Fat baby???
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Luke went to the doctor for his nine month (Already!??) check up. He is a big boy, I don't deny that. He is 28.5 inches tall, and 24 lbs. He is def a chunky monkey, but he has always been big for his age.
The dr said she felt like we are feeding him too much!!! But this baby just loves to eat! I usually stop feeding him before he wants me to, because I'm worried he will get sick. I don't feed him whenever he is upset, just at his regular meal/snack times.
I never even worried about his weight until she said something, and now I'm agonizing over every little bite I feed him. It's not like I feed him junk either, he rarely has any juice, and if I do give him some, it's mostly water. He never has a sip of my tea or eats sweets. I make sure he gets all his veggies and fruits everyday. (which is my responsiblity cause DH doesn't feed him green stuff cause its too hard to get him to eat it!)
So how come I'm worried about it, even though I KNOW I'm doing just fine?? Anyone else here have a "fat baby"?
I wouldn't worry about it. He's right around 50% for height at his age and for his sex and is about 90% for his weight. He's a little chunky for his height but your doctor doesn't know if he's filling out for a growth spurt and he'll be crawling (if he isn't already) and walking soon and babies burn off a LOT of weight then. I don't think you have anything to be concerned about until after he's reached those milestones. It sounds like you're making sure he doesn't fill up on junky type foods and he's way too young to be overeating.
There's always something to worry about as a parent, isn't there??? {{{Hugs}}}
I looked up the growth chart and it does look like he is off balance (95% weight, 25% height). My real question is did the dr give you any strategies? Honestly, I would never put a baby on a diet, however, I would do research on how many calories a day they should be eating, and really write down what he was feed each day. Being on formula means that all his nutritional needs are met without putting another bite in his mouth. So everything he eats, should decrease the amount of formula.
That being said, if he isn't crawling much, walking, etc, he is likely to beef up and as his movement increases he will slim down some.
My middle kid is a big kid, but he was in the 95th for both height and weight.
I would consider writing down exactly what he eats for a month or two and then going back to the dr and say, okay, this is it, what should we do. I only say that because, once they start those over eating habits, learning to satisfy with food, etc, it just is a hard battle. I have a very good friend whose daughter is very much obese at age 9, she had the dr say something similar as an infant and did nothing. Now she is made fun of, and she is so hard to buy clothes for and now when they try to watch what she eats she is very verbally unhappy.
In texas it is a common issue to over fed babies formula because it is so hot they are thirsty often. There is a fine line though on how much water is good for them.
As I said, since the dr mentioned it, I would at least make an effort to figure out if there was something I could be doing differntly that would be healtier for my child. It might just be he is going to be a big boy, but ultimately kids stay on the same percentile grid.
Ditto Kaye.
My youngest was also a big baby, but he was 100% height and weight.
I too had a friend that had a VERY big, chunky baby. She got very defensive when anyone talked to her about it. I know her pediatrician talked to her several times. Well, she is now a VERY overwieght 1st grader. She too gets teased, and now her mom is talking about homeschooling her, which won't help her weight issue.
I like Kaye's idea of keeping track of what you are feeding him. Hopefully, when he starts getting more mobile, he will slim down. I know my ds got a little chunky right before he started walking, then he completely slimmed down.
I wouldn't stress about it right now. But, I would keep an eye on things.
Sorry to disagree. My son was a chunky monkey. I didn't sweat it. I gave him what he wanted to eat when he wanted it. Eventually he stopped gaining weight and just gained height. Now, at six, he's gaining both at a good rate.
Moms have so much to worry about, don't drive yourself nuts keeping a log of how much your son eats. It will just stress you out.
Just think, there will be a time in his life where you complain that he lives on air and apple juice and you just can't get him to eat! .
Ame
I would keep an eye on it. Shane was a chunky baby, and thinned out as a toddler, and Mads has always been extraordinarily small. I would make sure to watch his diet, not feed him a lot of fatty foods, and give him healthy snacks. Don't deprive him, but make sure you are not teaching him to eat for comfort. Childhood obesity is so dangerous, and the eating habits they learn as they grow into toddlers could affect the rest of their lives. So, don't freak out, but be smart about his eating habits.
Did she ask you how much he was eating? Since he seems to be eating a lot of solids, have you cut back on formula? It is not something I would stress over, but it is something I would keep in the back of my mind.
My ds was 100% height and weight. He's now in 2nd grade and is not overweight. I ditto everyone else. Keep an eye out but don't worry too much. Look at your family history and if there exist a genetic propensity for obesity in your family then, of course, you should be more wary; but if that is not the case, don't stress.
Ditto Vicki. Make sure you're not doing comfort food, make healthy choices (which I'm sure you are!), and don't stress about it.
Thanks guys! I don't know why I let it upset me. I feel good about the things I feed him, and I never feed him just because he's upset. Chris was a big boy too, and now I worry about him being too skinny!
Kaye- I'm a bit confused, because the the dr said he was 50% for height and 100% for weight? I'm not sure why those numbers are different from yours!
Thanks for the advice from both sides. I really feel like I over-reacted though, he eats a well balanced diet and I should trust my myself a little more! I will keep an eye on him though!
My kids were both on the chunky side as babies. I didn't worry about it. They are now both just fine for height and weight. Once he starts walking and being more active he will even out.
If I had just a PENNY for every time someone, including doctors, gave me "advice" on how to feed my child...well, I could retire by now. Connor was always, and still is, 95% on height and weight. (Even though now you would have to try to pick him up to understand.)
Jen, I would only be concerned if he's totally off the charts as there could be something medically wrong. Feed him as you have been feeding him and just keep an eye on it. Fruits, veggies, things with iron, etc...you've got it babe. *wink* No worries, hun. And, I totally agree about the crawling/walking. Connor thinned out when he started moving, then I couldn't get him to eat because all he wanted to do was RUN! (And STILL does!)
i will add that doctors seem to have some nerve sometimes. they see these kids for 15 minutes and think they know everything without even listening to the parent.
it's no wonder we've gone through so many pediatricians. i will only listen to those doctors who actually ask me questions before they start handing out advice. any doctor who assumes they know more about my child than me, without asking intelligent questions, gets the "nix"...it's usually doctors who don't have any children themselves.
I also hate it when they think they're the authority on a whole different realm...I once had Connor's hearing tested (for the FIFTH time, even though I knew his hearing was fine) and the AUDIOLOGIST recommended that I put my son in CHILD CARE all day so he would learn to talk better. I ripped her a new one and let her have it. (Calmly of course, which was hard.) But, she derived all of this because I told her I was a SAHM. Didn't bother to ask what activities we join in...playdates, moms club, gymnastics, swimming, and the list goes on and on. Yeah, I •••••••' lock my kid up all day. What a moron.
Sorry, can you tell it's a hot button with me?
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