My little girl is exclusively breastfeeding and is gaining weight so rapidly. She was 8 pounds 9 ounces when she was born (so not a small baby) and now at 4 months she's about 16 pounds. She's a very chubby baby and everyone comments on how big she is and her thunder thighs. My dh is a little concerned. He wants to cut back on her feedings but I don't think that's a good idea. She eats 6 to7 times a day (essentially 3 hours give or take) and is on each breast for 5 minutes. Does this sound like it's too much? I figure she'll lose some of the weight when she starts crawling, but dh is worried she's too fat.

She sounds healthy to me. If there was a problem, your pediatrician should have said something. My son was 16 lbs. at 4 months as well. He is long so he doesn't look fat. He is now 6 months and I am curious what his weight is. We have his check up next week.

I think this is a classic example of how we are so worried about weight in our society. Poor babies can't even have baby fat or we get nervous. ;) Tell hubby he needs to relax!

Your baby is just fine. BF babies tend to gain more weight than FF in the first 6 months and then less the next 6. My BF baby gained a pound a week for his first month, and was about 16 pounds at 4 months too -- though he started at 7 lb 1 oz. You don't want to limit food, because that's much more likely to lead to weight issues later on -- if she's hungry a lot, she'll feel like she has to eat as much as she can when the food is there instead of just as much as makes her full. If you tell him that messing around now is more likely to lead to an overweight child with unhealhty relationship to food, he'll probably back off.

That doesn't sound like too much. Don't worry. My ds was born at 7 lbs 5 ounces and was 16 something at 4 months also. He has always been long too, but he always looked real chuncky especially his thighs. He thinned out later on. Don't worry your dd sounds perfect and you are not nursing too much, it's what she needs right now.

Is your Dh starting early on the body image thing? If he is totally only concerned about her health and development, then I stand corrected. I can put him in touch with a multitude of women who had to grow up with fathers continually teasing and criticising them for being "fat", and they can tell him how much fun it all was.

No, please don't cut back on feedings. Your baby is doing wonderful!! Let her breastfeed whenever she wants to. You CANNOT overfeed a breastfed baby. Your husband should be proud.

seraph,
That's a very good point. Why is any family member saying the baby has "thunder thighs". That is just downright mean. My dad used to call me that through my teenage years and it was humiliating.....He thought for some reason, I think, that it would help me to lose some weight. That's the worst you can do......

My ds was 9'9 at birth and is now 4 months and over 16 lbs also. Sounds quite normal to me like shes doing really well and thriving ;)

And youre right about the crawling thing - she will prolly thin out a bit when she begins exercising - crawling, walking and running etc. Besides I think its healthy for babies to be a little chubby while theyre babies. And not to mention soooo cute lol.

Maybe just point out the logic to dh - shes only getting milk at this point and she cant overfeed- its her job to gain weight. But if its an issue as she gets bigger you can correct it by ensuring she eats well - lots of fruit and veg.

Good luck
xxx

Good to hear you all agree with me! :wave:
No one from the family has said she has thunder thighs, it was a couple while we were out to brunch one day. I just think all the chubby, "big baby" comments from other people have my dh concerned. I'll reassure him that it's ok and of course I'm planning on asking my pediatrician about it next week.
I think my dh is also worried since our little girl was able to do certain physical things (like roll from her tummy to her back) and now that she's fatter, she can't do them anymore.
I certainly don't want to limit her feedings only to give her eating problems later on in her life.

My DD was almost 16 lbs at 4months and in the 90th percentile. She was 31lbs at 24 months old and now at almost 33months she is 33 lbs. they tend to even out. She was BF till about 3months then FF until she went to regular milk. Yes she is big and yes she looks like she is almost 4 to some people and yes people say that she is an amazon,thunder thighs(they must like that phrase),oh she was so chunky, or wow who does she take after...Now a little fast history, i am thin due to a thyroid condition. I was able to keep a little weight on but I will always been thin and it is no different trying to keep it on as it is to try to loose it everyone with a disease will tell you it stinks just as bad. Ok well someone said to me one day wow who is fat in your family since she musnt take after you. I was apauled by this and my mamabear side came out and said "hey jerko I have a disease that keeps me thin but she does take after me cuz she will kick yer a$$ if you keep it up" My DD at that moment raspberried this person and with that we walked off. NOw yes i shouldnt have siad hwat i did and sholdnt have aloud her to do what she did BUT i was having PMS and am so sick of the rich uppity people here that i had to just say it.

My dd had the whole chunk look to her and now she is so cute. But also let your dh know that the pot belly they have, they will have for a while. Tell him not to let people worry him too much. That baby should be eating as much as she wants when she wants and especially at her growth spurts. She will be fine and if there was a concern the dr. will say it or would have already. Tell him to just smile and walk away when people talk that way. If he has the urge to say something to them just tell him to say whats wrong with baby fat and just smile and leave?

Ahhhh I miss my dd being that little chunkiemonkey!

Please don't be concerned! Most breastfed babies are chubbier.
When your baby is closer to 1, he/she will lose the chubbiness. My daughter was always in 80th percentile for weight, but now that she's 1, she had a growth spurt and is now at 55th. Also, doctors usually don't address weight until 2 years.