How fat is too fat?!?

[jtk'smum]

Hi my 5.5 month old is almost 9kgs and he is bottle fed. He was 55 cm born and people say that he is a long baby but people also coment on his size as if its a problem, he is a solid baby but i dont think he is fat ...fat .... If someone else says to me "he's in a good poddock" one more time i think im going to explode. Just want some thoughts on the matter

[aardvark]

I was told you should always be able to see a baby's ribs, even if only just.

[BlessedWithBlue]

Sounds just like my ods, he was 10kg at 6 months old.
They wanted me to take him back to cyh for another weight check at 12 months because they thought he was too heavy :( but i didn't and he is doing just great!! now at 2.3yrs old he is tall for his age and skinny lol.

I always used to get the comments "omg what a big baby" "that baby is huge" "what are you feeding him" it definately makes you feel like youre doing something wrong and it upset me a lot, so imho keep doing what you're doing 'cause your baby is healthy and beautiful!!!

My yds is 11 months old and just 10kgs, so every child is different.

[Nickster]

Hi jtk's mum,

I had/have an extremely large bub too! She was 52cms-10pound12ounces when born, and weighed 10.12kg at her six-month check. I always got comments on her size - "ooh she likes her tucker doesn't she?" and "You must stop starving that child (sarcastic)" - and I got tired of them, but then just learnt to say "yes, she's so big and healthy, isn't she?" with a big grin on my face back at the old nosey parkers!
(Sorry, I know this is the bottlefeeding thread and Libby was fully breastfed at that point, but I don't think it makes that much difference to the topic at hand!)
I think that by about 2 years of age, it all tapers out as they are constantly on the go.
My little girl had ROLLS of fat on her, but that is also exactly how my DH's eldest son was when he was a baby, too, and he's now a very tall and skinny brooding teenager!
So, what I'm trying to say in my very long-winded way, is don't sweat it!:)

[the_queen]

Hi jtk's mum,

Most babies tend to build up some "chubbiness" before they start crawling - gives them extra energy to draw on when they're learning how to move their body around. You might find his body shape changes once he gets really mobile.

It must be annoying to have people make comments - but I don't think you should take it personally (easier said than done, I know!:) ). Because, if he was a skinny baby, there'd be comments about that instead! And if he had red hair, you'd get comments about that. Etc etc. I think some people just like to make comments about babies, they can't help themselves, and sometimes they don't realise they're being hurtful/offensive. What is "normal" anyway.... Babies are supposed to be all cute and cuddly and chubby and boodiful aren't they???!! :D

[alicesmum]

ahhh, so glad that i'm not alone. over xmas, my cousins who have twin girls 8 months older than alice (who is currently 16 months old) had the audacity to say that alice was too fat, and that we are making her so by feeding her too much bread and milk (she only eats lots of bread at bbqs as everyone keeps feeding it to her!). she has 3-4 bottles of milk a day, often diluted with water or made on formula, half strength. they also said that it is because she is "overweight" (their word) that she is not yet walking, even though i didn't walk til 17 months and DH was 19 months (so i think genetics has more to do with it). can you believe the gall of some people!!!???? :mad:

anyway, i am ignoring their comments, though it does get to you. Alice was also 10kg at 6 months and is simply a big girl. my DH is 6' 5" so what do u expect i guess!!!

Anyway, be assured you are not alone. I have a chubba chub as well, and I think it's perfectly okay. :)

(BTW - i was a real chubba as a baby and as skinny as a rake by 5 or 6. DH was a chubba until highschool and a total weed by 16 years old. A bit tubby now though at 33, however he only has himself, and the beer, to blame!!!)

:p

[sugar n spice]

well my boy is chubby but i wouldn't say fat however as far as i can see is that you can't rely put your baby on a diet so let them be for now.

[Ky]

Hi

I had a skinny baby and got hassled all of the time about her size (now a skinny nearly 5yo) and a very fat baby and was hassled about his size too! (now a very skinny nearly 3yo!)

What I am trying to say is that they all start out different and once they are crawling and getting more active, they all tend to even out in the end!

The next time someone comments about your lo being in a "good paddock" ... tell them that it looks like they have found a good paddock too!!!!! Then ignore their look of stunned hurt as you gleefully walk away giving them the finger!

Your bub is just perfect ... if others can't see that, then it is their problem!

