What to say to 'little' comments about baby...

I have the most gorgeous baby girl who is turning one this week. The only issue I have is not with her but with the horrible comments family and people we meet, make. She is not even 9 kilos yet and compared to her cousin who is 4 months younger, and 1 inch taller and 1 kg heavier already, she does look little - but there is nothing wrong with her and she has even been walking since about 9 months! A stranger even told me she didnt believe that she was over 6 months!! My other children were all average.

She is still breastfed and actually feeds about 6 times in 24 hours at least and is practically always chewing on something - usually a piece of fruit or rice cracker or something... she eats healthily and normally for a one year old.

I just was wondering what do other mums (or dads) say when hit with the 'midget' etc jokes? I know I shouldn't let it get to me but it's hard not to.

Just look at them. "She's a BABY - you were expecting a giant?" Someone "doesn't believe" her age... tough. It's a fact. I'd tell that person I found it hard believing they were under 70 too, but things happen, right!

My DS is the same size (bit smaller) than his second cousin, who is 14m younger than him. I don't let that get to me: they like playing together and adults aren't the same height so why should children be uniform?

I use to get the same with both my girls and initially it was a bit annoying but I would just say "yep, she's little but happy and healthy". People always seem to find something to comment on don't they?

Regards,
Dianne

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I use to get the same with both my girls and initially it was a bit annoying but I would just say "yep, she's little but happy and healthy". People always seem to find something to comment on don't they?

Regards,
Dianne

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Bethany was and still is small for her age and I still get comments about her size but I say the same thing as Dianne
"She is happy and healthy so her size doesn't matter"

:hug: I've got a little dynamo too, compact little thing. They're cute hey! :D He's almost 2 and still in 0's and some 1's.

I think just be positive about it, you might be re-educating people when you reassure them there's absolutely nothing to worry about. You could refer to petite adults like Kylie Minogue, Kate Moss or the Olsen Twins, last I heard people weren't complaining they were too small. :p Or if you were feeling a bit narky you could always ask something like 'do you think there's something wrong with her?' and hope they squirm. Thing is, being negative can make you feel negative and you don't want that. :hug:
If people won't leave you alone, you can always bring in the professional(s), like 'my doctor and MCHN say her size is just fine'. What are they going to say 'oh well your doctor's wrong?'

Georgia has just turned 1 also and she weighs 8.56kg's. Alot of people would comment to me and say oh isnt she tiny or she is so little, and I thought they were saying it because they didnt know what to say, I didnt think she was little but comparing her to others her age she is tiny.
It doesnt really bother me as such and I dont really have any comebacks for you or things to say. I like the fact that Georgia is petite, she is a baby to me for longer if you know what I mean rather than being a big toddler.
She also eats and eats all day long she is an amazing eater and eats all kinds of foods so I am not concerned for her health, she is still breastfed and thriving.
You are doing and have done a great job, dont worry about what they say.

:hug: Oh hun people can be really hurtful sometimes.
DS1 was always tiny he still fits size ones and he is 2...whereas DS2 is a big boy and people sont belive me that he is 11 weeks lol!
:hug: xx

Thanks everyone - you have made me feel a lot better. Salad & Boomba - you hit the nail on the head! I don't mind her being little as she is my last baby and I think she is soooo cute but I am so sick of the comparisons to her 'normal' older brother and sisters and cousins etc.

im another one who has a little bubba. DD is 2 and still wears size 0's and 1's and at 1 year she was 7.9Kgs/ I dont really have many comebacks and i know that other peoples comments are really hurtful but just know that you little one is perfect and healthy and that is all that matters!

Oooh yes I forgot that - I still tote #2 around like he's a bub (although a heavy one, he makes up for height in roundness!) and he's so little and all oosy cutesy snuggly wuggly...and I do pinch his cheeks and thighs...never did that with his older bro (not chubby enough, all long and bones that lovely one!), by the time he was two he was a little man, but #2 is so cute and widdle. :lol: Feeling sorry for him yet? I can't help it, the little ones are so munchable!

I also have a little tiny girl. She's 7 and still wears size 5 (just going into a 6) clothes, she's the smallest child in the whole school and when people see her in her uniform they think she's playing dress up lol. My nephew is a year younger than her and has always been bigger, in fact my sister gives me some of his old clothes for her to wear, we joke about them being 'hand me ups'.

