2 Month Not Gaining Enough Weight

My daughter was breastfed, gained slower, and was petite. It had NO negative impact on her long-term development. In fact, by 1st grade, she TOWERED over the other kids, even the boys. At 11, she's taller than most of the 12-13 year olds in her school.

J. you dont need to be concerned. I was concerned about my daughter also. She was born July 8, 2006. Now she only weights 18 pounds. She started walking at 10 months. She goes to the pot and everything. But she still wears some 3/6 month cloths. Her doctors says she just is going to be small framed. So stop worring. She is fine

My daughter was a slow weight gainer. It took a long time for her doctor to get off my back ( so to speak) about. My daughter is just petite. I am 5' and just under 100 lbs. Does the doctor sound concerned? I wouldn't worry about it as long as she is gaining weight and not losing weight. There are several tests that can be run but if the doctor isn't concerned I wouldn't put her through them.
Hope this helps
J.

Hi J.,

Try increasing your daily intake of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables. Better nutrition for the nursing Mom means better nutrition for Baby. Email me if you'd like info on an easy way to accomplish this. Also, check with a lactation consultant for advice.

Blessings,

M.
www.GoodHealthMadeSimple.com

All babies are duifferent! My baby girl was 6lbs 14oz at birth, 9lbs at 3 months and has just now, at 9 months, finally gotten over the 14lb mark. She is totally off the charts of percentile - below them that is. But she is healthy, happy and on track. She eats when she's hungry and eats until she's full. Can't ask for more than that!!

My baby, exclusively breastfed the whole time, was a very slow gainer the first 3 months (8 # 4oz at birth, 12 lbs at 3 months) - my doc talked about supplementing, but because #1 was breastfed successfully, we decided to give it a little more time - I brought him to be weighed every two weeks - always gained, just not alot. Then, when he was 5 months old, he gained 3 lbs in a week - I kid you not. 2 more the next week, and then leveled out again - he was 24 lbs at a year, and I didn't start supplementing until he was 7 months (with mashed bananas). He has never had formula - #1 started big and stayed that way until he started solids, but he too had no formula.

J.,
I am glad to hear you are going to a lactation consultant tomorrow. You have recieved a lot of good advice here. It is important for a professional to evaluate her latch and length of time at breast as well as your diet. Also many women continue to feed on both sides like they did in the hospital, instead of one side per feeding with the second breast only if needed, so baby doesnt always get the higher fat in the early days. By the time your baby is 8 weeks, however, your mature milk mixes well by itself. Your diet, particularly proteins, calcium and water have a lot to do with the calorie content and production of milk. I am sure your consultant will have some good ideas for you there as well.
Please feel free to email me offline if you have any questions that remain unanswered.
K. Willis, RN, IBCLC
the nestingplace
www.thenestingplace.net

All babies gain at different weights. Babies come in all shapes and sizes. According to LLL and Kellymom.com, an average weight gain for an exclusively BFed baby is anywhere from 4-8ozs per week. What was your daughter's birthweight? What was her lowest weight? How often per day does she nurse? Does she seem happy/content and meeting all of her developmental milestones in a reasonable amount of time? How many wet/dirty diapers per day. You should get 5-6 wets or 6-8 if using cloth diapers and the pooopies vary by kid. If she's eating well, peeing and pooping well...then she's getting enough. A BFed baby also will not gain as fast as a formula-fed-pumpkin-head baby. They are a little slow to gain.

My baby was born at almost 10lbs. You would think that such a big baby would keep growing fast, but he didn't. He was only 19lbs at 1 year and has just now made it to 24lbs at 18 months. You also have to look at the size of you and your husband. If you all are smaller framed people, your daughter will be smaller.

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/25slow_weight_gain.html
http://www.kellymom.com/newman/04enough_milk.html
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/weight-gain.html

Good luck and I would definitely shy away from supplementing. If you do, then the baby will get full from the bottle and not want to nurse as much...then your supply will go down and thus it is a slippery slope and can cause a premature end to the breastfeeding relationship.

Good luck mama.

Our daughter had a dip in both her height and weight at her 1 year checkup and her pediatrician suggested getting blood tests done to rule out any digestion/nutrient absorption problems. She was fine, but it was a little nerve-wracking at times wondering if something was wrong with her. Her dr. said most likely she would have a late growth spurt or just be small/petite anyway, but wanted to find a problem early if there was one. She is fine now and got back on track though. So I would say that, from what I've heard, as long as your daughter is gaining weight like you said, I'm sure she's fine.

J.,

If your child is gaining weight and is healthy and alert, then I wouldn't worry about her. The charts are guidelines, not rigid facts. Every child develops at different rates and you will drive yourself crazy if you take it all to serious. Relax and enjoy your beautiful little girl. They grow up way to fast and you will wish you would have enjoyed her more and not worried so much!

