Freaking Out About Dr's Visit

Don't freak out mom, it doesn't help the situation and baby can pick up vibes from you. Remember that he's been sick for over a week. It's not uncommon for a baby to lose weight when they're sick. He'll be o.k. Good luck mommy and always try to stay calm.

Don't freak out...The dr. said the same thing about my daughter when she was going through all the colds etc....She is 3 now and doing fine....If they had a concern then they would want to do tests...Just make sure your son doesn't have any systems that would indicate he has hear trouble...Lethargy, trouble breathing...etc...

I understand your concern, but had it been really serious, the doctor, although not your regular one, would not have sent you home. A similar thing happened with my son. He was diagnosed with a slight heart murmur (although not requiring medications for dental experiences or anything else) when he was between 12 and 18 months old. I was freaking out at first too, because we had been told nothing about it before that time. However, we were referred to a pediatric cardiologist and turns out everything was okay and nothing to worry about. Additionally, in terms of the weight gain, my son was only breastfed and he didn't gain any weight between 6 and 12 months, although he did grow. So, what I'm saying is that there are many things that can happen during a time, even if they are not gaining weight. I don't know what else was going on with your son at the time, but my son was moving constantly and getting more interested in the world around him. Of course, he has gained plenty more weight since then, since he is now almost 4. Try not to worry too much. Like I said, had it been serious, you would not have taken him home, they would have sent you to the ER. Good luck!

My daughter gained no weight from 11 months to 16 months, but she gained 4.5 inches of height. Gaining weight is not the only indication of growth - remember, your child is more active now, so more calories are used for day-to-day life plus the added requirements for growth. Keep feeding your son - he is getting big for regular food to be a supplement...

I'm a cardiac nurse and a person with a mild heart murmur. :) Many people have a mild murmur and don't know it, mild ones can be heard sometimes and not other times. Mine tends to only show up when I am sick and ALWAYS shows up when I am coughing sick. So most likely your other doctor never even heard it, or did and could hear is a mild one and didn't say anything to you because its nothing and many many kids just grow out of them (and yes it is very common for doctors not to tell parents they heard a mild murmur because it tends to freak them out if they do tell them....you really can hear how severe they are.) If you have a mod/severe one it does need follow up and monitoring and possible treatment. Moderate/Severe HM will need medication before going to see a dentist though since bacteria gets in your bloodstream during a cleaning (since mine is mild I don't).

And I am SHOCKED your nurse would say that to you about the weight. No weight gain for 2 months with an active child AND one that is been sick-IS NOT UNUSUAL!!(nor would that same child actually losing a little weight be unusual) I'm sorry she is freaking you out but she is WRONG to say that is unusual.

If you have more questions about heart murmurs feel free to send me a message, I know hearts tend to be a scary thing for many to deal with.

A.-
When my son was about that age, we went through a similar experience. I took him in to see my regular doctor for a "cold" and the doctor had a medical student with him. The student assessed my son and found a slight heart murmor which my doctor had never heard before. They told me the same thing. They also tend to outgrow these as they get older and the murmors sometimes are associated with being sick. Over the next several years, we kept an eye on it. It never got worse and now that he is 10, it hasn't been detected again in a long time. I would see your normal doctor and ease your mind but I think that he will be fine. Good luck and don't worry about freaking out. YOU'RE A MOM, we're good at freaking out.

You say he's been sick for a week. It's easy to lose weight when you are congested because you don't eat as much. So, don't worry about the lack of weigh gain. As for the heart murmur, I don't know much about them, but all I can suggest is pray about it. The dr is probably right that it's due to the cold, but let your reg tell you for sure. I'll say a prayer for you.

Hi A., I just wanted to add that my daughter had a heart murmur detected at birth and now it's gone. She's perfectly fine. I'm sure your regular ped will be able to reassure you. It's good you made a follow up appointment.

