Healthy babies come in all kinds of packages, from extra chunky to extra small, and they tend to grow according to the genetic blueprint they're born with.
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Transcript:
Maybe your baby is roly-poly all over. Rocking dimpled thighs, cherub cheeks, more chins than you can count, and a belly to make any Buddha proud. Or maybe your baby leans leaner, or even skews scrawny, at least in baby terms, with little in the way of pinchable padding. Either way, your little one is precious perfection from downy head to sweet toes, and you love him just the way he is. Healthy babies come in all kinds of packages, from extra chunky to extra small, and they tend to grow according to the genetic blueprint they're packaged with. Still, if you're like most parents, you may be wondering, or even worrying, whether your baby's weight is where it should be, or whether the pounds are piling on too quickly or too slowly. Is your pleasingly plump baby on the way to becoming a chubby child, an overweight teen, an obese adult? Is thin not in or healthy when it comes to babies in their first year? Is weight really something to watch now? Wait up. First, size up the growth charts the doctor has been plotting baby's progress on since birth. You'll see how your heavyweight, or your lightweight, or your middleweight, stacks up against other babies of the same age and gender. But more importantly, you'll be able to follow your baby's own growth trends, a more important measure than which particular percentile she falls into at any given time. If baby's length and weight for age or weight-for-length by age have stayed on about the same curve since birth, no matter where they land on the graph, there's nothing to stress about and plenty to celebrate. It's true that babies who put on weight too fast in the first six months may be at a greater risk of being overweight or even obese later. But it's also true that weighty concerns can wait, especially if the pediatrician seems content with your baby's growth. For now, keep your chunkster at a healthy bottom line by letting him call the feeding shots instead of pushing that second breast or those last few ounces of formula, which can sabotage a baby's natural appetite control, leading to overfeeding. Feed baby only when she's hungry, not because she's bored or crabby. Don't rush to start solids. Giving solids too soon, especially to the formula fed set, can lead to overweight. And skip the juice, it's not recommended at all until after the first birthday. Finally, make sure your roly-poly baby gets a roll on. Giving him plenty of floor time to move those dimpled arms and legs, something he can't do from a seat or sling. Is your little one extra little? Lean babies are usually just as healthy as their plump peers. As long as baby's happy, alert, and thriving, and the pediatrician is pleased with her progress, petite's no problem. If your baby is actually too skinny, you'll need to step up your feeding efforts so he can step up his weight gain. If you're breastfeeding, feed at least five times a day, and make sure he drains one breast before starting the next, so he gets the creamy hind milk that comes at the end of a feed. If he's a bottle baby, the doctor may suggest diluting the formula a little less. Don't push feeds, that can set up future eating problems. But do make sure baby brakes for feedings, even if that means cutting short a marathon daytime nap, interrupting a fascinating encounter with the play gym, or unplugging the paci. And once baby's on solids, focus on foods that are dense in calories and nutrients, like avocados. Here's to healthy, happy babies of all shapes and sizes!
