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Original poster

DD weighs 18lbs - too heavy?

27 replies

newlife4 · 18/11/2020 15:18

My daughter is 7 months exactly today and I got her weighed this afternoon. It turns out she now weighs 18lbs - which I think is quite a lot above average for her age. When she was born she was on the 50th centile so her weight seems to have accelerated quite a bit. Is it possible for a baby to be overweight and is this anything to be concerned about?

OP posts:
BeingATwatItsABingThing · 18/11/2020 15:22

My DD was 12lb at her six week check. Her health visitor didn’t seem worried.

Who weighed her?

FurryGiraffe · 18/11/2020 15:33

By my calculation based on the growth charts that puts her between the 50th and 75th centile, which sounds perfectly normal and unconcerning for a baby born on the 50th.

Original poster
newlife4 · 18/11/2020 15:40

Thanks. The health visitor weighed her and then seemed quite evasive when I asked her whether the increase was anything to worry about Confused

DD was 8lb at birth. I think that’s around 50th centile isn’t it?

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GreyishDays · 18/11/2020 15:42

Here are the centile charts here

www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Girls_0-4_years_growth_chart.pdf

Aquamarine1029 · 18/11/2020 15:44

My son was 21lbs at 6 months, my daughter was 18lbs at 6 months, both ebf. They are 21 and 23 now, tall and very slim. I wouldn't worry a bit.

GolfForBrains · 18/11/2020 15:44

My mum always said "double in six months, triple in a year" was the saying. I expect you will find she will naturally slow down a bit soon but really that all sounds fine.

SummerInSun · 18/11/2020 15:45

How tall (long!) is she? If weight and height are tracking roughly in parallel, she's fine.

If her diet is healthy, and you let her eat what she wants but don't go to huge lengths to encourage her to have extra once she is ready to stop eating (even if you worry she hasn't eaten enough), she is almost certainly fine.

Willow4987 · 18/11/2020 15:46

8lb will be somewhere between 75th and 91st percentile. My DS was 8lb 3oz at birth and on the 91st percentile. So based on that it sounds like your DD weight is fine

Are the HV not plotting the weight in the red book? You should be able to see from that if her weight is following the curve. If it is don’t worry Smile

ShivD · 18/11/2020 15:48

My daughter is a good but bigger at 7 months (her brothers were all the same) but most of her baby friends happen to be big babies too.

She was 8lb 4 at birth and it almost 19lbs now.

Original poster
newlife4 · 18/11/2020 15:54

Yes she’s plotting the weight in the red book - I’m double checking it now and it looks like DD has crossed two lines since birth! She was just below the 50th and is now just above the 75th. I thought they weren’t meant to cross more than two lines or something like that?

OP posts:
Original poster
newlife4 · 18/11/2020 15:55

How tall (long!) is she? If weight and height are tracking roughly in parallel, she's fine.

I’m not sure - she’s not been measured since birth.

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Original poster
newlife4 · 18/11/2020 15:57

The HV also said that when she starts becoming more active her weight should level out (or something along those lines).

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Aquamarine1029 · 18/11/2020 16:09

The HV also said that when she starts becoming more active her weight should level out (or something along those lines).

She's exactly right. This happened with both of my chubby babies. Once they started moving, they both became thin little things.

GreyishDays · 18/11/2020 16:22

@newlife4

Yes she’s plotting the weight in the red book - I’m double checking it now and it looks like DD has crossed two lines since birth! She was just below the 50th and is now just above the 75th. I thought they weren’t meant to cross more than two lines or something like that?
8lbs is 3.6kg and above the 50th centile though isn’t it?
orangejuicer · 18/11/2020 16:24

@newlife4

The HV also said that when she starts becoming more active her weight should level out (or something along those lines).
Same happening here. Does she look overweight to you as opposed to baby chubby? 18lb at 7m doesn't sound heavy to me.
Holliej · 18/11/2020 16:26

My DS is 22lb at 7 months. Health visitor laughed and said once he starts moving more he will drop it. Wasn’t at all bothered. She went through his daily food/milk intake and said it was fine and to just carry one. I wouldn’t worry too much at this age. X

Original poster
newlife4 · 18/11/2020 16:34

Same happening here. Does she look overweight to you as opposed to baby chubby?

She looks like a normal baby to me, albeit one with chubby cheeks and a double chin!

8lbs is 3.6kg and above the 50th centile though isn’t it?

Could be? She then dropped to about 7lbs 3oz soon after birth, I don’t know if that’s what I can see on the chart!

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Thesearmsofmine · 18/11/2020 16:40

Is she happy and settled? If so then I would have no concerns at all. Is there a reason you are worried about her?

I also went by the double birth weight by 6 months and triple at 12 months and it was about right for my dc.

Original poster
newlife4 · 18/11/2020 16:56

Is she happy and settled? If so then I would have no concerns at all. Is there a reason you are worried about her?

Yes, she seems to be! Is putting on extra weight an indicator of anything worrying?

I also went by the double birth weight by 6 months and triple at 12 months and it was about right for my dc.

Going by that rule, DD should be just over 17.5lbs at 7 months, so 18lbs maybe isn’t too bad after all!

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BeingATwatItsABingThing · 18/11/2020 17:12

As long as you’re not force feeding her, I’m sure she eats what she needs.

I remember DD1 going through multiple chubby phases before a growth spurt. She’d then stretch right out. She’s a perfectly proportioned 6 year old now. She’s just very tall for her age.

Emiliasmummy · 18/11/2020 17:31

My dd was on a different centile at 7 months compared to birth then started crawling and her weight just levelled off. Don't think I would be concerned at that gain. Have you had her weighed since she was born. I used to get my dd weighed weekly (before lockdown) so the line change looked more gradual.

MrFlibblesEyes · 18/11/2020 20:08

You don't mention if she is mobile or not (although I'm guessing at just turned 7 months she might not be?). Ds chunked up a bit around that age but as soon as he started crawling /cruising he leaned right out!

Original poster
newlife4 · 18/11/2020 21:49

@MrFlibblesEyes no she’s not mobile yet - and doesn’t show much interest in becoming so either! If she’s lying on her playmat I tend to hand her toys instead of putting them just out of reach - maybe I should do the latter to see if it encourages her to move more.

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dementedpixie · 18/11/2020 21:53

Mine was 21lbs at 23 weeks. Never had adverse comments about it

rainonarainyday · 18/11/2020 22:22

My DD is so chunky and her tummy is huge, but her weight and height are in the same centile, so it seems she is fine. It does seem by looking at her she is fat, but I can't argue with the charts. I'd measure your DD then you know.

I think my DD was born on the 50th now on the 99th centile but I had diet controlled gestational diabetes and I think she probably should of been bigger, but wasn't as I could eat anything cake.