra cookies he did not loose weight . When he turned 13 he started to naturaly lose weight . Now he is 15 is is slim. He eats pretty healthy but loves his ice cream.
As long as your child is loved ,nutured, protected and is thriving then you are a great parent and you do not need outside advice,

L.

As long as it is 100% juice and not the hiC kind of junk... it is fine. I don't agree with cutting it out completely.

He may not have been implying your daughter was fat, my daughter weighs a lot at 10 months and isn't fat. Even though he didn't have the best style, he may just have been targeting the juice.

Since you know how to feed your daughter well, I would let it go. My doctor says things I don't agree with all the time about nutrition, but since he basically gets his job done and is great in other ways, we haven't bothered to search fro the ultimate perfect doctor.
I am also extremely nutrition conscious and always water the kids juice down 1/8 juice, 7/8 water. Luckily they also like plain water since I've always given it to them. They aren't overweight and it's not a calorie thing, it's just that juice IS sugar. One cup of fruit juice is like eating 10x the servings of fruit with all the fiber removed. It's just way more than they need, and you can never cut down enough. This way I don't freak out if they get a bite of birthday cake or lollipop at the bank (artificial and terrible I know, but they get none at home) because I know they don't have tons of sugar in their systems from juice.

So, he wasn't wrong even if he was annoying! :)

Hi,
I don't have time to read your comments from other moms so maybe it's already been said a lot....
every year at my kids' wellness check up, their pediatrician ALWAYS asks me questions like what you mentioned... how much milk a day, water a day...., how many vegetable servings, etc... and I just take it as normal procedure.
(BTW.... my kids are average for weight -50% percentile- and their pediatrician STILL asks me questions like this. So I think all parents get questions like this regardles if they are underweight, average weight, or over weight.)

My son is under weight for his age, 5yrs/34lbs. He is a very picky eater. He drinks milk and juice but it wasn't unitl I began talking with my fitness trainer that I discovered I am consuming too many sugars through the juices I drink and I knew it was too much for a little guy like him. He doesn't eat fruits or vegetables and I just assumed that a "healthy" juice like Juicy Juice, or Minute Maid containing 100% fruit was nutritious. I was so WRONG! Read how much sugar a small juice box contains. I was shocked to find that most contained over 21% when an adults daily intake should be under 10%.

There may be more to it than he put so simply. I would definitely ask him what he meant by that comment and do give you info so you can make an educated decision on what is best for your child. I haven't heard of any compaign but my youngest is 5 so I am out of the loop on baby and toddler stuff. I'm sure it is the sugar content he is trying to make you aware of however it doesn't sound like he was making himself very clear. He obviously left you hanging on what he meant.

I am guilty of still giving my children juice but I limit it to have a serving per day, watered down some as well, and I watch what other sugars they intake throughout the day to balance it out. There are days when we don't do as well such as class parties or holidays, but I know too much sugar once in a while won't do them much harm. It's the everyday over intake theat will cause diabetes, etc...and our grandparents and my dad already have that! So I try to encourage healthier eating so their little bodies will be strong and as healthy as they can be.

Hope this helps. I also wanted to add that kids do come in all shapes and sizes. As long as your child is healthy and isn't at any risk for disease then I wouldn't worry too much about her age/weight right now.

It sounds like you are a good mom, maybe looking for a different doc would be best for your family. We love ours now, she a Nurse Practitioner and the doc over her is awesome too. She is AWESOME and we don't want to ever take the kids anywhere else.

You know what's best for your child and how to be a good mom, just from what you wrote you show you are doing good things nutritionally for her.

I have many years in child care and I have worked with nutrition programs and everything else. A serving of 100% juice fruit juice is considered to be a serving of fruit. You are right in serving only up to 8 oz.s a day, that is the maximum amount of juice. Cutting the juice with water makes no difference to me one way or the other.

Eating a good balanced diet is a good way to teach kids good nutrition for life and you sound like you are doing just fine.

If my Doctor said that I would not immediately gather the impression that he was telling me that my daughter is fat. Maybe it was somthing that he was communicating to all parents that week. I like to hear suggestions from my doctor about juice, milk, snacks to see if I am on the right path. I think that Dr.'s are more concerned about milk and juice on teeth these days. I'm hearing less juice because it is not good for the teeth. As your daughter is approaching 2 they will recommend taking her to a dentist.
Don't be concerned about weight, unless you clarify that from the Dr. and don't be afraid to ask him why is asking.
Mother of two daughters. 4 1/2 and 2.

You should be thankful that your pediatrician asked these questions. Most don't, which certainly doesn't help with the #1 health issue in children today: Obesity. Many people feel this is offensive, but unless we as health care providers ask these questions and help provide information about how to reduce the risk of obesity, we are not going to make a dent on this problem. We conducted a study in which 1/3 of the children were overweight in Pre-K!! Which means that the problem starts super early.
Regarding your choice of diluting the juice 50/50, this does not help the issue. At your daughter's age, they start to develop taste preferences and learn how to eat. She is going to think that everything she drinks should taste sweet and will dislike drinking just water.

There are a number of reasons why juice isn't good - all the time. It can be a factor in the health of their teeth, it is added calories, it oftentimes contains more sugar and less real fruit juices making it a not so healthy option with empty calories, etc. I don't know that I would think he was saying she was 'fat'... he should have explained to you her height-weight ratio... perhaps it was just that he didn't do a great explaining why juice may be frowned upon over a healthier fluid like water.

