People always commenting about size of baby

[ChunkyLove]

I don't know if I'm unreasonable or not but everyone who sees my baby is always going on about how chubby he is.

He is big, chunky with rolls! But the way everyone keeps mentioning it is making me paranoid that he's too big (he's still under 6 months). So much so that I even spoke to the GP to make sure I wasn't feeding him too much.

Everyone always says it as a positive thing (chubby babies are cute, that sort of thing...) But I don't know, it bothers me. Mainly because it worries me that he's too big.

If you had a big baby did you have this? And did it concern you? Did your chubby babies grow into big toddlers, children, adults? Or did it even out?

He's perfect to me but he's my first.

I'm sure your baby is adorable! My sil's dc all were relatively average normal birth weight but all three were super chubby until they started walking and all breast fed. All three are normal (actually eldest is very tall and skinny) My preemie twenty years ago was followed on a preemie growth chart at pediatrician. He's now a normal size young adult

All mine were born large - all over 9lb one over 10 lb and so many neagtive comments.

(I myself was only just under 9lb only one of my mother's children to get to full term)

I was due to family history tested for gestational diabetes - which I didn't have but I've had many people insit I must have .

They came down the weight charts slowly - and that wasn't right either. They hit all their mile stones and eldest is just under my height at nearly 16 and rest look like they'll just be slightly taller and none are overweight.

The weight tends to drop as and when they get mobile - so I'd wait and see before worrying - it's probably people just making conversation and not really thinking much beyond that.

I had a huge baby! She had rolls on rolls!

Now she’s a skinny minnie

Honestly you need to find a way to not let this kind of thing get under your skin. I really think the only thing to do is ignore and don't do it yourself.

My eldest is tall and I remember at preschool she wore some wellies and as we were all helping to hang their coats up (pre-covid obviously) One of the mums commented negatively on the size of her feet, luckily at 4 she had no idea they were laughing at her but it was awful.

My baby was 10 weeks prem and people always talk about how tiny he is, he has a really tiny head too which people love to point out!

My first was an absolute chunk. She was bang on average at birth and then just ballooned up to 99th centile at one point. I think that was when the health visitor tried to have a tactful chat with me, and clearly didn’t believe she was EBF and thought I was sneaking in protein shakes on the side. She’s now 4 and has slimmed down loads. She’s not skinny but she’s tall for her age (DH and I are both taller than average) and a healthy size. I didn’t enjoy the comments but looking back at photos now, she really was enormous (and highly squidgable) and I don’t think anyone meant anything unkind by it.

My boy has always had a decent amount of chub on his arms and on his cheeks. People do mention it sometimes. My ex’s mum always said to me “Don’t worry, it’ll drop off once he’s walking!” - I was never worried about it.

When people say he’s chunky I just smile and agree and give him a squeeze.
I usually just respond with something like: “Yup, he’s my chunky monkey” or “Yes and we love it because he’s so squeezable!”.

Don’t let it upset you- people love to see a chubby baby. Babies are supposed to be chunky!

Yup! Mine was born big. I remember when he was about 5mo he'd had a growth spurt and was noticably huge for his age. Everyone commented. Hes 14mo now and slimming out a bit, but hes still on the 90th centile for height. It used to bother me, like I was doing something wrong. Not so much anymore.

Welcome to the world of motherhood where you and your child will be subject to annoying comments forever more. Just say " yes he's a strapping lad isn't he."

My second baby was fat. Average birth weight but then just piled it on .. the HV suggested I cut his feeds at 4 months of age. He looked like a blonde Buddha!

At 3 I was worried he would start school the fat child in the class as he was still pretty square. By 4 he was skating , riding everywhere and it just vanished ..and ever since he has been a very slim chap. Now in his 20s he's somewhat underweight and would love to be a bit heavier.. he's 5 ft 10 and under 10 stone!!!

I think if your family are not overweight, your baby will just stretch out ..genetics tend to win. People will ALWAYS comment on something around babies, don't take it to heart!

Same!

My son was 20 lbs with he was FOUR MONTHS. He has the standard amount of milk but was just absolutely massive. People commented all the time and when he started eating, he ATE just a huge amount from the get go.

He is still a little chunky at 1.5 years but less and less so as he grows.

Babies comes in all different shapes and sizes but all are perfect.

Just remember is human to be curious and to compare.

When it comes to babies, there seems to be an interesting "it takes a village to raise a baby" factor going on that is largely forgotten about in Western countries on a conscious level, but still plays a large unconscious part in the minds of most humans when seeing a baby. Essentially, each one becomes an investment for the future old age, regardless of whether it's one's own or not, so making sure they are thriving is important. This isn't to say that anyone commenting on another's baby is about to poach one, but it is an interesting instinct characteristic for a group-dwelling mammals that is still occasionally exhibited in humans.

