Chubby Baby

[BlueMoose]

I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance. My baby is almost 2 months old, and she's been a good eater since day 1...I'm nursing. At her 2 week appointment she was already 2 lbs over her birth weight. Now I think she's about double her birth weight...about 15 or 16 lbs. She has her 2 month appointment on Friday, and I'll get an official weight then. I'll ask her doctor about it, too. I've read that breastfed babies gain faster, and that you don't really need to worry about them gaining too much. But you know how new moms are...we worry a lot!

Does anyone have an experience to share or any words of wisdom for me?

Thanks,
Chrisi :)

[Chelle D]

my DS was 22 pounds at 4 months and I got a "talk" from my ped saying that he was too large. I pretty much told her that I breastfed him when he was hungry and he was fine.

Babies will eat when they are hungry. My DS wore a 2T from 7 months old until about 22 months. I had to roll the pants quite a bit at 7 months :-) He was quite a cute little chunk! Your daughter will eat when she is hungry and she will even out with no problem. Breastmilk is full of vitamins so she is healthy and beautiful.

[Kerri]

Hi Chrisi,

My DS had terrible colic/acid reflux that caused him to want to eat all the time. Literally, I would feed him every 2 hours for 20 minutes on each side and when I would cut him off, he would root and chew on his hands like crazy. My dr was supportive of this feeding schedule for my own sanity. While other mothers were worried that there babies were too small or so proud in the percentile they were in, I was horrified and embarrased. But, it turned ok. Eventually we found an acid reflux medicine that worked, but James is still a good eater. Someone told me that it is so much better to have a good eater, rather than one who you continually have to encourage to eat and I have to agree. Once they start walking (ok, running), they slim down really quickly.

Hang in there!

[potato_moose]

No experience with my own kids as they have tended towards the small side, but one of the babies in our playgroup was absolutely enormous. Funny, since his mommy is a tiny little thing. He is now a totally normal almost-3-year-old.

No worries, they grow out of it :).

[valchemist]

as others have said, I wouldn't worry at all. Nelson was 17 at his 2 month check up and 22 at his 4 month. my pediatrician didn't seem concerned at all or say that was a problem (his height is up there in the 95th percentile too).

[BlueMoose]

Thanks everyone! It's good to hear about other babies that aren't "average". She's long too. I really like our pediatrician....in the 10 years I've been taking my kids to him he's always been pretty laid back and non-judgemental. I'm very glad that I don't have to worry about her failing to gain. :)

[BlueMoose]

Michelle...that's funny about the 2T at 7 months! Samantha is already wearing some 6-9 month things. She's outgrown so many things already.

[mbrogier]

My best friend's little boy who just turned two in May is very big for his age. He was very tall when he was born and has always been in the highest percentiles. My friend and I consider each other sisters, so she calls me an honorary aunt.

My friend took him to the zoo with another friend and her two children. One of the children was over three years old, and my nephew was was head and shoulders taller. He also has a nice amount of baby chub. My friend comes from a long line of tall people and her ped says the chub is normal. My nephew is adorable.

When I was pre-school aged, my ped told my mom that I was in a high percentile for height and weight. My bio family had a lot of very obese people. I was extremely active and thin. My parents had just adopted a little boy from foster services.Although we weren't blood related, we were looked like identical twins. We were also 3 months apart in age. My brother hadn't received much medical care and was really skinny. (he had also just had scarlet fever) It was hard for my mom not to compare because we did look same.

She obsessed over what I weighed and ate. My brother was allowed to have dessert after lunch and dinner, but I could only have it once a day. I know she meant well, but this started lifelong food/dieting issues for me. My ped was trying to get my mom to give both us healthier snacks instead of little debbies, but my mom heard if you let her eat sweets she'll become obese.

I took child psych in college, and the professor said that the percentiles are just guidelines. My cousin was in the lower percentiles for height, so his ped suggested hormones when he was around 12. He's now over 6 feet tall instead of 5'5"... so there are good uses for the percentiles.

