Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Can’t stop worrying about DD weight

87 replies

Napqueen1234 · 22/07/2019 21:24

Advice please. DD is and always has been 91st centile +. Now 2 and easily 37lb+. Super active, healthy home cooked food, treats v occasional but not often at all. Doesn’t have pudding at nursery has fruit instead. There’s not an awful lot I can do to help decrease her weight. Trouble is she’s gone from cute chubby baby to gorgeous but quite chubby toddler and I worry I’m setting her up for health issues. Anyone in a similar position that resolved itself? When I say active she walk/runs everywhere park at least daily + other activities, in nursery which is v active full time. I just notice she is considerably bigger than other children her age and it causes me no end of worry.

OP posts:
OnlyFoolsnMothers · 22/07/2019 21:28

DD is and always has been 91st centile if this is the case then I think it’s just how she’s built.
If she’s eating healthily and is active then I wouldn’t worry at all.

emma6776 · 22/07/2019 21:28

Even if the food is healthy, could the portion sizes be too big? My nearly 8 year old only weighs 43 pounds and she eats non stop.

Aria2015 · 22/07/2019 21:29

I can't remember my lo’s weight at 2 but between 2.5 and 3.5, he's gone from short and chubby to tall and lean. He has completely transformed! He's just shot up in height and now I get comments about how slender he is whereas before people would comment on how well covered he was! Nothing has changed foodwise, he’s just had a growth spurt. It's a trend that's happened to loads of children I know including my niece and nephew. If your lo is activincluding's healthily then I wouldn't worry too much, a growth spurt may well be around the corner!

PQ77 · 22/07/2019 21:30

That is heavy but she may stay that weight for years and just keep getting taller - that happened to a few of my nephews and now they are perfectly in proportion as 8/9/10 yr olds!

Have you looked at what she’s drinking - ie no fruit juice or squash (fruit juice is very calorific) and drinking only water and semi skimmed milk? Portion sizes? The home made food may be healthy but is she eating an appropriate portion?

BazaarMum · 22/07/2019 21:31

Is she just two, or closer to three? Is her height also 91st centile?

If she is active with a healthy diet and not having much processed sugar (including squash and juice?) I really wouldn’t worry too much.

All of mine have been like this, good eaters with very healthy diets, and by about 3.5 have stretched out and become quite slim. One is now rake thin at age six, 25th centile for weight but 91st for height.

I know there’s a lot of handwringing on here around ‘setting up babies as fat for life’, but far more often I see the average weight toddlers (picky eaters, lots of treats and puddings to fill them up) slowly become chubby around 5-6, then nudge into obese as they go through school.

Ineedtoknowit · 22/07/2019 21:34

My son wasn’t fat but was a big chunky boy when he was two, I don’t know what he weighed but he was heavy. Suddenly he shot up and is skinny now. I wouldn’t worry at 2 if she’s active and eats healthily. This often happens in my experience and they grow upwards but not outwards

Napqueen1234 · 22/07/2019 21:36

Thank you so much for your replies. No just turned 2 so well aware that is HEAVY. I do hope by giving her healthy food I’m setting her up to enjoy and normalise that- she has always been a great eater and likes most things. I don’t think her portions are excessive I have looked up normal portions- e.g 1 slice of toast and dippy egg or one egg omelette with cheese and veg etc.

I’m hoping this will be the case- obviously I don’t want to put her on a diet but hoping she will shoot it and all even out!

OP posts:
Napqueen1234 · 22/07/2019 21:38

Not sure what height is- hard to keep her still to measure! At a guess id say 75-80th she’s a bit taller than most of her peers but I would definitely say her weight is a higher centile. I sound awful she’s Beautiful and a wonderful child I’m just so worried.

OP posts:
BazaarMum · 22/07/2019 21:40

Really, really don’t worry at 2! Enjoy her and reassess at 3.5 or so. I’m certain you’ll find you have a taller, slimmer child who eats a great diet.

Napqueen1234 · 22/07/2019 21:44

Thank you @BazaarMum 💕

OP posts:
Malyshek · 22/07/2019 21:47

According to google, average weight for a 2 year old is 27.5lb. So 37+ does sound pretty big for her age. How tall is she ?

Maybe take a close look at what she eats in a normal week and see if there's anything wrong (portion sizes, frequency of meals, liquid calories, etc. Maybe she has friends who give her candy. Maybe she eats a lot of bread. Look and find out).

It's possible it's just a phase but weight doesn't usually appear out of nowhere ? Anyway, it can't hurt to check if there's anything wrong in her diet.

But check also her height. If she's 91st centile for height she's probably fine. If she's 50th or lower, I'd be a little bit concerned.

newnamenewbrain · 22/07/2019 21:48

Don't fret!
You can't do anymore than you are.

And you don't want to worry so much that it rubs off on her. She sounds perfectly healthy and this is probably just the way she's built 😊

Malyshek · 22/07/2019 21:50

Cross post... If she's 80th centile for height and 91st for weight it doesn't sound so bad ?

Have you spoken to her pediatrician about this ?

