Seeking Advice About Weight Gain Problem

Hi A.:
My #5 child was 6lb6oz at birth, 17lb on her 1st birthday, fully clothed ,cowgirl boots and hat, and is now almost 50yr, (in Feb. 2009,) and is still tiny. After 3 (9lb+ each)babies, she wears a size 1 jeans and they're loose. she's 5ft tall and weighs 90/95 lbs...my brother is 6'8" and weighs 250+lbs,and his wife is 4'10" and weighs 80/90 lbs....and they have 7 kids. some people are just tiny. as long as she's healthy, don't worry. Maybe your Dr could suggest some supplements. I don't blame her for not taking formula; did you ever taste it???? The same goes for processed child foods. My babies all ate from the table at 3mo.ie.mashed potatoes,applesauce,avocados, mangoes,yams,anything you can mash up. We had our own cows and my babies went from breast to udder;heat the milk to just before boiling. They are all 5 healthy and seldom have colds and NO allergies.....I am 80yr old and take NO RX, and am not allergic to anything & still doing 24/7 day care..I am 5'1" & 135lbs. my sister is 5'6" &150lbs (she's wheelchair bound)...people come in all shapes and sizes.
Trust your Drs. but also trust your instincts; if you feel wrong about something, do what you're doing and get it checked.Homeopathic Drs. are great, too.
As to the vegetarian issue, just tell people that you just don't care for aborted chicken fetuses, and nothing has to die in order for you to survive. At least it'll make them think.

Good Luck...

C. M. Hamlin
Cave Junction OR.

1 mom found this helpful

My son was very low on the weight percentile while he was exclusively breastfed. Once I introduced solids he jumped up to the 90%. Maybe she just needs to start eating some real food.

A.,

My son has always been very small for his age. He is 23lbs at 16 months. He was only 6lbs at birth and went down to less then 5.5

What I found is that he is built like my husband. My husband is tall and skinny. My son is not destined to be the line backer on the football team:-0) We did all the weight checks, blood tests and meetings with the nutritionist and lactation specialist.

I guess it came down to knowing that I was eating healthy and my son was breastfeeding well. At six months he started eating table food and eats a good variety of healthy organic foods. He is active (VERY), happy and meeting all of his developmental milestones. He doesn't get sick very often.

What I am trying to say to say is that if you can answer as I did that you have a pretty healthy child, who doesn't seem to be hungry or sickly. And she does increase he weight (even by a little bit). Then it might just be how she is made.

I am not a doctor or anything, that has just been my experience with our first son.

Good Luck!

S.

My daughter has always been slender and petite. She was like your little girl as a baby, and now she is a beautiful young woman: 5'4" and weighs about 125. I would not worry about your baby as long as she is eating well. You might try giving her some fish and eggs even though you don't eat them, just to get her some other protein. Homemade cookies are also a healthy snack, if they don't have too much sugar.

A.,
Our oldest was 6lbs 7-1/2 oz at birth. He has always been small and now he is 8yrs. He is still the smallest in his class, but now that he is active in swimming, he eats like a pack of wolves. Our pediatrician said that he will always be small and not to worry. He is healthy.

I'm wondering if your daughter needs more protein. Have you tried making her some Quinoa cereal instead of or mixed in with the other cereal? New Seasons has a really good one. It is Quinoa Flakes by Ancient Harvest. It is a great source of a complete protein and you make it just as you would make rice cereal. Add water, heat and done. I also eat Glutino brand Gluten Free breakfast bars. I really like them.

One important building block for muscles is protein and since you don't consume animal protein, the Quinoa would be a good choice because it is a complete protein.

Best wishes to you and the baby.

If you are feeding solids you could add olive oil, flax seed oil and butter to veggies, rice, pastas to help with some additional good fats in her diet. This may have been suggested already but I did not have time to read all 28 replies.

My daughter weighed 7lb. 2oz. at birth and she weighed 15lbs at 9 months and she was exclusivly breastfed also. Some babies are just smaller then others I wouldn't worry about it as long as she is meeting all her milestones. Breast milk is the best nutrition for her by far. Mothernature knows what she needs and your body will supply it. I have had 5 babies and they were all breastfed I had a couple who gained weight quick and 3 that were on the small side. I think it is just that each person is different as far as metabolisim goes. I am sure she will be just fine.