DS was ENORMOUS - hugely fat. At one stage he was at the 98th percentile for weight and the 25the for height, and at 7 months, the health visitor made me cry telling me I was overfeeding him and putting strain on his heart and lungs. I was really worried, but my DM reassured me by showing me pictures of myself at the same age - I was even larger and now a slim adult (BMI 21). He started to grow out of it once he started crawling - now at 2.5YO, he's still on the chubby side, but nothing like he was.

So, I wouldn't be concerned at this stage, but something to keep an eye on as he gets older. Now, we do have to watch portions a bit, but I'm happy he's gradually slimming as he grows. You keep hearing on here that toddlers will self-regulate their food intake, but I don't think those posters have met my DS - he's a human dustbin!!

My dd had rolls upon rolls ,they said she was overweight as a baby. Shes now 4& in 6-7 clothes but has the skinniest waist, she’s just tall . Oh and she now weighs only a stone more than she did when she was 12 months.
I wouldn’t worry too much!

My friends baby was huge. She fed him such enormous bottles no one was surprised - 12 or 14 ounces at a time. Sadly everyone constantly told her he was fine/destined to be tall. He's now a very overweight older child.

It's normal for babies to be chubby but also sensible to watch their hunger cues carefully and make sure you give them time to feed slowly and recognise when they are full. If they finish a large bottle and don't seem full, wait a few minutes before automatically offering more. Recognise that babies love to suck for comfort - breast fed babies can suck without taking much milk but if a baby sucks on a bottle milk will always flow out.

Somewhere in childhood some children do clearly get overweight, it's no bad thing to recognise that unhealthy eating patterns can start very early and be difficult habits to correct.

What percentile are they?

It's why I refused to put my baby's weight on the birth announcement. She will have enough of being judged by her weight as she grows up.

Comment back on their weight. That will shut them up!!

Yep my eldest was like this. Born weighing 10lbs and was an extremely chunky baby with lovely big rolls. Levelled out as a toddler once he started running around and now he’s very tall and slim at 11.

Don’t worry about it too much, they’re only a baby for such a tiny amount of time and it isn’t possible for a baby to be overweight.

I'm the same as you @kitkatsky. Both of my boys were absolutely tiny at 2lbs 14oz and 5lbs 3oz when they were born prematurely and people have always commented on their size from "oh they are so cute and tiny" to "are you feeding them?" And I've even had people accuse me of lying about their ages.
They are both still tiny, stocky but slim and absolutely perfect.
It doesn't matter what you do as a parent, there is always someone who is going to comment

DD2 was like this. Huge at birth and stayed that way until she was about 18 months. Someone commented that her cheeks were so fat her eyes were invisible... When she wasn't walking by 12 months both GMs were blaming her weight

It all dropped off when she was mobile and she was a skinny child. She's now a 6ft, slim, stunning adult.

Both my kids were the same birth weight. I think it was the most my body could cope with. Fairly average weights.

My oldest put on lots of weight and grew loads. Even now he's off the charts for height and weight. My second was under 50th per centile until around 4 and now is in the 90th for height.

I'm small enough, think it's their father's strapping genes.

It didn't worry me as such but I did question how much I should feed them. They seem to self regulate pretty well and are both active kids.

But yeah, always commented on. Especially when they are with me. When their dad's around people make fewer comments. OH is 6 ft 7, shaved head and built like a brick shithouse so doesn't tend to get questioned much.

ds(17) was a massive baby, easily mistaken for a mini sumo wrestler. Never bothered me when people commented on how chubby he was, lots of babies are. You are taking throw away, and very common baby small talk too personally. These type of baby comments generally disappear by they time they are up and mobile.

My dc were very long. They have grown to be taller than average but not at all unusually so. Every single person commented. Just mute it out,

I completely understand why this is starting to piss you off. We had the opposite with ours - DD was tiny and we had all sorts of comments. I don't know what people expect when they see a baby but from what I hear, nobody has ever had an 'average' baby - there's always something to comment on - gorgeous blue eyes, beautiful curls, lots of hair, big, small, long, etc. I guess I'd rather a comment about something rather than, "Oh wow, your baby is completely average!'

People always comment.
It'll be their size, they amount of hair they have, their length. It's just something to say.

A chunky baby is a good thing (IMO). You're not doing anything wrong. Lots of babies have rolls and it's far better than having an underweight baby (which people will also comment on!)