Seriously, don't let them get to you. You could use the good old 'good things come in small packages' line or get them to focus on her positives like how she was walking at 9 mths.

:hug: As long as she's happy healthy and LOVED nothing else matters.

It's so annoying isn't it.. my DD is 15mths and although might have FINALLY had a growth spurt has ALWAYS been the 10th% for her weight, she was small born and has just continued to be small.

I have had people ask if i feed her properly as she's so TINY blah blah blah... in the end i tell people now she's not SMALL she is PETITE there is a difference.

Seriously she is 15mths and eats like a 4yr old boy, 3 slices of toast AND a yoghurt for breakfast, a sandwich plus an apple and watermelon for lunch etc etc.

I stick to my guns now and have told people she is petite, medically she is happy & healthy and if she was overweight they would be whinging i feed her too much, i sat down and told someone the amount she eats in a day and all they could say was ohhhhh...... :wall:

DD2 is 12 days old and although only 10g b/w them for birth weight she put on 180g in the first 6 days and DD1 had only put on 60g.. every baby is DIFFERENT.. what is NORMAL?

Hope people get off your back... smile, nod and know your doing everything you can for your daughter..... hopefully she's lucky enough to keep that figure for life :lol:

Good reading here for me too. I have another little girl here.

At 12 months C was only just 8kg and now at 2 (today!!!) she is only 9.5kg. She started life on the 10th % and now is not even on the weight chart!!!! She is healthy and happy. She doesnt look thin at all! She is strides ahead with language and comprehension and normal for physical development. She is just small. She will be thankful for it in adulthood! :)

My child nurse is pushing the point and sending us to a dietician but I think its all a waste of time (as do all my friends and family) I'm going anyway to appease her and cause I may get some new recipe ideas lol.

It takes all sizes to make up the graphs. Our kids are just helping contribute to the lower scale whereas other kids help boost the top end. Why have a graph to compare if they are all supposed to be the same?!!?

Gah, people and their rude comments! :shakehead:

Good things come in small packages! I had a shop assistant tell me that DD wasn't 3 months because she was too small. Hello! I am the mother here I think I know how old my little girl is. Babies come in all different shapes and sizes just like men and women do. That is why some women are size 6 and others are size 26. I would have a go at them, there are enough people in the world with body image issues that you don't want to make her one also.

My youngest brother was always a tiny one - even now (at 14) he's soooo much smaller than the other kids. But it seems to be working to his advantage - he's quite popular with the "ladies" because they all want to mother him :lol: Thank goodness he's not interested yet! Mum still calls him Munchkin, and is the only one who can get away with referring to his height/skinniness without a (quite painful) thump in response.

I was quite small too, though I never got comments about it. I was the shortest in my Grade 5 class, but two years later I hit my growth spurt and was the tallest. Once everyone else caught up though, I was a shorty again lol

You just enjoy your tiny package hon. I've learnt you can't win. My DD was tiny for ages and plenty of people commented on how little she was. I just smiled and lapped it all up as I got to have a tiny baby for longer than most and she fit into teeny tiny cute clothes for ages and newborn nappies until she was 3 months old! I loved it!

She's just gone 4 months and has grown a lot lately but she's not massive by any means, 6kg late last week. Anyway, another mum at the paediatrician's last week asked how old she was then said 'Wow, she's huge!'. I just laughed - talk about a turn around! She went on to tell me that her DD, who was crawling around on the floor, was 8 months old and yes, she was tiny so of course my DD looked huge but in comparison to other 4 month olds, my DD is pretty average really.

Keep smiling and try to just laugh it off.

I had the exact same problem with my DD. She is almost at the 12kg mark now. On her first birthday she weighed 8.9kg and thats what she weighed from 6 months to 19 months.. She gained nothing. I had my CHN tell me I needed to get a blood test done bla bla bla

I knew there was nothing wrong with Olivia as she sounded just like your DD,. Always munching on something. She was also Bf and I was also told to start weaning her.. In the end I did what I felt was right. I continued doing what I was doing..

