Very Large Baby :)

Hi D.!

My daughter was the same way. By 8 months old, she was wearing 18 months clothes, and at 1 year, 2T's were sometimes too small. I always bought double her age. It will slow down. It probably started to slow down right after 1. She is 6 now and still pretty tall, but thin and with a good build. She wears a 7/8 now.

It's quite easy really--just go by her weight & height and compare to the lbs. listed on the tags of the clothing! Most kids do not wear the size they are. They are usually 1 or 2 sizes ahead. If her pediatrician isn't concerned by her size, you shouldn't be either.

Hi D.,
Congratulations on a healthy baby girl! First, stop worrying. My baby girl was very long for her age as an infant, too, but her her weight was way below "the charts". After several visits, the pediatrician had me worried sick. He threatened to do blood work and other tests if she wasn't at a certain point on "the charts" by six months of age. I knew I was always underweight as a child and my husband was always tall for his age as a child, so I put two and two together, used my common sense and changed doctors. The new doctor calmed my fears, assured me that as long as she was a healthy eater, I didn't need to worry. Fast forward eight years, she's the tallest in her class, she knows it and we celebrate it. If you have issues about her size, skin, hair, toenails, eyelashes, etc., she will, too. So let it go and celebrate her individuality. Yes, shopping can be challenging, but not impossible. Children go through phases where they grow so quickly you literally can not keep up. In eighth grade my son started the school year a cute little boy size 10, blew through sizes 12, 14, and 16, skipped 18 and by June of the same school year, he was a men's small, had grown a total of 8 inches and had gained 30 healthy, athletic pounds. My little boy grew into a young man before my eyes. So, strap on your seat belt. It's a fast, emotional ride.

D.,
Congrats on baby girl ... don't you fret none !
I had big girls in the 70's ... footies did not fit[ I had to cut off the foot part] , snaps pop-ed open[ on width, length etc] , a nightmare to keep them 'cute' ..
I discovered COTTON TIGHTS !!!!! with a cute t-shirt [ I tucked it into their COTTON diaper] chuckle ..... allowing room for crawling and fun movements !!! I also found NON SLIP ,[ no brand name] NO FALL OFF FOOT cute ' crib shoe' [ the name in the 1970's] ...Dress's for all Sundays and all holidays !!!!!!!! cute and easy [ buy bigger age 6mo = 12/18 months]
today the Gap, Old Navy, Childrens place sell TIGHTS CHEAP .99cent on sale ... Keep EYES peeled for bargins ... cheap, can crawl, can play, can wash can through- out if pill 'e ...great patterns now too !!!!!!
t shirts [ look for large head opening] big head goes w/ bigger body too.
now once baby is walking .....I NEVER ever TOOK CUTE SUN DRESSES OFF my girls [ shorts under neath] and in winter /fall add COTTON tights [ cotton is durable , non itch] .. oh so girly ..
today you have great lycra / cotton [ add streach] sundress's and cute t-shirts ...
SIZE= be creative , think outside box ... sundress can be bigger .. do not go by age 6mo./ size 6 months !!!! same w/ cotton tights .. buy bigger .. same w/ her foot ...[ find a stay on grow with me kind ]
my 1 yr old wore size 6x dress's , oh so cute !!!!
also ; the llbean , polo , kmart, 100% cotton t shirt dress is a 'must have' in every size/ color [ great swim cover up too ]
swim suits ... get a' t- back '[ or it will fall off when wet] look for up to 2 size up , tankini [ not a bikini] !!!!!
remember when wet ..they enlarge and fall off !!!!!!!
stay away from cute jeans [ for 2 more years] ,add cute ' suspenders' [sp] to pants that may be big in waist , fits in legs ...
get good stay up '' tube ' sox ... EASY and you will get a few FOOT SIZES... keep clean .
today my girlys grew into a small 5 foot ,teeny , tiny girls ????? I am 5'9".... time will tell .
the old time'' size rule 'for buying cloths ahead is birth weight double by 6 months , 6months add a pound a month by age one ..
ex; birth is 10 lb.
6 mo = 20 lbs [ approx]
1 year = 26 lbs.[ approx]
then they slow down ...
1year old in the 20 lbs range [ 19 lb to 29 lb] approx.
2yr= in the 20lb [ 20 to 29 lb]
3yr in the 30lb
4 yr in the 40 lb .[ approx] and so on .
yes , genetics is 100% true w/ a son ....a SON WILL ALWAYS GROW TALLER THAN MOMMY . No rule for GIRLYS !!!!!
be ceative w/ your ' shower' gifts of clothing ... mix / match... try on large sizes ... use only a peice of an outfit ... anything that will get your monies worth !!!
ENJOY

