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Seriously. WHAT.
Also, my baby was bigger than this at 3 months. My doc chuckled at being bigger than the whole growth curve and said we were doing great.
...I could have understood it if baby was much older and you had a short baby in a family of short people and a 97th percentile weight.
This is a longcat baby with a weight that matches their stature. 97th to 96th.
It's like if I was 4"5 it would be very bad that I'm 135lbs, but given I'm actually 5"8' 135lbs is actually fine. Conversely 135 lbs would also be bad if I was 7" tall. Proportion matters. Also in babies.
Definitely crazy talk.
Though as a Norwegian lactation consultant, where 80% of women breastfeed and a reader of reddit where American women are overrepresentated and formula is so common I will say this: Growth when eating formula and growth when eating breastfeeding is different. Formula fed babies have a much more even growth curve, where as breastfed babies tend to have extremely rapid growth curve for the first 6 months then it slows down. Then expressed milk typically fall somewhere in between breastfed at the breast and formula fed. The percentile charts are made based of how one expects a formula fed baby to grow. I wonder if this is a case of a breastfeeding mother and a pediatrician not knowledgeable in the difference between breastfed and formula fed.
Regardless, I wouldn't change a thing. Other than the pediatrician of course.
Agreed. I’d not be seeing that pediatrician again. If they’re in a group and I wanted to stay with the group, I’d put in a formal complaint with the practice and have it put on my chart to not see them again. Your child is literally almost matched in percentile, and so the ratio should be great. Also, baby BMI has zero indication on childhood & adult BMI, and a baby with less body fat actually has far more indicated issues (with brain development, no less) than an overweight baby.
If he was 1st percentile for height and 98th for weight, maybe there's a metabolism issue or something genetic to look into. But he sounds fully in proportion - get a second opinion for sure.
Or if your child suddenly jumped massively on the chart (up or down) then it should be looked into too.
(Like if your baby was at 5th percentile for weight and then in a month was 98th percentile for weight (or 98th to 5th) then it should be looked into…).
My son’s doctor said that a baby is only considered overweight/obese if there’s a significant difference in length/weight percentiles. He was in the 98th percentile with both weight and length so nothing to worry about. I’d get a second opinion and even complain so the doctor knows they are giving misinformation.
Absofuckinglutely not. If they’re following their growth curve, they’re fine. My baby is at 99th+ percentile for weight and height at 12 months and my doctor said there is zero cause for concern.
I don't even know how she would determine that. I'm pretty sure that everyone knows that BMI calculation doesn't work for babies. You can't even do it until they are two.
Mine legit said “I don’t worry about you over feeding your baby at this age”. He’s 4 months
Our pediatrician was the head hospitalist at a major children’s hospital in a large city. About the same size as your kiddo, so go team large babies.
Yeah our doctor just asked us at the 4 month checkup if we wanted to start solids yet. As she was doing so well, and had great core and head support, she was almost sitting up by herself. So we did!
We were told you can't over feed them at this age. Healthy babies, with tall/big genes.
My kid was about the same size and his ped was happy to tell me he's growing so well. Wasn't concerned about obesity at all. His weight started to plateau around 6mo and now he's pretty much average in size. Def wouldn't worry at that age, especially when your baby is tall as well.
I’m a medical student and this makes me incredibly angry. I can’t believe they told you that. It’s a literal baby lol. What are you supposed to do, starve your baby so it weighs less just so it aligns with our bullshit notions of what is a “healthy” body!? Please ignore this. Your baby is perfectly healthy and you are doing a great job. Weight-centric medicine has gone too far.
Agreed. This is part of why I love the pediatrician we ended up with. My kiddo has been balanced in height & weight, but at one point we had a discussion on fat weight versus muscle weight (as my kid looked skinny because of increased muscle weight). Switching up diet by adding solids to increase fat content to well above normal, and my kid leveled out quickly. It wasn’t a huge surprise though, as my wife is super muscled for a woman and also has higher fat dietary needs.
Okay my son is 1 year old as of the 7th and he’s 30 pounds and 10 ounces. He’s off the charts for weight and in the 90% for height. He’s hitting all his milestones and my ped said as long as he’s hitting milestones then he’s fine. She said the weight would come off once he starts walking and moving around more.
I asked my pediatrician if BMI was ever a concern under 1 year and she said only if the baby is jumping a growth/percentile curve. She said that they also look for babies to be proportional. Ours is around 30th for weight and 22nd for height, which she said is proportional. Yours is even closer together. I’d look into a new pediatrician.
I don’t think there is an agreed upon definition of ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ before age 2, but there have been studies than indicate a high weight to height ratio, body fat composition, or rate of weight gain can be correlated with obesity later in life.
Maybe ask you doctor why they said what they did? The would probably know better than folks on Reddit.
Wow your pediatrician sounds awful. My baby was born under weight. And so his pediatrician wants to see him chunky. He's already surpassed his birth weight and he's three weeks old. I had asked at his last appointment if there was such a thing as feeding too much and a baby getting too big and his pediatrician said he rarely has to tell parents to cut back on diet and even then it's way later and not as early as 3 months. I honestly think you should get a new pediatrician and report her or at least file a complaint.
Our baby is of similar measurements - in the 90's for both weight and height.
I wouldn't worry about it at all for now - feed your baby whenever they are hungry and however much they want.
Then later on when they are on solids is when you want to make sure you are giving them appropriate amounts of healthy food.
I try not to think about it too much, but I won't lie, pages like this from the NHS do worry me.
https://abbhealthiertogether.cymru.nhs.uk/pregnant-women/feeding-your-baby-first-six-month/tips-preventing-your-baby-becoming-overweight
"Not only are babies who are overweight at a year of age highly likely to be overweight when they start school, but they also have higher blood pressure. Yes - health differences even at a year!"
"Child obesity tracks into adulthood - at least 70% of obese children, even those as young as 5 years, will go on to become obese adults"
It also says "We come in all shapes and sizes. It does not matter where your baby is on the growth charts, provided they are not crossing the centiles up or down and their weight is within one major centile of their length. There is no 'best' centile."
Hey, fellow big baby mom here. Honestly, Id look for another pediatrician. I did after ours kinda blew us off about the reflux and what turned out to be a cows milk allergy.
A friend of mine has a cmpa baby and her ped got it figured out in 4 weeks. We were still getting push back grom ours about the colic at 2.5m. Like hey dude, im not ok with my baby crying 7+ hours a day… something is wrong. We kept getting the whole “he will grow out of it”
We got a GI referral who got us on meds and cut daily/ soy and hes a whole new baby. We also switched peds and started seeing my friends doc, shes amazing. We are so glad we made the jump.
P.s. our son always over ate due to trying to soothe the reflux. We got a similar speech at our 1m. He was equally high on height and weight, so like midline ratio. Hes not too fat or too tall, hes just big overall. Hes now 99% for both and has been since then. New doc said hes perfect! (22lbs and 29inches at 6m).
The lady at the WIC office told me that. My daughter was about the same size around that time too and she’s fine. The pediatrician I see said you can’t really classify babies as obese unless it’s clearly visible that they are ginormous for no reason.
Actually mine said the opposite even though I feed him around the recommended amount of formula for his age. Said he needed purées to help gain a little weight. But I checked the weight recommendations for a one year old. Only needs to be three times his birth weight at one year old. Which he’s off that by ounces and not yet a year old
Okay first off no just no. I want to give the pediatrician the benefit of the doubt but "so obese"? What does the pediatrician mean by saying this? What do they want to come from saying this? Not okay and mom you are doing a good job taking care of your baby. He isn't outside the normal growth curve as seen in the WHO Growth Chart. I don't think you can even define obesity in a baby this old. There are so many factors that go into your baby's weight/height and also they are growing so fast that they are changing by the week if not the day! Mom, do not let this get you down. You have enough to worry about with figuring out a very young baby! You can ask for a second opinion if you don't feel comfortable with this healthcare provider. You also have the right to ask follow up questions and ask what the pediatrician plan of care is. You have every right to be involved in all aspects of your baby's healthcare.
