Worried about weight

Ashley - posted on 07/08/2009

Riley was born at 8lbs 15oz, and now at 10 months she weighs 17 pounds. She still wears 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers. She eats stage 2 foods and sometimes she gets some food off my plate.

Sarah - posted on 07/08/2009

My son has always been in a very low percentile for weight and high for height. The doctor monitored him closely(monthly for months) and found absolutely nothing wrong with him at any visits. He said that he will simply be long and lean. He's happy, strong, active. He is now 10 months and I would say probably 18 pounds ish. Hugely active, eats tons, very happy guy. I was told at my 9 month visit I didn't have to come back until the 1 year and he had only gained 7 ounces, I think, in 2 months. I've learned to not worry about it. I was the same as a baby. My niece was the same. She weighed 17pounds at 1 year and is now a healthy 7 year old.

Lauren - posted on 07/06/2009

I wanted to see how everyone was doing. We are at 18 lbs 3 oz and 29". We have moved from the 10% to the 40% !!

Chelsea - posted on 04/28/2009

Yay!!!

Lauren - posted on 04/28/2009

We finally had our weight check yesterday. 16lb 2oz!!! We are doing good. That still only has us in the 25% - but that is ok. She will be 8 mo. on the 30th.

Lauren - posted on 04/24/2009

I was scared about the finger foods too. The gerber stuff (puffs and yogurt) melts in your mouth so I did not think she would choke on it. I tried them first to see. I also broke them in half. So if she did swallow the pieces were too small to hurt.

We tried the Gerber bitter biscuits today for the first time. They don't break into pieces. It stays whole. She just gnawed on it. It was really messy though. She really liked it. She has liked all the foods she has tried so far, luckily.

Jennifer - posted on 04/24/2009

oops sorry I hit sent without finishing my sentence. She weighed 15 lbs 5 ounces I think. We'll see next month what her 9 month weight is.

Jennifer - posted on 04/24/2009

Wow good for you girls for giving the babies finger foods!! I'm such a chicken. I have a fear of choking. I should start off with the Gerber puffs and cut them in half. She has to start learning how to eat finger food because they won't be on formula for too long.



Paige just got her teeth in this week too! The beginning of the week I felt one tooth and now my mother in law told me today that she has 4. Good because she has been soooo cranky.



I forgot to mention that I took her about 2 weeks ago to the doctors because she had a cold and her weight was

Chelsea - posted on 04/24/2009

Tatem is the same with her teeth! The two bottom are half way up! Tatem can't seem to feed herself the puffs yet! I break them in half so she picks them up and tries to get them in her mouth but she gets them so far into her hand she can't figure out how to open her fingers to get them in her mouth! lol! She HATES the meats! We tried the turkey with sweet potato the other night and she did ok with it, but she hates those meat with gravy jars! I don't blame her, the smell gags me! lol!

Lauren - posted on 04/23/2009

We missed our weight check on the 9th. We have moved since then. I go to meet a new doctor Monday and will get her checked then. On my scale this morning she was 16 pounds!!

I have been trying a lot of new foods. She loves finger foods and feeding herself. We have tried the Gerber puffs and yogurt bites, Baby Mum Mums (we have these daily). I have also given her very small pieces of a saltine cracker, insides of a biscuit, banana, pear, and peaches.



We finally have teeth now. The bottom two have both poked through but are not all the way in yet.

Chelsea - posted on 04/03/2009

Tatem's bottom two teeth are coming through! We're so excited! I think we are going to start trying the cheerios in a couple of weeks! I also get scared about giving her things that she could choke on! But the only thing she has choked on so far was her banana baby food the other day! hahaha, it came through her nose too, it was a mess!

Lauren - posted on 04/03/2009

I have not given her any of my food.  I am scared.  She does well with the puffs and mum mums.  I think she really likes the finger food though.  Any ideas on other stuff to try?  I have only given Stage 2 veggies.  I have not tried the meats yet.  I think I will get some today when I go to the store. 

We are still waiting on teeth.  We don't have any yet. 

Chelsea - posted on 04/03/2009

She still nurses in the morning and a couple of times through the day sometimes, but she loves the formula! She has been eating the stage 2 foods for awhile now. She hates the meat and gravy meals though! lol! She mostly has the veggies and fruits and she has a baby mum mum every once in awhile. I also have been giving her little bites of bread every once in awhile when we are eating :-)

Jennifer - posted on 04/03/2009

Chelsea-Congrats with the great weight gain!  That's awesome about 2 pounds in a month!  So you're strictly on formula now? 