I wouldn't freak out but I'd follow up with your regular Dr. My daughters (8 and 10 had murmers at birth and are just finely growing out of them) Just always something we've kept an eye on. I think you were right to make an appointment but don't let your imagination run away on you. As far as the weight maybe he hasn't been eating well because he's been sick. I don't know if it's possible for a 1yr. old to lose weight but I know my kids weights fluctuate when they are sick because their appetites are poor. Take a deep breath and just know that a follow up appointment will ease your mind. I'll say a prayer for your family that everything will turn out fine.

Dear A., just try to relaxe. Talk to you own Doctor. I heard that if a child has a fever he might have an heart murmur from the fever. I don't know if that is true or not. Ask your Doctor. Also, don't listen to everyone about your baby's weight. If your Doctor thinks he is at a healthy weight don't worry. I know my kids when they turned a year old my Doctor said give them 2% milk and alot of solid food. I am sure you are doing a great job as a mom. Listen to your heart. There is no one who knows your child like you do. Know one. Good Luck, I am sure your baby will be just fine.

I wouldn't freak out about any of it. At 12 mos your little one is probably moving around a lot more and that could be the reason for the weight. As long as your doctor sees no problem with the weight - I wouldn't worry about it. My son was a little pudge, but once he started moving around, he became a little skinny guy. I also wouldn't freak about the heart murmur. My girlfriend found out her son had one when he was 7 - no one caught it before then, and he's just fine. Also, my father was born with one and he is a happy and healthy 61 year old! My daughter was born with a slight murmur, but it is gone now. Don't get all worked up - go see your regular doc like you are and see what he/she says.

Hi A.:

You have every right to be freaked out. No one should just say your son has a heart murmur and tell you to have your Dr. check it on the next visit. Just to let you know I had a heart mumur when I was a child and often children with heart murmurs grow out of them. But please don't take this as you shouldn't have it checked out and monitored. As for weight loss or gain, did they weigh him on the same scale they always weigh him on. If not, take that into account. If they did, kids weight fluctuate alot. Maybe your son is going through his slimming stage. You know the stage when the big buddha belly goes and they start slimming down because they become so active. If he is eating right and active, I wouldn't get too concerned yet. Also, it sounds like he has been sick. I know my son got the flu one time and I took him in and just in two days he lost a pound so some it may be the cold. Anyway, I hope everything goes well. Take care. Signed, Just another Mom who worries about her kids too!

I don't really know about heart murmurs, as for the weight gain. My doctor had told me that my son was underweight last year(he was 4) and that if he didn't gain weight in 6 weeks that he wanted to do a full blood work. which freaked me out. After that, I really paid attention of what he ate and the amount. I use to be really easy for him to take a few bites and go play because I have 2 other kids. He gained a pound in 6 weeks and it helped enough to not do the blood work, so now I pay more attention at meal time. I'm not saying that this is the same problem, but maybe check with the doctor as nursing "a lot" maybe not be enough calories at 12 months old. I'm pretty sure, my kids were eating the graduate foods, whole milk and even small pieces of table foods, like cheese, cut up veggies, pieces of chicken which are higher in fat and calories. It was kind of nice too to let them have some independence at meal time. A bit messier though. Good Luck

Hi A.. I've had a slight heart murmur since I was a newborn and it has had no impact on my life, whatsoever. However, I would be diligent in follow-up with your Pediatrician over the next few years...ESPECIALLY before his first teeth cleaning. If it does not clear-up by then, you will need to know that some people with minor heart murmurs must take antibiotics for a week before a teeth cleaning. (I don't.) It's something about the threat from all the bacteria pushed into the system from the teeth scrapings. Ask your Pediatrician and Dentist about it when he's older.

As for the weight maintenance, I don't think you have any thing to worry about. In fact, if he maintains his weight since he started crawling, I'll bet you a nickel that he will actually LOSE weight when he starts walking! This is very common. I'm a bit surprised the nurse said what she did to you. Please talk to your Pediatrician for the reassurance you should have received.