As for the comments.. Say oh well at least I have a baby for longer this time ;) I got pretty tired of the comments to and they were always directed at me still BF.. :rolleyes: I just said I must be doing something right.. Just look at how happy and healthy she is..

but it is hard not to take the comments on board though.. :hug:

My DD was also tiny and now that she's almost 7 years old I can still carry her around on my hip. She weighs 17.5kg, the same as her 4 year old brother. She is tiny and perfect... she's heading in to Grade 2 this year and has no problem keeping up with the 'bigger' kids. She walked at 9 months and she is now faster and more agile than a lot of kids larger than her, I think because she has less weight to carry! She more than makes up for what she lacks in size with plenty of confidence and personality! (Although i really wish they made a school uniform smaller than size 4, she looked like she was playing dress-ups when she started Prep!) I still use the 'good things come in small packages line' and it works a treat.

My MCHN also wanted me to take her to a dietician, but I refused as a knew she was healthy, just little. 'Aaah, well', said the nurse, 'I guess we're just used to all those fat formula-fed babies'.... 'er, she IS a fat formula-fed baby' (two breast reductions left me unable to feed.) The look on her face was priceless. My perfect little baby has grown into a perfect little girl... and I'm sure yours will too!

DD3 is very little as well, still only 7kg at 7.5 months! Whenever someone comments I just say "Yes, she's quite compact" and leave it at that.

My little V is 15mths and weighs appro 6.8kg bare weight, she has always been tiny and petite. For a long time I had people stopping me in the shopping centre etc wanting to look at her as they thought I was carrying a doll. I always get people asking me how old she is, then surprise comes on their face, then the question Ohh was she premmie? Then more surprised faces when I say No!!!, full term just little.
Little V has never been on the graph, she is still seeing her pead, has been seeing Genetics, and has also been seeing dieticians. They have also been wanting me to see The Childrens hospital with her, but they are willing to wait to see how she goes first.
I actually would like them to stop picking her to bits, and leave her be, as she is just perfect, cheeky happy and healthy. She isnt a big eater, but has improved.
I have even been able to see a lovely belly forming, and even her thighs have developed little rolls. She is still in the 4-8kg nappies. Still in 000's and is also wearing some 00's however some just fall straight off her, depending on the make.
They have told me that although V is not on the charts, she is more or less making her own chart, and is still following the same direction as their chart.

It got it with my DD all the time (still do). She weighed a whole whopping 8.1kg at 13 months. Like your DD she was eating and feeding like there was no tomorrow. I would just say she was a skinny minny when I was in a good mood. When people said she didn't look like a 1 year old I'd say "oh ****, you must be right and she's only 6 months. Thanks for correcting me because I'm only her mum so what would I know?"

For what it's worth my DS is a chubby bubby and people are now having digs at how I much feed him. You just can't win.

I find that some of the time it is just that older people forget how small babies are in general iykwim. My DD is reasonably big for her age (she is around the 97th percentile for height and a bit less for weight), but when people see her they still comment that she is little. I am sure it is just that they don't remember their babies being that small - like when you have a second bub and can't imagine your first ever being so tiny.

DD was around the 9kg mark at her 1st birthday, and still wearing some 00's and 0's. But 7months down the track she's made up for it! She hit the 12kg mark just before xmas, and has shot up height wise - enough that some size 2's are getting short on her :o, she's also gone from a size 4 shoe when she got her 1st pair of real shoes back in August to a 6.5 in the first week of Jan - which are now looking like they won't last the summer! I think most of DD's growth has been in her legs, as she can still fit into a couple of her 0 tops.

Gosh, i get this ALL the time, posted something similar a while ago about skinny minnies when it was getting to me. One guy in sydney actually asked me if she was ill!! WHAT!

DD is 17 months old and in the lowest weight line on the graphs....ive pretty much stopped weighing her so cant tell you what she weighs, dont think she has gained anthing between her 6 month and 12 month injections, she is HAPPY and HEALTHY and EATs like a blooming HORSE....shes just little!! She is perfectly proportioned. Yes you can see her ribs when she stretches her arms above her head and yes she still fits in to the 0 clothes she was wearing last year. But my GP tells me she is perfect...JUST LITTLE.