Sandra

Hi, I actually just went through this same thing. My son turned 3 months old today. He started out kind of small- 6 pounds 2 ounces when he was born. On his 2 month check-up, our dr. said he was not gaining as much weight as she would like. She wasn't "worried", but she did want to keep an eye on it. As we were going through this, a few other parents told us that they had gone through the same thing but when their children began to gain weight, they really took off. When we went back to the dr. last week, he had gained the expected amount of weight and he seems to be getting bigger daily! I understand how you feel. I was worried too, but everything is great now. The best advice I have is just pray and don't worry. Everything is probably okay.

Hi J.,
My daughter was regularly in the 95th percentile for height and the 25-50 percentile for weight. Don't worry if she is hitting all of her milestones and appears to be happy and healthy. She was only breastfed and is a very healthy and happy almost 4 year old who is still very tall and lean.
Good luck, A.

My daughter was the same way and she is almost 3 now and only 25lbs. I like any mother was concerned since my neighbors 20 month old weighs 32lbs. I asked my doctor and he told me not to worry about it that she didn't look sickly and she was developing right on schedule. Addysen has always been in the low percentage rate regarding her weight and she is a happy, healthy little girl. Worst part with little babies like that you can't by the two piece outfits without mix and matching from other sets...hahahaha.

The charts the doctors used are published by the companies that make the formula. Breastfed babies typically don't gain as much or as quickly as bottlefed, although my second child was an exception. My first son gained very, very slowly and by two the pediatrician said he was just going to be petite. That "petite" child is now 6'3" tall at age 14. As long as she seems healthy otherwise and is gaining some weight, I would not worry at all.

Breastfeeding is a supply and demand process. Giving her bottles of formula is going to sabatoge your supply. Trust what the lactation consultant says. Breastfed babies often weigh less because what they are eating is NATURAL and not processed formula. Then, breastfed and formula fed babies are compared and it makes it seem like the breastfed babies are not the normal ones when they really are. Good luck!

I'm sorry you're having to worry about this. My second son was the same way. He took FOREVER to gain weight and was exclusively breast fed during the beginning. He grew an inch but didn't gain any ounces for 5 weeks! After two months we started supplementing one bottle of formula a day and that made a huge difference (at the request of our pediatrician). I pumped a bag of milk and had it tested and my breast milk didn't have enough calories in it. I had always noticed that it was really watery when compared to my friends who was extrememly thick. So..... that's what my pedi said was wrong with my son. She said to continue breastfeeding because of all the good stuff that was in there just to supplement the formula to get him the calories he needed. He is still on the small side,and like one of the other mothers said, our doctor did quit saying anything after about 6 months when she met Daddy who is 6'2" and 155lbs!

Hopefully that's not the case with you...maybe she's just going to be petite. Best of luck!

My son was the same way and still is. He stays in the 10-15% for weight. At his 1 month check-up he had dropped to the 7%. He wasn't nursing as well as he should have at first (discovered he was tongue-tied) and so I pumped and gave him a bottle (but I still nursed as well). He gained a decent amount of weight and I took him off the bottle until I had to go back to work. His doctor was never worried because he always hit all the milestones early or on-time. He was happy and there was no reason to worry. He isn't 30 lbs yet, but he has a friend 6 months younger than him who is way over 30 lbs. I think as long as they are developing normally and don't fall off the curve, there is no need to worry.

Hi J.,
Actually, it sounds like your daughter is gaining weight, just maybe not according to Dr's timetables. She is just probably on the petite side like you said. I would not worry. I have 3 kids. All 3 of them weighed 8lb 3oz at birth. My son was a beast and was very fat, but my 2 girls have always been petite. And they are just fine. My son was always in the 90-95% on weight and my girls have always been between 10 and 20%. Just now, my oldest daughter is almost 2 1/2 and she is finally up to 45%. None of mine ever had a drop of formula and they are all fine. Keep doing what your're doing. She is her own little person and will do all of this in her own time. Enjoy :)

J.,

My daughter was like that as well. As long as your daughter isn't constantly crying to eat then it is definately nothing to be worried about. At least she is gaining weight. If she starts loosing then worry.. My daughter at 12 months old was fitting into 6/9mo clothes. She's just a tiny little thing, but very tall for her age! I pray that your fears will be lifted from you! I know how you feel. At least you have this site to go to for answers. This would have helped me 19 months ago. lol

My first one gained slowed. He was a preemie, 4 1/2 weeks early, spent 2 weeks in the NICU, and was 5 lbs 3 oz when we brought him home. We went the first few months struggling to keep him in the right percentiles, but those are just a national average and every child is different. He is fine now at 3 YO. My lactation consultant said to eat olives. I did not have a problem with this as I love olives, black and green. She said that is the best source of natural fat that is excreted through the breast milk. After a week of eating 1/2 to 1 can of olives a day, he was plumping up fast. I did not change any feeding patterns, just olives. Whether this is an old wives tale or not, it worked for me and I passed it on to 3 friends that it worked for. Good Luck!