Best Wishes!

I'll speak on the weight gain since I have had two daughters diagnosed as failure to gain (formerly failure to thrive, but if they are thriving but not gaining they now just say failure to gain).

Around 10 mos of age growth slows. It isn't the same rate as it was the first 10 mos at all. And it's not odd for a child to only gain a few oz. or so in months instead of pounds in a month. Their appetite also will slow down between 12 and 24 mos.

That being said, a cold that has lasted a week or teething or learning to walk or crawl can all cause a child to lose some weight. So since he has had a cold for that long my guess is that is why he didn't gain any.

Dr's don't become concerned unless there are 3 percentile rank drops in the percentile curve. (so if he was 75% and now is 25% they might worry, but if he was 75% and now 50% that is ok).

Also remember that he may have been having lots of infancy fat still and could be coming into his true weight percentage. If a baby is born at 10 lbs that doesn't mean they are destined to always be in the 99th%tile. Between 9 and 12 mos they usually level off to their real life percentage.

Hope that helps with one of your concerns.
N.

About the heart murmur, don't freak out yet. My 15 month old has had a heart murmur since she was 9 months. Before that, they heard nothing. My doctor said since it is different when she sits and lays down & then completely disappears when she stands, that it is an innocent one and will outgrow it and does not indicate anything like a hole in the heart. Also, did your son have a fever? When my doc first heard the heart murmur on my daughter, she had a slight fever and she said that it is very common when babies have a fever, that they can have a slight heart murmur due to the fever. I was also worried when I found out about my daughters murmur also but after talking to my doctor, who I trust and have complete faith in her, she put my mind and worries at ease.

Take a deep breath and relax. Its probably fine. At a year old the weight gain slows down- they are more active. Plus, he's sick. Also, many children have heart murmurs that are innocent. My son was diagnosed with one at the age of 5. Just write down your questions for you appointment on Monday and its probably a good idea to have your husband there as well. I know when I am in panic mode I dont hear everything and my husband has a calmer approach to things. Good Luck!

Two years back this happened to my daughter so I can relate. While having a cold I was told that it sounded like she had a murmor but was told that it was probably due to the cold. It was - she is perfectly fine and that was the only time the Dr. heard it. Also with the weight issue, my daughter did not gain weight for almost 5 months after she turned one. She always ate well and was very active so the doctor was not too worried but I did have to take her for a couple extra weigh in appointments (she was always above the 50th percentile for her age) but of course I was worried so they did some blood tests and found nothing and finally started gaining weight. She is now a normal, healthy three year old. Definitely keep your appointment for peace of mind but think positive - we went through this and everything turned out fine I am sure it will for your family too! Good luck

My son only gained a couple ounces between his 9 month and 12 month visit. My doctor said it was okay and pretty normal because babies become very active at that age.

You said you breastfeed a lot and supplement with regular food? Do you mean supplement with formula? He should be getting most of his nutrition from regular food at this age.

I'm sorry but I don't know anything about heart murmurs. I do think that if it was a big concern the doctor would have told you so. I hope everything turns out okay and that your regular doctor can put your mind at ease on Monday.

I don't have time to read through all the other answers so I will just tell you my own experience.
My daughter will be 20 months this week. She has been around the same weight (maybe gained a pound, if any) since she was a year old. She is not a big eater, but I know she mostly gets what she needs. I give her a vitamin just to be on the safe side. I worry about her but I can't force her to eat. I know it won't last forever and I know she will eat when she is hungry.
I also was told she had a heart murmur when she went into the hospital for a virus back when she was 9 months old. Her regular doctor hasn't told me that she heard it. I imagine she can't though until my daughter can actually sit still enough for the doc to get a good listen. I'm not really worried about it because I'm not sure if there is anything they can do about a slight murmur (correct me if I'm wrong). I seem to recall the doctor who said he heard it saying that sometimes that happens when they are sick. So it may just be from your son being sick. Don't panic. Just have the regular doc listen to it when he is well. And don't worry about his weight. If he is eating and you are still breastfeeding, he is doing just fine.

