Small

I have the opposite issue, my son is big for his age...not fat, just tall and well proportioned. He's always been that way. People always think he's 1-2 years older than he is, which gives them expectations of how he should act. He can't possibly act like a 6 year old, he's only 4! I know when I see little kids, they just looks so precious and tiny to me that I probably comment on it. I think probably a lot of people are like me and don't mean anything at all by the comment, just that she is so itty-bitty! I can't even imagine having one so small, since mine never was, but just think they're adorable! I know as moms we all take every comment to heart, but just know that you are doing everything you can for her and take others comments with a grain of salt. After all, they probably don't mean anything by them and if they do mean something, then they're being rude and shouldn't be bothered with anyway!

Hi A.,
If you know she is healthy then don't worry about what people say.
It's something you will always have to deal with so you may as well just accept it. Just listen to your gut. If she was the opposite everyone would be saying something about that. My daughter was the same way. The grandparents drove me especially crazy about her eating. Are you aware, although, your stomach streches, it's only as big as your fist. Look at your daughters fist. It's not going to take much to fill that little space. Believe me, she will eat when she is hungry. Never make food an issue. Food is only for surviving. Ask yourself these questions:
Is she healthy?
Does she have energy?
If yes to these don't worry and let what people say go in one ear and out the other.

As long as she is proportioned and healthy she should be fine.
My daughter was the same way. She was under the norm on the chart for her height and weight, but their are small people in the family so she was just following suit. She is now 18 yrs. old. She looks just beautiful. She is 5'1 and a size 1 and very healthy. That's all that matters. People just don't think about what they say.
My daughter was tagged with being called shy all of her life. The professionals say don't lable your child. You may not, but everyone else will. How can you stop everyone else? It's a battle you can't win. You just have to do your best to make your child be the best and feel the best about themselves through what you tell her.
Lonie
Lonie

I'm another one with the opposite situation. My 6 month old daughter was almost 18 pounds at her last check up. Strangers tell me all the time how big my baby is, which is starting to get on my nerves and give me a complex about having a huge baby. Neither I nor my husband are large (both pretty much average), so I'm guessing she'll turn out about average, too. Who knows? At any rate, when someone tells me how huge my baby is, I just smile and say, "Yup." I'm guessing that those who comment to us (large/small) baby don't really mean anything about it...it is just something to say. At least that is what I tell myself!

My almost 5 year old is also itty-bitty (she weighs less than 35 lbs and is just about 3ft tall). Always has been. She looks like she is about 3 and talks like she's 20. I had similar concerns when she was a baby and the dr. said that she was making steady progress and developing fine- she's just little. Now my 14 month old is totally different, she weighs over 27 lbs and is almost 30" already. Go figure. I feed them the same foods and appropriate amounts (they both eat well but not too well). They are just different. I can symapathize with people on both sides. I hear the "itty-bitty" comments over my older girl and I have strangers breaking their necks to come over and pinch my baby's "chubby-wubby cheeks" and say things like "I know SHE eats well". People don't mean anything by it they just want to admire my kids and that ok by me.

Both of my sons are small on weight but really tall for their age. Although, they were both big babies (one was 9 lbs-3 weeks early and another 10 lbs.-1 week early) but they were never chunky like other big babies. My youngest son (23 months) weighs around 23 lbs and most kids his age weigh more than that (my niece who is 2 1/2 months older weighs about 30 lbs.) My kids eat all the time and since they are both active I really dont worry about it. And their doc. isnt worried about it either.

Hi A.,

I have twin boys that turned two in June. One of them is in the 90th percentile and the other is considered 5-10 percentile for height and weight. Big difference, obviously. My pediatrician doesn't seem too concerned because if you look at my little guy's entire growth chart since birth, with the exception of one small time period, he has shown a steady incline on the chart which obviously means he's growing. The dr. said as long as that chart is moving up, then she's not too worried about his smaller stature. I guess you just have to find some catchy comeback line whenever someone comments about her being so small. I admit, I've probably done that to someone before but it was usually in the context of how cute and petite the child was. I guess I should be more sensitive to the fact it might not be so welcomed. :-)

