How do I grow a nice chubby baby? - Page 2

[finn'smama]

I don't think 6 pound babies are abnormal or small. Mine were 6lbs 15 oz and 6lbs 8oz. Both term, both healthy. Both wonderful, intervention free births, no tears and no problems. I actually think it's strange that so many people are having 9 and 10 pounders That seems huge to me!

A

Eta- i gained 45lbs with the first and 55lbs with the second. I think it's just genetics.

[Changed]

I don't think there's anything you can do to influence this. I was on a "triplets" high cal/pro diet with my second because she wasn't growing well. She didn't grow anyway (2.2 pounds at birth 33 weeks) and I got HUGE. With my first I gained a TON (80 pounds) on total crap and she was 7.7 at 38 weeks. My last was 6.6 at 36 weeks and I only gained 19 pounds. I think my two nearly term kids would've been about the same weight at term.

[chic2chic]

Originally Posted by ~Megan~

My other babies have been pretty small and had some of the minor issues related to smaller size (more sleepy than usual and latching on difficulties).

i work with a lot of BF moms, and size has absolutely nothing to do with latch issues (except if it's a preemie, of course).

size also has nothing to do with sleepiness -- but any drugs administered during labor or birth certainly make the baby sleepier.

your babies sound absolutely normal in size, by the way -- i wouldn't worry at all if i were you

[Eben'sMama]

As the mama of two DSs--10 lbs, 11 oz, and 11 lbs, 0.4 oz, I would say that a healthy, organic diet with a daily dose of organic ice cream in the evening is the plan that worked for me. I didn't gain much weight with either pregnancy (like 30 lbs total), had no GD issues--just big, healthy boys. I do think heredity does play a role--all the men in my family are big, DS is 6'3" and sturdy and I'm 5'8". Neither of my boys were "chubby," though, just thick and solid.

[alfabetsoup]

My DD was only 6 lbs 2 oz at term. She knew what she was doing though, nursed like a pro right away and never lost an ounce! By 2 months she was a real chunker, triple chins, screw-on hands, thunder thighs... Now at 2 yrs she's slim and petite.

Babies take what they need from your body no matter what you eat.

[hubris]

Megan, the weights of your first two don't sound terribly small, especially considering their gestational ages. I would expect that the problems you experienced, like latch issues, *might* have more to do with their age and neurological development than their weights.

How much did you weigh at birth? How big are you and your husband (rhetorical questions, you don't really have to answer). You would probably consider my children small at birth - 6lbs10oz, 7-9, and 7-3. But I'm short/petite and my husband has a slender frame and average height. Our kids have our genes! They were born at 40 weeks, 40 weeks, and almost 42 weeks, and all of them nursed well and became plump infants. Our third child had the longest pregnancy and is the most slender of the three, oddly. He just picked the slim genes.

[Limabean1975]

My DS was born 9 lbs 14 oz, but I'm quite sure that had nothing to do with diet - my DH is 6'8" and 250lbs. GENETICS!

[Potty Diva]

My daughter weighed 9 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20 inches long. I gained 65 pounds. I am 5'10" and weigh roughly 300 pounds.

Dh is 5'8" and weighs 250.

I weighed 8 pounds at birth and so did he.

But now at 7 our dd is of average height and very slim.

[balancedmama]

Originally Posted by hubris

Megan, the weights of your first two don't sound terribly small, especially considering their gestational ages. I would expect that the problems you experienced, like latch issues, *might* have more to do with their age and neurological development than their weights.

ITA with that. I notice a lot more 37 and 38 week babies having these issues than 40 week babies, regardless of weight.

[Potty Diva]

Can I be honest here?

IMO, this wanting a specific kind of baby smells of genetic engineering. If you babe is healthy, no matter what they look like, be happy.

[~Megan~]

Originally Posted by Potty Diva

Can I be honest here?

IMO, this wanting a specific kind of baby smells of genetic engineering. If you babe is healthy, no matter what they look like, be happy.

I do want a healthy baby. This really offends me. I'm not talking about genetic engineering. I'm asking about what kinds of things do I need to include in my diet to allow the baby to grow as needed. I had some pretty severe morning sickness and food aversions with both my other pregnancies and had to eat whatever I could. I'm feeling pretty good about food now and since I have options I want to know what I should be eating. Obviously most mainstream pregnancy books won't have the information I'm looking for.

I had no idea this would turn so controversial!

[Peony]

I understand. DD1 was 6lbs 13ozs at 38 wks, I was very ok with that since I had been barely 5 lbs at 38 weeks, but then when DD2 came along, I really, really just wanted a baby over 7lbs. Nope. She turned out to be 2 ozs smaller then her sister, she also decided to come at 38 wks like her sister. Sometimes I wonder if my babies would stay in there longer then maybe they'd be a nice size! A good part of me just thinks it's genetics, I don't gain weight that easy, I'm a thinner person, DH is thinner as well, and both my girls have turned out to be average height but very slight build and weight. There is another part of me that would just love an 8 lb baby.