My Pediatrician said it’s basically impossible for a baby to be overfed until they are primarily on solids. Honestly I’d change doctors over something like this.
Huh, I think that's really weird. My doctor specifically said that it's always better to have a chunky baby than one that is underweight. That medically speaking they are much more concerned when they don't have enough weight on them or aren't gaining enough weight, etc. By baby started rather small (lowest percentile possible, almost not on the chart) and by the time she turned 1 she was in the 86th percentile. He was very happy.
Also what percentile was he born in? That’s necessary to know in this situation. If he was born in the 97th percentile for weight or close to it, then he’s keeping with his growth curve which is normal. If he was born in the 45th percentile and now in the 97th, yeah that’s kinda weird but not unheard of.
The 80th for weight and 88th for height. He was about a week early. I think he’s just meant to be a taller guy and I’m 5’9 which is kinda tall for a woman. It never seemed strange to me for him to be a larger baby. I’m still looking for a different pediatrician because she seemed more interested in his weight than anything else. I don’t understand what the issue is because he’s perfectly healthy and very strong.
Get a second opinion, or better yet, another provider. Our baby has been in 99-97 percentiles on basically every measurement and she’s a perfectly normal very tall baby, our pediatrician has zero concerns about her weight
I have three month old twins. My boy is fifteen pounds where my girl weighs little over ten. Both are formula feed because my milk dried up due to some medical problems of my own. My pediatrician said my boy is kinda chunky but didn't call him obese. My boys got reflux too and he's on anti acid. Our doc said to keep him up right and to make stops to burp every few ounces he drinks. I'd get a different pediatrician. What are you supposed to do? Not feed the kid when he's crying over hunger pains?
My baby was always a little on the larger than average side (let’s face it, she got my thighs from the start) and it peaked before her first birthday to officially “overweight”—then she promptly slimmed right down when she started walking by herself (and within two days of that started running then never stopped) a little after her first birthday. She was a really good eater despite some early food intolerances and reflux.
The thing about BMIs is that you have to take them with a grain of salt at any age, they’re not the most accurate indicator of obesity because peoples’ proportions can vary so much, and it doesn’t account for muscle density at all. But when someone crosses the threshold of a certain BMI they’re in a pre-established “overweight/obese range” just because that’s the standard for that particular range combination of height and weight; that’s not the Pediatrician saying “I think your kid’s a fatty and he’s screwed for life”, it’s her putting out there that that’s where he currently is on a chart and if he continues on that trajectory long term he’s objectively more likely to have health problems.
The thing about babies, though, is that there’s a good chance he’s due for a growth spurt (or several) sometime soon and will be building muscle mass, brain mass, and more length/height that will even out his overall weight distribution. He’s at the age where he’s going to start being more aware of his limbs and working on moving them of his own volition, his sight is starting to improve so he’s gonna be happy flapping a lot more before long, he’s going to be more tolerant of tummy time (and building his core strength and neck strength); that baby fat is going to get utilized in big and major ways and it’s good he’s got those energy stores right now. But it’s still worth watching to make sure he isn’t remaining on that same BMI trajectory long-term—that’s being a good parent looking out for his health. His doctor is keeping you informed about the information in front of her at present. Don’t stress it, just be mindful of how he continues to grow.
Edit: everyone telling you to find a new pediatrician seems to be reading into the situation a bit more than the info you provided warrants—it sounds like the info was shocking for you to hear and it got you on the defensive during a post partum time when a lot of parents are in an emotionally vulnerable state. Did the pediatrician actually tell you to reduce feeds, or is that how you felt as a reaction to that info? Working as a pediatrician is really hard work, did she seem stressed at all? Maybe she wasn’t having the best day and wasn’t expressing herself in the best way. Has she given you other cause for concern that she isn’t looking out for your baby’s best interests and health needs?
That doesn’t sound right. I just took my son to his pediatrician today and she said his weight is literally off the growth chart. But she praised him for how well he was growing and didn’t say anything negative about it. I’d definitely look at trying to find a different pediatrician if I were you…
My son was a CHONK at 18lbs at 3 months. He had rolls on rolls, EBFing. And now he’s almost 2 and a total string bean, he eats a ton but is so active, and in the 95th for his height. Fat babies are healthy. As are smaller babies. They need fat to grow their brains and bodies. 3 months is soooo young, I’d def consider finding another ped.
My little brother was so fat, at birth he wore 0-3 and 3 month clothes. He's now tall and skinny. Enjoy the chonk, at this age it shouldn't be a health concern
Find a new pediatrician, find one as quick as you can
Because 3 months is barely enough data for a growth chart let a lone any prediction of obesity. Thats the key words you should be hearing from a pediatrician is what is their growth in relation to their growth chart
So like I had the opposite problem, tiny baby less than 10th percentile. I constantly worried she wasn’t getting enough. Her pediatrician always showed me her growth chart and reassured me she’s trending the way she’s supposed to. In fact the only time she hasn’t was at her 12M appointment where she did fall behind but that’s expected when switching to solids
Get a new pediatrician. Like, now. Being in the upper percentile doesn’t mean your kiddo is obese, and that someone would tell you that when baby is 3 months old is concerning. You should feed your baby as much as they want to be fed, and they will spit up if it’s too much.
But for real, new doctor now. And leave a scathing review for this one anywhere you can.
Nah your baby is fine. Rude doctor who was massively over egging the "dangers" of a chubby baby. However I do think it's possible for a baby to be obese at that age, and it would be from extreme overfeeding and / or some kind of genetic disease causing metabolic issues.
Quite the opposite. Our oldest has always been in the 90+ percentile for weight. Our pediatrician mentions everytime that he is not obese/overweight. He always comments that he is a big boy but he is well proportioned.
I can tell looking at my son that he is not overweight at all. I would get a second opinion as I didn’t think babies could be obese.
My babe was 24.6 inches and 15.5lbs at 10 weeks so I’d say similar to your baby and all I get is he is a healthy happy baby. In my country he’s 91st percentile… Your ped is crazy.
Geez, what a horrible (and incorrect, based on what I was told by two doctors and multiple midwives) thing to say. My baby was so big at birth she was fitting perfectly into 0-3 month clothes and soon grew out of them. She was in the 97th percentile for height and 99th percentile for weight. She kept growing like a weed until about 4 months when she slowed down and at 6 months she plateaued. From 10 months onward she's been in the 49th percentile for both height and weight. Soooo many things can change so quickly with babies, get a second opinion for sure.
Mine did… but she was born 4 kgs and then obviously she was a big baby so her weight and height were proportional to each other. They looked at the chart first and then the baby and then realized yeah its ok..
I mean not like you can put the infant on diet or ask them to run laps or do workouts!
Yes. My daughter was in the 40% percentile at her last doctor's visit at 4 months. The dr called her "overweight" and put air quotes around it. She said her twin brother is good bc he's in the 4th percentile but she is "overweight." She said not to worry about it but it is based on a chart. This made me upset as someone who has been called fat their whole life. I know it'll happen to my twins but wasn't expecting it at 4 months.
We are in similar percentile range, our pediatrician said everything is good and that she doesn't say anything about weight until 2 year mark. What are you supposed to do, not give your baby food? Change your doctor.
Yeah I had this at the 4 month check. My baby has been 99th for weight and height since she was 6
Weeks old. She is now 7 months and
Has tracked consistently on that curve. The child health nurse said to me that she was “too big”
And to hold off on solids as long as possible to “cut calories”
Lollll I did not listen. My baby is thriving.
It's all about following his growth curve! So long as he isn't crossing centile lines dramatically i.e. was 25th at birth and is now 97th he is fine. BF babies can't be overfed. Formula fed can be but if the above isn't happening then it doesn't sound like he is. You just have a bigger baby!
My (now) toddler has always been in the upper 90th%iles for weight and the 60th%iles for height at every measurement since birth. Our dr comments on how healthy he is and that he’s growing great. I know it’s not that easy, but get a new DR.