Lauren- Once my daughter turned 6 months I moved her to stage 2.  She's pretty much tried them all.  Huge variety out there and she loves macaroni and cheese and the meals that are with gravy like beef and gravy, turkey and gravy.  Of course she loves fruits over meals and it did take her awhile to like the meals but she's getting use to it now. 

I'm even letting her pick at whatever I'm eating.  I let her taste test everything.  It's becoming so much fun with food experimenting.  She has no teeth yet so I still haven't let her try puffs (even though I know they melt in your mouth); I'm just scared for solids if its not from the baby jars. 

I won't go for another weight check until her 9 month appointment in May. 

I like the updates you girls are leaving.  Hope all the babies do well!

Veronica - posted on 04/02/2009

I posted something similar to this last week.  My daughter was 5lb 10oz at birth 17.5inches long and is now 7mos old (8/21/08) and weighs right around 15lb 8oz and is 26.25inches long.  At some appointments she either gains only a few ounces from her last appointment or doesent seem to get any taller.  Yet she eats 3 meals a day like a big girl plus 3-4bottles a day.  Our pediatrician has never denoted a problem when taking her measurements and has always told us that those percentages are just a reference point plus its in comparison to a bunch of other babies.  Everyones baby is different just like everyone is different.  As long as they are healthy and happy I feel no need to fret anymore!  Remember babies are little,  personally I'd rather be carrying around a little baby than a big 30 pounder by the time they are 1 yr old!

Lauren - posted on 04/02/2009

We go on the 9th.  At home on our scale she has been falling between 14-16lbs.  It is different everytime I weigh her.  I will give an update next week? 

Has anyone tried any different foods?  We moved to stage 2 foods.  She now eats a whole jar of veggies at lunch.  I have also been giving her a few Gerber puffs and one Baby Mum Mum.  I break both of them into small pieces. 

Chelsea - posted on 04/01/2009

Tatem had her weight check today! She is now 14 lbs. 7 oz.! We're pretty sure it's the formula that helped out! It's the only thing we have been doing differently! I was hoping to breastfeed until at least 9 mos. but I'm not too upset about it! I told the pediatrician that I assumed she was going on her second nursing strike eventhough we had no problems nursing at morning and he said babies actually CAN start self weaning this young! I'm just glad she's finally getting some weight on her!

Lauren - posted on 03/15/2009

Rylee is very active too.  I really think she works off some of her weight.  She is hardly ever still. 

Solids - she just seems to like them.  I do the airplane spoon, etc. for veggies.  She loves her oatmeal and can't get enough.  We switched to oatmeal from rice because of constipation.  Before I was only giving her 1 tbsp and it seemed to be enough.  Once I started offering more she started eating more.  I would have never known she wanted more unless I offered it. 

Our weight check is scheduled for April 9.

Shannon - posted on 03/15/2009

I think it is a girl thing..heehee!! My daughter... who is now 6, was exactly like all of these little girls. A true peanut... she didn't weigh in at 20lbs till she hit almost 18 months old, and wore 12-18 month clothing till she was 2 years!... However, my son, born Aug 26th, he is HUGE!! Already in 12 month clothing now, eating 3 stage 3 meals a day and BFing atleast 6 times a day... I wouldn't worry about the weight thing... as long as they are gaining and not losing....

Jennifer - posted on 03/15/2009

Wow its nice to see that I'm not alone with having a skinny mini baby.  My daughter was born 5 lbs 15 ounces and 20 inches long.  I began breastfeeding and had to supplment her in the hospital because she went home weighing 5 lbs 5 ounces.  I only got to breastfeed for a couple of weeks because I then developed mastitis.  My daughter has been in the 25 % for her weight from 1 month.  At  her 6 month check up she weighed 14 lbs and 5 ounces but I think they wrote it wrong because when I saw the scale it was 14.05 ounces.  I want to cry pretty much every day because since 1 month she never had an appetite.  I don't know what its like to see her hungry.  She is force fed.  She is pretty much eating on our schedule and I have to trick her by putting her to sleep to drink her bottle.  She refuses to drink awake.  She has 4-5 ounces per bottle and a total of 16-20 ounces a day.  She fights to eat her solids too.  We have to sing and dance to make her open her mouth to eat.  She has her good and bad days and its draining.  I'm constantly concerned about her weight and if I left it up to her, she would go all day without eating and the doctors can't give me any tips or help.  She has cereal mixed with her formula at every feeding since a month old because she had acid reflux.  You would think from having cereal mixed would make her chubby and it doesn't.  I have a niece who is a month younger than my daughter who at her 4 month appt. weighs more than my daughter.  At 4 months she weighed 16 lbs.  I've just learned and told myself that I'm just going to have a petite daughter and that's just how she is and to not let this get to me.  Plus she is SOOO active that we joke and say that she can't keep any weight on even if she tried.  :)

Chelsea - posted on 03/14/2009

Tatem has even been sleeping through the night this week, and although it is nice for me and my husband, it convinces me even more that she doesn't care to nurse anymore! I pretty much had to make her nurse all day yesterday because I really don't like giving her more than 1-2 bottles a day yet!

