My son is 9 weeks and about 9 pounds/23 inches. That is right about at the very bottom of the infant weight curve (5th percentile) if not below. He was born 7 pounds 10 oz. He lost some weight right after birth of course and has gained very slowly since. He is long and there is no chubbiness to fill him out. He is gaining at least 1/2 an ounce per day (the minimum I read) but I am highly concerned.
I am a small person and was a small baby according to my mother-not sure exactly what that means. The father is a medium build. We are both vegans. If I go by my baby, he seems pretty happy, breast feeds regularly, and I am quite pleased with his alert states and development. If I go by the charts, other people's babies and comments- that is when I get concerned.
Of course I am in contact with my pediatrician and am also hoping to get his tied tongue cut this week. I trust in our amazing god-given bodies and the wonder of breastfeeding which usually needs no tampering. I don't usually find myself worrying about things, but I don't want to let some irreversible thing happen with my son that could have been prevented.
Did anybody else have a healthy skinny baby? Are there any tips just to make sure he is getting what he needs besides supplementing with formula? If he is really supposed to be the size he is I do not want to fix something that is not broken.
You are right, everyone is different. I wouldn't worry about this until your doctor suggest there is something to worry about (or you yourself truly find a reason to worry..as for now, you say your baby seems healthy and happy!). My second daughter was born just over 5 lbs, and was a skinny baby her whole infantsy. She is now 3, and 2 year olds tower over her. She is still tiny and skinny, just a petite girl! Which is exactly what I was all growing up. She eats, drinks, has normal potty breaks. I too was concerned at one point when other mothers (of those towering 2 year olds) would be so shoked at her size. I eventually took her in to get checked out, to make sure she was okay. Doc said nothing to worry about, she is just taking after her mom.
Kari
Hi there,
Whew, I was almost afraid to read the responses to your question! Thankfully the only one on here so far seems to address your question. I see a lot that are rude about bfing and heaven forbid you not be including meat in your infant's diet! LOL!!
Anyway, no, I wouldn't worry. My seven year old was told this year for the first time that he's "average" in height and weight. His whole life he was in the 7th-12th percentile. But the important parts were: He was height weight proportionate and he had plenty of wet/dirty diapers per day.
My second son was a chubby baby, both exclusively breastfed. Now my almost 2 week old daughter is just a tiny little button of a thing, so I can't wait to see which way she ends up going!!
Enjoy your baby, I wouldn't worry. If you worry, if he has fewer diapers than you think he should or something, you might try pumping during off times so you can supplement with breastmilk. But really, if there are plenty of wet and dirty diapers, I would say it isn't necessary.
Please, if you haven't already, check out www.kellymom.com. Lots of answers to bfing questions, and plenty of vegans around to help out too! :)
My daughter was tongue-tied as well, but we didn't find out about it until she was over a year old. Because of that, I was unable to breastfeed. I'd be willing to bet that when that is fixed, he'll start gaining weight more. I tried to breastfeed the first five days, and it was so frustrating for both of us. She wasn't getting enough to eat because of being tongue-tied, so each feeding took us over an hour. Bottom line, if he's happy and following the major milestones, AND your doctor isn't worried, then I wouldn't worry about it.
Hi. As long as your baby IS gaining weight and getting taller, I wouldn't worry. The growth charts are just general guidelines for the dr. charts so that if there is a problem, it can be tracked with a number. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy being a mom.
Megan
My pediatrician said as long as your baby is somewhere on the chart and is staying on the chart, they don't care where baby is.
However, I would say that I exclusively breastfed and breastfed babies tend to be plump at the beginning and lean out. My baby went from 75th percentile down to 20th or so before going back to 50th. If your baby does that, your ped is likely to freak.
If you are feeding on demand, I would check with a IBCLC (board certified lactation consultant) or attend a LLL meeting and talk to the group leader. The weight drop in a breastfed baby is normal, but dropping off the chart will be a pain in the butt with the ped.
Other things you can do that go along with feeding on demand are avoiding pacifiers or anything that encourages baby to suck somewhere other than the breast.
Finally, if you are concerned about baby's weight gain, offer the breast more often. Some babies are just easy going and need encouragement.
As long as he is gaining weight steadilly and developing appropriately, there is no need for concern. My son was 7 lbs 12 oz when he was born and at his 4 month appt his weight was finally on the curve (it had always been so low it was off the curve). Now at almost 5 months he's 13 lbs, which only puts him in the 6th percentile, but developmentally he's on target and ahead in some ways.
Heck, my son has really gotten the wear out of his clothes! He was in newborn size until he was almost 2 months, he is still in 0-3 size clothes. Most people fly through sizes and complain their baby only wore outfits once or twice...I don't have that complaint! He's still in size 1 diapers also, and they are just now fiiting him (they've been big on him).