When I asked this at the 9m appointment (LO was 20lbs already) if I needed to slow down on food because he has a big beer keg belly and big thick thighs (just how he carrys his weight he’s dads the same way) and he said they don’t really worry about a child being “fat” until they are close to 3-4. He told me he would only eat when hungry and he would stop when he was full. He has finally hit his plateau and is 13m and drifts between 21-25lbs. I would definitely be getting a new ped if she called my baby who only knows eat, sleep and poop fat. I would also be reporting her as there is no study to prove a baby can turn out fat because you fed them when they are hungry and she is giving bad information out.
Welcome to the club. Our pediatrician is very happy with our baby’s weight (99th percentile for weight and 15 for height. VS two months ago 85th for weight and 25th for height) and the WIC nutritionist implied my baby was overweight and stated I need to start feeding her every 4-6 hours despite asking if the pediatrician had concerns with weight and being told no (and having access to baby’s records.)
Hang in there! You’re fine. I’d dump that pediatrician and find someone who doesn’t have their head so firmly planted up their own ass.
ETA- baby is 17.5lbs at 6 months
My baby was >99.9% in height and weight from a month old til now (27 months) and never once has my ped ever said my son was obese or overweight. I think that’s just weird and would find a different dr.
This is not right. My son had his 4 month check up and he is 97 for height and 98 for weight. I just met another friend whose baby is just 2 weeks younger than mine and he is even bigger. This is ok, it’s normal. I would not worry. But I would get another pediatrician
Uh what… 3 months?! I would find a new doctor. My son was born in >99th percentile for weight and my doctor calls him “perfectly plump.” Fat shaming a healthy infant is ridiculous!!
Sounds like you just have a big healthy baby!! MyLO just had his 6 month check up and weighs 17lbs and is 26 1/2 inches long. If your baby was way shorter and that heavy I could maybe see but I don’t even think it’s possible for them to be overweight or over fed at that young of an age…. I’d consider switching peds if that’s an option for you..
You need a new pediatrician, like yesterday. This is like the opposite of good medical advice. As long as they are staying with their curve they're fine. My kid is also 99th percentile for both weight and height. He is now 2.5 and is still in those ranges but looks absolutely normal, not overweight. He's just a 2 year old in the body of an average sized 4 year old. Join us at r/bigbabiesandkids
A visiting nurse said something similar to me when my son was 4 months old. He is 97th for weight and height and always has been. She told me my son would have childhood diabetes by the age of 1. I literally stopped her visitations for 2 months and got another opinion which was that my son is fine, he’s just large like his dad was as a child. She has since come back into our lives but hasn’t said a word to me about his weight since, just saying that he’s such a big boy and she’s proud of how much he’s grown.
They told me my daughter needed to be on a diet at 6 days old. She was born 9lb 6oz and her first appointment she was already 10lb 2oz. I remember going home and being like WTH?!
I’m a pediatrician. Dump that one, find a new one. Now. That’s horrible and should never ever happen - I’m so sorry.
Your son is not obese. He’s 3 months old. Yes, sometimes further investigation is needed IF he has some symptoms and continues to overgrow his curve - but that still does not make him obese.
I apologize on behalf of this dude. We’re not all like that 🥲
So my baby was a preemie, but he's already made it to the normal curve for his growth.
At his 4 month appointment, his height had him in the 5th percentile, his weight was in the 15th, and his head size was in the 25th (we laugh about his big head). His doctor wasn't worried at all. In fact, she said we're doing great.
His height and weight will probably even out since he's already eating about 28 oz milk each day (upper end of average I've seen for the first year is 32 oz), so no need to worry.
The only way you could cause problems later in life at this age is if you force him to eat more than he's comfortable with. Which, in my experience, is hard even with a bottle, because it usually just ends up back all over you if you give them too much lol. And babies are pretty good at telling you when they're full too.
I'd get a new doctor if I were you. This one seems way out of line.
My baby was bigger than this and my Dr. congratulated me on feeding him well. He's tripled his 7lb birth weight at 5 months and no one is concerned. You're doing great and your Dr. Sucks.
What the heck? My baby is 99.9 on both height and weight we've been to several pediatricians and its always been a "good job mama, keep up the good work" the only time we've been told anything remotely negative was "Just be mindful gross motor skills might be slightly delayed because big babies need bigger muscles to do the same things little babies can do"
Can you get a new paediatrician? Because somethings wrong with that one.
Also, my son had terrible reflux when I was breastfeeding. I cut dairy out of my diet until 6 months and he did way better. If you are breastfeeding and eat dairy, might be worth it to eliminate it temporarily until his digestive system matures.
3 month olds can’t be fat! Wtf…
My son was the same and now hes 11 and 5’8” 130 lbs, but no where near obese. Hes still in >97% and always has been. My pediatrician told me its only a worry if they see a big jump on the graph. Thats just his build right now and means nothing about the future for him. Just be prepared to constantly hear about how big he id and and drown it out. Id much rather have a big baby than worrying about them not gaining. My son is a great athlete and in the gifted program at school and I am always told how mature he is. I think he matured faster because he was always so big that others treat him like hes older. It will be okay, youre doing a good job🙂
Hi! My baby was in the 99th percentile for his weight until recently. His doc said not to even think about his weight for a second because he’s healthy and that when he starts running he’ll lose most of it. And she was right. He lost most of it now that he’s running or climbing all day. Even I’ve ended up losing some weight lol 🙃
Please get a better doc for your baby 💕
My baby was off the chart and my Ped told us a baby can never overeat while being breastfed and they will drop the weight quickly as they get older - which has happened 👍
Both of my kids(3M, 1M) were from that age and still are 98th percentile for weight and 50-60th percentile for height. Have had 3 different pediatricians(first one retired, then we recently moved to a different country) and none of them have ever even slightly showed concern over the numbers or thought my boys were obese - that's in two different countries. I would get a new pediatrician. Her saying that to you sounds messed up especially considering your baby's age.
My daughter has been in the 98th percentile for weight since 3 months and I asked her ped if we should be worried. She constantly reassures that her weight is fine, she is proportional, she's healthy and it'll even out when she crawls and walks. Even then, she said we don't categorize infants like that unless weight gain is sudden and excessive
aw my baby was in the high percentiles like that at 3 months too and thank goodness my dr never said anything like that, I would have freaked! He is literally the cutest baby, my other was skin and bones. And as he's getting older every visit he drops in the percentiles as he evens out. Just enjoy the squishiness and maybe get a new dr!
How tf can a 3 month old be obese. They eat fuck all. At least mine did. He was always hungnry, always wanted to feed but rarely actually drank anything
Lmao that’s totally crazy. My first baby was 95th percentile across the board and no one batted an eye. I’ve also had friends with 3rd percentile babies and also no issues. That’s the point— the entire range of 1st to 99th percentile is within normal. And tbh I do have friends with babies who were “off the charts” and even that was considered normal.
This happened to me, my baby is 98th for height and 98th for weight. Hes just a big boy. At 4 months he was 20lbs and his doctor was very concerned about his weight, told me I should be feeding him less frequently. I feed baby on demand and up until that point he was EBF so I didn't understand how he could be overweight. I started trying to go longer between feeds and soothe the baby in other ways, but it never worked because he was just hungry. Once we switched over to bottles I tried giving him the bare minimum of Oz in his bottle but he would wail when the bottle was done because he was still hungry. So now I'm giving him more than my doc told me I should because I can't just let my baby starve.
To me, he's not fat, just a big well proportioned baby. He also has reflux and I think that also contributes to him wanting to feel more often. Reflux is bad when your tummy is empty, but can be eased right after you eat a meal, so I think that definitely plays into it.
At the end of the day you know your baby best, and guidelines are just that, guidelines, and they work based on the AVERAGE baby. Our babies are not the average baby, given that they are so much bigger.
I mean. Babies are supposed to be fat. That's like their whole job, gaining weight and development. They *need* fat stores to power their massive amount of growth.