Hi A.,

I think that your daughter is doing just great. My daughter (now 3) was small too. She was 6 pounds, 15 ounces at birth and just under 18 pounds at her 1-year checkup. At her two-year appointment, she had finally reached a whopping 20 pounds. At 3 years, she was 28. Her doctor gave me some grief about it early on, but she ate well (just very healthily...her favorites snacks were veggies), had plenty of energy and was happy as a clam so we both concluded that she was fine and she was. Now she is a perfectly healthy 3-year old and the same size as most of the girls in her class. We are also vegetarians and I exclusively breastfed until about 10 or 11 months and never supplemented with formula. Don't change anything - you're doing great :-)

J.
____@____.com

My daughter had slow weight gain 10 lbs at birth and 15 lbs at 5 months but it was due to her hyper activity. I would suggest adding solids by this time, but it is your choice. Natural vegs, and fruits, cooked to your choice, and pureed in blender so she can eat it would be my choice. Blessings.

A.,

I have three girls and all three were fairly tiny. My oldest was 17 lbs at 12 months my middle was 15 lbs at 12 months and my youngest was 16 lbs at 12 months. My middle daughter was almost 8 pounds when she was born but by 18 months she only weighed 17 lbs. The doctor ordered blood work because she was falling off her "curve" on the charts. She had never been on the charts but as long as she maintained her own curve they weren't worried. The blood work came back with no problems. She is still small, 29 lbs at 4 1/2, she is tall and skinny and will probably always be that way. I have never been worried because all three of my girls eat healthy and are very active. My advice is just relax, as long as the tests were normal keep feeding her like you normally would. Continue to offer her a variety of foods and don't worry about what her weight is doing. It all evens out later when their growth spurts start to slow down. All of my girls were breastfed until they were 1 or longer and they are all very healthy. Don't stress about weight there is too much emphasis on weight and not enough on healthy active kids. Great job being a loving thoughtful parent, keep up the good work.

A.:
I know exactly what you're going through. When our middle son was born, he was 7 lbs, 2 oz. He got a slow start and struggled eating the first couple of weeks. His weight dropped down to 6 lbs 4 oz. I was in a panic everyday. Then the Doctor suggested supplementing with formula and we thought everything was solved.

However, while he started gaining weight, he was at -5% on the chart. He's 6 now and he's still -5% for weight. We tested him for everything over the first two years. He was even tested for cystic fibrosis (horrible experience). We've seen multiple Doctors over the years and they all tell me that he just has a fast metabolism. He has a small tummy, so he eats small amounts all during the day. He never sits down and eats a big meal.

I try to double the amount of high protein foods he eats (from what we eat). He loved the YoBaby yogurt (it's made with whole milk) for the first few years which really helps until they can eat a wider variety of foods.

The important thing is to look at her growth chart over time and make sure she's steadily growing at a steady pace. Ignore the other lines - just look at her. Also, if you look at her back, arms and chest and she has the "healthy" glow and no skin is hanging off abnormally, you're fine. I know that's a hard thing to think about, but I heard it from our Doctor hundreds of times. People still comment about my son. He's tall now and just a little stick figure. We have to find skinny clothes and people always comment about "what I'm feeding him". This especially happens when we stands next to our two other boys. He only weighs 6 pounds more than our 22 month old.

Develop your own tracking method and once you feel more comfortable with her diet, try altering it if you feel you need to. Every child is different and you (not the dietitian) know her the best.

Best of luck!

My oldest daughter was only 17 pounds at a year and is perfectly healthy. On the other hand my second is 2 months old and already 11 pounds. Each child is different. Where Em was on the 5 percentile mark for first year and half of life, Pip is in the 55th.

My 2 year old weighed 8 lb 10 oz at birth. At her 18 month visit, she weighed barely 20 (2nd percentile). Now, at 2 yrs 1 mo, she weighs 24.

My oldest gained weight fairly quickly for the first 5 months after starting out very small. Then he slowed down to where he was below 5th percentile in weight. He is 9 now and perfectly healthy, although not so skinny anymore.