Tamilee - posted on 03/14/2009

Chelsea,

wow, it sounds like Tatem is totally different than Maya in terms of a feeding "schedule"... Maya is very much a grazer, and likes to eat every 2-3 hours during the day, and every 3-4 at night (which is mostly just a "snack" before falling asleep again) - occasionally we have a 5 hour stretch.  So maybe when I'm giving her solids, she's just not that hungry enough to eat a lot.  And of course, there's the whole comfort factor of nursing...

Funny how even babies who seem similar are still very different in preferences and temperment!

Chelsea - posted on 03/13/2009

lol, everyone thinks my little girl is big from her pics because of her big cheeks too! Tatem is starting to get picky about her food (mostly her veggies) but I just make her eat them anyway! She just had carrots for dinner which she's starting to dislike, but I also give her a fruit after she eats all of the veggies for dinner, and I think she knows now that's how it works! lol I stopped mixing her cereal with fruit for breakfast. Sometimes she gets just cereal, and sometimes she gets cereal and fruit on the side! Lunch is always just a container of vegetables. I'm also giving her 6 oz. of formula everynight now as well. We have had quite a hard journey with breastfeeding, and she's starting to act like she doesn't even want to nurse unless it's in the morning! I planned on starting weaning next month, so I'm not too upset about it. Just anxious to get her back to the dr. on the 1st to see what she's gained!

Tamilee - posted on 03/13/2009

Quoting Lauren:

Tamilee - welcome to the small babies club. 

Thanks Lauren - glad to finally have some company!

Maya is also wearing her larger clothes now - mostly 6 month sizes, and some 6-9 month.  Although, depending on brand and style, some of her 3 month clothes still fit fine.  Like the rest of you, it's the height pushing her into bigger clothes, so footie pj's were the first to go.  I also love the slim-fitting stretchy pj's from Children's Place, although her current ones (3-6 months) are almost ready to be retired.

Question for you ladies: how on earth are you getting your little ones to eat so much?  I can barely get Maya to take 2-3 tablespoons of solids (cereal mixed with veggies or fruit, thinned with breastmilk) - she loses interest and wants to breastfeed instead.  I never refuse her because it's keeping my already precarious supply going, and I don't want her weight gain to fall off.   She seems to enjoy the new foods at first (and wants to grab the spoon and feed herself) but then won't have anything more to do with it.

I did have to laugh because I got Maya's 6 month pictures back, and even though she's a little thing (compared to those bigger babies, that is), she has the fattest chipmunk cheeks! :)

Sarah - posted on 03/09/2009

It's nice to see other long and lean babies!  My son Kase turned six months on Aug. 27th.  He is 12 lbs 15 oz. and 26".  I have the same problem with clothing.  I'm just used to Kase in baggy clothing.  My neice is a year on Saturday.  She weighs about 16lbs and is about 27".   I guess it's in the genes :)

Chelsea - posted on 03/08/2009

Lauren, I got Tatem a bunch of footie pjs at Children's Place the other day in 6-9 months and they fit her great! They aren't as baggy as I thought they would be and actually fit a little more snug than the pjs at Target and Carters!

Ashley - posted on 03/08/2009

That is so funny that our girls have the same length, yours is long and skinny, and mine is short (24 1/2) and thicker (16 pounds) lol.

Lauren - posted on 03/08/2009

Rylee is weighed in a diaper only.  We are moving to 6-9 months clothes soon - for the length. 

Ashley - posted on 03/08/2009

Oh! Riley still wears 0-3 and 3-6. She has thick thighs so pants she wears the stretchy ones, but the 3-6 m are too baggy, especially the onesies. lol.