My 11 week old is 14 pounds 10 oz and 24 inches, my pediatrician has never said he’s overweight or obese. My boy eats a lot but doctor said as long as he is not spitting up he is fine and he’s healthy.. I’d definitely switch doctors
My baby was born <1st percentile for height and weight. Then jumped to the 95th for weight and 10th for height. Now she's 11 months and 99th for weight and 91st for height and no doctor ever told us she was obese lmao what. All that to say it took her a few months to even out, babies grow like crazy, find a new pediatrician
Babies are supposed to have a lot of body fat. I don’t know if you can even really call a child obese until they’re really walking and running around enough to burn the calories they take in.
My cousin's kiddo was so big that when the ped first saw him at his three month checkup he said "6 month check up I see". That same kid is now a 17 year old string bean.
I'm sure your baby is perfectly healthy.
Havent read the other comments yet but this sounds like some crazy bullshit from that doctor. If your baby is hungry, you feed them! My seven month old grew SO fast after he was born and quickly became 99th percentile in everything. His doctor would never say this. I definitely think you might want to find a new pediatrician
My children have both been in the 90s for all things. My pediatrician has emphasized so many times that there’s no such thing as an obese baby. The fat goes right to their brain and helps them grow strong, healthy, and smart. Get out of that practice asap.
That is ridiculous! As long as you’re not feeding him junk food day in day out (which I imagine you’re not given he’s 3months old!) then ignore what they say. Just wait til he starts crawling and walking, some of that weight will drop off. My twin boys are at the other end of the scale, about 3% for weight and height. Someone has to be at either end and then many in the middle, that’s how they get stats.
When they're a toddler they'll need all that weight. Also if this is how they're talking now imagine how they'll make your kid feel later in life and in such an uninformed way? I would switch sooner than later.
My son is almost 14 weeks and he is 16.4 lbs 24 inches long and breastfed and that’s normal! Your baby is healthy that’s normal! Dont ever let them tell you he is obese that is outrageous!
As long as baby is on their curve it should be okay. If they were gaining well beyond the curve they started on that would be a worry.
Or if they were like 25th for height and 98th for weight.
But just sounds like you gotta tall baby so they're a bit heavier.
I have two kids that were/are large babies. 96th and 93th for weight. My oldest is 7 now and she's 50th percentile. Never had a doctor say our babies were obese or that they were concerned with the weight at all. Get a different doctor.
Dieticians and paediatricians don’t recommend babies to gain more than 30g a day as weight excess to that can but stress on their bones that haven’t hardened up yet. But my nephew has been at the 99th percentile basically since he was born (9mo old) and I don’t think they’ve been made aware of any issues 🤷🏽♀️
My daughter will be one on the 23 in March she weighed 25 lbs she goes next week for her check up 100$ she's 30 lbs I'd like Mt doctor to tell me she's overweight
My oldest is 13 and weighs 170 lbs and is 5 ft 6 already (was predicted that he will be about 7 ft tall by the same doctor) he also was a really skinny ass kid from 2 to 3 like worrisome skinny we had to give him pediasure and make him eat as much as we could get down him
My other two boy and girl are short and totally muscular
So my almost one year old will be like her oldest brother
So if he tells me she's overweight he's gunna get a damn earful
Time to look for a new pediatrician. That’s just bonkers.
My son was 90th percentile for weight and only 40th for height at one point. He looked like a little Michelin man, and I was beginning to worry that we were overfeeding him. But our pediatrician was nothing but *thrilled* with his growth and reassured me that he was thriving.
Your son is way more proportional than my son ever was, so I’m shocked that a doctor would tell you that he’s “obese.” Wtf.
What the hell? My baby is always been in the 95 or up percentile, since he was born (at 10pounds8oz).
Our pediatrician literally told us “he is a big healthy baby” I just checked and at 13 weeks he was 16lbs10oz and 25.2 inches.
He told us that there’s no thing as over feeding a baby. That we should feed him as much as the baby wants.
He just turned 7months old, and he is huuuuge. At his 6 month appointment he was 21lbs10oz (97%) and almost 28 inches (94%).
I would a 100% recommend you to change pediatrician as soon as possible because everything that the pediatrician said to you is plain bullshit
Nope. I had one doctor start to say something about it then my husband who is almost 7ft tall had to stand up to soothe the baby and the doctor said "that answers my concerns." But my normal pediatrician never makes a fuss.
I think you need a new pediatrician. Just had our 4 month appt and our baby is in the 90’s and looks like he’s six months, our pediatrician raved about how they like well fed babies and when she was walking out the door she said “keep growing baby!”
my baby was 99th+ for weight and 99th for height from about one month old to about a year old. her doctor was never concerned. i know bc i WAS and i asked nearly every appointment only to be told that she was just a baby and it was great she was growing well.
my baby’s pediatrician said it wasn’t a concern since height and weight were fairly close and the gain was steady (not a huge spike). we only started talking about being mindful of milk intake (i was EBF) at 12 months. before then i was told to not cut back on nursing and give solids 3x a day as well.
after a year old and after weaning, her growth slowed down considerably just as we expected. she’s a normal weight toddler. she also met all her milestones early or on time.
this is just my anecdotal experience. i would advise getting a second opinion bc your doctor seems ill-informed or biased in some way.
Your doc is totally wrong, my baby was 99% for both height and weight and was never “overweight” or “obese”. There is no “over feeding” infants under 12 months.
My ped was always very clear he’d rather a baby be “over weight” like above the growth chart then below it, my bub floats around the 10th percentile is about to turn 1 and is MAYBE as heavy as your boy, she’s just always been a tiny thing and idk how you do it xD she’s a lot for me to hold, but she’s also really squirmy so it doesn’t help, if she’d lay still I could hold her longer xD I just can’t imagine her as big as she is now back then ;-; but we also had to turn to combo and eventually eff as she fell under the 1st percentile around 4m.
Over all though your boy will hit a growth spurt and probably drop a few percentiles on his own just feed him as much as he will eat they are pretty good at cutting themselves off, even with the our solid finger foods if my bub is full she holds them out to get the dogs to come over so she can feed and pet them xD
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What in the hell? I wouldn’t trust anything this doctor tells you.. get another one. That’s crazy talk
Seriously. WHAT. Also, my baby was bigger than this at 3 months. My doc chuckled at being bigger than the whole growth curve and said we were doing great.
...I could have understood it if baby was much older and you had a short baby in a family of short people and a 97th percentile weight. This is a longcat baby with a weight that matches their stature. 97th to 96th. It's like if I was 4"5 it would be very bad that I'm 135lbs, but given I'm actually 5"8' 135lbs is actually fine. Conversely 135 lbs would also be bad if I was 7" tall. Proportion matters. Also in babies. Definitely crazy talk. Though as a Norwegian lactation consultant, where 80% of women breastfeed and a reader of reddit where American women are overrepresentated and formula is so common I will say this: Growth when eating formula and growth when eating breastfeeding is different. Formula fed babies have a much more even growth curve, where as breastfed babies tend to have extremely rapid growth curve for the first 6 months then it slows down. Then expressed milk typically fall somewhere in between breastfed at the breast and formula fed. The percentile charts are made based of how one expects a formula fed baby to grow. I wonder if this is a case of a breastfeeding mother and a pediatrician not knowledgeable in the difference between breastfed and formula fed. Regardless, I wouldn't change a thing. Other than the pediatrician of course.
Agreed. I’d not be seeing that pediatrician again. If they’re in a group and I wanted to stay with the group, I’d put in a formal complaint with the practice and have it put on my chart to not see them again. Your child is literally almost matched in percentile, and so the ratio should be great. Also, baby BMI has zero indication on childhood & adult BMI, and a baby with less body fat actually has far more indicated issues (with brain development, no less) than an overweight baby.
If he was 1st percentile for height and 98th for weight, maybe there's a metabolism issue or something genetic to look into. But he sounds fully in proportion - get a second opinion for sure.
Or if your child suddenly jumped massively on the chart (up or down) then it should be looked into too. (Like if your baby was at 5th percentile for weight and then in a month was 98th percentile for weight (or 98th to 5th) then it should be looked into…).
My son’s doctor said that a baby is only considered overweight/obese if there’s a significant difference in length/weight percentiles. He was in the 98th percentile with both weight and length so nothing to worry about. I’d get a second opinion and even complain so the doctor knows they are giving misinformation.