We never did any bloodwork to find out why they were so small. We just figured they inherited the same build as my sisters, who didn't reach 100 lbs until after high school.

As long as your baby is healthy, the doctor says her diet is complete and nutritional, I wouldn't worry too much about slow weight gain. All babies are different.

Our pediatrician reminded us at 9 and 10 mos. that the baby needs milk after every meal and 2 snacks a day plus, 3 meals. So, maybe bananas, things w/ cream cheese, quesadillas, oatmeal and sour cream on dinners. That may help and I like the idea of avacados and other veggies w/ brummel or other good oils or butter. Good luck.

Hi A.,
I hear your concern. I would keep it simple and ask the right questions, which it sounds like you're on a path in that direction. How is your milk? Are you eating enough protein? Balancing your legumes, beans, rice, etc. etc.? I would be more concerned with your nutrition and blood-work than her's at this point. I was a vegetarian through one of my pregnancies and was super careful about protein...I did eat eggs and fish though...as we grew our own chickens and fished our own fish. Perhaps you could entertain a macrobiotic diet where you eat only locally grown foods. Good luck! And, remember, worry is worse than anything you could be doing, just be proactive and know you're moving in the right direction. Educate yourself AND Be good to yourself and your sweet baby! Don't worry, be happy! :-)

My oldest was 16 lbs at her one year checkup. They scheduled her for monthly weight check and after two decided that since her activity level was high they weren't worried about it. She is now 7 1/2 and weighs 40 lbs. Still pretty tiny... Her birthweight was 7 13 so she started off bigger than your daughter. I think as long as she's not having any health problems and is progressing normally for her age and the doctor says everything is ok , she is probably fine.

Both my boys were born premature, so weight gain was a big deal for them too.
There are a couple of higher calorie formulas out there. Maybe try one of them. I know one is called Neosure. Once my boys moved to whole milk we would add a couple tablespoons of heavy whippping cream to the milk. After they could eat peanutbutter that was something the nutritionist said to push them to eat. Also avicado(sp)and La Cream yogurt. Good luck and don't worry yourself. Some kids are just thin, you should see my oldest.

As long as your daughter is still eating as much and shows no actual symptoms of being under fed or malnourished, chances are she is fine! We went through the runner with our second son, he was born at 7lbs and 4oz, and now at almost 2.5yo is only 26lbs. His first ped. insisted on bloodwork, dieticians, an endocrinologist, an allergist, and all of them said the same thing, there was nothing to indicate a problem. We looked into another ped. after all the bills and every inconclusive result. Our new peds diagnosis, he is just small for his age. Needless to say we haven't gone back to any of the specialists, and have stopped worrying about his size.
Most people think our son is about a year younger then his age, and some of our family has even asked about his health. Its a bit of a joke to us, because he eats more than our almost 4yo. And always has two servings of everything. The average growth chart doesn't take into account that some kids grow at their own pace, or start out small for their age.

If your doctor and dietician are not worried and you trust them, don't you be worried. Observant, yes, vigilant, yes, but not worried.

For what it's worth, here's my own experience. My daughter was 6 lbs. 6 oz. at birth, 10 pounds at 2 months, 25 pounds at age two, and now a healthy and happy willowy 50 pounds at age 7. She was breastfed until nearly 3, she gets a balanced, natural diet and eats like a horse. Then she goes out and burns it all off. She is almost never sick, and despite looking fragile is strong and swift.

My mother and other people I knew (mainly older ladies who felt they knew more about my child than I did) repeatedly told me that they thought there was something wrong with her, or that I was doing something wrong, because they didn't think she was big enough. My family practitioner was not concerned, because he knew that we were doing everything we should do.

I think that there may be no problem here other than the societal perception (which we can't help but absorb, at least to a point) that a child with a slight build is somehow unhealthy, which is just plain not true. The same society that encourages us to overfeed our children is the one that turns around and says you must starve yourself to be an attractive woman. Ironic, isn't it?

If part of your worry does arise from other people's expectations or criticisms of how you choose to feed your family (and based on your comment about being picked on for being vegetarian, I suspect that it does), please try not to let the turkeys get you down.