The same thing happened to me with my daughter at or about the same time. She had a really bad cold and because of it the doctor heard a murmur. Strange because it was the same situation (different doctor than our regular one). He commented almost non-chalantly about her murmur and I freaked out. I later found out from my regular pediatrician that this is normal for some children to have a murmur when they are very congested with a cold. Also, I wouldn't worry too much about the baby not gaining weight. He may have lost some due to being under the weather. As long as he is thriving and relatively healthy it should reverse itself.

Good luck. These things make us stronger and it's good that you are asking questions. Never take anything for granted with your child's health.

Hi A.. I just wanted to add my reassurance to the others. I've had a slight heart murmur all my life as well. I'd say about a quarter of the medical professionals who listen to my heart notice it. I've never had any problems or issues with this murmur. When I was 35 my doctor had me get a base-line ekg just so we'd have a "healthy heart" to look at if a problem ever did develop, but that's all we've ever done. You're smart to schedule an appointment with your regular pediatrician to get his/her reassurance as well, but I hope these messages will help you feel calmer over this weekend before you have the appt. Hang in there!

A.,

I was given the same diagnosis with my daughter when she was a little over a year. They also told me not to worry, but as a mom, how could I not? She was given an EKG with a pediatric heart specialist. They determined that the murmur was just the sound of the blood whooshing around one of the corners in her heart. They said the noise would go away with age. When she was 3, they tested her again and it was gone.

Try not to worry until you get more tests done. Hopefully it's something very simple.

Best of luck!

M.

If he does have a murmur, just find out what type. There are several kinds, not just the scary sounding "hole in the heart". My son had a murmur diagnosed the day he was born. One of his heart valves is fused on one side which causes a funny sound between heart beats. Lots of reasons for a "murmur", most are nothing to stress about. You didn't realize how common they are, did you?

Ignore the weight gain issue. You know if your son is eating enough.

Wow! I can understand your concern but please, please, please - listen to what everyone is saying below. Hard not to worry, but please don't. My daughter had all of the same things your little one has and she is JUST FINE! I went through the panic stage and didn't need to...wasted energy on negative stuff.

On the way home from the hospital (she was 4 days old, I had a c-section) we stopped at the dr. office (we were told by mistake, by a new receptionist, that we had to make an appt. during her first 4 days). Anyway...we hadn't even had her home yet and they found ***4*** murmurs. We found out that many times in c-section babies, the heart chambers don't fully close up because the babies don't have those last pushes through the birth canal to solidify...who knew?

I fell apart. 4 day old baby...4 holes in her heart. That's what a murmur is - the heart "seams" just haven't closed up. They most often do with time and growth. I whole-heartedly believe that your 12 month old will grow out of this as he grows up and his body continues to grow and change.

Weight gain. Maggie was at the 95th percentile and all of a sudden dropped to the 50th. She even had some months when she had dropped a bit in weight. My dr. had me come back in every 2 weeks for weight checks. Again, a nervous wreck. Bad mom thoughts...am I not feeding enough, is she not getting enough nutrients, etc. etc. etc. Again...guess what? Is your son becoming more active? He is 12 months old. He is probably cruising more than he had, he is probably getting the crawling thing down. Is he beginning to walk? Becoming more active burns calories! That is what is going on most likely. We started to add good fat foods in Maggie's diet. She ate a lot of avocados and we would put olive oil on her pasta, etc.

Again, please don't worry as these things (although they don't tell you when they give you the things that are "wrong" with your child) are all very normal.

Maggie just turned two and she only has one murmur left and they figure that it will close up in the next few years. And for weight, she has stayed at the 50% at her visits and has continued to grow.