Ashley - posted on 03/08/2009

I wouldn't be too concerned, perhaps your baby hit a growth spurt. My daughter Riley is 16 pounds even at her last 6 month check up, I doubt she weighs that now she has been very sick for 2 weeks, :( poor baby. She was born at 8 lbs 15 oz though. Does she get weighed with or with out clothes on? When I go to the WIC office she has clothes on, but the the doctors she is completely nakie, no diaper either. I would think that if she was hungry she'd let you know. Riley does sit up unsupported if you sit her there, she doesnt just sit completely up by herself, she just started doing that this week. She doesnt roll over much, but she is trying to crawl already! It is crazy how each baby learns things more slowly and then learn somethings so fast!

Chelsea - posted on 03/05/2009

We are in Murfreesboro, it's outside of Nashville! I am originally from East TN though and you are going to love it! I don't know if you've been there often before, but East TN is so pretty compared to the rest of the state! Plus you'll be close to Gatlinburg! lol!



Tatem has her cereal in the morning (about 4 tbsp) mixed with water and a whole container of a fruit. Lunch she has a container of vegetables, dinner she has a container of vegetables again and sometimes I give her fruit afterwards. This has esp. been our routine this week and she also started the stage 2 foods this week so I'm really thinking she should be gaining A LOT! lol! I went and bought her some summer clothes today and mostly all in 6-9 months, but a couple of onesies I got in 3-6 mos. just in case! LOL

Lauren - posted on 03/05/2009

Where in TN?  I am moving to Johnson City in April.  We are in south GA now (almost Florida).

How much cereal are you giving?  Baby food?

I do 1/4 cup cereal with 2 tbsp breastmilk and 3 spoon fuls of fruit for breakfast and before bed.  I do 1/2 jar of veggies for lunch.  I am thinking about trying a whole jar at lunch.   

PS - Rylee loves naked play time too.

Chelsea - posted on 03/04/2009

I told my husband yesterday that Tatem better be 14 lbs. when we go back to the doctor April 1st! lol! I started her on the stage 2 baby foods the other day and so I'm hoping she'll gain since she's eating more! Yeah, we live in TN and so I'm ready for the summer to be here so she can just be in onesies or just diapers all of the time! lol! She is happiest without her clothes!

Lauren - posted on 03/04/2009

Tamilee - welcome to the small babies club. 

Clothes - same issue.  I like footies too for the same reason.  We are in a warmer climate so I don't always need that. But even her onsies are getting a little tight/short.  I pulled out my bag of 6-9 months too. 

I t hink it is a little strange that all 3 of our girls are 26" long.  My reports say that is 75-90%.  Then our weight is in the 10-25%.  Although I weighed Rylee today and I think she may be up to 14lbs.  :)

Rebecca - posted on 03/04/2009

I too completely understand all the concern.  My little Autumn was 5# 7oz at birth.  At her 6 month checkup she was 12# 1oz.  She finally made it on the growth curve at 5%. I started breastfeeding and found out early that I wasn't producing enough milk.  She dropped down to 4# 5oz within the first two weeks.  I had to start supplimenting. I was crushed. 

About three months into breastfeeding Autumn just stopped latching all together. Crushed even more! :(  So, I began pumping and feeding strickly by the bottle.  She only drinks 3-4 oz  at a time, a total of 24-28oz a day. 

The dr doesn't seem to be worried, but we are. She got RSV about a month ago and now she might drink 16oz a day.  Plus 2oz of cereal/fruit in the morning and 2oz cereal/fruit in the evening.   She's loving the fruit but not so much the veggies! I'm just worried with the solids and ot alot of liquid she will end up constipated.  She has BMs every other day and they are getting more firm.

As far as clothes, she is just in 3-6 month.  She wears #1 pampers, the #2 is still really big on her.  They carry a 1-2 at SAm's that are kinda in between, that fit good right now.

Chelsea - posted on 03/04/2009

What are you mommies doing about clothes?! Tatem is 26 inches long and I usually keep her in little footie p.js because she kicks her socks off all of the time! I'm starting to notice all of her 3-6 month outfits are looking too short for her so I guess I'll be buying 6-9 months this week for her... I just hate that they will be so baggy on her!

Tamilee - posted on 03/03/2009

Hi, I just wanted to chime in too - I'm glad there are some other moms of skinny-mini babies here!

My daughter, Maya, is 6 months, 1 week. She weighed 7.5 pounds at birth, and weighs 13 lbs, 4 oz now.  She lost a little over 10% of her weight in her first few days, but has gained an average of 4 ounces every week since then.  She's in the 50th percentile for height (26 inches now) but still in the bottom 10th for weight.  A lot of people insist she's too small (so many babies half her age already outweigh her).  But she's really strong and basically happy.  Her pediatrician says she's perfect but just to keep an eye on her weight.  I bought a baby scale from Amazon.com for my own peace of mind.