So you've started feeding her cereals? At what age? Have you started any fruits or vegetables yet? Bananas, applesauce, plums, apricots, sweet potatoes, beans, etc? You'll need to find a good source of proteins for her to supplement your breast milk. I assume when you save she's exclusively breast fed, you haven't introduced a cup yet, even a sippy cut? Water in the cup, fruit juices, formula? Your dietary choices might make it a little harder to find the prepared foods that many parents rely upon to feed a baby/toddler, but I'm sure a good dietician can help you navigate those waters. Try contacting Children's Medical Center and see if they can make you an appt with a registered dietician and go from them. I wish you well. Have a happy Thanksgiving, you much to celebrate this year!!!

Our daughter was born same 6lbs 8oz and was 16lbs at her 9.5 month appointment by 1 years she was only 19lbs and she slowed down and stayed at 19-20 lbs until she was 18months. They never really showed signs of worry but it might be because I myself am short and small! Our son who is 2 years younger now weights the same as her 27.5 lbs for him at 19 months and 29.5 lbs for her at 3.5 years. All kids just grow at different paces. As long as she is health and happy I wouldn't worry. Also she is breastfed and some kids don't gain weight as fast being breastfed! Really I wouldn't worry too much. You could also give her vitamins if you feel she is not getting enough nutrition. But it sounds like you are a pretty healthy eater and she should be fine. You milk probably just isn't as fatty as other because you don't eat as much fatty food. But it should still be good and healthy. I personally wouldn't put her through too much blood work but you are her mom and mom knows best so if you feel something might be wrong check it out.

Okay, I just have to say NO to all the people about your baby needing meat in her diet.. or something like that. My #1 was a big baby, Tall and SKINNY. He nursed EXCLUSIVELY til he was 10 months old, couldnt stand baby food, or any food for that matter, he would just puke if I gave him anything. The first food he would eat was cheerioes.
I wouldnt worry much about it being a protein issue, I am NOT a veggitarian by any means (I eat a LOT of meat) but I still somehow produced a VERY skinny little boy. He is totally healthy, he is 4'3" and can barely hang on to 50 pounds, but the drs say he is HEALTHY. I know he is healthy, he has no allergies, he eats ALL THE TIME.. it is just the way he works. my #2 was the opposite, he was BORN chubby, and he gained a whole pound in four days after leaving the hospital (actually more than that cause he lost weight in the hospital) and within a month he was a beautiful 10 lb baby! (he was 7lbs 9 oz at birth) He was chubby like that for a long time, I think people thought he was overfed.. he was just breastfed until he was 9 months old (I was pg and my milk supply went down) He nursed til he was about 14 months old. he ate like crazy, now he is a skinny little boy, but according to those charts, he is a little skinny, but he is solid muscle! I doubt that there is een an oz of fat on him anymore (he is 5) He is pretty buff for a little kid.
My #3 has had minor wieght problems.. just not gaining a whole lot, he is smaller than his brothers, I tried to get Drs to work with me cause I knew something was wrong with him. finaally after an ER visit when he was 1 we found out he has a severe milk allergy.. it would have been nice to know that way back when he was puking on me soaking me to the bone every night.. I still feel terrible about that, so he lives on rice milk. He loves it, I think he will not like milk when he is finally rid of this allergy!
#4 was my biggest baby and has had the most weight gain of all my kids, and quit nursing on her own at 14 months (tear) She is healthy and happy, and on the 80th percentile for weight! But since I have been through this on both sides of the scale ... I dont worry! Lean babies will be fine,... heavy babies will be fine!
( I have a friend who has a 3 year old who weighs 24 lbs, the same as my 16 month old!) I also have a newfew who was 25 lbs when he has about 2 1/2 til he was about 4, and then he just suddenly started growing and gaining weight!

I'm sorry people have teased you for being vegetarian. That is very upsetting and I understand how you feel. When some people hear that I'm vegetarian they look at me like I've got two heads. I had a co-worker just tonight say "I'm sorry, that takes all the fun out of life". How rude. I'm sorry I can't offer any advice on your daughter's weight concerns. I've got an exclusively breastfed, 22 pound 5 month old. I just wanted to reach out to a fellow vegetarian. Good luck to you and your precious baby :)

Your daughter might just be a small person. My sister was born 6.5lbs and was a whole 16lbs at one year old. My mom was also vegetarian and breast fed all her kids. My sister is 4'10" as an adult. She never had any health issues she is just petite. Consider family genetics, do you have any petite folks in the family? Kids usually get what they need from breast feeding and if she is healthy and just small don't stress yourself worrying. Babies all gain weight differently.

