4 Month Old Gained 10lbs Since Birth - Pediatrician Concerned

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what kind of formula are you feeding him? A lot of formulas have bad ingredients in them ( corn syrup, sugars etc.). What is your size, are you overweight or your spouse?

You have no idea what you're talking about re: formulas and what constitutes "bad ingredients".

[Anonymous]

Is your baby formula fed?

[Anonymous]

32 oz a day is totally normal for a 4 month old. On the higher end of normal but still totally fine. I’d be looking for a new pediatrician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No harm in seeking a second opinion.

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like a lot. I’d be asking what the concern is - like why is that bad. Like what’s the big deal. And I’d ask what you’re supposed to do. Let your baby cry from hunger? Once you get answers then figure out if you need a new doctor. Maybe there is a health issue but the doctor would be able to tell you.

OP here. We have been tested for diabetes and a host of all things that are were all negative at each appointment.

I think he is just going to be big. My husband is 6’1” and his brother is 6’2”. His dad, his uncles, and his grandpa were all over 6ft. I’m petite at 5’2”, but my brother is 6’1”, my grandpa was almost 7ft tall, my moms dad was like 6’8”. I have a nephew who is 17 and he was also a bigger baby. He was almost 6ft by 13 years old. He is 17 and has a football player build. I have a cousin who had a big baby who was 23lbs by 6 months and is now a very tall and skinny 7 year old.

This sounds strange. Diabetes would make your baby lose weight, not gain it. Are you sure you're understanding what your doctor is testing for/ telling you?

[Anonymous]

I had a little guy in my daycare who gained weight with ease his first year. At 12 months he was 32 pounds. Things slowed down in his second year. At 24 months he was 34 pounds, much taller and slimmed down. At 16 he is TALL like many of the men in his family. Athlectic build, not overweight.

[Anonymous]

No way would I limit a babies food intake. It sounds like he’s fine - I’d seek a second opinion and find a new pediatrician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So average 2.5lb weight gain a month? Or a little more than half a pound a week? I thought infants (under 3ish months at least) were supposed to gain 0.5oz-2oz a day. Sounds like your baby is averaging a little over an ounce a day. To me that seems within the realm of normal? Also 16lb is in the normal range for a 4mo old baby- is the rate of growth incredibly fast or something? It can't be that fast, with the amount you state the baby has gained total (2.5lb a month) and the fact that the doctor has brought this up at each visit. I'm confused what the issue is honestly.

OP here. The pediatrician said that they don’t usually see the rapid growth in a lower weight baby. It is more normal to see in a 7-9lb baby. My baby was 6lbs 7oz after we left the hospital and just rapidly grew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So average 2.5lb weight gain a month? Or a little more than half a pound a week? I thought infants (under 3ish months at least) were supposed to gain 0.5oz-2oz a day. Sounds like your baby is averaging a little over an ounce a day. To me that seems within the realm of normal? Also 16lb is in the normal range for a 4mo old baby- is the rate of growth incredibly fast or something? It can't be that fast, with the amount you state the baby has gained total (2.5lb a month) and the fact that the doctor has brought this up at each visit. I'm confused what the issue is honestly.

OP here. The pediatrician said that they don’t usually see the rapid growth in a lower weight baby. It is more normal to see in a 7-9lb baby. My baby was 6lbs 7oz after we left the hospital and just rapidly grew.

I mean I appreciate that your pediatrician is concerned and did some testing if they were concerned- but if you try to withhold some ounces and your baby cries and gives hunger cues, then, feed them! (Like you are doing). Don't mess with your baby's great sleep patterns and overall happy/active moods by feeding them less than they are asking for. 32oz is about what each of my (formula fed) babies wanted around that age. I do remember being told not to give more than 36oz a day typically and that once they were hungrier for more than that I should be giving solids. But 32oz seems fine? I wouldn't worry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He's also grown a lot in length though, right? Is the growth proportional?

OP here. He went from 20inch at both to 25.5 inches.

He went from being 32th percentile for weight and 69th percentile for height to 85th percentile for weight 81th for height.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is your baby formula fed?

OP here. He gets 16-20 ounces of pumped milk a day and 12-16 ounces of formula.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did the pediatrician give you any tips or change of feeding plan? Saying he's gaining "too much weight" sounds kind of meaningless unless he follows up with "cap his intake at 28 oz" or "don't put cereal in his milk" or something concrete. When they're that little it's not like anybody's giving them Twinkies & Mt. Dew, we just feed them when they're hungry and hope they don't fall off the curve.

If he is telling you to make a change and you don't feel comfortable doing what he's suggesting, I'd switch pediatricians. And if he's telling you the baby is gaining too much weight but not telling you how to change that, I'd also switch pediatricians. So I guess my vote is find a new doctor!

OP here. He eats 32 ounces a day. He eats 5 times day - 4 6oz bottles and 1 8oz bottle. He sleeps 16 hours a day - 11 hours at night and 5 hours for naps.
He is half breastfed ( pumped) and half formula ( Enfamil NeuroPro RTF).

The pediatrician has told me to cut out 4-6oz but he will cry because he is hungry. We don’t put cereal in his milk and he isn’t on any solids yet.

Did you tell your doctor this or did this just happen post appointment?

Some babies (like one of mine) will drink everything they're given. The advice to check if you're overfeeding isn't bad, but now you know he does need the bigger bottle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what kind of formula are you feeding him? A lot of formulas have bad ingredients in them ( corn syrup, sugars etc.). What is your size, are you overweight or your spouse?

OP here. He eats Enfamil NeuroPro RTF. We can switch if there is a better formula. We went with it because it was RTF and he liked it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what kind of formula are you feeding him? A lot of formulas have bad ingredients in them ( corn syrup, sugars etc.). What is your size, are you overweight or your spouse?

You have no idea what you're talking about re: formulas and what constitutes "bad ingredients".

Corn syrup is not the same as high fructose corn syrup.

[Anonymous]

What was his percentile? My 6 month old weighs 20lbs, but is 90th percentile. I actually am at a loss for why she weighs so much. She eats the exact same amount as my other babies- 16oz (5oz, 6oz and then a 5oz) during the day at daycare and she sleeps 12 hours at night, so it's not like she eats 24/7. She weighed 8,11 at birth. Totally breastfed. All I can think is that she's getting fattier milk? Or she just turns more of it into fat. I'm interested in it because she's my 3rd exclusively breastfed baby. I am losing weight like crazy though and it wasn't as easy before for me.

Anyways, my pediatrician was pleased at how plump she is. Not one word about it being negative. She's 85% tall and 90% weight. I'm small and petite, but dh is very tall and skinny. My other kids are just like DH. I LOOOOOVE her rolls.

I am surprised a pediatrician would comment on a baby being large... normally they're only concerned with small babies. Toddlers can get big from not eating nutritious food and filling up on snacks and fast food, but not babies.