You should find a le leche group. They are great about supporting you and can answer your questions. You can find them online. Your child is 5th percentile of a nation of fat children. Remember that the chart is an average child.
Hi Olu-
I am the mother of a 21 pound 2 weeks away from being 2 years old little girl. She was born at 5 pounds 10 ounces 19 1/2 inches so she was a tiny girl. I was 34 when I had her and my pregnancy was completely-thank goodness-normal. Her pedatrician ran a battery of tests, from thyroid tests to CTs and bone scans, and they all came back normal. She never was on any type of "curve" because she was always so small. After everything, all of the pediatricians in her group decided she would be on her own curve, where she is growing at a normal rate. SO it is very possible to just have a small but very healthy baby. I am 5'3" and my husband is 6'4" so we're just hoping she'll be like daddy and be tall and thin. If the doctors want to run tests, run them to make sure medically he is fine and if they all come back normal-rejoice in having a light child...believe me, when he gets a cold when he's 2 and wants to be held all of the time, you'll be glad he's a little guy!! (good luck)
I would not worry. It sounds like you are a healthy mom and you are breastfeeding which is the very best thing for your baby. My 2nd was born at 8lb 2oz and grew so slowly that he slid quickly down the growth chart to the 5th percentile and he is still there today at 11yr. He is a perfectly happy bright energetic boy. We have lots of short and tall people o both sides of the family. Rather than worry about the charts which are designed for formula fed babies and work based on averages I would just look at your baby and if he pees, poops, grows, and looks healthy I would not worry. I have had some very fat rolly polly babies. My 2nd son was not one of them but he is completely fine. Trust your God-given body and your God given maternal instincts which I think come out when you look at your baby not at the charts and books about other peoples babies. You have a unique individual and he will find his own happy growth pattern.
HI. My daughter was born on the 50% percentile curve and slowly dropped off to the 5%. So I was also VERY concerned (especially cauz my 1st one was on the 90% curve). She was breastfed and never seemed hungry either. At 5 months I started solids and at 6 months I stopped breastfeeding cauz I wanted to make sure she was getting enough milk. She is now up to the 10% curve (7 months), as I am on a force feeding campaign (not easy with an infant). The pediatrician said to continue offering her bottle and food frequently. My theory is that she has a small stomach (she is only 15 lbs at 7 months!) and can't take large amounts at once. So I alternate between food and the bottle about every hour and a half (during the day). I would try breast feeding more often and ALWAYS offering a bottle after the breast in case there is not enough milk in you. I think that was the case with me. She wasn't very interested in eating much, thus I wasn't producing a lot of milk. Good luck - I know its VERY frustrating!!!
You say he breastfeeds regularly, is he on a schedule? You should be feeding him on demand, at this stage of the game at least every 2-3 hours. Be sure he stays on one side as long as possible, encourage him to stay longer because that is where he'll get the fattier hind milk.
You can even pump after a feeding and use that milk whenever you feed him a bottle, if you're doing that. That way, he will get the fatty hind milk then.
Please talk to a La Leche League Leader in your area. Go to a meeting.
I'm not alarmed by his weight gain, if he is otherwise happy, meeting milestones, etc However if he is indeed tongue tied, I suspect he will get more milk, be able to stay on longer to get hindmilk, and gain weight better after you have it clipped.
I sooo agree with the other mom's here! Caitlin (my third child...now 17) was about 5 weeks early...and only 5 lbs 10 oz at birth. Her two older brothers were HUGE babies, so naturally I was concerned. She remained slow to gain til school age, and height was very average. I even considered holding her back for a year as she was near the age cut off for school.
I am SURE glad I did NOT hold her back! She began to sprout height wise...eats like a horse, and remains stylishly thin (could easily model if she chose)! She remains one of the tallest (though youngest) in her class. I wish I had her metabolism!
Please do NOT worry as long as he continues to gain...and pee/poop.
Caitlin is practically a vegan now, and from all I have read, seems to be an eating lifestyle that is a great deal healthier in terms of health concerns that develop in later years...
My daughter was just like your son. She was 7 lbs 11 oz, and dropped some weight in the few days before my milk came in. Her doctor drove me crazy with tests because she insisted that there must be some other problem. The thing was, my daughter was happy, not fussy and seemed to be doing great...except for her weight gain. She too was just the 5th percentile.
