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Original poster

Can babies really be fat?

19 replies

Mum8 · 05/09/2017 12:22

I'm angry at mother and sister in law. Basically my baby has some folds and is not skinny but I would not say she has a health issue and they make such a big deal about it 🙄
They live overseas and never met DD, but DH shared a photo of her where her cheeks look huge, she does have cheeks but the angle of photo did not help either and that was it. MIL tells whole family there how fat DD is and she is worried on her health and the SIL texts DH that we need to take baby to doctor to check her weight and we need to watch out.
I had her weighed then by Health visitor and they said nothing to worry about she jumped from 50 to 75% in four months but at 5 months this can happen and there is nothing to worry about.
But now DH does not share any photos with them anymore and the rest of the family keep tells us how MIL keeps talking about how obese our baby is😳😣 never had this reaction for my elder children, but feel so angry. Now I hesitate myself to share photos of her with family to avoid comments. She is long as well and I believe she will be s tall girl. She's wearing 6-12 months already at 5 months. Should I worry for her baby folds? Feel angry to be honest, just wanted to enjoy my baba and not hear all these negative labelling from her, mind you MIL never told me directly ...

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cornishgirl17 · 05/09/2017 14:30

mother in laws can be nightmares can't they. Mine likes to comment on everything on anything I do with the children. Not nice is it.

Your daughter seems healthy. Being chubby is perfectly normal for babies and as you probably know most lose it when they start walking.

My two were chunky but both perfectly healthy.

In your situation, I think I would be upset too. If it was me I'd get the other half to have a word with her. It's totally unacceptable to talk behind your back about the children you're raising!

Original poster

Mum8 · 05/09/2017 14:41

Cornish girl I probably should get him to do that but he says already his mother has issues, she's obsessed with her weight and calls another granddaughter big like her bother when to be honest both her and mama a are lean and beautiful so I cannot understand her standards or shall I say I do not agree with them. Maybe we should whatsup his family and say: in case you are wondering our baby girl is healthy and at a good weight, Thank you for your concern. We just want to enjoy her now and do not want to hear any more of your opinions" so happy I live overseas...

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Notthatwittyreally · 05/09/2017 14:47

Babies need a bit extra IMO because even if they only get a cold or something they soon lose it.

Also 6-12 clothes at 5 months is about right anyway.

And, as an aside, my EBF DD put a pound a week on for the first 18 weeks of her life, and she was born 8lb9! I was only average (5'2" 9st 12lb) when I conceived as well, putting about 2 stone on. You've not seen a 'fat' baby until you've seen a photo of DD at 20 weeks

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99blueballoons · 05/09/2017 14:51

My dd is 4 and a half months and 9 kg!. Doctor and health visitor say she's fine, she exclusively breast fed. Babies are supposed to be chubby and everyone keeps telling me they lose weight when they're moving around anyway.

Issummeroveryet · 05/09/2017 15:03

I think babies can be fat, I also think there's nothing wrong with that. My DD1 was a fat baby, all rolls and cheeks, she was beautiful! DD1 is now 9, almost as tall as me and really slim so it bears no relevance to how they will grow up x

Original poster

Mum8 · 05/09/2017 15:03

Thank you blueballoon and Notthatwitty, think so too!! MIL had six children so you would think she knows 🙄 DS was big and we never heard anything, though much taller at 95% but now they must be comparing to my first who was much smaller and think she may have more folds than rest, my first breastfed baby too so not sure if that would make a difference. Just felt hurt and angry at their remarks...

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NewDaddie · 05/09/2017 18:17

Baby's can't be fat, but they can be overfed. Vomiting and sleep disturbance would be the concern though rather than how heavy the baby is and definitely not how 'fat' the baby looks.

Your in laws are completely out of order, the health visitor is happy and I would be tempted to advise the in laws to stick to their day jobs.

Threenme · 05/09/2017 18:21

My ds looked like a beach ball! Roundest fattest thing you've seen! He's fine now!!! I reckon if he wasn't so active he'd be prone to being a little tubby we do keep an eye! I never worried as a baby despite hv having a go I just stopped taking him to get weighed tbh!

Original poster

Mum8 · 05/09/2017 22:11

Thank you all! Reassuring to hear good stories!! She does get her sleep and she's sure to tell us when she had enough feed pushing me away... Love for her cute baby chubby being and I will not MIL put her down in my eyes 😍 She's perfect and honestly still growing. For now will zone out any of their negativity!! Hope I'm always this strong as I feel at the moment!

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SolemnlyFarts · 05/09/2017 22:15

I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as an overfed breastfed baby, so if you're breastfeeding that makes it even more unlikely she could possibly be overweight!

RefuseTheLies · 05/09/2017 22:16

I wanted a fat baby with lots of rolls, but my DD has chicken legs like her dad. Most dissatisfying.

Muddlingalongalone · 05/09/2017 22:22

Dd2 was so fat her chubby legs wouldn't fit into a bumbo. She's just under 3 now and a perfectly normal size.
I can't believe it when I look at her baby photos now. Such a chubster and so deliciously squidgy.
Nevertheless your mil shouldn't be commenting - tell her to do one or better still get dh to do it and give your dd extra squishy cuddles

SheepyFun · 05/09/2017 22:22

DD was born on the 9th centile, and made it to the 91st at 12 months (which is when she started crawling) - HV was spectacularly unbothered. Her weight plateaued for 3 months when she finally started moving. At 4.5 (years) she's now somewhere in between. In short, don't worry!

Bobbiepin · 05/09/2017 22:24

Fat babies are the best. If DD was 5 then you may have an issue but certainly not now. Frankly, skinny babies look a bit odd. I just love chunky legs on a baby less so on myself

welshweasel · 05/09/2017 22:25

Agree you have nothing to worry about but at what point can a baby/toddler be deemed overweight? You seem to spend the first year obsessing over how much they are eating/drinking...when do you have to start worrying about portion sizes etc?

Original poster

Mum8 · 05/09/2017 22:25

I'm doing combination feeding (some breasts some bottle) but letting DD let me know when she's hungry. She's not one to accept a bottle though unless she is truly hungry... Muddling alone definitely will give her extra cuddles 😉

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ItsNachoCheese · 05/09/2017 22:29

My ds was 11lb 0.5z of squishyness when he was born. He had the cutest wee fat rolls ever and now is a towering tornado of a 2yo and never stops

mrsplum2015 · 05/09/2017 23:58

Welshweasal it's a really tough one and I think you raise a good point. I had 3 chubby babies and the 3rd has been classified as "overweight/obese" age 5. The others are skinny and I don't think I've done anything different.

Now I wish I had been aware sooner and kept an eye on her weight as it may have been easier to manage at a younger age. I hate having to restrict what she eats and worry about her long term health prospects. I also feel guilty.

Everyone including me says embrace the chubbiness but health professionals soon quickly change their tune. Op I say keep an eye especially when she starts solids. Maybe discuss with your hv. But ignore your Mil and don't discuss it with her at all. Not her place.

Original poster

Mum8 · 06/09/2017 02:02

Yes definitely plan to weigh her again in a month with HV and will start weaning in about a month too... keeping an eye is a good idea. DS was 10.5lbs when born but also very long and not sure but never had these concerns, think I will have him weighed again now at 3 years to make sure he's OK though in his case he's quite tall and not what I see as obese, isn't motherhood often a big bag of worries?

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