‘She should cut carbs’: Mom slams nurse for telling her 2-year-old daughter to lose weight – and saying milk is just as bad for you as ice cream
A mother slammed a nurse who urged her to eliminate carbs from her toddler’s diet.
The anonymous mother from Australia took her two-year-old for an annual check-up with her maternal and pediatric nurse earlier this year.
Speaking to MamaMia, the woman explained how her daughter’s weight and height were measured during the appointment.
The nurse then told the mother that her toddler needed to lose weight because she was in the 70th percentile — which made her taller than average.
She claims the nurse said, ‘You should cut out fruit and carbs.’ And if you’re giving her milk, you might as well give her a bowl of ice cream before bed.’
The outraged mum ignored the nurse’s warning – even though her toddler was overweight. Archive photo
The parents went on to explain that she didn’t feed her daughter “garbage” and insisted she’s a “great eater” who enjoys eating everything from curries to chicken fries.
Although the mother allows her toddler to eat sugar, she said it is “generally kept to a minimum” and her daughter eats mostly fruit.
However, the nurse went on to say that together they should eliminate fruit from their daughter’s diet.
Though she’s always been confident about how she’s supporting her family, the mother said she left the appointment feeling like she’d somehow “hurt” her child.
Before they split, the mother’s nurse told her to think through the food pyramid carefully before serving her toddler a meal.
Although the mother said she’s grateful to have access to free medical advice, she admitted that the appointments often make her “feel anxious and stressed because my child didn’t reach a very specific milestone.”
She added, “I was wondering what parents with kids who score higher on this scale are told.”
“Honestly, I’d prefer not to know what percentile my child’s weight falls in because unless there’s something obviously wrong with her, I’m not entirely sure why we’re measuring it.”
Therefore, the mother argued that parents shouldn’t put too much stock in which percentile their child falls.
After the shock wore off, the woman also decided not to drastically change her daughter’s diet, fearing it might cause her to develop disordered eating habits later in life.
Despite being confident in her upbringing, the mother admitted the nurse’s remarks were “upset”. [her] through a loop’.
She added, “I worry about what it might mean for someone in a more vulnerable position than me.”
According to the NHS, whole cow milk can be given to children from the age of one year.
Parents are encouraged to give their children 350ml of milk or two servings of formula such as cheese or yoghurt daily.
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