Nautiloid · 22/07/2019 21:55

Have you checked with a doctor to see if there could be an underlying cause for her being heavier than you might expect? If not, I think I'd write down honestly everything she eats in 3 days, plus what sort of activities she's doing, and take it in.
There may very well be nothing at all and you will be able to relax in the knowledge that you're doing all the right things and it'll likely balance out in the long run. And for what it's worth, I think that is likely the case. I have three children, two have always eaten like horses and are skinny as rails, one has been chubby since day one, barely eats and is only stretching out now at five.
I think a good GP may be able to reassure you, but definitely take the food and activity diary or you'll waste the whole consultation being quizzed about her lifestyle.

Napqueen1234 · 22/07/2019 21:57

Thank you for your advice all. We have her 2 year HV check coming up so I’m going to do a little food and activity diary (if nothing else to prove I’m not shovelling chips into her constantly 😂)

OP posts:
pantherpants · 22/07/2019 22:03

My DS weighed 16 kg for the whole year of being 2. He grew loads during that time, but his weight stayed the same. He is chunky and was born on the 98th for height and weight. He's dipped about getting chunkier, then having a growth spurt. His hunger varies. Sitting now on 91st for height and weight now 3.

For my child I would say he likes his food and certainly cakes, cheese, chocolate and biscuits. He has never really had sweets, maybe a lollipop once from a party. He doesn't seem to eat masses and doesn't drink any milk or fizzy drinks. I've stopped his once a day smoothies, switching him to fruit juice then onto sugar free squash instead, so he doesn't have all that extra sugar I'm not keen on the chemicals in squash, but it helps him drink.

I think many things we see as healthy can be loaded with sugar - kids yogurts or fromaige frais, smoothies, raisins.

For us DS will eat what he wants big portion or not, he usually leaves stuff.

I have tried with certain healthier alternatives, but if turned down I just try to phase them out or limit them to once a week. An example is crisps, DS never liked the kids snacks and likes adult crisps. I now don't give them to him and he rarely asks now. DS generally eats what we eat. So no crisps for me either !

I just wanted to say I'm not overweight myself. BMI is in middle of healthy range and my DH is just strapping into healthy, he's a secret snacker at work, weakness is biscuits like DS if he can get hold of them. We have a normal diet, no extremes, but we generally don't drink alcohol. We rarely eat out, but have a takeaway usually once a week like an Indian.

Wildorchidz · 22/07/2019 22:03

What was her birth weight?

Waterdropsdown · 22/07/2019 22:11

If you can get her height then you can go on nhs website and get BMI if height and weight centile is in line then BMI will be fine and make you feel better.

I think it’s just how they are built I have twins who are 2 they eat the same and one is 3kg heavier than the other one. People say “really” when I say they are twins and they are the same height! It’s the light one I worry about.

Bringonspring · 22/07/2019 22:15

My son was utterly massive! Had folds on folds. Then just stayed at the same weight for ages now slim.

suzy2b · 22/07/2019 22:41

I don't understand all this centile when my first granddaughter was young daughter was told she was over weight when she started school nurse said she was very over weight she is 10 now and quite skinny, her sister age 4 is bigger than she was but we are not worried because of what her sister is like now, I expect we will get a letter home from the school nurse when she starts in Sept

Mamabear12 · 22/07/2019 23:08

My dd was 25th centile when she was born and quickly shot up to 98th. She was quite chubby at one and plump at 2. But she also drank loads of milk from a bottle on top of all her food. We started to water down her milk, as she had 3 bottles on top of a very healthy and full diet 😀 and then we had to wean her off bottle as her baby brother had to be weaned at 20 months due to recurrent ear infections so only fair to cut her bottle out as well (and she was 3! So long over due). After she lost interest in milk and only drank water w meals. Within a year she slimmed naturally and now age 7 still slim. She eats what she wants and has a good metabolism, but I think for her all the milk she had, plus when they young they hold on to weight more. Just keep up w healthy meals. Water only. If they like milk, one cup is enough and it’s not really needed.

Merryoldgoat · 22/07/2019 23:13

I have 2 enormous sons. DS1 was above 96th centile from birth and utterly enormous - a chubby beautiful little tank. Around 3 he stopped gaining weight. He’s 6 now and the height of an 8 year old wearing 7-8 year old clothes. He’s not fat or overweight.

Younger DS is 17 months and weight 36lb a couple of months ago. He’s wearing 2/3 years clothes. He’s a tank just like my older boy.

I saw some photos of my DH at the same age. Exactly the same. DH is over 6ft, very broad and very lean. They both have his body.

If you feed her a good, healthy and varied diet then put it out of your mind and enjoy your little chunk.

Merryoldgoat · 22/07/2019 23:13

Sorry - 99.6th - 11lb at birth basically.

Napqueen1234 · 23/07/2019 06:44

@Wildorchidz she was 6lb 12oz but born at 36+5 so 91st centile! Diddy little thing but 9lb 6 on her due date 😱 thank goodness she was early! I’m a regular height and 8-10 so she did me a favour!

OP posts:
swingofthings · 23/07/2019 06:50

I'd discuss portion sizes with your HV. I remember being quite shocked at the amount of food somepcarwnts put 8m their kids lunch box. The food was healthy, but there was so much of it, it was what you'd expect a 12yo to eat.