Pudgy Baby - Should I be concerned?

[Lucysmom]

Hi - My dd is 5.5 months old and is formula fed.  She is not on solids yet.  She has a bottle 4 times a day and does not wake in the night for a feed (so goes 12 hours without eating).  On average, she takes 6.5 ounces each feeding so about 26 ounces a day.  However, she is soooo pudgy and people's comments about her are starting to concern me.  I am attaching a photo of her in all of her glory that was taken last week so you can see what I am talking about.  I was a pudgy baby so I am attributing her physique to that but people's comments are beginning to get to me.  No one is being nasty or anything but I am finding that I am becoming defensive (like are they insinuating I am overfeeding her?).  Advice and opinions are welcome and if you think there is a problem I would not be offended by anyone on this site as we are all looking out for each other.  TIA.

[stasztk]

Melissa she is so dang cute! OMG she is a pretty baby! She is fine! Absolutly fine. Gorgeous even :wink:

Kaitie is a pudge too, and I would not have it any other way.

[CaedensMama]

Melissa -

I think she looks like a healthy happy baby...... unless your doctor has a concern I wouldn't worry about it. All babies are built differently and they vary so much from one to the other - even within siblings!
You should have a 6 mo checkup (I think?) so you can double check and run your concerns by your dr to be sure, but I think she is fine!

How much does she weigh? I know the June/July 05 babies are ranging quite a bit at last checks - anywhere from 13-17 pounds for the June ones anyway that I can think of off the top of my head!

I know remembering my siblings (I am the oldest of 9) - they would often start "chunking" up about this time and then "work" it off when they started walking and the weight kinda even itself out.

She's a sweetheart! She'll love that pic too when she is in high school - don't loose it!!!  :wink:

[deb]

Well, to me she looks like she has baby fat, and she's a baby, so.....what other people are fussed about is beyond me.

Natalie is about the same age and less chubby, but then again she's VERY active and has started burning of those fat rolls. Josie took longer to get mobile, but once she could crawl, she slimed down quick just burning calories!

When Josie was a baby, another family at the doctor's for the well-baby checkup at one year had a baby who was FAT - the child weighed THIRTY POUNDS!!!! Both parents were overweight and I could just imagine them feeding that poor little girl cheese doodles and pork rinds - I mean, you have to WORK to make a baby that fat.

Hope that puts things a little bit in perspective. You can always counter un-asked-for comments with, "The doctor says she's just fine for her size, thanks," and change the subject.

JHMO, FWIW.

[LindseysMom]

lindsey was a very chunky baby too.  Her ped even suggested I try and cut back her breastfeeds when she was 6 months.  Now though at a year her ped is fine with her weight.  So, don't worry.   Your lo is soooo cute.

[Deb_in_oz]

olivia is huge and not a tall baby - she is 90% for weight but only 60% for height - so you can picture how much baby fat she has - her belly and thighs are enormous.

she has started to crawl in the past month and usually most of these pudgy babies stack on th eweight in the first 6-12 months (as they are supposed to) and then when crawling and cruising start they use more of those calories they are storing and start to lose a bit of the fat.  also their weigyht gain will slow down after the first year so it will even out more. alex did this - i was also concerned by the comments - and right on time her gains slowed and she settled into a more "normal" toddler physique still with the normal toddler belly.

[Lucysmom]

THANK YOU all for your great words of encouragement!  I don't know why I let other people get to me.....I mean everything you guys said I have thought myself.  She is a friggin' baby and (shock horror!!!) has baby fat!  And I have also thought that she will lose some of it once she becomes mobile.  I personally think her pudginess is absolutely gorgeous - I could just bite her chunky thighs and let's not even mention her butt!!! :lol: Thanks everyone also for saying she's a cutie!  Since she's mine I am biassed but it is nice to hear that others think she is cute!!!!  She looks just like her dad.  I will try to post some more photos soon!  Thanks so much again!  You guys are the best!

[Mum to Ella Rose]

I just have to add I think she is PERFECT!!! Gorgeous perfect little baby! 

Sharon

[Tammy: Ethan & Kaden's Mom]

Hey Melissa!  Tell people to go blow!  Just kidding.   :wink:

Lucy looks like a gorgeous pudgy baby!  And that's perfectly fine!  I know some babies are small, and some are big.  But I think as long as your doc is fine with their weight, it's not a big deal. 

Ethan is a big baby too.  I think he weighs about 22 lbs now at almost 9 months.  He's always been big, and some people would make comments like "doesn't look like he's missed many meals", etc.  I'm like, so what?  No, actually, you're right, I don't make my child go hungry... gee, what am I thinking?!?  So I totally understand where you're coming from.

Anyway, I think she is beautiful, and I'm sure she is just a  healthy happy baby!

She's a cutie! 

[Lucysmom]

Tell people to go blow!

Tammy I totally burst out laughing!!!!!  You are just too funny!!!!!

Thanks Tammy, Sharon, and Bec for your lovely comments about Lucy.  I could just eat her up!!!!

Thanks again!!!!!!

[Lucysmom]

Here are some more pictures.  She looks sooooo much like her daddy, doesn't she?!!!

[Mum to Ella Rose]

Brilliant Melissa! Bless her! 

Sharon

[Tammy: Ethan & Kaden's Mom]

You are just too funny!!!!!

I try to be good for a laugh!   :wink:

What a cutie in those other pics - she has SO much hair!

[Ennypen]

Hi Melissa

I can empathise how you feel when people prattle on about how big your LO is. My William is almost 4 months old and is about 20lbs now and is very tall for his age. so when they ask me how old he is and I tell them they gasp and look at me as if Im feeding him too much or he's somehow abnormal.

Your little one looks lovely. As my Health visitor says as long as she is healthy and happy thats all that matters at this age. They need reserves in case they get poorly and dont feel like eating and when they start crawling and moving about they soon loose it all as they need it to burn to give them the energy they need.

Do what Ive started to do - tell them she's happy and healthy and thats all that matters.. or tell em to go jump as I do in my head!

Helen xx

[Isabella and Scarletts mummy]

Hi Just wanted to say your lo is gorgeous!! And i know what you mean about wanting to bite her thighs- i always say that about my DD. My DD has always been quite big for her age, and is very tall, and loads of people comment. Just smile and say "yes we are fortunate to have such a healthy baby". I have a friend who spent so much time worrying about her DD cos she was underweight and always got comments about her being so small, and it kind of ruined the first year of her babys life as she was constantly getting her checked out, and worrying about feeding etc.
Don't worry, she looks perfect!
Amy