Is it possible for a bf baby to be overweight?

[Fink]

I don't think she is/it is possible (when feeding on demand), but DH and some other family members are worried as DD has gone up from 9th to above 75th centile in 4 months.

She is bf on demand and having some solids via BLW (but we've been BLW for less than a month and the weight gain has been going on for much longer). Personally I'm not concerned but I want to reassure DH, he's now going on about her not being able to walk cos she's too fat (when she was on the 9th centile for the first 3 months he was worried she was too small!).

She does crawl and is quite active, so I would expect her to burn off some calories like that. If she is too big, how could I get her to bf less? I can't imagine she'd take kindly to me refusing feeds...

Please help!

kellymom has some good info on bf baby weight gain

Don't worry, it's great your dd is putting on so much weight and is a good comfortable breastfeeder.

My three dc were large, actually HUGE, bf babies as I seemed to have an overabundant supply . They all walked early inspite of their sizes.

Mine all went straight up to 99th percentile by eight weeks and stayed there till 2. It's fine.

They are now 91st and 99th percentile but balanced height and weight.

Hang on, I'm going to find a pic of DS (EBF) at 6 months and put it on my profile for you :)

Don't worry, DD2 was exclusively breast fed for a year, was 7lb at birth (25th percentile) and rocketed to the 98th percentile within 2 months and stayed there, I used to avoid seeing the HV as she would make me go through in detail what she consumed, which used to drive me round the bend as I was not over feeding her. DD1 on the other hand was also 7lbs at birth and exclusively breast fed for a year, but remained on the 25th percentile. DD1 is tall and willowy, DD2 is stocky - its the way they are.

I have had two babies who were on the 75th centile while I was breast feeding them

but once they started moving around they really needed the calories. their size didn't/doesn't seem to hinder them.
DS1 crawled properly (i.e. tummy off the floor) at 6mths and was walking by 11mths
DS2 commando crawls and has just started pulling himself up to standing against the furniture - is 9mths

I think that I must have just produced double cream rather and standard milk

DS1 is a really skinny child now, you would never know he had been such a chunky baby, I really don't think you should worry too much while they are so young.

If you do decide to start cutting back on some of the breast feeds you might want to offer water instead mid morning and mid afternoon before offering the breast so that they satisfy their thirst first and this would mean that you very gently cut down on the bf'ing. until you cut these feeds out completely and get to the point where they have water and a solid snack such as a rice cake

Done. Check my profile.

I was horrified when the health visitor woman who was running our baby massage classes started waxing lyrical about how you never saw a fat breastfed baby - I was mid-undressing DS who was positively rippling.

Another HV described me as <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.belfastfarmersmarket.org/farmgallery/osfcow.JPG&imgrefurl=www.belfastfarmersmarket.org/vendors/osf.html&usg=__KQcO7QfoMFOS2qNZN1s2sO4OBbM=&h=1704&w=2272&sz=884&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=UPQK1Vqh7XDs8M:&tbnh=146&tbnw=199&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djersey%2Bcow%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1440%26bih%3D783%26tbs%3Disch:1,isz:l0,100&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=541&vpy=493&dur=823&hovh=178&hovw=238&tx=169&ty=83&ei=_rl6TMOoMMTKjAeOpuzmBQ&oei=_rl6TMOoMMTKjAeOpuzmBQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0&biw=1440&bih=783" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"a Jersey".

It's cool, they grow out of it.

Awww ThatDamnDog - he's gorgeous and very round like mine were

I used to express milk and it was a third cream

oh gorgeous I love it when they have those ripples in their arms and legs.

ThatDamnDog - I love the piccy in the bath, what a cutie

I've just uploaded an after pic (about 6 months ago) to reassure you that they do grow out of it. He was BFed until this time last year (self-weaned at around 2) and he eats like a horse. However, he has ribs and cheekbones now

thatdamndog, hahaha, my DD was just like this. I had a very abundant supply and could also have been described as a jersey. OP - I wouldn't worry at all!

DS was exclusively BF and was ABOVE the 99th centile , an absolute heffer of a baby! The HV actually told me to withold milk from him because he was too fat. I don't think it helped that he never ever crawled so had no way of burning off the fat!

Luckily my GP was far more sensible and told me to keep feeding him on demand so I did! He walked at 13 months and now aged 3.5 he's as slim as a bean just like his Dad.

So don't worry, some babies are bigger than others!

TDD your DS is adorable!

Aw, thanks. I do think he's rather handsome :)

It'll be fine, Fink :)

TDD - those photos are so lovely - what a gorgeous DS - I want to have another one now!

I have put a piccy of DS aged five months at the top of my pics so you can see what a lardarse well covered boy he was at the time.

My Godson's mother was told he should be referred to the obesity clinic! He was exclusively bf.He was a pretty chubby baby,but slimmed down as a toddler and has never been overweight since,he was a skinny child (is now a teenager,and slim).

Actually scroll down, there is another one of him sleeping on DH which shows how large his bum actually was!

OMG Whomovedmychocolate - a chubby cherub! Delectable!

LOL wmmc, what a backside

It's a delectable stage, isn't it? Can't wait for this one to arrive and start getting fat!

a very kissable backside that!

fink - you know what babies are meant to be wonderfully fat, that is what I would say to anyone who asks.

wmmc I heart your house

Thatdamndog - his bum is normal size now thankfully.

DD was just the same. She's fairly stringy these days.

I do love a good podgy baby.