I'm not suggesting that you would react like my mom did, but I just thought my experience would be some food for thought. My mom and I have a wonderful relationship by the way; she feels terrible about what she did. It's all water under the bridge.

[BlueMoose]

No, I never want to do anything to make her feel bad about her body. I've had trouble with an eating disorder in the past, and I never want to see my daughters go through that. I'm just not used to seeing a baby grow this quickly! My other 2 kids both had plenty of chunk, but they didn't grow this fast. Funny...when my son was born he was in the 10th percentile for height, 50th for weight and 90th for head circumference...it kinda freaked me out! But now he's well proportioned. :) I just want little Samantha to be healthy. She's such a sweetie! :)

[DanaSD]

my son was a super chunk starting a few weeks after birth up until around 9 months to a year when he slowed down and started loosing the baby rolls. Now he's in the 50% for weight (he's 2 1/2) and height whereas for most of his first year he was in the 90-100%.

He was breastfeed for the first 6 months and we switched to formula at 6 months - it was exhausting for me and my supply couldn't up. When he switched to bottles he would drink up to 14 ounces at a time - no wonder I couldn't keep up!

I think by 6 months he was wearing 24 month clothes - he hardly even wore the 3 month and 6 month stuff. Now its nice that he's been the same size for awhile now.

[southjerseymom]

My dd was 6 lb 2 oz at birth. I breastfed on demand and she quickly reached the 95th percentile in both weight and height her first year of life. She was a beautiful chubba! As soon as she started walking she thinned out. Now at age 8 she is on the petite side. She's not even 50 pounds but she's very healthy- just eats like a bird and is very active with sports and playing. My string bean wears a slim and sometimes they're a little roomy!
I wouldn't worry. Breastfed babies tend to be bigger but will thin down once they get older.

[JenZen]

Bluemoose -

My DS grew like a weed in the early months(I breastfed, as well). I'm looking back over my notes for you:

12/21 - Birth: 8 pounds, 8.6 ounces
2 weeks: 9 pounds, 14 ounces
2/4: 13 pounds, 14 ounces
2/19: 15 pounds
3/24: 17 pounds, 1 ounce


I don't have the rest of my notes here, but he grew quickly until he became mobile. He started thinning out as soon as he started walking. He's 3 now, and still in the top percentages, but he looks lean because he's also tall.

My DD grew slower. She was 9.5 pounds at birth, but she never took off quite as quickly as Gabe. I don't have my notes handy for her.

Anyway, point being, your daughter is fine! She's eating and growing well! Be proud of yourself, Momma! You're doing a fabulous job growing that little lady. :)))

[BlueMoose]

Thanks everyone for your replies and reassurance! Everyone comments on how big she is, and I'm afraid they think I'm force feeding her or something!:rolleyes: We'll just have to consider her "above average" ;)

JenZen...I have a Gabe, too. :)

[jmarie]

My son was a very chubby baby, I breast fed, as well. He was alo very small until he reached high school. He is now a very thin 6'2" young man.

I wouldn't worry iif I were you.

[BlueMoose]

I'm bringing this thread back up because I'm kind of upset today. Samantha was 4 months on Aug 5th, and we just had her 4 month appointment today. At 2 months she was 18 lbs. Today she's 26.2 lbs. Her doctor wants to find out why this is...he wasn't concerned at 2 months, but today he says he's perplexed...basically he's never seen a 4 month old this big. He doesn't think there's an endocrine thing going on. She seems absolutely normal and healthy otherwise. So I'm supposed to pump and feed her with a bottle for a week to see how much she's eating. I'm worried that something is wrong.:(

[Couperine]

You must be so frustrated and worried - hugs to you.