D.,
Unless your pediatrician says something I wouldn't worry AT ALL. I am 6'1" and my husband is 6'3" and our daughter was 8 lbs 11.6 oz and 20 inches long at birth (we also have a son who is now three who was a big baby as well - 9 lbs 14 oz and 22 1/2 inches at birth and he has slimmed down and is now "only" in the 80 % for height and weight and more "normal" in size :) ) Your baby girl's growing WILL start to slow down. My daughter was 15 lbs. 8 oz and 25 inches at 4 MONTHS, 20 lbs 5 oz and 29 1/4 inches at 7 MONTHS and around 9 months she atarted to "slow down". At 9 MONTHS she was 22 lbs 12 oz and 29 3/4 inches, at 12 months she was 26 lbs 3 oz and 32 incehs and at her last check up at 15 months she was 27 lbs 8 oz and 32 1/2 inches long. She is still in the 90+ percentile and considered a "big" girl but she is very healthy and happy. She walked at 10 months, has a large vocabulary already (20+ words) and (just like her "big" brother") is striving. I honestly wouldn't worry at all - big parents have big kids.

At five months my son is 20 lbs (97th percentile) and almost 29 inches (100th percentile). His dr is not concerned, so neither am I! I no longer buy clothing too far ahead of time. Although he will be a year the end of October, at this rate he will be in 12 month clothing this summer. After a year, a baby's rate of growth slows down dramatically!

My first was a big baby, 23 lbs at 6 months, he was always in the 99 percentile. He is now 5 and the tallest in his class. (My husband is very proud of having a big boy) Clothes, I was wearing 12 month on him at 6 months, 2T at 12 month etc. The most frustrating clothing for me were the Onieses, they don't make them for older children. A lot of baby clothes have the weight on the tag along with the month, I used that. A then just buying bigger and bigger every time I went shopping.
One unfortunate thing about being bigger now is he looks more like 7, so when he acts like the 5 year old he is in public, I get "the looks". It's been that way throughout his life.
My second baby boy is more "normal". He was 17lbs at 6 months.
Enjoy your "little" girl.

Hello,
They usually say a baby will double their birth weight by 6 months. The numbers you said seem pretty normal. I will say though I have 2 of my 6 kids that seemed bigger too. When baby #4 was in for his kindergarten checkup at 5 he was so big they put him on the 6 year old chart to chart his height and weight! He fell into the 98% on the 6 year old chart. He is now 16 and 6'2" and the doctor says he's not finished. My 6 year old, baby # 6 went from 2T right to 6's. When she outgrew that I bought 7/8 clothes, she must have been in that 2 months now I'm buying size 10 clothes. She will be 7 at the end of April. I guess my point is with these 2 kids, I can't buy ahead. I'm giving brand new clothes never worn to the neighbor. For now look at her weight and compare that to the size verses her age. Sometimes you just have to eyeball it too. Buying ahead for her at the end of season probably won't work for you. I remember when she was 4 months old I felt like I didn't have a baby anymore, she was so big. By the way we are considerably shorter then you guys, my hubby is 6'1 and I am a whoppin 5'3! Just enjoy her while you can and be prepared to be giving hand me downs to the neighbors she never wore. LOL

have a wonderful week.
L.

D., Babies normally double their birth weight by 6 months and triple it by a year old! That said, all 3 of my children had their growth spurts at different times. My 9 y/o son is 5 ft 2 in, 160 lbs, wears size 9 1/2 mens shoe, 34 mens pant and is built like a brick house. On the other hand my 7 y/o girl is 51 inches, wt 70 lbs,wears size 10 clothing and size 3 shoe. Two yrs between them. Don't let the doctors worry you about the growth charts-mine at different stages were all over them. As long as your daughter is healthy, just simply love and enjoy her!! My oldest is 21 y/o and graduating college in May-time sure flies by! As far as purchasing clothes, the only advice I have is do not buy too much in one size because as soon as you do, she will have a growth spurt! I used to buy 2 piece pj's and put a pair of socks on mine-they were too tall for the sleepers with feet. I also did not buy any clothing with snaps in the groin-they always popped. Try not to buy sets-usually the pants will be too short. Don't spend a lot of money on clothes either-they do not wear them long enough.Walmart sells Garanimals and other pretty good clothes cheap. Good luck and God Bless your daughter.