My oldest was like that as an infant. He was born 8.3 but barely weighed in at 9 when he was 3 months old. He maintained the 4th percentile even though he was eating 6 oz soy formula every 4 hours. The doctor put him on cereal when he was 6 wks old in hopes that he just needed extra calories. My son too went through a battery of tests to figure out why he wasn't gaining but everything came back normal. Even now as a teenager he is on the thin side, and I get tired of his psych constantly telling me that he needs to go to the doctor "to make sure there's not physically wrong with him." I tell her over and over that he simply is not one to gain weight and there has never been anything "wrong" with him. My point is.....maybe your daughter is just going to be thin.

I was fortunate when I had my first child - my grandmother helped me when my son had the same problem. She started having me cook carrots and potatoes and feeding them mashed to him about 8 months with butter and a little salt in them. We did a lot of different foods such as carrots mashed up - homemade applesauce (cooked) - all kinds of things. I think your milk isn't filling enough for your baby - probably because of your light diet. All 3 of my children were on the light side. I always loved looking at chubby babies, but have never been able to create one. Mine were pretty lean but healthy.

She needs heftier food. However, I recommend having her eat whatever is ground up that you are eating - not to give her baby food because it's so tasteless that I think it turns kids off fruits and veggies.

Actually in my church there are a LOT of vegetarians (Orthodox Christian). There are a lot of good spiritual as well as health benefits to being one. Unfortunately, due to our family's weak constitution (food allergies and such), it's impossible for us to be vegetarians.

You may, if your baby keeps experiencing low birth weight - take her to a naturopath to double-check. They know a lot of things MDs don't. Also, you may have to, if she's not strong physically, or deficient in some things - consider giving her some meat, eggs or dairy for a time, until she's stronger.

My first daughter weighed 6 lbs 4 oz and I breast fed her entirely until she was six months and then only a little cereal for the longest time. She was only 11 lbs at 6 months. She was small, but she grew up to be five foot one, and at 32 years, she would be upset if I told you her weight now.
I can't say there is nothing wrong with your baby, but if the doctor's are keeping on top of it, then just go along as usual unless they say otherwise. There is no harm in being a concerned mother though. That is their job to keep looking.

Take care,

Concerned friend

Congrats on continuing to breastfeed! My daughter and I are also lacto-ovo veggie, but she rarely eats eggs. She is 17 months and still breastfed and also had some weight gain issues. She lost weight between 6 and 9 months and we were put on a weight gain diet to prove that she could gain. That was when we introduced whole milk yogurt and tofu (and egg yolk, but that doesn't apply to you). My daughter had really low protein levels so that was part of why those foods. We also added butter or olive oil to most things that she was eatting. At 9 months, your daughter should be having a variety of solid foods. I still make most things we feed my daughter and we regularly add flax, cereal, tofu or yogurt to everything. For example, sweet potatoes get a little butter and yogurt. Blueberries get yogurt and flax. If you want or need more suggestions, please feel free to email me!! It's hard to raise a kid vegetarian with dietary issues!! My daughter is now 17 months, about 23 pounds, and very happy and healthy!

Also, I really like our pediatrician who's been very supportive. Dr. Benda with Pediatric Associates at Factoria.

Hi A.,
I had this same scenario with my first daughter. We were vegetarians too. First of all, it is not unusual for breastfed babies to weigh less than their formula fed counter parts. They really should make a separate growth chart for breast fed babies. As long as your daughter seems healthy and is meeting her developmental milestones I would not worry about it. I had a pediatrician who went overboard in my opinion. He sent us to Children's Hospital for a whole battery of tests including an upper GI and a sweat test for cystic fibrosis and it was all very invasive and traumatizing. All of the tests came out negative. So just try to relax. You are not doing anything wrong. Your daughter is just petite.

