My daughter was born 7lbs and as always been in and around the 25 percentile for her growth curve (weight, head, and length) . She is healthy and on track for her milestones. However, I just keep stressing about her weight! She is almost 13 months and only weighs 18lbs. She has fat on her bones, is a good eater, and is beautiful and healthy. Her pediatrician didn't seem concerned at all. She DID weigh a tad bit more at her 12 mo checkup (18 lbs 12 oz), but since, has had tummy virus, then a cold, then another stomach virus, and now thrush. It's been one thing after and she has lost a little weight. My son was always a fat little thing- I never once worried. But with her, I stress about it! She probably just takes after me- I was probably 18 years old before I weighed even 100 lbs, and I am small-framed. My mind is rationalizing this, but people seem so shocked at how small she is when I tell them her age. Someone had the nerve to ask me if I was feeding my child. Seriously?! I know they are joking but it makes me worry more! I guess I am just looking for someone to put my mind at ease. Tell me your small baby stories. lol
Also, we switched from formula to whole milk completely about 3 weeks ago. I wonder, due to all the illness, if I should put her back on a little formula. I know it has more calories than regular milk. And due to the thrush, her mouth has been hurting her. What do you think? Advice?
Thanks everyone. I do feel better now. Like I said, my common sense is telling me to stop worrying, so I will listen. Sometimes it helps tremendously to get a little reassurance every now and then. I was playing with her tonight, and thinking how absolutely perfect she is in every way. I'll just chalk it up to great genes, and hope that, like all the women in my family, she never has to worry about her weight a day in her life. :)
My DD is about the same size or slightly smaller than her cousin nearly a year younger. All kids are different. If she is gaining in general, growing, developing, happy, and the doctor isn't worried, I'd try not to worry, too. Not every baby is Jabba the Hutt.
What is most important about your child's weight is that her height and weight percentiles are in the same general range (ie-if she was in the 90th for height and only the 25th for weight you should worry). From what you say she is just a small child and that isn't surprising if you are also a small person.
And don't get me started on other people commenting on your child's weight. It drives me nuts! My son was a chunky little baby, but has slimmed down to about the 50th percentile for both height and weight and I get comments from my brother-in-law and sister-in-law all the time about how chubby he is. It doesn't matter what you do people will comment, and likely have no idea what they are talking about. If your doctor isn't worried then you shouldn't be either.
You answered your own question. You wrote "Her pediatrician didn't seem concerned at all." Now, while I realize that there are times when the Mommy gut trumps the Pediatrician, this isn't necessarily O. of them. They look for the overall weight gain trend and he/she would definitely say something if there was a reason to stress.
Make her a Greek yogurt smoothie with a scoop of ice cream and some fresh fruit every day or two.
My daughter has always been small. Born at 7 lbs on the dot. Weighed 18 lbs, 3 oz at 1 year. Weighed 19 lbs 2 oz at 18 months (which was when I started to worry). She was just seen for a rash earlier this week and weighed in at 20 lbs, 6 oz. She turns 2 next month. My husband and I joked that she had finally broken the 20 lb barrier. She eats everything in sight, just has a high metabolism. Our pediatrician said not to worry as well, she's hitting all of her milestones, happy, and well-adjusted, which is what matters.
Good Luck!!!
Don't worry at all!!! My now 10 year old was 7lbs. 14 oz at birth, and just barely 20 pounds at a year. She is still teeny tiny. I'm in her school all the time and she the size of an average 2nd grader (she's in 5th). We just went to her 10 year physical and she weighed 59 pounds (most kids in her grade are in the 70's or 80's). It is what it is. The only thing that seems to bother her is all of her classmates say she's "so cute!" and they like to pick her up. That is not so cute for her. What doesn't bother her - her 7 year old sister passed her in height this summer. All I can say is at least she's a girl. It's a lot easier being a cute little girl that it is being a "little" boy (just ask my husband - he's only 5'8") Ignore the rude questions and comments. In my experience, people aren't really trying to be rude. They are just amazed when they see a teeny (or huge) kid. Your post is bringing me back down memory lane - I just thought about when my daughter learned to walk at 11 months. People were AMAZED because they assumed she was 8 months or so. Pretty funny. I have the cutest home videos of this miniscule person walking around.
Only give her some formula if that is recommended by the pediatrician. Usually babies won't switch back because they like the taste of whole milk better! Don't worry about this - each baby is different. If the pediatrician is not concerned and you trust him/her than there is nothing to worry about. It's Friday - how about a happy hour? C.