Be well A., take care of yourself, and KNOW that you are doing an awesome job as a mom. Remember that nurses and doctors see patients ALL day and see the same things ALL day. They are routine to them and HORRIFYING for us to hear because it is the UNKNOWN.

Good luck and get someone to watch your little one while you take a bath and let some peace set in. Don't make the same mistakes of over-the-top worry, take away the next couple days you have with your little one!

J.

My second child is almost four and she's been a peanut since birth. She's perfectly healthy, but small. She will and has always gone a long time without gaining weight and then she will go through a spurt.

But in my opinion, if he's 12 months that boy needs some solids. He should be eating cereal at the very least. Nursing for a year, two or even three if that's your thing is fine, but the child needs solids. Especially in our climate for the vitamin D. Cereal and so on are very important.

Hi-

Both of my kids also have heart murmurs. We had to give my daughter antibiotics when she started to see the dentist, around 18 mos. old. After a couple of years of this, we got tired of giving her antibiotics for every dental appt, and asked to see a cardiologist. She had an EKG, and they found that it was a benign heart murmur. My son has the same thing; I think they determined that it's just the location of the heart wall to the rest of the body or something. If you're concerned, definitely have it checked out by a cardiologist, but if you want to wait, alert the dentist you end up taking your child to so that he/she can prescribe antibiotics just in case. By the way, my kids' heart murmurs are only there when they are lying down.

M.

Not good bedside manner - you should let your regular doctor know how freaked out you were. In the meantime, don't freak. My son has a very slight heart murmur and doesn't have to do anything to treat it. Ask for an EKG and echo - it's painless and worth the time. As for the weight thing, your baby is now more active, which could account for no weight gain. Good luck!

First of all, stop freaking out. My oldest son has what you call an "innocent" murmur. I do too. It is something that happens and is not indicative of a heart problem. Also, my last son (I have 4 sons) was born 10lbs 2oz and gained weight very slowly. He is 4 now and only weighs 40 lbs. That is less than 10 lbs a year for him. Most babies are "supposed" to triple their weight by their 1st birthdays. I am so glad he didn't. Talk to your doc again and relax. I am sure your baby will be fine. By the way. I also have a son that gained absolutely no weight for 6 months. He is six now and very healthy.

There's a good chance its nothing serious but talk to your regular ped just for reassurance. If it helps at all, I was born w/ a murmur due to a teeny pin-prick sized hole in my heart, and it has never,ever, been a problem.

When I was a kid the worst thing that happened was that I's have to get an EKG every couple of years where they'd always look at it, say "yep, it's still there, you're fine. Now go home. See you in two years." As far as I know I still have it and I'm totally healthy.

My son can go down in weight really fast when he is not well. It is even visible, but he goes right back up. So I wouldn't worry so much since he hasn't lost weight, just not gained. His body is working on getting well and that takes a lot out of an adult let alone a little one learning/playing/growing (even if he hasn't gained he is still growing)and not feeling well all at the same time. As for the other, it is hard not to think about, but you are going to see your other Dr. so try not to worry. I had times in my life where Doctors heard things and then they went away, it could even be related to his not feeling well and go away. I wish you well!

It could be a heart murmur or simply a slight extra beat which is what I have but it was always called a heart murmur. For me it was nothing to worry about. I think the term gets tossed around quite a bit incorrectly.

I found with my son that he did not gain weight each visit and I think it was because he was so active. Also, what kind of scale was your baby weighed on? I strongly dislike the table scale with the sliding bar, it is not accurate for a little one. I proved this to the nurse one day when my son had gained nothing from a prior visit. I insisted on the digital scale and sure enough he had gained close to a pound. The nurse insisted the table scale was more accurate. I told the doc what happened.

Hope this helps you!

Motherhood is a scary thing!!!

Heart murmurs are not uncommon for anyone. No need to freak out. As far as the weight, you didn't mention if he got any taller. This would compensate for lack of weight gain.