K.

J. -

I, too, have tiny babies. My son was 6 lbs 11 oz when he was born and dropped a whole pound within the first week. He did not put on weight whatsoever...in fact, it took him over a month to get up to his birth weight. I was adamant about breastfeeding ONLY but after seeing him lose and not gain, the pediatrician told me I needed to supplement. I started supplementing and he plumped up. Even though he was still small, he is a bruiser now! He is 2 1/2 and weighs almost 40 pounds...talk about making up for lost time!

My daughter was just born in September and she was 5 lb 3 oz. Breastfeeding is a whole new story with her - she is doing awesome. I took her in for her month check up and she was 6 pounds. Even though she is not gaining a ton of weight, the point is, she IS gaining. I just have tiny kiddos! Enjoy them when they are small!

Don't be nervous unless the doctor has something to say. My fist baby was a large baby, but then was a teeny, tiny toddler. She didn't eat very much from day one, and if I forced her to drink just a little bit more formula, it usually came back up. My friends had huge babies by the time they were two or three months old, so I did become very worried. I told my doctor, and he said that my baby was at exactly the right weight for her, and that the babies that I was comparing her to were actually overweight. I still worried over her for years, and the doctor kept saying to just stop worrying, and teach her to eat only when hungry so that she would not become an overweight adult. Now, she is twelve years old, and has a figure that any 25 year old woman would envy! She still eats what she wants, when she wants, and is rarely ever sick. I would still see the lactation consultant to make sure that you are producing enough milk, but like I said, unless your doctor has said something, she's probably alright.

My daughter was 7.5 lbs. when she was born, but at all of her appointments after that (until her 18 month), she was on the 5-10th percentile on the charts in both height and weight. At her 18 month appointment, she finally caught up to the 20th percentile. I just think all kids are different (which is why they have percentiles), so as long as she is thriving in all of her other developmental milestones, don't worry! My daughter is actually way ahead of the curve verbally and in her motor skills now, so being small hasn't had any effect whatsoever on her ability to thrive. I know it's tough to have one so small, but she will be fine if that's the only issue. Good things come in small packages. :-)

Congratulations and enjoy!

J.,
Don't be worried. My little man gained slow at first and I was sooooooo worried about him. He is completely breastfeed and is 5mths and weighs almost 16pds. Once he started gaining he just kept on. I did the same as you and went to a lactation consultant. She helped a lot.... she gave me more reassurance than anything. As long as she is having enough wet diapers every day you probably do not have anything to worry about. If you feel that you are not producing enough milk you can get "Mother's Milk" tea or Fenugreek pills from any health store. I do not know if they actually work but that is what the lactiontion consultant told me to take eventhough she assured me that the majority of women do produce enough milk. I know it is hard and frustrating but you are doing the best thing for your little girl. Hang in there and I'm sure all will be fine.

Don't be nervous. Contrary to popular belief, not all breasfed babies gain a ton of weight in the beginning. Also, you don't have to supplement with formula unless your Doctor expresses a concern. My daughter is now 8 1/2 months old and weighs about 17lbs. At her last check-up they told me she was only in the 20th percentile for weight, but the Doctor said she was meeting all her developmental milestones so not to worry. Her nursing habits vary and with that so does her weight gain. I don't constantly check her weight because she's happy and healthy. Plus all babies are different. One of my friends told me she could pump about 10 ounces every 4 hours. I was lucky to get 4-5 ounces every 4 hours, but all that is controlled by the baby. So I hope you relax and don't worry so much. Good Luck

J.,
I was nervous too when the doctors would tell me that my son was not gaining enough. They even suggested that I stop breastfeeding.
They were wrong. Some babies, especially breastfeeding babes, tend to gain slow in the beginning, but closer to that year benchmark, my boy was packing in well.
Enjoy your decision to breastfeed and relax. So long as their is some gain and development is happening, all should be well.
M.

Hi J., my son too had slow weight gain. Try to remember that all of the growth charts are based on formula fed babies. If your baby is gaining, meeting milestones and happy then I'm sure she is fine. Remember, babies cry when hungry, don't let the pediatrician push formula on you, it will decrease your milk supply. If you are concerned, try offering the breast more and do some breast compression during the end of the feeding. Check out www.kellymom.com there is detailed instructions.If time or exhaustion don't allow for a lot of extra feedings, pump and give that. I highly recommend getting in touch with your local la leche league. My son's MD wanted me to give cereal at 2 mos, needless to say we fired him. Although many mds are quick to say breast is best, most of them don't know much about breast feeding and have not done it themselves.I hope some of this helps. Keep at it..M.