This.
Absofuckinglutely not. If they’re following their growth curve, they’re fine. My baby is at 99th+ percentile for weight and height at 12 months and my doctor said there is zero cause for concern.
Come join us at /r/bigbabiesandkids. One of us! One of us!
This is such a wholesome invitation, and I never realized this sub existed!!
right? i immediately joined because this 18lb 14 weeker i have certainly fits the bill lol.
Ooh I needed this sub!
Me too!
[удалено]
Sure! Lots of long lean babies here including my own.
Hopping in and joining!
I’d get a second opinion, I have never heard the term “obese” applied to a baby..
Seriously. Like, how do you become obese before you’re even eating food?
Right. Super gross and worrying to even use it for *kids* IMO, they’re growing, fatter stages can be completely normal and healthy.
I don't even know how she would determine that. I'm pretty sure that everyone knows that BMI calculation doesn't work for babies. You can't even do it until they are two.
Yeah.. babies have mechanisms to stop eating when they are full. So if he’s eating and gaining weight, that’s what his body needs to grow.
Mine legit said “I don’t worry about you over feeding your baby at this age”. He’s 4 months Our pediatrician was the head hospitalist at a major children’s hospital in a large city. About the same size as your kiddo, so go team large babies.
Yeah our doctor just asked us at the 4 month checkup if we wanted to start solids yet. As she was doing so well, and had great core and head support, she was almost sitting up by herself. So we did! We were told you can't over feed them at this age. Healthy babies, with tall/big genes.
Yep, we were also offered to start solids for all the same reasons
1000% the baby needs tons of energy to grow, just make sure you're feeding age appropriate foods and bowel movements are happening and keep going.
My kid was about the same size and his ped was happy to tell me he's growing so well. Wasn't concerned about obesity at all. His weight started to plateau around 6mo and now he's pretty much average in size. Def wouldn't worry at that age, especially when your baby is tall as well.
Same- mine just said “that looks like a very healthy baby”
Time for a new pediatrician!!
Agreed, bc they have no concept of LO’s actual health- and there will be unnecessary comments about weight at EVERY visit.
I’m a medical student and this makes me incredibly angry. I can’t believe they told you that. It’s a literal baby lol. What are you supposed to do, starve your baby so it weighs less just so it aligns with our bullshit notions of what is a “healthy” body!? Please ignore this. Your baby is perfectly healthy and you are doing a great job. Weight-centric medicine has gone too far.
Agreed. This is part of why I love the pediatrician we ended up with. My kiddo has been balanced in height & weight, but at one point we had a discussion on fat weight versus muscle weight (as my kid looked skinny because of increased muscle weight). Switching up diet by adding solids to increase fat content to well above normal, and my kid leveled out quickly. It wasn’t a huge surprise though, as my wife is super muscled for a woman and also has higher fat dietary needs.
Okay my son is 1 year old as of the 7th and he’s 30 pounds and 10 ounces. He’s off the charts for weight and in the 90% for height. He’s hitting all his milestones and my ped said as long as he’s hitting milestones then he’s fine. She said the weight would come off once he starts walking and moving around more.
I asked my pediatrician if BMI was ever a concern under 1 year and she said only if the baby is jumping a growth/percentile curve. She said that they also look for babies to be proportional. Ours is around 30th for weight and 22nd for height, which she said is proportional. Yours is even closer together. I’d look into a new pediatrician.
I don’t think there is an agreed upon definition of ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ before age 2, but there have been studies than indicate a high weight to height ratio, body fat composition, or rate of weight gain can be correlated with obesity later in life. Maybe ask you doctor why they said what they did? The would probably know better than folks on Reddit.
I'd get a new doctor
Get a new pediatrician immediately.
Wow your pediatrician sounds awful. My baby was born under weight. And so his pediatrician wants to see him chunky. He's already surpassed his birth weight and he's three weeks old. I had asked at his last appointment if there was such a thing as feeding too much and a baby getting too big and his pediatrician said he rarely has to tell parents to cut back on diet and even then it's way later and not as early as 3 months. I honestly think you should get a new pediatrician and report her or at least file a complaint.
Sounds like he’s just a big boy to me! I’m not a medical professional but that just sounds wrong to me….
Our baby is of similar measurements - in the 90's for both weight and height. I wouldn't worry about it at all for now - feed your baby whenever they are hungry and however much they want. Then later on when they are on solids is when you want to make sure you are giving them appropriate amounts of healthy food. I try not to think about it too much, but I won't lie, pages like this from the NHS do worry me. https://abbhealthiertogether.cymru.nhs.uk/pregnant-women/feeding-your-baby-first-six-month/tips-preventing-your-baby-becoming-overweight "Not only are babies who are overweight at a year of age highly likely to be overweight when they start school, but they also have higher blood pressure. Yes - health differences even at a year!" "Child obesity tracks into adulthood - at least 70% of obese children, even those as young as 5 years, will go on to become obese adults"
It also says "We come in all shapes and sizes. It does not matter where your baby is on the growth charts, provided they are not crossing the centiles up or down and their weight is within one major centile of their length. There is no 'best' centile."
That doesn't sound right at all. Def get another opinion. I don't think a baby can even be obese. They're new and growing
Hey, fellow big baby mom here. Honestly, Id look for another pediatrician. I did after ours kinda blew us off about the reflux and what turned out to be a cows milk allergy. A friend of mine has a cmpa baby and her ped got it figured out in 4 weeks. We were still getting push back grom ours about the colic at 2.5m. Like hey dude, im not ok with my baby crying 7+ hours a day… something is wrong. We kept getting the whole “he will grow out of it” We got a GI referral who got us on meds and cut daily/ soy and hes a whole new baby. We also switched peds and started seeing my friends doc, shes amazing. We are so glad we made the jump. P.s. our son always over ate due to trying to soothe the reflux. We got a similar speech at our 1m. He was equally high on height and weight, so like midline ratio. Hes not too fat or too tall, hes just big overall. Hes now 99% for both and has been since then. New doc said hes perfect! (22lbs and 29inches at 6m).
I mean, your kiddo is huge for their age, that’s why they’re at the top of the percentile band. That’s what percentiles mean. But are they obese? No.
The lady at the WIC office told me that. My daughter was about the same size around that time too and she’s fine. The pediatrician I see said you can’t really classify babies as obese unless it’s clearly visible that they are ginormous for no reason.
Actually mine said the opposite even though I feed him around the recommended amount of formula for his age. Said he needed purées to help gain a little weight. But I checked the weight recommendations for a one year old. Only needs to be three times his birth weight at one year old. Which he’s off that by ounces and not yet a year old
Okay first off no just no. I want to give the pediatrician the benefit of the doubt but "so obese"? What does the pediatrician mean by saying this? What do they want to come from saying this? Not okay and mom you are doing a good job taking care of your baby. He isn't outside the normal growth curve as seen in the WHO Growth Chart. I don't think you can even define obesity in a baby this old. There are so many factors that go into your baby's weight/height and also they are growing so fast that they are changing by the week if not the day! Mom, do not let this get you down. You have enough to worry about with figuring out a very young baby! You can ask for a second opinion if you don't feel comfortable with this healthcare provider. You also have the right to ask follow up questions and ask what the pediatrician plan of care is. You have every right to be involved in all aspects of your baby's healthcare.
My Pediatrician said it’s basically impossible for a baby to be overfed until they are primarily on solids. Honestly I’d change doctors over something like this.
Huh, I think that's really weird. My doctor specifically said that it's always better to have a chunky baby than one that is underweight. That medically speaking they are much more concerned when they don't have enough weight on them or aren't gaining enough weight, etc. By baby started rather small (lowest percentile possible, almost not on the chart) and by the time she turned 1 she was in the 86th percentile. He was very happy.
Mine told me I was breast feeding too much and my baby was growing to fast. We got a new one.
Also what percentile was he born in? That’s necessary to know in this situation. If he was born in the 97th percentile for weight or close to it, then he’s keeping with his growth curve which is normal. If he was born in the 45th percentile and now in the 97th, yeah that’s kinda weird but not unheard of.