My sister in law was also advised to not give juice aswell, its just sugar water, and may be a new wave of advice in pediatrics. Hope all is going well, just wanted to chime in and let you know we're hearing that out in CA also.

My daughter is 18 months and in the 9th percentile. They also told me "no juice" so I don't think it's necessarily a weight issue. (She didn't really drink much juice anyway.) I think it just preferred for them to get their fruit servings from actual fruit. It never hurts to ask, though.

sorry didnt have time to read all the comments you have my daughter is only 9 months and she tops the scale off at 18 8.5 and is 27 inches as you can tell she isnt a small baby by far they never ask me how much of juice her doctor told me juice was just fine and to my suprise i told the doctor my husband is a soda freak and he gives our daughter about 2 oz per week and she actaully said that the stuff like the syrup in soda help keeps mucus down alot when babys are sick she said she didnt reccomened it all the time but when our girls are sick it is ok to give them some warm flat soda mostly coke or pepsi because they have the most syrup in them.that is what doctor said to do when i was younger.im not sure if you should confrom him but i would just ask him if he thinks she is over weight for her age.that is what i have to do for both my girls i have a 4 almost 5 yr old that only weighs 33 lbs she is very picky about everything but the baby is not at all.as long as you know your daughter is eating healthy i wouldnt worry about what people say some babys are just bigger than other till they get a little older.so i wouldnt let it bother you.her size could also come from you or your husband like my girls size do they come from my husband and i..hope this helps you

Hi A.,
I would not be alarmed by what the doctor said. I was told the same thing when my son was 3 months old. Long before he was ready for juice.
L.

You"ve already gotten responses like mine, but I wanted to chime in since we were just at the pediatrician's office yesterday. We were asked again in detail about his diet (we always are) so I wouldn't worry. I would call and ask to leave a message asking if the doctor was concerned about her weight, just because I think it will be in the back of your mind until you hear directly from your doctor, no matter how many mammas respond to your post.

You should definitely let it go. It sounds to me like he was just saying, "Hey there's this new thing going on where kids are getting less juice, and only water..." ....not, "Your daughter is in a heavier percentile for her height and age, try to curb her snacks." Don't read too far into it - sounds like he's just keeping you in the loop regarding health and nutrition, which makes peerfect sense since he's her doctor. Relax!

You are right for just keeping your mouth shut and leaving... Childhood obesity is becoming the 'new' culprit everybody wants to point the finger at... (salt is evil... Happy Meals are evil, etc... juice is evil............) Kids always grow out and then up....out and up. I'm sure your baby is perfect!

Whenever these 'new' rules come out I just think- "How did we ever survive?" LOL! Our parents gave us juice... Heck, my Grandmom always says 'put a little whiskey in the bottle... it makes them sleep!' How did our parents survive?

Anyway, I TOTALLY understand your frustration. I'm sure I'll deal with it myself the next time I go to the pediatrician.

I think you might be reading him wrong. My son was 26 lbs at 9 months and now at 3 years is only 30 lbs. He was a chunky boy but no one every mentioned anything on it. It is common for kids to be a little chunky at a young age and then grow into their weight. I would let it go. Juice is in no way what would be making her chunky and he would know that.

Naw...I don't think he was being passive-aggressive about your child's weight. And this anti-juice message isn't new. I read up on it when I was expecting our first 10 yrs ago. It is the very rare juice product that can really act as a nutritional serving of fruit w/o also dumping a bunch of empty sugar-laden calories in at the same time. But you can find them especially with all the natural and organic products that are available now. Be very diligent about label reading and you'll be fine. Oh -- And I agree with the suggestions about dilluting all juice with water due to its diurectic properties.

My mantra is moderation not elimination. My boys as children never had juice every day....Probably not even 1x a week. Now that they are older and I have less control over this junk ("juice" pouches & gatorade -- ish), I don't worry too much because they are active and eat very healthy food and also get tons of water.

I think the real question is why he said no more juice, is this because she is sick, or overweight, or just because it is unhealthy in general?? I would ask him why he said "no juice" next time you see him. He will be able to tell you straight up what the reason is, and if its because of weight then I would go further in depth with that. My doctor always asks about my kids diets when we go for well visits, but not really if I take them in for being sick. So its perfectly normal for them to inquire about diet, but if he really thinks she's overweight and you think she's healthy then I would look at switching doctors. Not every kid fits into the textbook height/weight charts, and drinking juice is not the only culprit of weight problems.

My oldest is 20 months she drinks diluted juice here and there. She drinks like 3 glasses of water and 16 ounces of milk. She has always been on the higher chart, but she isnt much above average. She also eats 3 nice meals a day and 2 snacks. Is she walking/running yet? Some babies I know didnt walk until they were about 18-19 months. The more activity she does the better. When we are playing outside all day I make sure she gets extra fluids and mix water like 70-30 if that. I also give her flavored water. This is all so she will drink extra fluids in this heat and my doc told me I was doing well. BTW she was 26lbs I believe at her 18 month apt, but she hasnt gained an ounce infact has lost a little bc she started running right before she went into her 18 month apt. Also take in her height bc that can make her seem a little bigger if she is taller. Lady was telling me her daughter was 2 and really tall like 95% on height and 70% in her weight, she looked so tiny but the doctor told her mom to get her more active bc all kids need to be in the 50%. Just let it go and keep doing what you are doing if she is happy and your not worried. Or maybe just switch pedi's :) Hope this helped!