Baby Growing Well

My pedi always said that as long as they ARE growing, not to worry. So, if he's gaining weight, and has gotten taller, I wouldn't worry so much. I know it's hard, but you're doing a great job!

Relax and breath , your breast milk is the best thing for him provided you eat a healthy diet.I would not change it.All children grow at different rates he will eat what he wants and grow accordingly. Not all babies are fat and rolly polly so to speak and many that are have been over fed and end up with weight problems as they get older.As long as he is active and happy just let him be him.He will soon enough be up and walking and growing like a weed you can't stop.
Blessings, Debbie

The same thing happened to friends of ours. Their son was meeting all of his milestones but not growing. If your son is already sitting up on his own and starting to crawl he is even ahead of the game as far as that goes. Anyway the friends I mentioned naturally were concerened (he was their first) and went through all kids of testing, including genetic screenings for dwarfism. Everything came back normal. He is just going to be little. To put it in perspective his baby sister (2 1/2 years younger was larger than him at, I think, 8 months old.)

Since you are nursing are you making sure he is getting your hindmilk? The formilk is watery and quenches their thirst but if he is not nursing long enough he is not getting your hindmilk that has all of the fat in it. I know that my two boys were satiated very quickly when they werer nursing and I had to pump off some first so that they got more of the hindmilk.

Don't question youself to hard. He sounds like he is very active and may just be burning off more calories than most babies his age. In other words congratulations its a boy and their matabolisms run at high speed from the start.

i agree with everyone-- keep nursing! don't switch sides after 5 minutes or so... let him nurse on just one side for at least 10-20 minutes-- he'll get more of the rich milk that way. with my first i actually only nursed one side each feeding.

if he's starting to crawl that usually makes babies lose a little weight anyway. don't worry, if he acts healthy and happy, he's fine!!!!

this sounds so much like my daughter. she started out at 6lbs.14oz. even though she had RSV at 2 & 3mo. of age she was still gaining weight very well, when she hit 6mo however that all stopped completely & she dropped off the chart. she has seen & still sees 3 different doctors and has had numerous tests done, all for them to say that she has failure to thrive due to unknown medical condition/disease. they want to do a genetic workup on her, but after our insurance it'll cost us almost 2000., we simply just don't have it, i went back to work to start saving for it. she is almost 19mo old & weighs 18 lbs. & is 30 inches tall. she is VERY skinny, but overall she is a very happy baby. she has had quite a few delays, she didn't sit up until almost 10mo, walking at almost 17mo, and instead of having the 15-20 word vocabulary of babies her age she has 5. there are a list of other things as well, but it'll probally freeze my computer to list them all.she is on a very high calorie diet & eats like a champ, but her weight still zig zags & never goes above the red line. hope this helps alittle. god be with you.

It's really hard not to worry, isn't it? I had a similar issue with the weight, but mine happened right after she was born. She didn't get back up to her birth weight for a few weeks. We were in the doctor's office every week for about 6 weeks. She is breastfed; I supplemented about 3 ounces a day of formula after she'd nursed if she would take it. She's still on the low end as far as percentiles but that scale is based on formula fed babies and my doctor said that breastfed babies often register quite low because of that. He said as long as she stayed at about the same percentile for the respective age, it wasn't anything to be concerned about.
Hang in there. And yes, try not to worry. :)

Don't worry M.. My first son did the same thing. He was born at 6#7oz, was exclusively breastfed, started him on cereal and baby food at 4 months old. He was always on the low end of the percentage scale (never more than 10%...usually down around 3-5% range). At one point he completely fell of the charts too. Now he is 4 years old, still on the low end of the weight scale, but is up around 15% now. He is very active, healthy and eats well.

I think it is hard on us moms who's little ones are already on the lower end of the percentage scale. Our little ones go down 5-10% and it throws them off the chart. If it was a little one at the 50% going down to the 40% it wouldn't freak us out as much. My second son was more around the 30% and he goes up and down too, but since he is at the 30% it doesn't freak me out. There is some thing about hearing that they have fallen "OFF" the chart. If your little guy is eating well, meeting his developmental milestones and your pediatrician isn't concerned...trust me...he will be fine.

I had issues with breastfeeding at first. A very cool trick to measure this is to use your ped's scale. See if you can go in and have a nurse weigh your baby right before a feeding, then sit down somewhere and do a normal feeding, and then weigh him again. Then you'll at least know how many ounces of milk he's getting, which might reassure you that he's getting enough. You can also try calorie dense foods for solids, too. Like mashed up avocados have a lot more calories than pureed green beans.