If your son is happy and mostly content, I wouldn't worry about it. Even a 1/2 oz per day of weight gain is considered normal. Initially I gave in to the doc's wishes to test my daughter for everything under the sun, but I was satisfied when the results came back normal. You really do need to trust your own instincts as a mother. If your doc continues to give you a hard time, switch. I found that not all doc's are supportive of breast feeding when the baby doesn't just pile on weight.
As long as he is gaining weight & has 6-8 wet diapers a day, nothing's broken!
Find some baby pictures of yourself & your husband & compare them to your little man -- I bet you'll be less worried when you see genetics at work! :o)
It's wonderful that you're breastfeeding your baby and that should be all he needs. I've heard that different women have varying qualities of breastmilk--I don't know if I've ever bought that. However your diet probably plays an important role in the quality of your milk. Has your pediatrician ever said anything about your being a vegan and how it might affect breastfeeding? I would investigate that. Although I think your body takes care of your baby first and then you.
You mentioned getting his tongue cut---now that could make a big difference if it has been limiting his intake. Make sure you nurse frequently to keep your milk supply up.
Overall, if he seems content most of the time and not overly fussy, then that is a good signal that everything is ok!
Best of luck to you!!
Pray and ask for wisdom. God's Word says that it will be given unto you. Keep your focus and faith in HIM not the world. And, be sure that you trust your pediatrician. Did you choose to have him vaccinated?
As a Vegan, are you supplementing with whole food nutritionals? They pass through your milk to the baby.
Take Care,
Norma :) SAHM homeschooling 3 boys 12, 8 & 2 yrs old and married to my Mr. Wonderful for almost 15yrs. I love to help moms, who want to become SAHMs, reach that goal! If you or someone you know wants to become a SAHM, please email me at [email protected]. Thanks!
My daughter was also 7lb.10oz. when born and she is now 1 year old. Over the last year I always had people saying she's so tiny and she only weights 17lbs. 14oz. now which is in the 5th-6th% for other babies her age. I exclusively breastfed her and am still breastfeeding but she is now only eating about 3 times a day with all her solid foods and sleeping from 7pm-7am. I think if your son was not healthy you would know and I also think if your small your child may be small too. My daughter is very petite but she is in the 80th% for height so every child is different. Don't worry too much unless he isn't eating or gaining at all and he isn't having frequent diaper changes. This is usually the best indication of anything being wrong. The doctor/nurse will always ask you about amount of wet and spoiled diapers if you call in with a concern. And remember your baby knows when hes hungry and he will eat, that is one of their instincts to survive!! Also, when your baby is 1 year old they will take a little blood from his toe to test all his nutrition levels and they recommend its an 11. My daughter who is small as I have said was over 13 so don't worry!!! I hope this helps!
As a mother of 2 little girls, both born prematurely, I come under fire about my girl's petite frames regularly from the pediatricians. My oldest is now 3 & just 26lbs, 36". She in no way looks malnourished & her intellect tests at the Doctors show her at 5yrs3mo. My younger daughter is just 8wks old & at 19.5" she is a slight 7lbs. Both registered off the bottom of the curve as newborns; however developed a curve of their own. They have cousins that are just a skinny, an uncle & grandfather who are both still thin as rails.
I think your mother's intuition is crucial. If your baby is happy, nursing on a regular schedule, and gaining on his own curve, I would push those doctors to review the familial lineage - if you are petite & there are others in the family who are petite, reasons to stand that your baby could be petite/slim.
Of course, if things change with his feeding habits or he seems uncomfortable or different in his behaviors, check into it with the Doctors then. If you are concerned about how much breastmilk he is taking in, you could try a test to have him nurse completely, then offer a bottle of milk/formula (say 6oz) & see how much more he takes in. If he is finished & won't take anymore, you're doing great! If he takes in more, possibly try some of the mother's milk tea or other items to help increase milk production.
Above is a link to the LaLecheLeague website. It has answers to just about any breastfeeding concern a mama could have. They also have links on that site to local LLL leaders, who will help you for free, and who are so completely knowledgeable about breastfeeding that it will make your head spin! They are kind, and so helpful.
Do you think maybe it's possible that your baby isn't getting enough of the rich, high-fat hind milk that our bodies produce for our babies? Many pediatricians don't counsel the mamas to make sure the baby is getting the hind milk, and without that, many babies won't put on as much healthy weight as they would with it going into their systems. I had trouble with babies who would nurse only long enough to get the foremilk, which is also necessary but only part of what they need. So my midwife suggested that I nurse only off one breast for two full feedings, only switching after the baby has nursed off of it at two different nursings. This helped all my babies a lot, and it also kept them very, very happy, as that rich hind milk does a lot to keep them feeling content.
Good luck, Mama! Your baby is so lucky to have you for its mama. You are giving it exactly what it needs in every way. Keep on keeping on!!