I've come to accept that I have a long, lean baby instead of a chubby roly-poly one, and I'm not going to let other people stress me out! That said, you know your baby, and it sounds you like you're doing the right thing if she's taking the formula. 

By the way, Maya sits on her own but not really well - she topples over if she reaches for something.

Chelsea - posted on 03/02/2009

Our weight check is also the first of April and Tatem also takes after her dad's family being so skinny lol! Tatem will sit in the tripod position for a couple of minutes and then just topple over! I have been telling my husband her head is still big compared to her skinny little body and she just can't balance!

Lauren - posted on 03/02/2009

She can sit by herself for short periods.  Like 5-10 min.  I am always right there because sometimes she does it and sometimes she doesn't.   She is a little younger.  Her b-day is Aug. 31, so she just turned 6 mo.  I didn't  think they would sit unsupported until around 8 months anyway. 

PS - I think genes plays a roll for us too.  My husband has a hard time gaining weight, but eats anything and everything he wants.  I hope she does take after him!  I can't go back in until the first of April for our weight check. 

Chelsea - posted on 03/01/2009

Our pediatrician did mention it could be her genes keeping her so skinny!



Lauren- is Rylee sitting on her own yet? Tatem will be 7 mos. on Thursday and the pediatrician reassured me that a lot of babies won't sit without support until 8 months! He also said it could be because she's still so small. It comforted me until I got on circle of moms awhile ago and saw all of the other moms saying their August babies are sitting unsupported! lol

Jennifer - posted on 02/27/2009

There is probably nothing to worry about.  Both my older boys were about 16 to 17 months before they even hit 20 lbs. They both out weigh me and are over 6 ft tall. The baby on the other hand is gaining like crazy and I don't do anything different. I asked the dr. about this and he said it was more than likly the genes and since my older boys have the same father and the baby has a different one that is more than likly the case and not to worry.

Chelsea - posted on 02/26/2009

She was 6 lbs. 10 oz. when she was born, she was 4 days late and I was induced. She was 19 3/4 in. and now she's also 26" So the pediatrician said it looks like she's fine because she is getting tall, but she's not putting much meat on her bones lol! So surely when I take her back in a few weeks he will just come to the conclusion she's just a skinny baby lol

Lauren - posted on 02/26/2009

How much did she weigh when she was born?  How tall is she?  Just curious.

Rylee was 7lb 13oz when she was born, 3 days early.  She was 21" at birth and now is 26".

Lauren - posted on 02/25/2009

I stay at home too and when am out, I do the same.  I am pumping less too.  I pump twice a day so I can mix her cereal with breastmilk.  I usually on get 2-3 ounces.  One thing I have noticed is than when I stopped worrying about it I started pumping a little more.  I knew the doctor was going to tell me she was not gaining enough weight.  I will weigh her on the scale at home (me on it with her and without).  It is not the most accurate but gives me an idea. 

Chelsea - posted on 02/25/2009

Sounds like we're pretty much doing the same thing! I also started giving Tatem a bottle! I give her a 4 oz. bottle before bed and then I let her nurse if she wants! The pediatrician asked me how much I get when I pump and I told him I don't get much, so I never pump. I stay at home with her and if I take her out I either find a private place to nurse or give her a bottle of formula! I really don't feel worried, if this had been the case at her 4 month checkup I would have been. She went through a stage of latching and unlatching the entire time she nursed when she was 3 and 4 mos. but she was gaining weight fine then and the dr. said it wasn't a worry. Sometimes I think they just want to throw in an extra visit for an extra bill! lol

Lauren - posted on 02/25/2009

I have the same problem.  Rylee only gained 6 ounces between check-ups and weighs 13 lbs now.  I also have to go back in for a weight check.  My daughter does not act hungry or cry.  She ate every 4 hours and we did cereal twice a day with fruit and veggies at lunch.  My doctor seemed mildly concerned but told me not to worry.  She helped me come up with a plan.  She gave me two options.  One, try to get my supply up.  Or, supplement with formula.  I decided to supplement with formula.  Now, I will nurse her like normal and then offer a 2 ounce bottle of formula after.  Before I would have thought she had enough because she chose when to stop nursing.  But, every time she has taken the bottle.  She gets a total of 4-6 ounces of formula a day.  Her main diet is still breastmilk.  I also increased the amount of cereal she is getting to 1/4 cup for breakfast and before bedtime. 

Keep me posted if you try something new that works.