When my DD was born, she was in the 98% for weight, and 85% for height. She stayed that way until her 6months, then started dropping percentiles. Now at 10months she is in the 50% for weight, and 40% for height. The pediatrician says that it's fine, and that breastfed babies tend to be 'plump' in early infancy then lean out as they get older. I do trust my pediatrician.... BUT... I was just curious about if this is the norm for other breastfed babies. I only know one other person who breastfed, and their kid is old enough now that they don't remember. lol. Her development is right on track, advanced in some areas, so I'm really not worried about it... just curious. :)
I guess I should add. ~At birth she was 9lbs 12oz, 21 inches long. She was overdue, and I had measured 'big' for my entire pregnancy even though I didn't have GD. (I got off easy though... My SIL had a 10lb 9oz baby!) At her 10month she was 22lbs (even) and 30 inches long. She is VERY active, and walks around on her own. (we are waiting for her to start running... that should be fun. lol.)
My daughter was bottle fed and dropped percentages as well. She was born 9lbs 15.4oz and then started slimming up right away. She is now 17 and is petite - 5ft 2 and 100 pounds. So I wanted to point out that it is not just breastfed babies this happens to.
My twins were at the 90th and 75th %ile at their six month checkup. Once they started moving, this changed dramatically. One of my little guys dropped down to around the 30th %ile. They were breastfed, tall, and healthy, just very active. I never worried, and now at 2.5 they are right around 75th and 50th, so still average. Since they're so tall (95th), I know we're doing a good job of keeping them at a healthy weight.
Be glad you have a pediatrician that didn't start fretting when your breastfed baby fell off their original curve! I too heard that bf babies plump up early then get leaner as well.
Changing percentiles from birth to 6 months, even significantly, is nothing to be overly concerned with. All four of our children were breastfed exclusively and went through the chunky to lean cycle you've described. But, I have to add a cautionary note. Even if your daughter is developmentally on target and/or ahead, keep an eye on her growth. As long as she is staying on a consistent upward growth line, everything is fine. But if she begins to drop more than a single dip or if her growth line is consistently dropping, it could signal a problem such as undiagnosed reflux (that happened with two of ours), or other food and eating related problems. They aren't necessarily going to interfere with her development, just her physical growth, but are treatable as long as they are caught.
TOTALLY THE NORM ... I knew a RNLC and she could spot a breastfed baby from a mile away from newborn to 12months ... she said bf babies have a certain body type and they are chunky bigger babies (love the chunks) and then once they are moving they get real lean ... my son stayed middle of the road because he was half and half (could not produce enough period) so he still is not skinny but not chunky right in the middle at 4 ... formula babies tend to be chunkier for a while and breastfed slimmer for a while ... now this is not a "perfect science" it is just typical
My first child was on the lower end of the scale for height and on the higher end for weight up until she turned 3. Now she is in the 50th percentile for both height and weight. My baby is super short and super plump (I think she was in the 10th percentile for height and the 95th for weight last time she was at the doctor's office). Her doctor said she will probably remain on the shorter side but that her weight will start dropping once she starts walking.
It's my understanding for ALL kids that it's not the actual percentile in which they fall, but that they show a *pattern* of growth & gain. I wouldn't stress about this at all.
Both of mine were average or small at birth - then REALLY plump - until they started moving around more.... Now they are both proportional. :) (My little guy is still big for his age, but matches height/weight. He had been 20lbs at 4 months - so REALLY chubby.) They are now 4.5 and 2.5 years old.
Not all BF babies are like this, but mine sure were. :)
Don't worry about this AT ALL. Dropping in percentiles means absolutely nothing about your daughter's growth... just that her size is changing COMPARED to the size of babies her age. Especially because she is not more like average, I'd say that's just a case of a big newborn growing into a more normally sized baby.
You didn't really say how big she is. But I'll tell you that my 10 month old daughter is almost 30 inches tall, weighs 24.5 pounds, and is somewhere in the 90's for percentile in both height and weight. When she was born, she was somewhere in the 5th percentile...not early, just a teeny baby (17 inches, 6 lbs 15 oz, but when I took her home she was like 5 lbs 4 oz).
So now, I think she is just a huge baby...she seems so tall, when she stands up and holds onto the kitchen table, or I feel like my back is breaking holding her...but she isn't chubby really at all. She is still exclusive breastfed (she eats food, of course, but no bottles or formula.)
However, I don't think you have anything to worry about that she's dropped to a mid percentile. What you have to remember is that ANYTHING between the 5th and 95th is considered normal, that's just the bottom and top of the "normal" range...it's falling OUTSIDE of that range that isn't considered normal. As long as they move together (height and weight, and head circumference) and she is healthy, you have nothing to worry about!
Be grateful you don't have a huge baby! :)
WOW, she was a big baby! Breastfed babies tend to be leaner but there are some ladies who had really nice fatty milk so their babies are hefty until they start to move around and start eating food other than breastmik, which is what I assumed happened at around 6 months. My son was always around 75th for height and 50th for weight (he was breastfed) but when he was born, he was 18 1/2 inches and almost 7 lbs. Was your baby overdue or did you have gestational diabetes? I would not be concerned.
yes, that is normal. My first baby was 95% for weight and dropped down to 15% by the time she was 1. Also breastfed. Now at 4, she is perfect! Same thing seems to be happening with my second. Also born big at 9'9. He was 98% for awhile and now at 9 months is like 85%. Once he crawls it will drop further. Dont worry!
My baby is the same age as yours. She is also breastfed. She has never really been on the charts. She was 7lbs 15oz at birth and 20 inches. She is just now 18lbs and 27 inches. She has never been to the doctor (never been sick and I don't believe in "well baby visits") she is very healthy and has met all of her milestones way in advance. She started walking at 8 months and is now running. My oldest daughter is 5'8" and my middle daughter is average height for her age. So, I think my baby will just be on the smaller side.
Mt 9 1/2 month old breastfeed baby was born at 7lb 2 oz, but she quickly caught up and has stayed at the 95th percentile from 2 months through now.
My kids were all in the 8, 9, and 10 pound range, and they were all breastfed and grew slowly. It was great because I didn't have to buy new clothes as often. Really, my biggest baby was 10 lbs, 6 oz--a little smaller than your SIL's. He 21 now and tall but very thin because he's always on the go. My boys generally didn't catch up with the norm until puberty.