I know you've been asked this a bunch, so how often are your nursing? It's recommended every 3 hours or so for 3-6 months of age with a good 6-8 break overnight. One of the hardest things about BF'ing is that you really don't have much feedback on how much milk you are producing other than how your baby grows. I hope the pumping goes well for you this week and you find that your baby just feeds like a champion.

[Delanl]

Your in my thoughts BlueMoose. Please keep us posted. I am sure everything will be fine!

[BlueMoose]

I've gotten in touch with some La Leche League people. They suggested weighing before and after feedings rather than pumping. I thought that was a great idea, but my ped didn't think so. I'm going to try another doctor. My gut feeling is that she's fine. I think it's a combination of a big appetite, an abundant milk supply on my part, and the fact that she's pretty laid back. She doesn't seem to show symptoms of an endocrine problem. I don't know what else could be wrong.

[Alleycat]

My DD was a chunky monkey (and we did formula, as I had no success with breast feeding). She was always in the 99% for weight-for-age, but only 55-70% for height-for-age. My ped said not to worry, that she was healthy...just big. Told me if it didn't start to even out when she was more active, that we'd delve further. Sure enough, once she started walking, she started thinning out.

One other thing we did was to give her some plain water bottles (between feedings), instead of always feeding and feeding her. If she drank the water and was satisfied, so be it. If she drank the water but still cried, we'd give her more formula.

Does DD have decent neck strength? We started using the Jumperoo around 5 months; DD *loved* that thing!! Lots of great exercise for her, and so much entertainment! She thrilled in her ability to jump and sway :)

[MinEaston]

...basically he's never seen a 4 month old this big.

I have.... if that makes you feel any better. In fact, I schlepped that 25lb 4 month old around for a while. Wasn't mine, but a friend's. As far as I know, he's doing just fine!

(((BlueMoose)))

[BlueMoose]

I have.... if that makes you feel any better. In fact, I schlepped that 25lb 4 month old around for a while. Wasn't mine, but a friend's. As far as I know, he's doing just fine!

(((BlueMoose)))

Yes, that does make me feel better!:)

[BlueMoose]

Does DD have decent neck strength? We started using the Jumperoo around 5 months; DD *loved* that thing!! Lots of great exercise for her, and so much entertainment! She thrilled in her ability to jump and sway :)

Yes, her neck strength is good. He also said her muscle tone is fine. I did go out and get her an exersaucer-type thing yesterday...it's too cool! I'm hoping that will get her a little more active. She's a pretty laid back baby. So maybe this will get her a little more exercise. :)

If I didn't mention it before....my concern isn't that because she's a chubby baby she's going to be a chubby kid. From all the reading I've done, that just isn't the case. And even if she was a chubby kid I wouldn't care (although of course I want her to be healthy). I don't want something terrible to be wrong with her....that's what I'm concerned about. And I really wasn't very concerned about that before the doctor visit. I am working on finding another doctor. I want to get another opinion, and I want a doctor that we're totally comfortable with.

[Chelle D]

My DS was 22 pounds at 4 months and I got the same talk. My ped. thought he was huge and said that he was eating too much. I basically told her that I was breastfeeding and he was eating on a schedule and I was not going to change it. When he was 7 months old he was in a size 2T and I rolled his pants (A LOT) so he could wear them. But.....he was in a size 2T for 15 months! As he got moving, he trimmed down quite a bit. Now at age 3, he's still a big boy at almost 45 pounds, but he is also about 3 and a half foot tall. So he is 3 and wears a size 5 and still looks great to me (and never had health concerns...few ear infections, few colds, that's it).

My husband and I are both 6' tall or more and are both heavy with large frames so my little guy will not be petite. But he is more proportionate now and has always been very healthy. I am sure your little girl will slim down when she starts moving around and be similiar to the body type of the rest of your family. Hang in there and enjoy those roly-poly arms and thighs while you can ;)

[MomofMooch]

Sorry you are feeling worried, BlueMoose. I'd be worried too, now that the doctor is suddenly showing increased concern, but I'm a neurotic mom like that. I agree with others that your daughter is most likely fine, given that she seems healthy and happy and developing normally in all other ways, just a big kid!