[Potty Diva]

Originally Posted by ~Megan~

I do want a healthy baby. This really offends me. I'm not talking about genetic engineering. I'm asking about what kinds of things do I need to include in my diet to allow the baby to grow as needed. I had some pretty severe morning sickness and food aversions with both my other pregnancies and had to eat whatever I could. I'm feeling pretty good about food now and since I have options I want to know what I should be eating. Obviously most mainstream pregnancy books won't have the information I'm looking for.

I had no idea this would turn so controversial!

This is new information. based on your previous posts you talked about wanting a cute big baby. Nothing more and for no other reason than for having a cute fat baby. You equated chunky=healthy which is not always the case, nor oes it means your child will be big and healthy later on in life (my daughter is now tiny).

So, I hope you won't stay offended for too long mama. I was only going on the information shared.

[Changed]

Originally Posted by Potty Diva

Can I be honest here?

IMO, this wanting a specific kind of baby smells of genetic engineering. If you babe is healthy, no matter what they look like, be happy.

And yet a post started out that way is usually not well received.


Megan- I don't think any of your posts sounded like you were hoping engineer your baby. I'd like a bald baby. I'll get over it.

[~Megan~]

Not wanting to pick a fight but...

Originally Posted by Potty Diva

This is new information. based on your previous posts you talked about wanting a cute big baby. Nothing more and for no other reason than for having a cute fat baby.

Originally Posted by ~Megan~

Its not a big deal. My other babies have been pretty small and had some of the minor issues related to smaller size (more sleepy than usual and latching on difficulties).

Perhaps its all in how we take it but I certainly didn't mean to imply that chubby babies are cuter. I just want to grow a healthy one and I do tend to think that bigger babies, at least those that grow that way naturally not because of GD, are healthier. Maybe its a misconception of mine though.

[Potty Diva]

I'm not really interested in how it was received. I did my best to be non-confrontational and still voice a concern.

She isn't just "hoping" for a chunky baby, she is looking for advice to actually go through with getting a chunky baby by changing her normal eating habits into something a body builder would eat.

And oh my, eating all this protein cannot be good for you or your growing baby. Perhaps in trying to get a chunky baby, she may end up with a baby with other special circumstances.

My daughter is calling for me now, but, I'll be bock.

[Potty Diva]

Originally Posted by ~Megan~

Not wanting to pick a fight but...






Perhaps its all in how we take it but I certainly didn't mean to imply that chubby babies are cuter. I just want to grow a healthy one and I do tend to think that bigger babies, at least those that grow that way naturally not because of GD, are healthier. Maybe its a misconception of mine though.

This isn't picking a fight. This is communication.

I must have misread or misunderstood both your posts and your intentions.

I'm glad I understand now. Thank you.

[cj'smommy]

Megan -

I had severe HG with baby #2, lost about 12 pds and honestly ate terribly....even when I was feeling better. My little one was 8 pds and three weeks early.

This time I had severe HG again and probably ate worse, u/s is showing him already big. I know u/s can be off but since I've had two bigger babes already it wouldn't be surprising that he's another big baby.

Oh and if it makes a difference I'm 5'6" and was 132 before I got pg. DH is 5'10" and about 165.

[ASusan]

Originally Posted by alegna

Dd was 8lbs 12 oz. I suggest focusing on lots of protein all the way through. Make as many of your snacks protein heavy as you can. Make sure you get plenty of good fats. I don't believe in major restrictions, but obviously don't go all day just eating cookies and ice cream

-Angela

I agree with this. Heavy on the protein and good fats.

DH is big, but I am tall and very slender. I ate a lot of protein and (mostly) good fats. (and ice cream almost every day) I gained over 50 lbs. Babe was 8lbs, 10oz at 41 weeks. Still a very big baby; not fat. 6 mos PP, I have lost all the baby weight (and more). (Gave up the ice cream when I gave up dairy when DS was a couple of weeks old.)

[ASusan]

Originally Posted by Nekawa Ma

I followed the Brewer diet pretty closely when pregnant with dd and pretty loosely when pregnant with ds (10 pounds, 2 oz). I felt that the diet really made me healthy through pregnancy. It's major focus is eating lots of proteins. The hardest part for me was making myself eat two eggs every day: http://nutrition.birthingnaturally.n...iles/frame.htm

On the Brewer diet, I gained more than 50 pounds with each pregnancy. But after 12 months of breastfeeding dd, I was back to pre-pregnancy weight. Now, after 2 months of tandem nursing a toddler and a newborn I'm still 30 pounds heavier than pre-pregnancy, but it's falling off measurably.

This pretty much describes my experience. Although I would admit I taped the Brewer diet to my fridge, I never really attained it. I did stive toward it as a goal, and kept my protein and fats up. Two eggs a day were very easy for me - still are - as I get them from a local source and they are quite good.