Till what age is it called "Baby-Fat"?

amother

Mon, Dec 20 2021, 3:29 pm

Just posted on the thread about dresses for 3 -4 year olds and I wrote that my dd hates her skirts because of her chubby belly.

Got me thinking is it still considered baby-fat or is she just chubby?

DD was a pretty chubby baby, though nothing crazy. Now at 3.5 she still has quite a pregnant-looking belly. Also, her feet are not skinny long legs like most kids in her gan, she has a butt and thighs and a regular bulge (idk how to describe it!) under her kneepit. Normal?

FranticFrummie

Mon, Dec 20 2021, 3:37 pm

She sounds a lot like DD. My kiddo was never one of those string bean type of kids. I always knew she was going to be a curvy girl. As she got older, we found that the best way to dress her was to shop in Women's Petites. It was the only way to find a skirt or dress that went below the knees, and fit her properly everywhere else.

Most kids go through growth spurts where they get really chubby, and then you wake up one morning and they're an inch taller and skinny, and a few months later they get chubby, rinse, repeat. DD wasn't one of those. She pretty much stayed short and curvy, especially next to her best friend, who was a year younger, several inches taller, and thin as a rail.

DD is 18 now, and barely 5 feet tall. She's a size 12, and almost DD. Basically, she looks a lot like Mae West!

I've always told DD that being healthy is more important than being a certain shape and size. If the doctor says you're OK, then that's all that matters. If your pediatrician is OK with your child's weight and height, and the growth curve is within normal range, then you can relax.

As far as the "pregnant belly" goes, you might want to have her tested for allergies and food intolerances. She might have bloating that is uncomfortable for her. DD has Celiac, and once she got rid of gluten her belly smoothed out nicely.

DreamerForever

Mon, Dec 20 2021, 5:09 pm

I think I still have baby fat in my thirties; nothing to do with my chocoholic tendencies Tongue Out

On a more serious note, I think the 'pregnant belly' is still baby shaped at that stage. My 3.5yr old has the same (and I just love to squish it). Another one of my kids was round, 'baby-faced' and chubby till around 7 and then totally slimmed out. 3 yr olds are really still toddlers.

I just do dresses 'cos skirts just don't work for her, unless I hold them up with suspenders.