The one thing I thought I'd mention, though, is that it's possible that your ped is just trying to be extra thorough, now that it's been a few more months and she continues to be off the charts, just to be certain that there isn't some underlying medical problem. Perhaps just to be cautious and cover his rear, you know? I don't mean to minimize your distress (I totally empathize with you as a mom worried about her baby), nor to defend him if he is causing you undue anxiety, but I just thought I'd mention that perspective. I bring it up because I had the exact opposite problem with my first baby and first pediatrician: a baby that wasn't gaining well at all and a pediatrician that was too laid-back and not aggressive enough in figuring out why. They just chalked it up to my milk supply, made me supplement with formula and never evaluated him for a medical cause for his failure-to-thrive. Fast forward 12 weeks, he begins vomiting, after a horrendous week of diagnostic tests at the hospital (that we had to push for), we finally got a medical diagnosis that explained it all, and after surgery on his intestine, he's been totally fine ever since. But every single pediatrician in the practice just blew it off as a milk supply issue and a stomach bug. So, after going through all that trauma, our new pediatrician practice is overly concerned, overly reactive, and totally supportive of my neuroses as a parent (our second baby is healthy, thankfully), and this works well for me. It's possible that your ped is just one of those more reactive ones and is just trying to be extremely thorough to make sure he isn't missing anything.

Sorry to ramble on, but I just wanted to share that perspective as a mom who has been through something scary. All of that being said, of course you should get a second opinion. Or more. Trust your gut, you know your baby best, and if you aren't getting the right "feel" with your current ped, you should definitely seek out another doctor to lay eyes on your baby. And again, I am sorry you are feeling worried about your chubby baby, who is most likely totally fine! :)

[MomofMooch]

P.S. Yikes, in re-reading my post, I realized it may sound like I am suggesting there could be a medical problem with your baby, and I want to emphasize that I didn't mean to scare you with my story of my first baby. I am sorry if it made you more anxious--I hope not! I just told the story to convey the flip side, of having a pediatrician that is UNDER-concerned. I hope I didn't freak you out about underlying medical problems! I just wanted to present the up-side to having a medical provider that is reactive, concerned, and thorough, as well as the importance of finding a pediatrician that is "right" for you. Good luck!

[BlueMoose]

MomofMooch...
I do think he's just trying to make sure that everything is ok. But I think one reason his reaction has caused me some concern is that he's been our pediatrician for years, and he's always been very laid back about things. I've never seen him react like this before. It's not like he's freaking out, but this is the most concern I've seen him show over anything. And it could be possible that I'm interpretting it wrong, since I'm a concerned mom. There were a couple other things that he did the other day that bothered me too, though. He was focused on her size from the start. When I brought up something about her eye (her bottom eyelashes seem to be poking her on one side) he didn't even look at it. I know that seems picky, and it wouldn't be a big deal if it was the only thing. I don't like being dismissed, though.

[BlueMoose]

P.S. Yikes, in re-reading my post, I realized it may sound like I am suggesting there could be a medical problem with your baby, and I want to emphasize that I didn't mean to scare you with my story of my first baby. I am sorry if it made you more anxious--I hope not! I just told the story to convey the flip side, of having a pediatrician that is UNDER-concerned. I hope I didn't freak you out about underlying medical problems! I just wanted to present the up-side to having a medical provider that is reactive, concerned, and thorough, as well as the importance of finding a pediatrician that is "right" for you. Good luck!

Oh, don't worry...I didn't get that from your post! :) And if there is something wrong with her, I want to find out what it is as soon as possible. But I don't think that's going to be the case. And I do want to find a doctor that we're totally comfortable with.