Hi J., as long as your baby is gaining weight, she's doing fine. My son is four now, but after he was born and each time we took him to the pediatrician, he was always in the 10 percentile or lower, but because he was gaining some weight, his pediatrician wasn't concerned. He was also breastfed until 9 months and then formula. He's still always in lower percentile, but I'm not worried about it, nor is his pediatrician. My husband and I are both petite, so my son probably will never be in the "average" percentile. I hope everything turns out well for you.

Here's something my lactation consultant suggested to help w/my little one's weight gain. Pump off the first 5 minutes of each breast right before feeding. That pumps off some foremilk and allows the baby to get more hindmilk (the creamy stuff). Worked like a charm for us! My BB put on weight fast! And, you can freeze the breast milk and help to increase your supply. His pedi suggested I supplement w/formula, but we opted to do what the LC said instead, and it worked! Congrats on your new baby!

No worries mama. She is gaining just fine. The point is that she is gaining. I wouldn't expect that you have any supply problems. Babies just gain at different rates. Check to see if the lactation consultant you are seeing is a International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. You can also call your local La Leche Leagure for advice from other mamas (and this is free).

If you search World Health Organization Growth chart (you can probably find them at the La Leche League website) you can see where your daughter falls on those. These charts are a better average for breastfed babies.

But, if she is gaining and meeting milestones, I wouldn't have any concerns.

I don't know if anyone else has said this yet, so forgive me if I'm repeating what you've already heard! But, growth charts are based on formula-fed babies, and breastfed babies don't grow the same. Breastfed babies are also able to regulate their intake a lot better than a baby who is fed by bottle. Bottle-fed babies are usually encouraged to finish their bottle, but when your baby is feeding on the breast, she can only eat what she wants. So, if your baby is healthy and the lactation consultant and doctor aren't overly concerned, I would just try letting her grow at her own rate for a while.

Formula will not help her more than your breastmilk. I hope you will be seeing Kathy Parkes. She is WONDERFUL and makes house calls and is covered by Wic if you have that as well. I have breastfed 5 babies.. One until the age of 4yr and he was my little guy.. He has Vaters assoc so everyone was all for me nursing him as long as I wanted. Please don't sabotage yourself by feeding your baby formula. The weight gain will work itself out. My pediatrician is happy as long as tehre is any weight gain... not a certain amount. Of course she is more naturally minded than most. Hope this helps.

L.
Student Midwife, mom of 5 ages 13, 9, 8, 4, 16mo

My first baby was(is) a little guy! The Dr. would go on and on about his weight. After meeting his father (with a 28 in. waist) she shut up! If your Dr. rides you about her weight get a foreign Dr. American Dr's want FAT babies. ;) One thing you can do is use an herb called Fenugreek. It will fatten up your breast milk. Ask youre lactation consultant. It's either Fenugreek or Blessed Thistle. I took both because one increases your milk supply and the other fattens the milk.

My daughter is only 21 lbs. at 20 months. She missed her first milestone. It took her 3 weeks to get back to her birth weight. She has always been at the low end of the percentile for weight. But she's happy and healthy. The only issue is finding clothes that fit her. The pants that fit around her waist are usually too short. :)

Hi J.,

Is she otherwise healthy? Is she wetting her diaper -- if so she is porbably getting enough fluid. I would not worry. All babies are different and will gain weight and develop at various rates. Just remember your baby has not had the opportunity to read all the statistics about her rate of growth and development. But is is still a good idea to see the lactation consult, she can put your concerns at bay and answer any questions you may have about feeding.

F.

Hi, J.. Your baby sounds like my first baby. Although mine was longer, her weight gain was minimal. Even now, at five, she is petite and can wear size three in a lot of things. She always stayed on track in the 23rd percentile and is a slow and steady grower. This is the first time, in Kinder, that she is roughly the same size as her peers, though she is thin. She was bottle fed exclusively after a rough couple of weeks of me not getting in any milk and is a wonderful child. Comparitively, my 10 month old daughter is the same size and the oldest was as over a year old. Every baby is different and use you and your husband and ya'lls siblings as a guide to how she will grow. And relax-she sounds like she is doing great.

J.,
I'm not sure what your doctor said, but I have 6 month old twins who are like night and day. I just brought them in for their 6-month checkup yesterday and the smaller twin is only 11 lbs. 14 oz... and she's 6 months!!! The doctor isn't worried about her being small, because she's tall for her age, but she weighs next to nothing for a 6-month old. My daughter is growing slowly, but she IS growing (only 1 lb or less/month). She's not a big eater and never has been, and although I do everything in my power to get breastmilk down her, she JUST doesn't like to eat all that much. I would just do the best you can and keep in touch with your doctor and see what he/she has to say. If they're not concerned, then don't worry yourself over it.

Hang in there and feel free to ask me any questions you might have.

Best,
K.