Its so hard when people imply that she is starving or you arent feeding her right, but you have to be confident and tell tham that she is healthy and active and its perfectly normal! Babies dont all have to be big rolly polly babies!! Maybe she will be a slender dancer or gymnast....who knows!hugs to you

Aiden is a slim jim too!! He is tall and skinny!! He was always at the lower end of of graph too! But someone gotta fall in that range hey! He ran before he walked at 10 months and hasn't looked back!! He eats like a champ especially fruit and runs and runs and runs!! He is like me!! Where as Charlotte is 3 months and in 00!!! She is my pudding chubba bubba!! They are completely different!!!

People need to think before they speak! With Aiden it was wow he is so thin is he BF blah blah - um yes BF and someones gotta be on the small side ...and now with Charlotte wow she is big must FF - umm no BF and a happy chubba!!! You just can't win!!!

My DS1 (2yrs) and DS2 (5mths) were actually wearing the same size nappy until a couple of weeks ago when we toilet trained DS1.

What I found best was to beat them to the punch. To just come out before anyone could say anything and say "oh he is so small compared to his boofhead siblings, but that's because DS1 takes after DH's side of the famiy and DD ans DS2 take after mine." It really doesn't leave them with anything to say, because I got in and addressed the issue first.

you know i have never really thought about it.
DD is 3 in june - she wears size 1 pants and size 2 tops - the same sizes as her 19 month old cousin (my sisters baby).
She wears the same size nappy as her 15 month old brother! lol

She has always been little (5lb and 47cm born) and well i tell people, what do you expect from 2 parents lucky to be taller than 5ft 6! lol

But i never really was bothered by the comments, she is little, she is perfect, this is her.

Perhaps you can tell them that!
even though she is turning 3 in june she is still pushin 12kg. I checked my books and she didnt even reach 9kg until she was 18months.

I just warn her that her brother was 2lb and 2 inches bigger than her at birth and she shouldnt pick on him as he will be bigger than her soon haha!

Its none of their business - iwould just ignore them!

xx

Good things come in small packages.

My mum used to say that when I was a small child. So I guess it shouldn't be surprising to me that both my boys are very small for their age. Poor DS1 is off to school next week and the smallest size school uniform is huge on him.

The funny thing is that if our kids were big, we'd probably get comments about that too!! Sometimes you just can't win!

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Good things come in small packages!

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I say the same - DS has just cracked the 8KG mark at 9 months, was 5pd 12 oz at birth and has always been the littlest baby at mothers groups etc, wore newborn nappies until almost 3 months etc, but I just think it makes him cuter!! He is on the bottom line of all the percentile graphs (but has a boof head LOL) but is healthy, happy and gorgeous so I have learnt to say the above or when someone says he's small I say "I know, it just makes him cuter!!"

I got heaps of use of out my 0000 / 000 clothes and have saved heaps of money as haven't really needed to buy a heap of new clothes yet, as got lots of 00 and 0s at my baby shower as well as the smaller sizes too and we are just making use of 0 now mostly due to his head circumference with tshirts etc

I'd love to know all of your secrets to keeping your bubs small!

DS has always been around the 75% (was 8pd10oz at birth even though he came 2.5 weeks early!!). I'd love for him to stay little, but he keeps on growing up way too fast hehe.

I have the opposite problem to you girls. I get a lot of people asking his age and then telling me he's huge. He's not really that big though! He's not a chubby baby and doesn't have any "rolls". People love to comment on his "chunky thighs", but they are no bigger than any other babies thighs. I just tell them it's all muscle and he's using them to learn to walk. :)

I don't know about comments but my DD wasn't even kilos at 15 months!!!!

She is now almost 4 (in April) and she now weighs 14 kilos. She eats a wide variety and not small portions either - she is just a girl and a slender one at that, same as i was until i got halfway through high school.

My DD2 was always a skinny minny - she would have been lucky to weigh 10kg at 1 and she finally got to 15kg by 4yo, and she looked so lean and skinny because she was tall but by the time she turned 5 she was 20kg. She put on 5kg in a year! I have no idea why the sudden growth spurt, she didn't eat any more than normal, but I guess her body just decided that it was the right time to grow. She is very nearly as tall as her older sister and they get confused for twins all the time.