C. T.

I have experienced this. My oldest daughter was born with a murur (had two holes) which did close on their own between the ages of 2 and 3. Last year, at my youngest daughter's 12 month old well child visit her pediatrician heard a murmur. Because my oldest had a murmur which was found at 3 days old she referred us to a cardiologist just to be sure. The cardiologist found nothing and said no follow-ups were needed. Oh, my daughter had a cold too. So don't fret, just wait until you see your regular pediatrician. Also, don't worry about the his weight. If that was an issue they would have let you know. Hang in there, I've been there and it will all work out.

Hi A.,
I never had the experience with the heart murmur, but my youngest son was not gaining weight like my other two sons did. Michael was on a weight check maybe for about 3 years. It just so happened that he is a little bean compared to the other two. He was fine then and fine now. His make is just different. He ate normal and drank normal. He started gaining more probably when he was about 3yrs. old. He is still skinny. But not grossly skinny. He never actually was, I was just worried because with my experience of the other two. He turned out fine. If your son is eating and drinking good, I don't think I would worry too much about the weight thing. Good luck. I hope everything turns out well in your Monday visit.

A. - My son had surgery for a kidney condition a few months ago. The week prior to the surgery we had to see his pediatrician for a pre-op check up. His doctor thought he might be hearing a heart murmur at that time. Because of the scheduled surgery, he wanted my son to go in for testing before he would sign off on the surgery. He assured me that this was just a cautionary measure and that most likely it would have been detected at birth. The assurance did no good. I spent that next 5 days freaking out waiting for the testing and then waiting for the results. It turned out it was nothing! Also, I think that it is not at all uncommon to hear something that sounds like a heart murmur when I child is sick. I really don't think you should worry too much about this. Try to stay calm and see your regular doctor when you son is well. I hope this all works out ok for you.

Kate

I was actually told the same thing last winter when my daughter was in for a sick visit. The doctor thought that she might have heard a bit of a murmur. She thought it was probably due to the fact that my daughter had a fever at the time. No doctor had heard it before, and it hasn't been heard since. I grew up with a "murmur." Which did not affect my health at all. I am a completely healthy 33 year old. I wouldn't jump to any negative conclusions even if there is some sort of murmur. MANY of us are walking around with murmurs. As far as the weight gain goes, is your child much more active these days? My daughter was a heavy baby and grew by leaps and bounds that first year. I've been amazed by how much she has leaned out since she started walking and pretty much moving constantly. Her weight gain has been about 1 pound or so between each of her well visits since the 12 month visit.

I have a heart murmur (I'm in my thirties). Wasn't picked up until I was 16. Sometimes they hear it, sometimes not.

My son has one. Did the whole EKG and ultrasound thing - no cause. Just "innocent."

My daughter has one too. They rolled in the ultrasound to the NICU, because they wouldn't discharge her without making sure it was innocent. And it was.

I've met so many people with heart murmurs over the years that I think it's rare NOT to have one!

My son has been 23 pounds for the past 8 months I think. He's now two. Eats like a trucker, and it does nothing for him (we should ALL have this problem.) Think also that your son has a cold and probably hasn't been eating very much the last week. Could've dropped some poundage that way. My four month old lost a whole pound in one week, and she only started with 12 of them!

Hard to do, but relax a bit. If it was worth freaking out about, the doctor would've done it and scheduled you sooner. Hope your Sunday is a little better now!

Hi A.,

Has your 12 month old been moving more like walking or crawling a lot faster? That could explain no change in his weight in 2 months. My 14 month old has been walking up a storm and has really slimmed down her baby fat in the past 3 weeks. We have her 15 month appt soon and I'm guessing she will probably stay at the same weight as well so I wouldn't worry unless he starts losing weight and more than a pound.

In regards to the heart murmer, we were told that my 4 yr old had a heart murmer when she was first born. The dr described it as blood moving quickly through parts of the heart that just weren't fully developed yet. He said it's like taking your car around a corner at 60 miles an hour, the tires squeel. Same principal here and by the time she was about 18 months the murmer was gone.