D.,

It all sounds pretty normal...especially since you and your husband are so tall. If you have questions, though, ask your pediatrician!

The docs started monitoring my very large son at 29 weeks in utero...ultrasounds every 3 weeks to make sure he was ok, as he was so big. Thankfully, all was very well...and he was a big boy at birth!

He is the tallest kid around, always has been, since birth. I am not tall, and my husband is tall but not excessively, so this was not expected! (My son basically is my height...and he just turned 10.)

As for clothing...that always was a challenge. He was in 2nd grade when he went into men's shoes! Kids' shoe stores tend to go to (the equivalent of) size 5 mens, and adult shoe stores tend to start at size 7 mens, so it was a challenge to find a place for him...but we did.

Another challenge: elastic waisted pants! A preschooler doesn't want to be bothered with jeans that snap or button. I searched hard to find pull-on jeans that went beyond toddler sizes. Once I found them, I would buy them for several years ahead. Same with shorts...I had trouble finding shorts that were the right length...and when I finally found them, I bought them in my son's size, and in the next size, and in the next size after that!

At your daughter's age it may be difficult to buy ahead, having no idea if she will be wearing a 2T, for instance, in the summer or winter, but at some point it will get easier, and your child will be the same general size winter and summer!

My daughter is slender and tall (she is 13 and towers over me), and we had the challenge of finding clothes that were long enough but did not fall off of her. Adjustable waistebands were not around when she was really little, but once they started being popular, that was so helpful. She wore a "slim" size for a long time. (She went into adult shoes when she was in 4th grade. The challenge there: finding age appropriate shoes with non-slip soles and no or very low heels!)

My son is 10 years old and wears a size 16 pants. He is not heavy or overweight at all, just tall and solid. He has been off the charts for height since birth and in the 95th percentile for weight, so he always has been in proportion. When he turned 9, based on the charts the doctors use, he was the size of an "average 12 year old." When he was in 2nd grade and we went to visit his sister's new middle school, the teachers thought he was a new student, too!

There is a girl in his class whose mom, dad and uncles all are over 6 feet, and she is as tall as my son....

Good luck!

I know you have plenty of responses already but I just wanted to say, don't freak out if your daughter doesn't start to slow down like some people have said. My daughter wasn't a big baby (just over 7 pounds) but more than tripled her weight by a year and continues to grow like crazy. Everyone would always say, just wait till she starts walking, then it was Just wait till she starts running. Well, neither of those made a difference and here she is at 2 weighing 35 pounds and is over 36 inches tall, she's about the 96th % for height/weight/head. I have to buy her 4t shirts and 3t pants and we never make it through a season in one size clothing. Just buy big, learn that different companies size things differently (children's place runs small, carters runs a little bigger, etc) and try to go by the tags for height/weight when possible. My daughter is now as big as her cousin (who is 18 months older) and we figure by next year we'll be passing clothes along to her! Just enjoy and know that there's plenty of "big" little girls out there!

My kids were all over 7 pounds, one was 9 at birth. None of them fit in the baby clothes sizes when they were the ages listed as sizes. Only the 7 pound baby ever wore a newborn size, and that for no more than a week. Some of the tags should list height and weight ranges as well as the "size" in age format. All you need to do is find one with that type of tag -- or shop online and click on the store's sizing chart -- then go shopping armed with the info you need to select the right size. Buy a little bit big, because we all know baby's don't ever shrink.

And don't worry. They are SUPPOSED to grow. When you go to the doc's the nurse will plot your daughter's height and weight and put it on a graph with the US averages marked as well. While your daughter may be bigger than the average child, they will be watching that the line from the dots they make at each check up stays consistent with the curve of the "averages".

And I'm sure she's not the biggest baby every born. I have a friend who gave birth (vaginally, even) to a 13 pound baby! Now THAT was one BIG baby. He was HUGE as a newborn !