Relax and do not worry about "averages". My girls both were small, 18 pounds at a year and one only 17 pounds. Watch how she is developing, feed her healthy foods and forget about the scale. There is too darn much emphasis on weight in this country and a lot of eating problems because of over concern about weight.
I don't think you should worry so much. Like you said you are small framed and she probably gets it from you. I am the same way, I was 99 pounds when I got pregnant with my son and I'm 5'2. My son was born 6 pounds and at 3 years old he is 28 pounds. He was 20 pounds at 13 months, not much more than your daughter. He has always been in the lower percentile for weight, slightly higher for height. His doctor has never been concerned and has mentioned that he obviously gets it from me. Stop worrying! She will probably always be small and there's nothing wrong with that!!
I have been told and after research found that in America many children are far heavier than they should be at a specific age, in this case it tips and skews the percentiles. Making healthy weights look like they are in the lower percents. My 4 year old was also born at a healthy 7 lbs. She was always in the 25% for weight and still is. She is at 98th for height. In fact all my kids are this way. My second daughter is the only one that made it to 50th for weight. Still she was 99th for height. I am tall, 6 foot. I am over weight. My husband is 6 foot 2, and maybe a 100 lbs wet. He has a HIGH metabolism and thank GOD all my kids got his build and metabolism. As for my 4 year old, she is 40 lbs, and almost 4 feet high. She eats like a horse, has fat in all the right places. We are mostly vegetarian, but have decided since she likes certain meat we allow her to eat it for the protein and fat content. She is not malnourished, shes on track with all her milestones, runs faster than all her preschool kids, and is healthy as can be. As far as the Formula, i wouldnt. Most kids dont like to drink it after they have had cows milk for some time. It is so expensive and not really needed. She will get enough fat from Whole Cow milk. If you talk to your ped you might be able to get one of those booster drinks through the pharmacy if they think she needs the extra calories.
Well...it's not just more calories...it's more nutrition (milk is a superfood, but formula has even MORE protein, lipids, complex carbs, vitamins, minerals than milk).
My son was not small... he was huge (10lbs & 23.5 in at birth and 37.5 & 36lbs at 2yo)... but we kept him on formula until 18mo-2yo (meaning we phased it out slowly)... because he *needed* the added nutrition. There was no physical way to support the growth he needed without it. Tablefood has *roughly* 1/10th - 1/20th the nutritional density of formula. From 1yo on we DID do tablefood... and from apx 18mo on we did milk and formula.
my daughter is like that too TINY i was too at one point lol... shes 8 years old and only 40 pounds. at her first bday she was only 16 pounds dont worry some kids are just small
some babies are just small! My eldest has always been in the 10th percentile for weight, one checkup she was in the fifth! They really start to worry if they show signs of malnutrition or if they aren't growing "up" on schedule.
When ny daughter was in the fifth percentile they said to let her have lots of fatty, yummy, higher calorie foods. No "diet food"- while still limiting junk food like candy, cookies, salty chips etc. My pediatrician said "let her have sour cream and butter on her potatoes, or dip her veggies in thick creamy dressings... and don't worry about the fat in her foods.
She is still a bean-pole... but her height is at the 90th percentile. I was always skinny, in fact I was 16lbs at 18 months. (if you have your own baby book, compare your weights to hers at the same ages... were you healthy as a kid?) As long as they are alert, generally healthy, on track and growing- don't worry. If there is reason to be concerned your doctor will have you do more, like give her pediasure or a prescribed calorie intake.
-M.
If the doctor is OK with it, she's fine.
You said yourself that you are small-framed and weighed little as a kid and teenager. That's the key right there. Unless dad is truly giant, it's likely that your daughter is just genetically going to skew small all her life and that's fine.
We have friends whose son was very small and everyone was getting all worked up about it. Then finally -- after many, many trips to nutritionists and doctors and a ton of worry for his parents -- one smart doctor FINALLY botherd to look at the boy's parents. The dad is on the short side and very slim and small overall, though he eats like a horse and always has. The mom is quite short. At long last this one doctor said, "His parents are small. He's small. He's not sick." So look to the genetics before you get all worried. If she is not making milestones, loses weight continuously, seems undernourished etc. -- that's different and requires intervention of course. But otherwise, she may just be petite.
All my babies were 50% weight and 100% height --- totally skinny --- Just follows with the family history!! I would truly not worry unless you doctor tells you to do so. If you are tiny, she will be too. I would ignore comments from others!!
