4 Month Old Gained 10lbs Since Birth - Pediatrician Concerned

[Anonymous]

OMG, op, does your child look obese? If not, please fire this doc. Some of them are slaves to their charts, and have zero critical thinking skills.

[Anonymous]

My daughter was 7 lbs 4 oz at birth. At 4 mos, she was 18 pounds. Pediatrician just laughed and told me to enjoy the rolls. She was chubby through early toddlerhood but normal proportions by elementary. She's about to turn ten and is super petite and not the slightest bit fat. I think fat babies only stay fat if you feed them a horrible diet once they start solids.

[Anonymous]

I think it is frustrating when you are at the top or bottom of the weight height curve. Ped was always one about my daughter being so small. She was EBF and I had great supply.

My mom had saved my old growth chart from birth to age 2 and my daughter and I were very close in height and weight every month. My family is pretty short and my husband does not have a tall family either.

It is always okay to get a second opinion! Maybe another doctor can give you better feedback or explanations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Your baby is very tall. It's normal for her weight to also be higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter was 7 lbs 4 oz at birth. At 4 mos, she was 18 pounds. Pediatrician just laughed and told me to enjoy the rolls. She was chubby through early toddlerhood but normal proportions by elementary. She's about to turn ten and is super petite and not the slightest bit fat. I think fat babies only stay fat if you feed them a horrible diet once they start solids.

No, there are lots of factors that influence weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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?

OP here. They tested him for a host of things, including diabetes, thyroid issues, leptin resistance, etc. They tested for a host of conditions and metabolic disorders. All came back negative.

I have only thought about looking for a new pediatrician because the healthcare provider doing blood draws told me she though the pediatrician was crazy and that I should get a second opinion. We have been to them 3 times now and everything has come back normal each time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

OP here. I tried cutting ounces by 4oz at 2 months ( he was eating 28oz/day) and he screamed and cried so I gave in. He was eating up to 40 ounces during the 3 month growth spurt but then settled on 32oz/day. I have tried cutting by 4oz Friday and yesterday but he screamed and cried and didn’t sleep that well so I added it back today and he was his usually happy self.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

OP here. They tested him for a host of things, including diabetes, thyroid issues, leptin resistance, etc. They tested for a host of conditions and metabolic disorders. All came back negative.

I have only thought about looking for a new pediatrician because the healthcare provider doing blood draws told me she though the pediatrician was crazy and that I should get a second opinion. We have been to them 3 times now and everything has come back normal each time.

Yeah, I'd go with that. Especially since he has grown so much in length too. 16 lbs at 4 months is not outrageous. My first kid was 7 lbs 12 oz at birth and 17 lbs by 4 months. He was a monster. No one said a word. Same kid is totally average height and weight now as an 8 year old but he was huge through his second birthday and he's always eaten like a horse. Given the height ranges in your family I wouldn't worry, especially at 4 months old. Just do what you're doing and revisit in another 4 months. With a different doctor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

OP here. They tested him for a host of things, including diabetes, thyroid issues, leptin resistance, etc. They tested for a host of conditions and metabolic disorders. All came back negative.

I have only thought about looking for a new pediatrician because the healthcare provider doing blood draws told me she though the pediatrician was crazy and that I should get a second opinion. We have been to them 3 times now and everything has come back normal each time.

Why aren’t you getting a new pediatrician already?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

OP here. I was told to do this at 2 months and then again at 4 months. I told the pediatrician that he cried last time when I tried to cut feedings.

I don’t think he is overeating. I have experiments of putting more in a bottle and he will stop at 6 ounces. At 2 months he only ate 4 ounces and I would fill to 5 or 6. He would stop at 4 ounces and wouldn’t eat more. I tried giving him extra milk twice today and he ate the 6 ounces and wouldn’t take it. I even burped and waited and he just played with it and spit it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

OP here. He is 85th percentile for weight and 81th percentile for height.

[Anonymous]

They made you get your newborns' blood drawn more than once? That is terrible, OP. 32 ounces is a totally normal amount to eat.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the baby was a smart cookie and was born smaller to make it easy on you and is now catching up to his 6' dad genes and going to the 90+% height and weight curves. Id switch pediatricians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG, op, does your child look obese? If not, please fire this doc. Some of them are slaves to their charts, and have zero critical thinking skills.

OP here. He does not look obese. He is a chunky but big huge or anything. He still wears 3-6 month clothing and some 6 month clothing. He is in size 2 diapers still.

He is a very active baby. I know he is only 4 months old but he will spend most of his awake time on his tummy spinning himself in circles while grabbing at his toys. He will flip himself over and grab his feet or toys. He even tries to pull himself up ( he can’t) and has very good head control. He loves sitting up and standing and being super active. He is awake for 1.5-2 hours depending on the day is playing the whole time after he eats.

[Anonymous]

Normally I think people are quick to dismiss peds on here, but this all sounds so off base.