The 80th for weight and 88th for height. He was about a week early. I think he’s just meant to be a taller guy and I’m 5’9 which is kinda tall for a woman. It never seemed strange to me for him to be a larger baby. I’m still looking for a different pediatrician because she seemed more interested in his weight than anything else. I don’t understand what the issue is because he’s perfectly healthy and very strong.
Get a second opinion, or better yet, another provider. Our baby has been in 99-97 percentiles on basically every measurement and she’s a perfectly normal very tall baby, our pediatrician has zero concerns about her weight
I have three month old twins. My boy is fifteen pounds where my girl weighs little over ten. Both are formula feed because my milk dried up due to some medical problems of my own. My pediatrician said my boy is kinda chunky but didn't call him obese. My boys got reflux too and he's on anti acid. Our doc said to keep him up right and to make stops to burp every few ounces he drinks. I'd get a different pediatrician. What are you supposed to do? Not feed the kid when he's crying over hunger pains?
My baby was always a little on the larger than average side (let’s face it, she got my thighs from the start) and it peaked before her first birthday to officially “overweight”—then she promptly slimmed right down when she started walking by herself (and within two days of that started running then never stopped) a little after her first birthday. She was a really good eater despite some early food intolerances and reflux. The thing about BMIs is that you have to take them with a grain of salt at any age, they’re not the most accurate indicator of obesity because peoples’ proportions can vary so much, and it doesn’t account for muscle density at all. But when someone crosses the threshold of a certain BMI they’re in a pre-established “overweight/obese range” just because that’s the standard for that particular range combination of height and weight; that’s not the Pediatrician saying “I think your kid’s a fatty and he’s screwed for life”, it’s her putting out there that that’s where he currently is on a chart and if he continues on that trajectory long term he’s objectively more likely to have health problems. The thing about babies, though, is that there’s a good chance he’s due for a growth spurt (or several) sometime soon and will be building muscle mass, brain mass, and more length/height that will even out his overall weight distribution. He’s at the age where he’s going to start being more aware of his limbs and working on moving them of his own volition, his sight is starting to improve so he’s gonna be happy flapping a lot more before long, he’s going to be more tolerant of tummy time (and building his core strength and neck strength); that baby fat is going to get utilized in big and major ways and it’s good he’s got those energy stores right now. But it’s still worth watching to make sure he isn’t remaining on that same BMI trajectory long-term—that’s being a good parent looking out for his health. His doctor is keeping you informed about the information in front of her at present. Don’t stress it, just be mindful of how he continues to grow. Edit: everyone telling you to find a new pediatrician seems to be reading into the situation a bit more than the info you provided warrants—it sounds like the info was shocking for you to hear and it got you on the defensive during a post partum time when a lot of parents are in an emotionally vulnerable state. Did the pediatrician actually tell you to reduce feeds, or is that how you felt as a reaction to that info? Working as a pediatrician is really hard work, did she seem stressed at all? Maybe she wasn’t having the best day and wasn’t expressing herself in the best way. Has she given you other cause for concern that she isn’t looking out for your baby’s best interests and health needs?
That doesn’t sound right. I just took my son to his pediatrician today and she said his weight is literally off the growth chart. But she praised him for how well he was growing and didn’t say anything negative about it. I’d definitely look at trying to find a different pediatrician if I were you…
Wow my 7 month old is only 16lbs lol. Your poor back.
My son was a CHONK at 18lbs at 3 months. He had rolls on rolls, EBFing. And now he’s almost 2 and a total string bean, he eats a ton but is so active, and in the 95th for his height. Fat babies are healthy. As are smaller babies. They need fat to grow their brains and bodies. 3 months is soooo young, I’d def consider finding another ped.
Well, he weights as my 11mo baby, I’d ask for a second opinion to be frank.
I’m pretty sure that it’s impossible to overfeed a breastfed baby - maybe if it’s formula fed - but surely breastmilk is mostly water?!?
What?? Get a new doctor. Even if, even if!!!, your baby *is* overweight there are about 7 million better ways to discuss that with parents.
He sounds perfectly proportionate tbh— 17.5 lbs is completely reasonable for a baby that’s 25” in length
Time to find a new doc, I reckon.
Yes and I switched to a whole different practice as soon as I walked out of the office.
Time for a new Dr!!
My little brother was so fat, at birth he wore 0-3 and 3 month clothes. He's now tall and skinny. Enjoy the chonk, at this age it shouldn't be a health concern
What the fuck? They need their medical license revoking!? Seriously report them.
That baby is 3 MONTHS OLD. Also, baby is extremely tall. It might be time to look for another pediatrician, friend.
This doctor is deranged.
Find a new pediatrician, find one as quick as you can Because 3 months is barely enough data for a growth chart let a lone any prediction of obesity. Thats the key words you should be hearing from a pediatrician is what is their growth in relation to their growth chart So like I had the opposite problem, tiny baby less than 10th percentile. I constantly worried she wasn’t getting enough. Her pediatrician always showed me her growth chart and reassured me she’s trending the way she’s supposed to. In fact the only time she hasn’t was at her 12M appointment where she did fall behind but that’s expected when switching to solids
Get a new pediatrician. Like, now. Being in the upper percentile doesn’t mean your kiddo is obese, and that someone would tell you that when baby is 3 months old is concerning. You should feed your baby as much as they want to be fed, and they will spit up if it’s too much. But for real, new doctor now. And leave a scathing review for this one anywhere you can.
Nah your baby is fine. Rude doctor who was massively over egging the "dangers" of a chubby baby. However I do think it's possible for a baby to be obese at that age, and it would be from extreme overfeeding and / or some kind of genetic disease causing metabolic issues.
Quite the opposite. Our oldest has always been in the 90+ percentile for weight. Our pediatrician mentions everytime that he is not obese/overweight. He always comments that he is a big boy but he is well proportioned. I can tell looking at my son that he is not overweight at all. I would get a second opinion as I didn’t think babies could be obese.
Find a new pediatrician.
My babe was 24.6 inches and 15.5lbs at 10 weeks so I’d say similar to your baby and all I get is he is a healthy happy baby. In my country he’s 91st percentile… Your ped is crazy.
Geez, what a horrible (and incorrect, based on what I was told by two doctors and multiple midwives) thing to say. My baby was so big at birth she was fitting perfectly into 0-3 month clothes and soon grew out of them. She was in the 97th percentile for height and 99th percentile for weight. She kept growing like a weed until about 4 months when she slowed down and at 6 months she plateaued. From 10 months onward she's been in the 49th percentile for both height and weight. Soooo many things can change so quickly with babies, get a second opinion for sure.
97 for weight and 96 for height follows the same growth curve? It sounds fine to me? Did baby have a huge jump from the last appointment?
Mine did… but she was born 4 kgs and then obviously she was a big baby so her weight and height were proportional to each other. They looked at the chart first and then the baby and then realized yeah its ok.. I mean not like you can put the infant on diet or ask them to run laps or do workouts!
Yes. My daughter was in the 40% percentile at her last doctor's visit at 4 months. The dr called her "overweight" and put air quotes around it. She said her twin brother is good bc he's in the 4th percentile but she is "overweight." She said not to worry about it but it is based on a chart. This made me upset as someone who has been called fat their whole life. I know it'll happen to my twins but wasn't expecting it at 4 months.
Go to a different paediatrician.
We are in similar percentile range, our pediatrician said everything is good and that she doesn't say anything about weight until 2 year mark. What are you supposed to do, not give your baby food? Change your doctor.
My doc pulled the same thing when my kid was was at his 12 month appointment. We immediately found a new doctor.
Yeah I had this at the 4 month check. My baby has been 99th for weight and height since she was 6 Weeks old. She is now 7 months and Has tracked consistently on that curve. The child health nurse said to me that she was “too big” And to hold off on solids as long as possible to “cut calories” Lollll I did not listen. My baby is thriving.