DS2 is also a bean pole and I think he will follow DD2's growth pattern. When he was born there were 3 other boys born locally around the same time and though he was the biggest at birth (10lb1) come 12mths he was the smallest by far. One of the other boys' mums commented on how small he was in a really competitve tone and I just said 'yeah, better than being a fatso and having to worry about childhood obesity hey?" and she hasn't commented since. So as for comebacks to the 'gee they're small' comments it really depends on who said it and how it is said kwim? If someone is being competitive or trying to make him inferior simply because he is smaller, then I don't hold back, but if they are nice about it then it's just a 'yeah he is, but that's OK'

Hi all,
I was so comforted reading that I'm not the only one that gets frustrated when people comment on my 'tiny' baby! (of course I know i'm not the only one out there...but i dont know anyone else who is in this situation that i can talk to!) My little Lily is 10 months old and only weighs 5.7kg. We have had a LOT of health issues though...liver fibrosis, possible metabolic disorder, feeding issues resulting in being fed via nasogastric tube plus lots more! I'm sick to death of being asked 'whats wrong with her?' and told 'she looks like she's 3 months old' As she has so many health issues that we still have no answers to its really hard to answer people. I've now just started simply saying 'she's 10 months old would you believe....yes she has issues!!!!' I love my gorgeous pocket rocket who is still in 000's but could do without constant remarks! Anyway, just wanted to share my story, goodluck to everyone with their beautiful little bundles!
xx

Hey,
I'm an adult and 4 foot 8. (about 145 cm). Size of the average 10 year old. People used to look at my DD and say she was little. My response was hello look at her mum. Now they all tell me how much taller than her mum she is going to be.

I have two littlies. Ds is 2 and still in a a size 0-1. Dd actually looks like she may be a bit bigger than ds, but not by much. i got a bit sick of the "Where they premmie?" question too, the first three months or so that was all I heard!

I also use the "Good things come in small packages" line, and, like MR, my mum used to say it to me, and I remember it being very comforting. I'm a shortie and used to be teased relentlessly about it at school.

However, my best mates dd was almost 11 kilos at six months old (the size my ds is now, at 2), and now she is 2 and in a size 4, and she cops the "Wow! She's huge!" comments. Can't win :rolleyes:

People can be very rude sometimes. When my DD just turned 6 months one lady said with horrified look 'She's so tiny for a 6 months old! Is she on the small side?' like it was a disease or something. So i said, 'No, she's perfectly healthy. But I am small, so she might take after me'.

I personally don't consider DD tiny as she's 7.5kg now at almost 7 months, and lengthwise she's almost on the 50th percentile. So she's average. What do people expect - a giant?

Just double checked and my DD was just over 8kg at 12mths, to me it looks like she has had a growth spurt recently so i am looking forward to her 18mth MCHN appt to see if she's put on much weight but i am still constantly getting the "oh she's walking, but she looks too little, how old is she?" remarks.

My daughter is actually tiny due to having hypotonic muscles. So it's now become a way of life for us - but I'm short and I have some really short people in my family anyway... I thought I wouldn't let it get to me but at one stage it did and all I said is "yes - she is small, like a little princess or porcelain doll - not a big fat ogre or a pig!"
I then had a son, who had plenty baby fat rolls but has now grown into his skin and isn't huge now either at the age of 9 - so genetically speaking we've had fun...
Don't stress as long as your child is happy and healthy that's all that counts!!!!!

I just wanted to say thanks for all the words of encouragement. It is so hard as a parent not to compare your children yourself, let alone try to deal with other people who don't know you doing it for you. I was at the shops this morning and the whole - oooh she is sooooo little comments started again - but this time I just smiled and said - yes isn't she cute.

It is so great to know that I can turn to bb and find other mums who understand - and by the amount of replies, I can see that there are plenty of other mums out there the same! :)

Gosh this brings back memories of when DS was around 12 months old. He started walking at around 10.5 months and EVERYONE used to comment about how tiny he was. He was 8.4kgs at 12 months. I just had DD's 8 month appt today and she's 9.2kgs at 8 months, so I've got the complete polar opposite with her (although she's only week away from walking :().
Everyone has something to say about everything. I used to be proud of my 'tiny' 12 month old who seemed a bit more physically advanced than the other bigger 12 month olds around him.