Dear M.,
My son had 2 pediatricians at the same time before he turned 1 since at the time we could afford two health insurances, under my husband's job and my own. It came in handy because he was born 7 and a half weeks premature @ 4 lbs 7 oz. So I was always concerned about his growth/weight gain. Both pediatricians told me that introducing solids between 6-9 months was a good thing, but they, as well as my lactation consultant staff that I kept in close contact with recommended that (breast) milk or formula should still be the primary source of calories for a baby all the way until their 1st birthday. the stage one fruits and veggies are fun to try, but they don't have the fat content needed to help baby's brain grow as well as the fat and nutrition in milk. As long as you're eating well yourself and not trying so very hard to restrict your calories (to earn back you're premom body) & you're still taking your (prenatal) vitamins, then your milk will still be the most perfect food your baby can eat. The older pediatrician (he's a grandfather & 35 yrs practicing physician) reassured me that feeding throughout the night (at least once or twice a night) @ 6 mos old and even 9 months old, for a breast feeding baby, is normal, good, & key to getting baby that super precious milky nutrition. The solids are just to introduce, but the fat/calories in milk is so important.

My friend of twins always struggled to get her boy to even show up on the growth charts & he needed a nutritionist & occupational therapist to help because he'd hold a piece of food (ie chicken) in his mouth for half an hour and just not eat it, or anything else (this was when he was older (like 14 months). His doctor even recommended supplementing this food (like stage one stuff with breast milk mixed in or even olive oil) to sneak in calories. he never liked to eat, even @ 6 months, and was more interested in crawling & then running around and being active. he's still not on the charts, but he's healthy, happy, active, and the son of very petite people. if you're in doubt about one doctor's advice, don't hesitate to get a 2nd or 3rd opinion. Dr.'s are so different in approach & it's important to find one that empathizes with you're biggest concerns. Good Luck & stick with breastfeeding, mama! don't doubt how perfect your food is for your little one =)

love,
SPD,

Developmental Biologist & proud mother of a thriving ex-preemie about to turn 2!

First let me say that your doctor seems to be wonderful, a lot of doctors would have told you to switch to formula by now. That being said those charts are based on formula fed infants, not breastfed infants who have a tendency to be smaller in general. What's his percentile for height, is he equally short? when combined does his height and weight make the chart, if so where? As long as he is gaining weight, his iron levels are on track and he's healthy I totally agree with your doctor, he's fine, just thin, nothing wrong with that. Look at family history as well, some weight factors are genetic, if you have a family full of thin people then genetically your child is going to have a decent metabolism and be thinner.

Are you dieting? I had a friend whose child was gaining well until she went on a low-fat diet. Your diet needs to be good in order to produce high quality milk for your son. If your Ped isn't worried about your son's weight, I wouldn't be either. Maybe he is just going to be a more petite child. Growth charts are just an average. My daughter fell down to the 10th percentile as a toddler, and sat 10-25th percentile her whole childhood. Following the chart, she would be an adult woman of 5' 3", and about 110 pounds. She didn't want to be soo short. She is now a 20 yr.old woman, 5'8", and over 150. So much for the growth chart! the chart doesn't account for late bloomers.
Enjoy your son, and continue to take the great care of him you are, including breastfeeding.
R.

It sounds like you need a second opinion for you. If your son is happy and it sounds like he is, try not to worry so much. If he wasn't getting enough food believe me he would let you know. Sometimes the growth stalls a little and then just explodes. That happened with my first son. He is still very slim and a lttle shorter than his classmates and eats like a horse! Your son may just have a fast metabulism. And please don't stop nursing. He is getting enough to eat and I bet you both enjoy the closeness. By the way- how long is he?any change there?

There are more calories and good fats in breastmilk then in the baby food you are feeding him. If you are worried about his weight then you should up the number of breastfeeding sessions he has. Off him the breast BEFORE any solids and as often as he will take it. Babies less than a year of age should be receiving the majority of their calories from either breastmilk or formula and other food are just for practice at this age and should never be the main source of nutrition. It sounds like he is doing just fine though mama and as hard as it is not to try not to worry. Some children are just smaller than others. My DD is one of them. She is very tiny but has always met and WAY surpassed all of her milestones and now is a brilliant, active and very tiny almost 3 year old (she is 36 inches tall and weighs 26lbs).

Please check out this site for great breastfeeding info and ways to increase your milk supply if you are concerned about it. www.kellymom.com

Relax and listen to your doc. :-) Which growth chart is your doctor using? There are 2 of them, you know. One for formula fed babies and one for breastfed only babies. Breastfed babies tend to be smaller... but not always. My oldest was a chunk and always in the 90-95%.

One child was the same weight at birth (9lbs) but there was an 9 lb difference at 12 months old. This child gained all of 1 lb between 6 months and 10 months... and she was totally healthy. She ate a variety of healthy food at 3 meals a day and nursed a few times a day. She was just so darn active (crawled at 5 months, cruising furniture at 7 months, walking at 9 months) she burned through all the calories and couldn't put the weight on. By the time she was 24 months, though, she was back in the 50-75%. Another child has been holding steady at 75% for the past 2 years. They are all healthy and totally normal, all breastfed until about 5-6 months and all grew at different rates.

In the US, we see so many overweight or chunky babies that we think it's the norm. The overall averages of baby sizes has increased and so when we see a healthy normal weight baby they tend to look underweight to us. Keep breastfeeding if you want. If there was a problem it would've shown up by now. You might want to spend an entire feeding at one breast, though, if you are switching halfway through. The hindmilk has the highest fat content... and is better than formula in that regard.