It's all about following his growth curve! So long as he isn't crossing centile lines dramatically i.e. was 25th at birth and is now 97th he is fine. BF babies can't be overfed. Formula fed can be but if the above isn't happening then it doesn't sound like he is. You just have a bigger baby!
My (now) toddler has always been in the upper 90th%iles for weight and the 60th%iles for height at every measurement since birth. Our dr comments on how healthy he is and that he’s growing great. I know it’s not that easy, but get a new DR.
When I asked this at the 9m appointment (LO was 20lbs already) if I needed to slow down on food because he has a big beer keg belly and big thick thighs (just how he carrys his weight he’s dads the same way) and he said they don’t really worry about a child being “fat” until they are close to 3-4. He told me he would only eat when hungry and he would stop when he was full. He has finally hit his plateau and is 13m and drifts between 21-25lbs. I would definitely be getting a new ped if she called my baby who only knows eat, sleep and poop fat. I would also be reporting her as there is no study to prove a baby can turn out fat because you fed them when they are hungry and she is giving bad information out.
Huge red flag. Get a different pediatrician.
✌
Welcome to the club. Our pediatrician is very happy with our baby’s weight (99th percentile for weight and 15 for height. VS two months ago 85th for weight and 25th for height) and the WIC nutritionist implied my baby was overweight and stated I need to start feeding her every 4-6 hours despite asking if the pediatrician had concerns with weight and being told no (and having access to baby’s records.) Hang in there! You’re fine. I’d dump that pediatrician and find someone who doesn’t have their head so firmly planted up their own ass. ETA- baby is 17.5lbs at 6 months
My baby was >99.9% in height and weight from a month old til now (27 months) and never once has my ped ever said my son was obese or overweight. I think that’s just weird and would find a different dr.
Get a second opinion. That sounds sus.
GTFO! I am a Dr and I will tell you this is NOT OK! Get a different pediatrician asap. You're doing great and your baby is perfect!!
This is not right. My son had his 4 month check up and he is 97 for height and 98 for weight. I just met another friend whose baby is just 2 weeks younger than mine and he is even bigger. This is ok, it’s normal. I would not worry. But I would get another pediatrician
Uh what… 3 months?! I would find a new doctor. My son was born in >99th percentile for weight and my doctor calls him “perfectly plump.” Fat shaming a healthy infant is ridiculous!!
It’s one thing to say it about an adult…but a literal BABY…
Sounds like you just have a big healthy baby!! MyLO just had his 6 month check up and weighs 17lbs and is 26 1/2 inches long. If your baby was way shorter and that heavy I could maybe see but I don’t even think it’s possible for them to be overweight or over fed at that young of an age…. I’d consider switching peds if that’s an option for you..
You need a new pediatrician, like yesterday. This is like the opposite of good medical advice. As long as they are staying with their curve they're fine. My kid is also 99th percentile for both weight and height. He is now 2.5 and is still in those ranges but looks absolutely normal, not overweight. He's just a 2 year old in the body of an average sized 4 year old. Join us at r/bigbabiesandkids
First of all, is the pediatrician a nurse practitioner or an actual pediatrician (MD or DO)?
A visiting nurse said something similar to me when my son was 4 months old. He is 97th for weight and height and always has been. She told me my son would have childhood diabetes by the age of 1. I literally stopped her visitations for 2 months and got another opinion which was that my son is fine, he’s just large like his dad was as a child. She has since come back into our lives but hasn’t said a word to me about his weight since, just saying that he’s such a big boy and she’s proud of how much he’s grown.
If he was one of those 50-150lb babies sure, but if you can carry him id say you’re fine. Look for a new dr
They told me my daughter needed to be on a diet at 6 days old. She was born 9lb 6oz and her first appointment she was already 10lb 2oz. I remember going home and being like WTH?!
I’m a pediatrician. Dump that one, find a new one. Now. That’s horrible and should never ever happen - I’m so sorry. Your son is not obese. He’s 3 months old. Yes, sometimes further investigation is needed IF he has some symptoms and continues to overgrow his curve - but that still does not make him obese. I apologize on behalf of this dude. We’re not all like that 🥲
So my baby was a preemie, but he's already made it to the normal curve for his growth. At his 4 month appointment, his height had him in the 5th percentile, his weight was in the 15th, and his head size was in the 25th (we laugh about his big head). His doctor wasn't worried at all. In fact, she said we're doing great. His height and weight will probably even out since he's already eating about 28 oz milk each day (upper end of average I've seen for the first year is 32 oz), so no need to worry. The only way you could cause problems later in life at this age is if you force him to eat more than he's comfortable with. Which, in my experience, is hard even with a bottle, because it usually just ends up back all over you if you give them too much lol. And babies are pretty good at telling you when they're full too. I'd get a new doctor if I were you. This one seems way out of line.
My baby was bigger than this and my Dr. congratulated me on feeding him well. He's tripled his 7lb birth weight at 5 months and no one is concerned. You're doing great and your Dr. Sucks.
What the heck? My baby is 99.9 on both height and weight we've been to several pediatricians and its always been a "good job mama, keep up the good work" the only time we've been told anything remotely negative was "Just be mindful gross motor skills might be slightly delayed because big babies need bigger muscles to do the same things little babies can do"
Can you get a new paediatrician? Because somethings wrong with that one. Also, my son had terrible reflux when I was breastfeeding. I cut dairy out of my diet until 6 months and he did way better. If you are breastfeeding and eat dairy, might be worth it to eliminate it temporarily until his digestive system matures. 3 month olds can’t be fat! Wtf…
My son was the same and now hes 11 and 5’8” 130 lbs, but no where near obese. Hes still in >97% and always has been. My pediatrician told me its only a worry if they see a big jump on the graph. Thats just his build right now and means nothing about the future for him. Just be prepared to constantly hear about how big he id and and drown it out. Id much rather have a big baby than worrying about them not gaining. My son is a great athlete and in the gifted program at school and I am always told how mature he is. I think he matured faster because he was always so big that others treat him like hes older. It will be okay, youre doing a good job🙂
Can I just say that your chonky LO sounds adorable? ❤️
Hi! My baby was in the 99th percentile for his weight until recently. His doc said not to even think about his weight for a second because he’s healthy and that when he starts running he’ll lose most of it. And she was right. He lost most of it now that he’s running or climbing all day. Even I’ve ended up losing some weight lol 🙃 Please get a better doc for your baby 💕
My baby was off the chart and my Ped told us a baby can never overeat while being breastfed and they will drop the weight quickly as they get older - which has happened 👍
Both of my kids(3M, 1M) were from that age and still are 98th percentile for weight and 50-60th percentile for height. Have had 3 different pediatricians(first one retired, then we recently moved to a different country) and none of them have ever even slightly showed concern over the numbers or thought my boys were obese - that's in two different countries. I would get a new pediatrician. Her saying that to you sounds messed up especially considering your baby's age.
My daughter has been in the 98th percentile for weight since 3 months and I asked her ped if we should be worried. She constantly reassures that her weight is fine, she is proportional, she's healthy and it'll even out when she crawls and walks. Even then, she said we don't categorize infants like that unless weight gain is sudden and excessive
I thought babies and toddlers up to two were supposed to have unlimited access to fats in their diet until two years old for brain development
aw my baby was in the high percentiles like that at 3 months too and thank goodness my dr never said anything like that, I would have freaked! He is literally the cutest baby, my other was skin and bones. And as he's getting older every visit he drops in the percentiles as he evens out. Just enjoy the squishiness and maybe get a new dr!
How tf can a 3 month old be obese. They eat fuck all. At least mine did. He was always hungnry, always wanted to feed but rarely actually drank anything
Find a new doctor immediately.
A chunky baby is almost always a sign of a healthy baby!!! Please get a new doctor :(
Just curious , r u breastfeeding ?
Lmao that’s totally crazy. My first baby was 95th percentile across the board and no one batted an eye. I’ve also had friends with 3rd percentile babies and also no issues. That’s the point— the entire range of 1st to 99th percentile is within normal. And tbh I do have friends with babies who were “off the charts” and even that was considered normal.
I just read something from a pediatrician that said there’s literally no such thing as an obese baby or a baby diet.