[reAllytee]

Its crazy isnt it !!!!
I like some of the others have posted here had a big baby born just off 10lb he was 57cm long & now at almost 10mths he is 10kgs & 76cm long so is the size of the average 1yr old !
I dont care what anyone says anymore my bubs goes through growth spurts where he is more chubby one month then evens out but he is happy & healthy so why should i worry ? One mother at our group was having trouble with her doctor as she reckoned her bubs should be put on a diet cause she was so chubby !!!! WTH !!!! she was only 4mths at the time we were all horrified, imagine that !!!!
My nephew was always very very chubby so much so he got called chubb bub !!! He had fat rolls everywhere & 3 double chins heheh it was great i love chubby babies anyways he is now 10yrs old & is as skinny as a twig & nothing my sister does makes him put on weight he has even been told to eat whatever he wants when he wants to try & get some weight gain.
Anyways i guess what i mean is they are only bubs for gawdsakes let them be yes obviously if baby cant move due to being so big thats a different story but once they get moving as the_queen said they tend to burn it off & so what if they dont at this stage again they are only bubs as long as they are fed properly, you know your doing the right thing.

[alicesmum]

Agreed Allyoo! Hey, I love your signature quote! One of the best! It's called the Buddha's Sutra and i have it (though a longer version) on my office wall right here! :p
Rachel

[reAllytee]

alicesmum - Hehe ta :) Its a great saying isnt it ? Especially needed for an online forum such as this IYKWIM ;)

[Lunar]

jtk's mum,
try not to let the comments get to you, I know it's hard but you have to, it's the only way.
My DD had so much trouble putting on weight when she was a baby that when she finally had rolls I was so proud! I called her fat, and ppl used to tell me not to call her that and I would say " Hey I worked hard for those rolls I'll say it if I want!" (As I had to wake her twice during the night for extra feeds till she was 7 months, I felt proud my bubba had rolls.)
Anyway what I'm trying to say is that if you are not concerned about your baby's weight then ignore what anyone else has to say and know that your little man is healthy.
He will of course spread out, as he grows taller and starts to be mobile (crawling then walking) he will lose all those gorgeous rolls and probably be skinny and you'll have to search for a bit of fat lol ! So don't worry and enjoy him.
IMO I think chubby bubbies are Beeeautiful!

[Lallas' Mum]

Hi there JTK's Mum,

I know that "jeese, he's been in a good paddock" comment all to well myself. I am soooo used to it now. My son is nearly eight months old and about 13kgs. He hit 9kgs just before he was 13weeks old. He is lactose intolerant so is fed on formula. He has the minimum daily requirements of everything. Luckily it fills him up - he just porks on weight. He has been checked by my GP and the local Paeds because of his size. He is in the 100th percentile!!! We just keep checking to make sure he doesn't peak up off the charts and that he just keeps flowing along in a steady growth rate. All his Drs are very happy with his growth even if he is probably the biggest bub I know!!

Zak is getting very mobile now. He is not quite crawling but he gets along the floor pretty well and can now sit up from a lying position. I think his weight slows him down a little but he is still doing very well.

People are always going to give their unwanted two cents worth. Try not to be offended. It took me a while but I'm used to it. I still can't go out in public though without Zak being pinched or squeezed!! But I don't mind the "oh, couldn't you just eat him!!!" comments and Zak loves the attention.

My two year old was a chubba too. He was 9 kgs at 6 months (breastfed though) now he is only just a little over 12 kgs (lighter than his younger brother!!!) As soon as Alec hit his feet the chubbiness dropped and he has gotten taller but not much heavier.

All will even out in the end. If you do get concerned and need a little reassurrance than just get bubba weighed at regular intervals and chart his growth. It helped make me fell better.


All hail chubba bubbas!!

[Caitlin's Mum]

I too have a chubba bubba. He is 10kgs and 5.5 months! He is gorgeous and I don't care what anyone says. I'd much rather a chubby healthy baby. See, you're definitely not alone - don't worry what people say.

[Mamaduke]

I have two exact opposites with my boys. Lucas is 18mths and weighs around 19kg (he is 94cm tall) and Jesse is tall but has always been on the lean side. Coming from a mum who's had comments about weight...with Jesse I was soooo sick and tired of hearing "oh, he's so little" - he was 4 wks prem and weighed 4lb 1oz at birth, and as a mum of a premmie, you make it your life's mission to put weight on this baby! Everytime I had a comment on his size I would have to take a deep breath so as not to bite their head's off!!!
With Lucas it doesn't seem to bother me as much - at his 6mth check he was 9.5kg and the health nurse wasn't concerned at all. Lucas eats really well, but eats good healthy food - in saying that, I do watch what he eats because I don't want him to have the same weight issues as I have (and have had all my life).
Having had comments from both sides, I seemed to get alot more defensive with Jesse than Lucas...I guess because I took it (comments) as an insinuation that I wasn't feeding him enough, and this angered me more.

[jtk'smum]

I appreciate all the input and i guess people will comment regardless of the size and shape. DS is happy and healthy so what more could i ask for. Thanks to everyone .... Happy new year!!!!!!!!:D