To think babies don't need to look like the michelin man?

[TheDevilWearsYFronts]

?

I know what you mean - ds1 was early and really small and we had so many comments about how he was so skinny etc - he's solid and isn't chubby as a toddler, but weighs a lot!

i think HV a few years ago put much more emphasis on weight than they do now - and i think that really rubs off on people, especially when it's your first and you might rely on what your HV is saying as gospel

I do agree that its' completely ridiculous to be 'proud' of babies being on a top percentile. WTF does it have to do with anything?! Its just random really. Doesn't even have to do directly with how tall parents are, because there are babies who start out average & then get very tall (or the opposite). I agree also with Katedan that HVs have a lot to answer for this by doing all this silly weighing all the time (have avoided going to HV for ages now).

The important thing is for babies to be getting nutritional food... and again, that has nothing to do with weight, I think. As someone said before, it almost feels as if- when all these comments are made- we mothers of chubbier babies are sneakily feeding them KitKats on the side. I feed mine a perfectly normal, home-cooked, nutritious diet & he's growing very very fast (even during times when he's completely fussy with eating). I haven't even given him sugar or salt yet fgs (he's 10 months) except a tiny taste of chocolate one day (he loved it ).

My two have always been lean. I used to spend far too much time worrying that they weren't putting on enough weight.

What a strange thing to say OP.
I have no preference for skinny or chubby babies. My DD was between 75-98 percentile all through her first year. I was happy that she was keeping a steady weight. It didn't matter what line she was following. I never boasted about having a big baby but at the same time I always thought that if she was ill for any reason she wouldn't fade away.
Chubby toddlers well that's a different matter altogether but chubby babies are cute just like skinny babies are.

Its not complusory to go to the baby clinic and in fact you can attend the baby clinic without getting your baby weighed. Quite often first time mums like the reassurance that their little ones are thriving.

I am not sure what health visitors best do. Many mums seem to want to get their babies wieghed. Maybe surestart will give mums something a bit more productive to do than go to baby clinic each week.

one fat one skinny
dunno