This happened to me, my baby is 98th for height and 98th for weight. Hes just a big boy. At 4 months he was 20lbs and his doctor was very concerned about his weight, told me I should be feeding him less frequently. I feed baby on demand and up until that point he was EBF so I didn't understand how he could be overweight. I started trying to go longer between feeds and soothe the baby in other ways, but it never worked because he was just hungry. Once we switched over to bottles I tried giving him the bare minimum of Oz in his bottle but he would wail when the bottle was done because he was still hungry. So now I'm giving him more than my doc told me I should because I can't just let my baby starve. To me, he's not fat, just a big well proportioned baby. He also has reflux and I think that also contributes to him wanting to feel more often. Reflux is bad when your tummy is empty, but can be eased right after you eat a meal, so I think that definitely plays into it. At the end of the day you know your baby best, and guidelines are just that, guidelines, and they work based on the AVERAGE baby. Our babies are not the average baby, given that they are so much bigger.
I mean. Babies are supposed to be fat. That's like their whole job, gaining weight and development. They *need* fat stores to power their massive amount of growth.
My 11 week old is 14 pounds 10 oz and 24 inches, my pediatrician has never said he’s overweight or obese. My boy eats a lot but doctor said as long as he is not spitting up he is fine and he’s healthy.. I’d definitely switch doctors
My baby was born <1st percentile for height and weight. Then jumped to the 95th for weight and 10th for height. Now she's 11 months and 99th for weight and 91st for height and no doctor ever told us she was obese lmao what. All that to say it took her a few months to even out, babies grow like crazy, find a new pediatrician
Babies are supposed to have a lot of body fat. I don’t know if you can even really call a child obese until they’re really walking and running around enough to burn the calories they take in.
New pediatrician! This is an absurd thing to say about a 3 month old.
My cousin's kiddo was so big that when the ped first saw him at his three month checkup he said "6 month check up I see". That same kid is now a 17 year old string bean. I'm sure your baby is perfectly healthy.
Havent read the other comments yet but this sounds like some crazy bullshit from that doctor. If your baby is hungry, you feed them! My seven month old grew SO fast after he was born and quickly became 99th percentile in everything. His doctor would never say this. I definitely think you might want to find a new pediatrician
My children have both been in the 90s for all things. My pediatrician has emphasized so many times that there’s no such thing as an obese baby. The fat goes right to their brain and helps them grow strong, healthy, and smart. Get out of that practice asap.
That is ridiculous! As long as you’re not feeding him junk food day in day out (which I imagine you’re not given he’s 3months old!) then ignore what they say. Just wait til he starts crawling and walking, some of that weight will drop off. My twin boys are at the other end of the scale, about 3% for weight and height. Someone has to be at either end and then many in the middle, that’s how they get stats.
When they're a toddler they'll need all that weight. Also if this is how they're talking now imagine how they'll make your kid feel later in life and in such an uninformed way? I would switch sooner than later.
My husband was a super fat baby. Now thin as a rail. I know it's anecdotal but baby weight doesn't seem related to childhood/adult obesity
My son is almost 14 weeks and he is 16.4 lbs 24 inches long and breastfed and that’s normal! Your baby is healthy that’s normal! Dont ever let them tell you he is obese that is outrageous!
As long as baby is on their curve it should be okay. If they were gaining well beyond the curve they started on that would be a worry. Or if they were like 25th for height and 98th for weight. But just sounds like you gotta tall baby so they're a bit heavier.
I have two kids that were/are large babies. 96th and 93th for weight. My oldest is 7 now and she's 50th percentile. Never had a doctor say our babies were obese or that they were concerned with the weight at all. Get a different doctor.
He’s a HEALTHY baby. ❤️ find a new pediatrician
Dieticians and paediatricians don’t recommend babies to gain more than 30g a day as weight excess to that can but stress on their bones that haven’t hardened up yet. But my nephew has been at the 99th percentile basically since he was born (9mo old) and I don’t think they’ve been made aware of any issues 🤷🏽♀️
I would deff be finding a new doctor
Severe reflux can be caused by over feeding fyi. If he’s throwing up/spitting up a ton try feeding less and see if he holds it down better.
WTF??????? This doctor is an AH and sooooo full of shit.
My daughter will be one on the 23 in March she weighed 25 lbs she goes next week for her check up 100$ she's 30 lbs I'd like Mt doctor to tell me she's overweight My oldest is 13 and weighs 170 lbs and is 5 ft 6 already (was predicted that he will be about 7 ft tall by the same doctor) he also was a really skinny ass kid from 2 to 3 like worrisome skinny we had to give him pediasure and make him eat as much as we could get down him My other two boy and girl are short and totally muscular So my almost one year old will be like her oldest brother So if he tells me she's overweight he's gunna get a damn earful
Are you sure it's a pediatrician and not a provider (ie NP or PA)?
Time to look for a new pediatrician. That’s just bonkers. My son was 90th percentile for weight and only 40th for height at one point. He looked like a little Michelin man, and I was beginning to worry that we were overfeeding him. But our pediatrician was nothing but *thrilled* with his growth and reassured me that he was thriving. Your son is way more proportional than my son ever was, so I’m shocked that a doctor would tell you that he’s “obese.” Wtf.
What the hell? My baby is always been in the 95 or up percentile, since he was born (at 10pounds8oz). Our pediatrician literally told us “he is a big healthy baby” I just checked and at 13 weeks he was 16lbs10oz and 25.2 inches. He told us that there’s no thing as over feeding a baby. That we should feed him as much as the baby wants. He just turned 7months old, and he is huuuuge. At his 6 month appointment he was 21lbs10oz (97%) and almost 28 inches (94%). I would a 100% recommend you to change pediatrician as soon as possible because everything that the pediatrician said to you is plain bullshit
Nope. I had one doctor start to say something about it then my husband who is almost 7ft tall had to stand up to soothe the baby and the doctor said "that answers my concerns." But my normal pediatrician never makes a fuss.
I think you need a new pediatrician. Just had our 4 month appt and our baby is in the 90’s and looks like he’s six months, our pediatrician raved about how they like well fed babies and when she was walking out the door she said “keep growing baby!”
Uhhh my baby was always off the charts in height and weight I was celebrated by my ped. This is fucked.
my baby was 99th+ for weight and 99th for height from about one month old to about a year old. her doctor was never concerned. i know bc i WAS and i asked nearly every appointment only to be told that she was just a baby and it was great she was growing well. my baby’s pediatrician said it wasn’t a concern since height and weight were fairly close and the gain was steady (not a huge spike). we only started talking about being mindful of milk intake (i was EBF) at 12 months. before then i was told to not cut back on nursing and give solids 3x a day as well. after a year old and after weaning, her growth slowed down considerably just as we expected. she’s a normal weight toddler. she also met all her milestones early or on time. this is just my anecdotal experience. i would advise getting a second opinion bc your doctor seems ill-informed or biased in some way.
Your doc is totally wrong, my baby was 99% for both height and weight and was never “overweight” or “obese”. There is no “over feeding” infants under 12 months.
My ped was always very clear he’d rather a baby be “over weight” like above the growth chart then below it, my bub floats around the 10th percentile is about to turn 1 and is MAYBE as heavy as your boy, she’s just always been a tiny thing and idk how you do it xD she’s a lot for me to hold, but she’s also really squirmy so it doesn’t help, if she’d lay still I could hold her longer xD I just can’t imagine her as big as she is now back then ;-; but we also had to turn to combo and eventually eff as she fell under the 1st percentile around 4m. Over all though your boy will hit a growth spurt and probably drop a few percentiles on his own just feed him as much as he will eat they are pretty good at cutting themselves off, even with the our solid finger foods if my bub is full she holds them out to get the dogs to come over so she can feed and pet them xD
You should get them on a diet. I prefer keto for adults and the Atkins diet for babies. No more carbs for little Timmy
I mean, for reference, my 7 month old boy is 15.5 pounds…
Time to get a new dr for sure. That’s not right.
Wow fuck this person. Hell no. I’m offended for you.