10 Month Old Not Gaining Much Weight

Updated on June 28, 2010
A.A. asks from San Diego, CA
11 answers

Hi Mama's
My daughter had her 9 month check up and she had only gained one pound since her 6 month check up! I know right? Up until her 9 month check up she'd been in the 75th percentile in weight and 75th percentile in height. I knew she'd taper off at some point because i'm 5'1" tall and my husband is 5' 8". She is still breast fed 5 times a day and eats 3 meals plus snack per day. She recently started eating fish, ground turkey and chicken, veggies, pasta all as finger foods. I feel like she eats a ton! She's happy too and doesn't seem hungry in between meals/nursings. She only nurses for 10 minutes on one side max but that's how she's always been since birth.

Our ped said if she hadn't gained one pound by a month after her 9 month appt that we need to call her and see about possibly supplementing or increasing my milk supply. I don't think my milk supply is low, like I said she seems perfectly happy. Oh and she doesn't take a bottle, never has. We've tried and she isn't interested. She won't really even drink anything from a cup.

She is now in the 20th percentile for weight and the 40th for height. I just want to make sure she's getting enough milk for the proper development. I weighed her 3 weeks after her last appt and she's only gained 3 ounces. I believe she's only eating about 4 ounces per feeding so only 20 ounces per day. I weighed her before and after nursing once and she ate about 4 ounces.

Any ideas, concerns etc.....
Thanks a bunch

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all your responses. I know it's only been a few days so I can't say she's gained a pound or anything but I will say you've all helped me realize she's doing just fine and to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm not going to start giving her formula at 10 months since you're supposed to stop formula at 1 year anyway. And I don't want to give her formula, that's why I'm nursing her. That's important to me so we'll keep going with just the nursing.

I've just started her on greek yogurt and she likes it. She really does eat everything so I'm thinking she's just fine!! It's funny, I have a 3 year old and have done all this before, funny how you forget so easily.

Thanks again to all of you for your advice.
A.

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D.S.

answers from Tulsa on

I personally wouldn't worry about it. My oldest was a bean pole till he hit 8 and man did he fill out. they grow at diffrent rates as long as she is eating and not hungry I see no problem.

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M.L.

answers from Houston on

Go to a doc that throws the charts out. That's what ours did. Is she peeing, pooping, and, not all bones? If so, change docs. Baby's happy with breast? Then, let her stay happy with breast. She's not acting like she's missing anything, right? Then, she's happy. :)

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Well at this age and for the 1st year of life... per our Pediatrician... breastmilk or Formula, is a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition... not solids and not other liquids... and you need to feed/nurse on -demand... do not replace nursings with solids. Nurse BEFORE solids... otherwise the baby will be too full, to nurse or at all.
Feeding solids "before" nursing, is usually done in order to 'wean' a baby, from breast. You do not want to do that, yet. She is only 9 months old.

I breastfed both my kids. At that age, my kids as babies were still nursing on-demand... every 3 hours... and more at growth-spurt periods. 9 months is a growth-spurt time, as well. I was not giving "solids" 3 times a day. I focused on breastfeeding. Solids for the 1st year, are only an "introduction" to foods... not the main meal.

Even if your baby is 'weaning' herself... you still need to nurse. On demand. 24/7. That is ideal. Day and night.

Ask your Ped, what to do.

Also, she should not be drinking, primarily, other liquids... not even water and NOT juices... breastmilk should be her primary "liquid."

She is probably not nursing too much... because the solids are making her too full. Or, she is simply NOT latching on properly... so she does not get to the hind-milk. It takes about 15 minutes of nursing, for a baby to reach the "hind-milk." This is the most dense part of the breastmilk...

Only gaining 1 pound in 3 months... is not much.

Just some ideas... and what our Ped said, and how I nursed my kids.

all the best,
Susan

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J.H.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi A.! The same exact thing happened with my daughter when she was 9 months old and she is now 3.5. She has always been petite and drank very little ounces of formula like your daughter is doing with breast milk. She started dropping on her curve (started at 75%, went to 50%, and then went completely off the charts) when she started finger foods and really dropped when she liked finger foods more than baby food. She eventually fell completely off the growth curve. My pediatrician was fine with this but said we need to watch it. The doc said if she stayed along her "imaginary" curve she is fine. We added butter and olive oil to a lot of her foods. We also gave her 1 to 2 bottles or sippy cups of vanilla flavored Pediasure for almost a year. This gave her more calories and nutrients than milk. She did stay along this imaginary curve for a long time but started bouncing up and down on the curve between ages 1 and 2 because of illness after illness. Eventually we did a round of testing to see if something was going on (blood tests for ciliac disease, allergy testing, upper endoscopy for reflux and ciliac). All the tests came back normal. That is when I relaxed about her weight and just realized she is a petite girl. After she hit 2, she got back up on the growth curve charts and is doing fine maintaining her curve. I wouldn't worry too much. Small babies/toddlers can be normal, as well as picky or light eaters.