D., My son too is very big for his age. At just 3 month he is already 26" long and 16 lbs. we skipped right over the 3-6 month clothing. For summer I am buying him 12 month clothing. I know from my other son who grew fast also but not this fast he seeemed to slow down a bit around 10-12 months of age. He is just now have a growth spurt and he's 18 months old now. I kknow it can be frustrating but with the length of these babies I would go at least 1-2 sizes bigger when buying clothes. good luck

D.,
I would not worry about your baby's size at this stage. My son was average size at birth and took off right after. He was 20 lbs at 4 months so I had to lose the infant seat, which was so convenient. He was in the 90+ percentile for height and weight for about the first year, then he tapered off and now is between 77 and 80. I was sad because he did not look like a baby for long.

My daughter was and is like that. She is four years old except she could probaby pass for a five year old or a smaller six year old. She was 9lbs. 6oz. when she was born and 21 inches long and hasn't stopped growing since. Generally I would purchase clothes that were a little bigger so she would get at least more than a month out of it. At six months she was wearing 12-18 month clothing, depending on who made it and so forth and so on. Adjustable waist bands and plain elastic wands bands are my favorite. My dauther's biggest problem is that she is so tall but her waist is small. Her weight would be a 4T-5T but because of her height I have to get an xs (4-5) and I didn't know there was a difference until I put them on her. Eventually your daughter will plateau out at some point with both her weight and height. My daughter went for her four year old checkup at the month and finally after about six months she hasn't seemed to grow too much in the height or weight department. It is different for everyone. I was (I know that sounds funny but I have back issues) 5ft. 6in. tall and my husband is about 5ft. 8-9in. but on my dads side the shortest person was me. Aside from me the shortest girl is 5ft. 11in.

I have 3, and all are VERY tall for their age. It is unlikely that your little girl will slow down any time soon. My 10 year old (at 5'5") has finally started to slow down a little bit. My 5 year old is 4'4" and in size 8. My 24 month old is in 4T-4. I am sure that you are going to go through 2 or 3 sizes during a season sometimes. I just would not buy a ton of clothes in any one size, because a lot of them are just going to end up not worn or worn once or twice before the next growth spurt. If your daughter is anything like my kids, they just sort of kept growing without ever really stopping.

i think after a year it begins to slow. Those first 6 months though, very fast growth! My son was the larger than your daughter, my daughter was a tad shorter but same weight as your daughter. Just purchase clothing according to weight & length. Most babies do end up wearing sizes larger than there age - ie wearing 6-12 months while only 4 months old. Nothing to worry about!

When my daughter was born she was 8lbs14oz and 21 inches long (me and my hubby are 5'5 so i was only expecting maybe a 6lb baby cause we are little)so everything i bought 0-3 didn't fit she was already in a 3-6/6-9 in most things she stayed usually a size or so bigger than how old she was until she started crawling and walking was when it slowed down, now she is 5 and a skinny mini. buying a little bigger cause you have to add in the factor of the diaper

Hi D.

My daughter will be 2 in May. She grew like a weed just as it sounds like your daughter is. My advice is just buy big. It seemed like every time I turned around she was outgrowing her clothes. I think we went from 3 months to 12 months in her first winter! She is FINALLY starting to slow down a little. We made it the whole winter in one size!!! Yippe for me :-) OH, you might want to consider getting her a convertible car seat that has a higher end weight limit as a car seat when you buy one (if you haven't already.) I couldn't carry my daughter in her infant seat when she was 6 months old and she was too big for it anyway by the time she was 8 months old. I bought one of the Britax series that holds up to 65lbs in the harness so I didn't have to buy her a new car seat if she grew out of one of the less expensive ones that only held to 40lbs.

My baby girl has always topped the charts. There was a time when I thought if she kept growing at that rate she'd be the size of my 4 year old by a year! HaHa Her growth finally started to taper off between 6-9 months of age. She is still in the 90th for weight and 75th for height, but she only gain a 2 pounds in 3 months compared to the 2 lbs a month she was gaining. As long as your baby is staying within the curve there is nothing to worry about, but I worried to, not about her health, but about things like.... can I keep up with her clothing needs, how much longer will she be able to use the car seat.... things like that. Your baby will start to taper off.... congratulate yourself for nourishing your baby soo well! :)