Child's Weight

I see no need to worry. My baby at 9mo was 17 lb 4 oz and only 26 inches long. Is his height progressing faster than his weight? My dr said she is small and gains little at visits, but she is gaining some, not loosing. And like someone else says, have the dr show you your baby's growth chart and see the curve line, as long as it is still curving and he isnt dropping down he is fine. Does he eat what you do give him? Also as someone else said, if you and his dad are small, he wont get huge. My daughter now is only 21 lbs 31 inches at 18mo old. Best of Luck, you are doing a great job.

P.,
I feel your pain! We went through a similar struggle with our third child for almost a year. His pediatrician just didn't feel that his weight was appropriate for his age although he was otherwise developmentally where he should be. As parents, we weren't concerned because he has a very healthy appetite and we figured that it is mostly genetic. The pediatrician gave him a battery of tests and referred him to a GI specialist in the area this past December. Part of the referral was a meeting with a nutritionist who provided some wonderful tips on how to add calories to our son's meals. One thing to remember is that breastfed babies tend to be longer and leaner than formula fed babies. (The nutrionist pointed this out during our consultation). When our children are put in percentiles, they're being compared to both breastfed and formula fed babies so they tend to be on the lower end of the percentile spectrum. You didn't say whether your son is now receiving formula or if you continue to pump. Formula tends to plump the babies up fairly quickly. Also when you transition him to whole milk, a tablespoon of heavy cream in an 8 oz bottle increases calorie intake by 250 calories! (nutritionist tip) This has been a lifesaver for us. Our pediatrician advised that the baby food simply doesn't have enough calories and that we should transition our son to table food (he was 9 mos at the time). Our son has been slow to get his teeth (at 22 mos he has 5 front teeth and 4 molars) but he's been able to eat any and everything without issue. I know you're concerned about your son's ability to chew but those gums are pretty hard so if it's soft food or food that will become soft in his mouth, he will be fine. Our nutritionist encouraged us to provide foods that our son could feed himself... i.e. cut up a banana and let him dip it into vanilla yogurt (not the baby yogurt). If you've prepared a soft vegetable that he can feed himself, let him dip it dressing, a sauce, or butter. If he will eat pasta, add butter to his. All the things that pack on the calories for us will do the same for the baby. He's not too young for table food. Just be sure that it's soft and bit sized. He'll grow so fast you won't recognize him!

Is he healthy? Is he active? Is he reaching the normal milestones? Are you or your husband small? If you answered yes to these then he is fine! Some children are just small when they are little. Foods that are high in healthy fat are avocados, red potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes...these are good foods to feed him. Avocados are great because you can eat them right out of their shell...they're in their own container. Some might think this is all strange, but my niece and nephew (18 mths) live on this stuff, are small, but very healthy! Don't use fatty foods like butter, dressings...those are bad fats. Use flax seed oil, olive oil...healthy fats. Coconut oil is another fav of the babies...my sister spreads in on whole wheat toast...they love it!

If you want more info I'll connect you with my sister.

Good luck!

hi P. ~ Don't worry, all babies are different. I have a 9 month old, too but he is big (22 pounds and 31 inches). Here are some food ideas - We give him 1/2 Yo Baby Yogurt (mixed with a whole Gerber Stage 2 fruit and a 1/2 cup Gerber oatmeal, slices of american/mozzarella cheese torn up, little cubes of homemade banana bread with cream cheese, crackers with jam, mashed banana and avocado (VERY fattening with the healthy fats). My son only has 4 teeth too, but they can chew with their jaws - just be careful. The Gerber Puffs are a waste - they need to eat like 80 of them to be 25 calories (not calorie dense at all)! Break the Cheerios in half until you feel comfortable, but they are great for developing the finger pincer! Good luck!

Hi P.,
I am a mother of 6, soon to be 7, and my babies have all been drastically different as far as growth. My first was 20 pounds by 6 months, but my sixth is only 24 pounds at 22months. However, even though my sixth is so tiny, he has been my healthiest child. He teethed very late, walked later than the others, wouldn't eat anything for almost 15 months (just nursed), but there was nothing wrong with him. He's happy and healthy. I wouldn't immediately discount what your pediatrician says, but I wouldn't just accept it either. Someone's gotta be in the 2nd percentile, right? Is your baby really underweight, or just not a big baby? I would look more at whether he is growing, whether he is generally healthy, and whether his general development is within "normal range." You'd be amazed at how much a baby can eat without choking, even without many teeth. As long as you are right there, you can keep him from choking, as long as he's not eating something like peanut butter that sticks in the throat. I'd watch his weight gain, but I wouldn't worry too much unless he's losing weight, or is way off schedule with developmental milestones. You know him a lot better than your doctor, so don't be afraid to question their "expertise." Good luck.