[BlueMoose]

BTW...you can see her here on my (not well-maintained) blog. This is from the end of June, but she basically has the same rolls now:
http://asugarandspicelife.blogspot.com/2008/06/baby-smiles_1720.html

[chefbecky]

First, she is super-cute -- yum! Second, in regards to a chubby baby becoming a chubby kid ... just to provide a little reassurance, my DS was a huge baby too -- almost exactly the same weight as your DD. He was always well above the charts for both height and weight throughout babyhood. Yesterday, he turned 4, and at his 4-year checkup, he was about 90th percentile for weight, and 80th for height. Looking at him, I don't think you'd ever know he was a massive baby. I mean, he's not skinny by any stretch, but he just looks like a perfectly healthy, solid 4-year-old. I had the same worries as you, because childhood obesity is such a big deal, but it really has turned out to be fine. Once he started walking, around 13 months, he slimmed down almost overnight.

Now I've got a 6-month-old girl. She is nowhere near as big as DS was at this age, but she's still quite large, but I feel much better about it this time around.

Hang in there!

[ellery]

Just poking my head in to say that I too have a friend who has a larger baby. Hers is 19 pounds at barely 3 months and is exclusively bf.

I peeked at her little video and she seems perfect to me. Very happy, totally adorable. :)

[BlueMoose]

chefbecky and ellery...thank you! We love her to bits, and we think she's pretty perfect.:p It really reassures me to hear everyone's personal stories. I'm trying to find another pediatrician now...I don't want to just pick one without a recommendation, but a lot of them don't take new patients, either. Hopefully today I'll get something lined up. :)

[BlueMoose]

Here's an update on Samantha...
Well, we met with another doctor on Tues, and then with a Lactation Consultant and a lady with a doctorate in Dietetics yesterday. Everyone who has seen her thinks she's totally normal in terms of development, she's just so big. I nursed her yesterday when we saw the LC and she ate 6 oz (they weighed her before and after). They said she seems to have normal eating habits. They decided to test her for thyroid problems and for carnitine deficiency (which has to do with how the body uses fat). But when I look up those things online, they have other symptoms that go with them that she doesn't have. They also might do a test to see how many calories she's burning while resting...to see if that's normal. So yesterday we had to have her blood drawn, and it was awful. :( It took between a half hour and 45 minutes of me holding her and her screaming and sobbing while they tried to get blood from her hand, both her arms and one foot. They hardly got anything. Finally a pediatric nurse used a vein in her scalp...that was easy compared to the rest. I wish they would have done that earlier and spared all of the trauma.

I have a feeling that nothing abnormal will be found, but I suppose it's good that we're checking out/ruling out all of the possibilities. Like the carnitine deficiency can be very serious, even fatal, if it goes untreated. But they can give a carnitine replacement. I've read some of your stories here and on some other boards about some otherwise normal babies who were well over 20 lbs at 4 months, too. So I guess there are others out there. And in all of the searching I've done online I can't find anything that makes me think there's anything wrong with her. It's kind of puzzling.

So, her doctor is off getting married this weekend, and we'll be hearing back from her later next week. Unless they find something way off...then another doctor will be calling. And she goes in again to see the ped. on the 11th...to see how her weight is doing.

Thanks everyone for your advice and support!

Chrisi :)

[mst]

Blood drawn is the worst. Ugh.

It is good that they are checking things out to make sure she is healthy. I will be thinking of you guys!

[ellery]

Thanks for the update. Hopefully the blood results will show nothing wrong and her doctor can move on to worrying about other things or other kids. ;)
(My pediatrician always had me worried about something - sleeping through the night, DS's eating habits, etc.)

:)

[BlueMoose]

mst....thanks! Yes, the blood drawing was not fun for any of us!

ellery....thank you! It seems like there's always something to worry about, isn't there? I do think the test are going to come back normal. BTW, Gabe has been doing a lot better at night lately!:)

[chefbecky]

You're right, there's ALWAYS something to worry about. Hopefully, this will just serve as a way to give you some peace of mind. Keep us posted!