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J.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi! My 2 1/2 year old daughter is very tiny. At her 1 yr old checkup she weighed just under 17 lbs. I was very concerned, and my Dr. told me to relax!! I am only 5 feet tall and my husband is 5'10. She has hit all her milestones on time or even early as she completely was running at 10 months. At her 2 yr old checkup she gained exactly 3 lbs which now put her just under 20 lbs. She was not on the chart for height or weight. Again, I was very concerned!! My Dr. who I trust 100% explained to me again, that she is perfectly healthy, as she now talks in complete sentences as well as everything else a 2 yr old should be doing. She is just petite, like you!! I nursed her for 23 months, and she never had a bottle either. Refused it!! She would drink water and milk from a sippy cup around one, and ate tons of healthy foods. No sweeets her first year at all, or even french fries. She is just growing into clothes for 18 months, mostly with elastic tighteners on the inside. I have always called her my tiny terror, as she has a BIG personality. Please dont stress out too much, as great things always come in little packages! You can always e-mail me personally if you choose too! Enjoy her as she will be all grown up one day!!

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K.K.

answers from San Diego on

Hello, I can see the doctor's concern, and I can also see what you are saying. Have you tried giving her yogurt? It can help with the dairy needs and may help with weight gain. I was breast feeding my youngest (now 32) and the doctor felt that he wasn't gaining as much as he would like (he had grown taller, but not gained a lot) when my son was about 3 months old. I felt like you, that he was happy and active. He is tall and thin now as an adult.
Good luck with your precious baby.
K. K.

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

my daughter fell below the growth chart at 15 months. She was 15 pounds at 9 months and 17 pounds at a year.. very very thin... but healthy

some people are large others are small.

my dr threatened to run tests when my duaghter was so skinny.. but he decided against it when my son was born just as skinny.

dont worry.. it is normal for babies of this age to gradually eat more solids nad less milk... she is fine.. probably will be small stature person..

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M.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

My daughter was born weight 7 lb 13 oz at a year old she was only 13 pounds. She has always been a good eater and very happy child. Today she is 16 and is 95 pounds and 5'1. she went thriugh one big growth spurt around 3rd grade. She still loves to eat and is very healthy. Trust your mom instincts.

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S.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

Trust your instincts! If you think your baby is doing great, she probably is. I don't know if your Dr. tried to push the formula early on (like mine did), but that may contribute to their concern. Breastfed babies tend to be chubbier for the first 6 months, then much leaner than their formula fed counterparts. My son was always in the 90th in weight until 6 months. Now at 3, he is in the 10-15th for weight and 90th for height. He eats adequate amounts (tons) of the "right" foods (as well as some not so right) and still nurses a little at night. Our Dr. (different from the formula pusher) has no concerns at all and hasn't even mentioned his "leaning out" except to assure me that it is normal for breastfed babies.
Here is an excerpt from Dr. Sears' website on this matter:
"After the first six months, breastfed babies tended to be leaner. Compared to their formula-fed friends, the breastfeeding infants in this study gained an average of one pound less during the first twelve months. "
Good luck, and trust yourself. You know your child.

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B.V.

answers from Los Angeles on

As your MD says she needs more food.
Try harder with formula. Try a different kind.
It may take a while, but a feed of 8 oz. would be
a goal.
B. v.O.

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S.Z.

answers from Reno on

All 4 of my kids, including the one born at almost 10 lbs, tended to be lighter than their peers. My youngest, and smallest, was at the 0 percentile from 6 months or so until about 18 months, when she got all the way up to the 5th percentile. (Her PA said, "Wow, she's on the chart!") Our doctor didn't worry because they were happy, bright and energetic.

At about 7 years old, 2 of the 4 started to gain enough weight that they soon qualified as chunky (or husky or round or whatever term people use.) Their siblings didn't, and are still slender. Same food, routines, exercise - different result. They're all bright, accomplished and active.

I think we focus too much on weight and not enough on health. Weight is easy to spot - you can't look at someone and see if they're vitamin deficient or not getting any fruit, so we look at what they weigh.

Good luck, and don't stress too much! :)

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