As long as your baby is growing at a nice steady pace and trending on the curve for her growth chart I wouldn't worry about it. If not or if you are still worried check with your pediatrician to see what his/her thoughts are. I deal with both sides of it. My 4 year old daughter is in the 5th-10th percentile for height and weight and only weighs about 30 lbs and people still comment about how tiny she is. She was born 12 weeks early so I'm sure that hampered a little of her growth but our pedi says she was probably destined to be petite anyways. Now my 14 month old son weighs in at 25 lbs. and everywhere we go everyone comments about how he looks like a Linebacker(very stocky). Maybe my 3rd one due in a few months will just look average to everyone else, and if not who cares. Think of this too, wouldn't you rather have a petite girl than a big and stocky girl or a petite boy.

i just made a simialar request. my daughter is 13 months and a little over 16 lbs. her doctor has done bloodwork and just today sent her for a sweat test ( for cystic fibrosis). i am petite. i too am tired of people saying how small she is. i agree she is more than a size. if she is healthy and happy i wouldn't worry about it. i quit worrying about it. if my doc suggests one more test we are going for a second opinion. good luck and enjoy your daughter.

My first child was small (virtually no baby fat) and at his 2 year checkup, the pediatrician said he was just going to be petite (which I am, myself). So, I would just respond to those folks that have any comments that, "Yes, she is petite and isn't she cute?"

If they continue to mention the issue of eating/feeding, I would tell them that you really don't want to make an issue of food, as that can lead to eating disorders later in life. As long as she's eating something regularly and you're offering her healthy foods at all times (i.e., some typical kid's snack, like goldfish aren't really healthy foods, albeit better than french fries), then you shouldn't worry.

My son grew at a consistent rate and his growth never flattened (I attributed part of the difference to being breastfed, since those charts were defined based on formula feeding) - he was just small and very, very slender. So, I'm sure many people felt that we weren't feeding him enough and I did get unsolicited advice (I think that just goes with being a mother - you just filter it).

I do think the doctor should rule out things like CF (that another poster mentioned) and celiac disease (gluten intolerance). It turns out my son has celiac disease - he wasn't diagnosed until he was almost 11. Once he was diagnosed, he gained 10 lbs and grew 4 inches in 6 months. He has continued growing at a similar rate and is now 6'3" (and 150 lbs) at age 14. So, he is still slender.

I don't think that you should worry about it too much. I know it gets frustrating. My little sister has been tiny all her life - she wasn't much larger than your daughter. Now she's 19 years old, 4'11", and she weighs 90 pounds. She's just small.

People just don't think when they point out something like that - much like people make comments about my 10 month old daughter because she has these cute little fat rolls in her legs and arms. I just let them know that she's perfect and that's the way she was intended to be.

My kids were all small at one point (and some still are). My teens are all within normal limits, but my younger ones are still small for their age. 2 of them are barely on the charts and one of them isn't even on it (below where the percentile ranking begins). If your pediatrician isn't worried about it, I wouldn't worry about it. Your daughter doesn't sound that much smaller than what my kids were at her age. I think they may have been about 18 lbs and stayed there until they were 18 months to 2 years old.

I wouldnt worry at all, Im sure your ped would tell you if there was anything to be concerned about. My son was only 5 lb 15 when he was born. My sis was only 3 lbs or so and she is now 22, is still a size 00, even though she eats like crazy. Peoples bodies are all different. Just keep on loving that little peanut and dont worry about other peoples opinions.

Hi A.,
I see that this is nearly a year old. So. how is you little girl now? I expect she is still petite.
This great-grandmother would like to weigh in here with some tips.
Others gave you advice about checking with doctor etc. So-- to all young parents, when someone comments about your childs size, you look at your darling, beaming with pride and say, "Oh Yes, she is so petite." Or, "Isn't it great? He wants to be an acrobat."
If the light of your life happens to be big for her age, you say, "Yes she is, thank goodness. She will be tall and elegant like the women in my husbands' family." Or "Yes, he is well on his way to being a tall man, like all the men in both of our families. Don't you think tall men have it easier?"
You can come up with something appropriate. Practice it so you will be prepared to respond instead of reacting! Never let anyone goad you into just REACTING. Always be prepared to RESPOND. Don't feel guilty about your childs size. God made all of us in different shapes, sizes and colors and He loves us all!
45 or so years ago, doctors thought they could measure a child at age one and predict how big he would be as a grown man. My nephew was very small and wiry. He is now, 45 yrs. later, he is 6'4", 240 pounds of handsome manhood!
Don't worry, be happy and enjoy your baby.
God bless you all!