Good luck, don't freak, remember it's a marathon and in a few months when he's climbing the furniture or he's going through 3 sizes of shoes in 3-4 months you'll look back on this and wonder why you were concerned. :-)

One of my girlfriends had a similar experience, but her son had major trouble sleeping. He was up all the time & into 5 minute cat naps. It turned out it was her thyroid getting out of whack. She was passing imbalanced hormones to him through her milk & he was low on the growth scales. He's small still (18mos), but always been healthy. She's got her thyroid working properly (with medicinal therapy) and her son is doing well eating normal foods now.

M., I definitely wouldn't worry about it. If there was a reason for concern, your doctor would be referring you on for more testing. My son also slowed down growing when he was about 13 months old, WAS referred for all kinds of observation, tests, etc., and they determined everything was fine in the end. No reason for the slowdown. He is now almost 10, incredibly health, and just over 50 pounds. Very skinny compared to his classmates.

As the developmental pediatrician pointed out to me, they rarely see underweight children anymore...they're usually dealing with all the kids who are very overweight. There is more of a tendency to be so with formula. My family doctor even said if they're going to be off the charts, better to have it be underweight. It'll be better for him in the long run.

Just remember, your doctor is tracking those things. If there is a cause for concern, you will be sent for evaluation. Just keep up your breastfeeding, offer to feed him more often, and don't stress!

Hi M.,

He sounds like he is doing fine based on your description--crawling, active, etc

He is burning more calories doing all that stuff.

You could contact La Leche League to see if they have any info on growth charts for breastfed babies.

Also be aware that there are variables that influence your baby's weight that have nothing to do with the actual weight--eg clothed or naked when weighed, when scale was calibrated, etc. If baby weighs "high" one time and "low" the next, it will look like s/he is not gaining well.I wrote about this to other folks, don't have time to repeat. Also check out website of Katherine Dettwiler (Detwiler?) from whom I learned about this.

Keep nursing, don't stress, and enjoy your little one! My oldest graduates from high school this month....

K. Z.

Hi M.! My daughter was 7lbs 11oz when she was born and I think only around 13-15 pounds when she was 6 months. She's 10 months now and around 18 pounds. Her dr said she's doing fine. She was exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months and then switched to formula/baby foods around 6 months. I quit pumping/breastfeeding primarily due to my work schedule. :-( Her dr said she was always in the 50% for weight, etc. and had no concerns. Since she was bottlefed (w/breastmilk) I could actually see how much she was or wasn't eating. If you are concerned that you are not nursing/producing enough, after you are done nursing him (assuming you're not pumping/bottlefeeding), try offering him a bottle of formula and see if he takes any more. If he does, then he may need more milk per feeding, if not, then he should be getting enough of what he needs. I would try that a few times and see what he does. Don't stress too much because that can depleat your breastmilk supply. You may also benefit from talking to a lactation consultant at your local hospital (if they have one). They can also calm your fears. If your baby is acting hungry all the time then maybe you do need to supplement but if not, I wouldn't worry. Best of luck to you! :-)

A baby that age should still be fed 6-8 times per 24-hour period. If he's sleeping through the night then you should fit them in during the day. Offer more often and never give solids until after he's had breastmilk.
Foods that are high in calories and good fats:
avacado
bananas
sweet potatoes
avacado

Skip the water-down purees and make your own foods. Check out "Super Baby Foods" and www.wholesomebabyfood.com.

It seems to me that your baby is well and happy. All of his developmental benchmarks are moving right along and he is eating well.In my opinion I would not change anything unless he becomes unhappy and miserable. If he were hungry you would know. He is not crying and fussy. I think that the doctor is right. Keep doing what you are doing.Relax and enjoy.

He's eating more because he's moving more. Honestly, I don't put much stock in the growth charts, and it sounds like your doctor doesn't either. Am I correct in guessing that your little guy is still gaining SOME weight? It sounds like he is. My daughter has always been small. She is almost always under the 10th percentile in weight and above average in height. Her doctor said that there is no need to be alarmed at all. She grows, just on her own chart! :) It sounds like your guy is a great eater and nurser! Hooray for that! The biggest mistake I've made as a mom was getting all worked up about my dd's weight. I made myself crazy. I was feeding her all these high calorie foods, making her special meals, weighing her all the time, etc. Guess what? None of that made any difference! She didn't gain any more weight than normal. I drove us both nutty for no reason! Trust your doctor, if there were something wrong, I'm sure he/she would tell you. Don't doubt yourself! You are giving your little guy the best start possible. Please don't switch to formula, it's totally not needed. Just keep doing what you're doing. :) :)

Obviously, your baby is healthy if he is meeting all his milestones. I wouldn't worry, as your doctor confirmed. Are you and your husband small? Maybe he is just a petite child. Breastmilk is the best, so stick with it!