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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be annoyed someone called my baby fat?

88 replies

Chocoholism · 21/04/2014 13:52

And that the person was the MIL! Later asked me if I should feed her less!!? She's only 4.5 months old!! Argghhh
Give me strength people

OP posts:

Thread gallery

ProudAsPunch92 · 21/04/2014 16:37

I had some random woman come up to me in the supermarket and say (whilst grabbing my sons thigh) "Oh I bet you can't wait 'til he's walking to burn those calories, he's a right fatty - what ARE you feeding him?!" Cheeky mare! He's actually a pretty average size to be honest, he's almost 11 months old and is in 9-12 months clothes so can't see how he's too big?

Some people are just idiotic. Ignore her :)

sassysally · 21/04/2014 17:08

My babies were skinny little things.I am always a bit 'ugh' at fat babies, but as others have said he will prob thin out when he starts crawling.My DN was the fattest baby I have ever see and a really really tall toddler.he is now as small skinny 14 yr old.They are all different!

TinklyLittleLaugh · 21/04/2014 18:17

My EBF babies were like baby seals; they had so many chins and fat rolls. I only ever had positive comments though (unless "Bonny" is a euphemism for "lardy"). They are all slim and athletic now though.

SocialNeedier · 21/04/2014 19:18

My EBF dd is nearly 4 months and weighs over a stone already.

My MIL said she 'hasn't mentioned' DD's weight to anyone like she's embarrassed about it or something

Personally I love that dd is a little tank. Her squidgy thighs are edible!

callamia · 21/04/2014 19:25

Hasn't mentioned her weight social, superb.

I had DS weighed a while ago and saw the HV after. DS has tracked 91st percentile since week three. She says ' don't worry about his weight' - eh? I wasn't! After getting him out of nicu, and struggling to bf, I'm delighted that he's such a squish.

Melonbreath · 21/04/2014 19:27

Dd was a fat baby. I loved it. She was so cuddly. I didn't mind her being fat, babies are supposed to be fat, it's healthy for them.
Now she's running about all the rolls of fat on her legs are going and I miss them. I think when the dimples on her fat little hands vanish I will cry.

ikeaismylocal · 21/04/2014 19:28

Is your baby breastfed? If so just shrug and say "you can't feed a breastfed baby too much" Ds was HUGE at 4 months, he is now 16 months and I reaslised today that he was wearing a vest he wore last Easter. I was really proud of his chub and when people commented I just said Thanks and often pulled his trousers down so they could see his "chubbies" (his legs) we still call his legs his "chubbies" but they are less chubby these days, I ask him "where are your chubbies?" and he grabs his thighs :)

I'm not sure about bottle fed babies, I assume as the saying goes that you can't overfeed a breastfed baby that you could overfeed a bottle fed baby in which case her comment might have some truth.

HolidayCriminal · 21/04/2014 19:29

it's a compliment. Babies are supposed to be fat. They're adorable in any shape, of course.

SocialNeedier · 21/04/2014 19:30

Aargh I love those fat hand dimples! Dd has hands like a cabbage patch kid.

Privately I'm a bit impressed that my breast milk has managed to sustain and grow such a bouncing, bonny bambino. It's like a positive critique of my boobs.

Doilooklikeatourist · 21/04/2014 19:32

An old man once commented on my gorgeous chubby baby

Look at her , she's as fat as butter !

I took that as a compliment , and still remember it , DD is nearly 17 now , and slim and still gorgeous .

Original poster

Chocoholism · 21/04/2014 19:34

I love the little folds on her wrists, it was a few weeks before I can knew to look there and clean! It accumulates a lot of fluff! She isn't over weight by the way, she's on 91st percentile for weight and height as she will be like her mother (big boned I like to call it)

OP posts:

CecilyP · 21/04/2014 19:37

I think that's pretty average, Social, so your MIL can spare her blushes. My friends DS weighed 24lb at 6 months - and he wasn't a long baby either!

SocialNeedier · 21/04/2014 19:42

Wow, that's solid!

Chocoholism, don't forget the creased behind the knees. That was pretty gross when I first realised.

Burren · 21/04/2014 19:44

But the MIL didn't intend it as a compliment, she suggested the OP was over feeding her baby, and should restrict feeds! Not even the most generous interpretation of the comment can convert it into 'Oh, what cute chubby cheeks!'

OP. I don't think you're being unreasonable in this instance. I was once desperately upset when, having had no milk supply and being very disappointed at myself for having to FF, two nasty women said loudly (as I fed my lovely baby in a cafe) 'Oh, you can always tell a formula fed baby -they have that fat, puffy look.' It was deliberately intended to be unpleasant, and said to be overheard, and I was still too new to motherhood and too raw about the failure of BF to assert myself. I went and cried in the loo, and worried terribly I was somehow, over feeding him.

My son was following his centile lines perfectly, and was healthily chubby.

Itsfab · 21/04/2014 19:45

People used to comment on DS1 when he was chubby at 9 months. He is tall and skinny now. It is hard when it feels like someone is being mean to your baby but try not to let it get to you. I stressed so much over DS1's appetite it made me ill.

Burren · 21/04/2014 19:47

Sassysally, why on earth is your response to fat babies 'ugh', and why do you think the OP needs reassuring her child will 'slim down' once mobile? Do you suffer from massive body image issues?

TinklyLittleLaugh · 21/04/2014 19:49

I used to have to sort of dangle DD upside down to wipe out her neck folds . But the Doctor remarked that she was an extremely well cared for baby. 17 years on I still remember that.

CecilyP · 21/04/2014 19:52

Burren, if it's any consolation, the 24lb baby I referred to upthread was breastfed. Those women were just being nasty for the sake of it.

badidea · 21/04/2014 20:52

My MIL and FIL made the same comments about DS1 (to be fair, he was a fat pie (99.6 centile at 4 months) but he was a long baby too, so perfectly in proportion). I was constantly getting 'are you sure you're not over feeding him?', 'that's not him wanting fed again, is it? ' surely he can't be hungry?'. I was bfeeding on demand and according to them you'd think I was tying him down and force feeding him!

I never thought he was that fat at all, he looked gorgeous to me (of course, now I look back at some photos of him and he was a right little porker!)

Incredibly rude though, just no pleasing some folk, they criticise if you're baby doesn't put on tonnes of weight and criticise when they do.

tinky smelly neck folds, I remember them well :-)

Notmadeofrib · 21/04/2014 20:57

My DD was a cube, but when seriously ill and not eating I have never felt so pleased that she had some reserves. A big baby is a safety net. Ignore and feel reassured.

Pumpkinpositive · 21/04/2014 20:58

I love fat babies. I have to stop myself commenting to friends on their wee pudgies in case they get offended. .

What could be nicer than a fat baby with sumo wrestler legs?

CarmineRose1978 · 21/04/2014 21:00

My mum and I used to call my brother's little girl 'sumo-baby' because she was such a porker. Not in frnt of him or SIL, of course! We knew shed lose it once she started to crawl and toddle about and now she is a perfectly-healthy sized 5 year old.

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 21/04/2014 21:00

My DD was 9lb at birth and then she thinned out a bit, she had cute cheeks but that was it.

All babies are different, your MIL is just being daft.

AlpacaPicnic · 21/04/2014 21:03

I don't believe that any of you have squidgy fat babies.
Prove it. With photos!

please please pretty please someone post a picture of a lovely squidgy baby?

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 21/04/2014 21:10

Shes not squidgy now, shes a argumentative 6 yr old.

To be annoyed someone called my baby fat?

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