I hope this helps put you at ease a little. The last thing any mom wants is to have something wrong. I think if the doctor was really concerned then you would have ended up at the hospital or undergoing immediate tests.

Good luck!

A.,

I've had similar experiences, as many here have also said, with a child who had a cold or bronchitis and the Dr hearing a heart murmur. In further checking, it turned out fine.

As to weight gain, my second son, who's now 19, was born at 8.5 pounds, weighed 32 pounds by the time he was a year old, and gained 2 pounds in the next two years. He is completely healthy, of normal weight and height, and there was nothing wrong with him, it was just how his body gained weight.

Try not to stress over this - though I know it's hard. My boys are 22, 19, 16 & 9 and have all grown up just fine despite my worrying, and I'm sure yours will too. Try to stay calm and see what your regular Dr says.

Dont worry. My daughter has the same thing (heart murmor). Shes fine. Most people do have one. Everyone was born with a hole in their heart. Over time its suppose to close. Sometimes it can take up to 5 years to entirely close. Dont worry. I know this because we've been seen by a pediatric cariologist. He'll be ok. and as far as weight id wouldnt worry about that either. He probabley hasnt had his growth spurt yet! Nurses dont have the right to scare you like that when they dont have the medical knowledge a doctor has. Every baby is different and they all grow at their own pace. Give him some time. he hs a cold and is a little under the weather. Thats it. My huge advice is though NOT to give him any vacines. Wait until hes completely over his cough and cold!!!!!! I cant stress that enough. Hope Ive helped.

W.

A.,
I am sorry to hear about your concerns. I have no experience with heart murmors, but my daughter has had difficulty gaining weight since she was 3 months (she is now 19 months, 20 lbs.) There were times when she even lost weight. The nurse should have concidered that your son has been sick. Sick babies don't eat like they should and babies can lose a half pound or so due to illness. So maybe he did gain weight, but recently lost it because he has been sick. I think it is a great idea to see your usual doctor next week. I assume she typically sees your son and can let you know how concerned, if really at all you need to be.
K.

You got tons of advice, I didn't go through all of it.
I wouldn't worry about his weight gain unless you are noticing things at home, or feel he is not eating enough.

My dd starting walking at 8.5 m and was very active. She was eating table foods, milk, etc. She went from average on the "weight percentage" to barely being on it over the course of a year. She's two now and 3% for weight, though she eats a lot, and a good variety. We went for several extra weight and measurements check ups and the doctor is satisfied she is just tiny. I am petite as well, so factor in your genetics.

If he's growing in one direction - weight or height then maybe he's just leveling out, or preparing for a growth spurt. One of the parenting websites may list typical growth spurt ages, I don't recall what they are.

Good luck, I hope that everything is fine. Worst case scenario, leave a message for your doctor to call you back now, so you don't have to wait until the next checkup.

A.,

Don't worry. Before I had my daughter I talked with her doctor about how both her dad and uncle had to have open heart surgery as babies, but that both ultrasounds and echocardiograms inutero said that she was fine. He told me that he may hear a mummer at times, but that is very normal for young kids and nothing to worry about. He's been a doctor for over 20 years. Also, my daughter didn't gain more than 2 ozs from age 10 mths till she was 14/15 mths old. She then gained weight and didn't gain again from age 18 mths till 23 mths and gained 3 lbs that next month and shot up. I never asked the doctor about it until after the fact, and he said that it was fine, she was just using up her baby fat and growing like she was supposed to. I also didn't worry b/c she was eating lots of food and still nursing a lot, so I knew that she was getting proper nutrition. She was just so active and had so much baby fat that she just worked off the reserves and came out with this tall, lean, muscular body. She's still just as active and eats a ton, but stays really slim. Just don't fret. You're nursing still, so he is getting all that he needs. It is normal.

Take care,
H.