Babies: 3 - 6 Months

12 week old is huge

My 12 week old baby girl is overweight (at least by the calculators and was in the 98th percentile at her 2 month check-up). She is exclusively bf (I do struggle with oversupply). It is very stressful because I am worried that I am overfeeding her (although, I try everything- pacifier, rocking, holding, burping) before I feed her. I feel like I am fattening her up like a suckling pig and setting her up for a lifetime of obesity. My husband/everyone else (the pediatrician) tell me not to worry, but I can't stop. Anybody else in the same situation or have some comforting thoughts? Or maybe a story about how a really heavy baby thinned out?

Re: 12 week old is huge

  • I had the opposite problem as you my little one was in the 10th percentile at our 2 month check up. I know the stress but while opposite I get it. I was so wrapped up in is he getting enough that I felt like a bad Mom. My mother in law shared a story with me. She has 3 kids and they are all different (lol of course right) all strictly BF. Her first baby girl didnt want to eat and was a snacker (just like my boy) she would try to nurse her but she refused to eat more then she wanted and was a tiny little one. Her second baby (also a girl) was a fantastic nursery and kept gaining weight so much so that the doctor said to my MIL you should probably cut back some feedings this was before asking what MIL was feeding her. MIL responded strictly BF and the doctor responded oh well dont worry about it then she will be fine once she starts moving. Her last baby (a boy) was the same as the second always hungry and a cute little chunk.
    All three of her children have grown up to be healthy adults. Her daughter who was the cute little chunk is now a healthy fit lady (and she doesn't try 😅).
    I hope this story helps you,  it did me. The point of it is everyone is different and you have enough stress in your life to worry about,  you cant let the numbers at the doctor's office get to you. Breastmilk contains everything your little one needs and nothing extra the amazing thing is your baby tells your body what she needs and your body obliges how amazing is that! You got this Momma 
  • I also have the opposite problem to you. My sons weight is in the 3rd percentile and he's 5.5 months now 😫 He's very thin and lean but long. Hes growing on his own growth chart but his weight has been an issue since he was born. He's super healthy otherwise and is very active and is hitting all his milestones, he just has a hard time gaining weight. He eats like a mad man and is always hungry so im shocked he doesn't weigh like 20 lbs 🤣

    Don't let numbers bother you too much. I understand the worry as i worry my son isn't gaining enough.  As long as she's healthy and growing then that's all that matters. 
  • Loading the player...
  • Thank you @mindyb2019 and @swann13. Your responses brought relief to my anxiety. 
  • Baby's can't over eat when breast fed. Don't worry. When she starts crawling/ walking she will think out as she will be burning more calories.
  • My 4 month old is also in the 98th percentile EBF. I have the same worries but everyone tells me she is healthy and thriving.
  • I also have the opposite problem. My baby girl was in the 40th percentile at her 2 month checkup and the doctor I saw made a really big deal about it. It made me feel like I was a terrible mom but I exclusively breastfeed and attempted feeding her every two hours and any time she made any hint at possibly being hungry. She just didn’t want to eat. At her 4 month she was down at the 25th percentile and I was devastated. I did everything I could to get her to gain weight and it had gotten worse. She was exceeding all of her developmental milestones but I couldn’t help but feel like I was doing everything wrong. I confided in a close friend and she really put me at ease. Every baby is different- big, small, chunky, slim, doesn’t matter. Every baby is a blessing and if you’re so caught up in punishing yourself for doing your best you’re going to miss out on beautiful moments of motherhood. Take a deep breath and know that you are doing a great job. Soak in all the chunky baby snuggles and thank God that you have a well nourished, healthy, beautiful baby!
Sign In or Register to comment.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"