is my baby overweight?

Question

my baby boy is 3 months old and he weights 13 pounds and 4 ounces he was born at 6 pounds 14 ounces

Answer 1

Your baby is within the normal range. According to World Health Organization Child Growth Standards 2006, the average weekly weight gain of a child at 0-4 months ranges from 341 - 530 grams per week.Check out this page for reference: http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/weight-gain-metric.html

Answer 2

I've been told that above the 95 percentile is considered overweight.

But weight isn't the only consideration. Length is also involved.
Your baby sounds like he is doing well.

He wasn't born obese, in fact he was lighter than many babies.
After that, you can actually feed on demand. Your baby will know what he needs. Don't EVER restrict an infants nourishment!

Extra fat and little rolls of skin on his arms and legs is healthy.
He will have many growth spurts where he will NEED that weight.
In fact, at three months, he should be having a spurt right now (or any day now). He should be eating more and gaining more during a spurt.

Keep up the good work. You're a good mom to be concerned, but at this point there is no reason for concern :o)

Relax and keep feeding your baby in a healthy way.

Answer 3

Both of my kids weighed 7 lbs 6 oz at birth. By 6 months, my oldest, who is now 13, weighed in at a little over 26 lbs and was perfectly healthy (according to the pediatrician even). My youngest did not reach 30 pounds until he was probably 2 but was perfectly healthy. He now, at 11 almost 12, only weighs about 80 pounds. Your baby has only gained a little over 6 pounds since birth...there is nothing wrong with that. But if you are worried, contact your pediatrician and they can address your concerns from a medical point of view. Congrats on the baby and best wishes!!

Answer 4

If your baby is breastfed, then absolutely no - one of the great advantages of breastfeeding is never having to measure out servings! But, if your baby is formula fed, then the answer is a little more difficult.

If you are forcing the baby to continue to eat past the point that they start to turn away, then you may be over feeding your baby. Watch your baby's cues. When they are full, stop feeding them (even if there is another ounce in the bottle). By continuing to feed them, you are teaching them to ignore the 'I'm full' signals.

My baby was about 13 pounds at 3 months - she's breastfed exclusively. Even though she was chubbier than most babies her age (this has a lot to do with length, btw. my sil has a baby who also weight about 13 pounds but looked skinny in comparison, because her baby is very long), she continues to be very healthy. She's breastfed, though. If I were bottle feeding her, there would be additional concerns because overfeeding can happen.

Answer 5

Don't worry. I'm a doctor. Your baby is not completely overweight. He is the perfect weight for his age. It would be great if you could get him down to 12 pounds 5 ounces. He could have respiratory problems in his future though. If he gets down to 12 pounds 5 ounces that won't happen.

Answer 6

Depends how long (or tall) the baby is also...I mean if the Pediatrician is not concerned...no matter how chubby or plump a baby looks, it doesn't matter. It truly does NOT. He is just healthy is the Doctor says he is. Be glad he eats and is healthy and that he doesn't have a lot of food allergies or cannot eat enough or gain weight as some babies rarely are. Just be thankful he is the weight he is. That is wonderful. Later when he is able to feed himself and choose what to food himself and all then you can be more concerned about weight and by what choices of food he makes for himself. But he's a baby so you have to remember length and weight and body type and other concerns are what the Doctors look for.

Answer 7

I am sure the weight is fine, but you can search online for a growth chart, that will show you how a child that age compares with other children the same age.

My boys were very big, almost 9 pounds at birth, and they were both chubby babies, now they are tall and skinny. You can't really judge "overweight" when they are that young.

Answer 8

My son weighed about the same at the same age. Now he is 17 months and weighs 28 lbs. No, your baby isn't overweight. In my opinion, babies (during the first 12 months) can't be overweight like adults do. Their tummies are very very small and they only eat when their tummies are empty. If they eat more, that means they're not satisfied yet.

Also, once your baby starts becoming mobile (crawling, crusing, walking) you'll find that the weight gain will slow down very very fast.

Answer 9

no. my 3 month old is 14lbs and 6 oz. she is 24 in long. she was 8lbs 11 oz at birth. she is not overweight and neither is your son. some babies just gain weight easier than others. my 18 month was the same way, she is now 29 lbs, so when they get more active they lose the weight, don't worry your son is healthy and don't let anyone tell you he's fat.

Answer 10

Your baby is not in any way overweight. It is normal growth and babies have an inbuilt system which allows them to regulate their food intake. They hardly overfeed. When hungry they request for food and once satisfied, you can hardly force adrop down their throat. But as a concerned mother, you can pay a visit to your paediatrician, who would educate you more on this ans as well check the weight of your baby and advice you accordingly.