Some babies grow more slowly. I don't think that most people through-out history would have worried about such a thing. So long as she eats, seems full, is content, and grows a little bit she's fine. My son was born at almost 8lbs and he's now a full head shorter than some of his friends (he's almost 5). He was always just a slow grower, but there's nothing else wrong with him. It's great really, he can often wear one pair of shoes for a whole year! I know this is going to catch up with me sooner or later and he's going to grow 1ft in a year. I say relax, breast feed her on demand, and enjoy your time together. It goes by so fast... :)

Hi A.,
My son was exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months. About the 4th month (around when I started ovulating) I noticed he wasn't putting on weight the way he used to. Around 5 months I swore he was losing weight. Unfortunately, instead of listening to my inner self I listened to my husband, who is a doctor. At the 6 month appointment it turned out he had indeed been losing weight that whole time. He was still nursing as often as before but at the end would start crying again. I'm convinced that my supply had gone down dramatically, either of it's own accord or because he no longer liked the taste after ovulation began. Whatever the cause, we had to start him on rice cereal, formula, and solids immediately. He comes from relatively tall parents and has been on the shorter side of the spectrum ever since this happened. I can't help thinking that if I had listened to my instinct a little more then his height may not have been effected (if this is indeed the cause). I was too late to increase my milk supply by the time we figured it all out... I admire you sticking to your guns and insisting on care for your child. Hopefully it is just a calorie problem. I guess my only advice is to get calories into your baby regardless of the cost, if only so that you're not left wondering if it was something you did that cost her milestones. Remember that just because there isn't a vitamin deficiency doesn't mean there isn't a caloric one. Also remember that for the first two years of life babies need at least half of their calories to come from fat for proper brain development. Best of luck!
B.

My daughter has what is called "protein enteropathy" and that can not be detected by blood tests, at least not regular allergy tests and we had a weight gain problem until we put her on soy formula and quit breast feeding cold turkey. She never really spit up or showed other signs of anything, just didn't gain. She also has gluten intolerance and is on a strict diet and is really healthy. Just something to consider, this started at 10 days old!

Good luck,
H

There is a really good book called Super Baby Food which has all sorts of good stuff. I have raised 3 children with info from this book, and although we eat eggs now, they did not before they were 3. There is another book called Feeding the Whole Family, which is also good. You could also try keeping her really warm. Like now, in the winter (if you are in the n. hemisphere) you can put her in woolens and keep her head covered at all times. that way, she will not have to use any of her energy to keep warm. nova naturals has some really nice woolens, and you can probably find them used in other places. the head covering is crucial. there are many kinds of balaclava or pilot caps that cover their ears, too. hanna andersson sells really nice cotton ones. She may just be gaining weight slowly. also, wearing her in a sling or always close to you will help her to eat more and grow more, too.
hope this is not too much. i am sure you are doing an excellent job mothering her.

As long as you are getting all the nutrients that you need, then she will be getting them from you.
Both my boys were small. I came to the conclusion that a 2T was for 2 year olds! Both of them wore suspenders to hold up their slim, elastic waist pants. But, they were growing and their intellegence wasn't impaired. They both did things "on time" and were and are quite active.
My 14 year old is thrilled because he finally turns off the airbag light on my dashboard. He is heavy enough for the seat to detect him now.
Keep being a mom that pays attention to her child. You are the best one to know when something isn't right.

I feel your pain. My daughter was actualy turned in to CPS by our childcare provider because they didn't think we were feeding her enough because she was so small. She is 14 months and only weighs 18 lbs. She is tall as well. She eats non stop and was breastfed until about 3 weeks ago. Some kids are just smaller. This is what my doctor told me. As long as she is gaining, growing, and reaching milestones. Then don't worry too much. My doctor always encouraged me to offer her more food more often but not to worry. As long as her head is growing and she is reaching milestones eventually she will catch up. I know it can be worrysome to see your baby not be 'normal' but what is 'normal' based on? Just keep doing what you are doing and keep offering her more food more often. She will catch up soon. My daughter for the first time has steadly gained weight. (We take her in every other month for a weight) instead of staying the same and or losing weight. She is still in the 2% for weight but in the 40th for height and 70th for head size. Keep to your guns and keep pressing your doctor for information. If you feel something is wrong don't ignore it and just keep being the best mom you can be.
Good Luck
C.