9 month old not gaining weight

Denise - posted on 07/06/2011

my daughter wieghed 15lbs 2oz at 1 year and now at 2y 3months is only 21.5lbs (.5lbs to go before she can be forward facing in a car seat). She is completly healthy, they did alot of test, she did have food sensetivity so she got sick alot (and grow out of it) but even now she doesnt always eat. At first we thought it was bc of not wanting to get sick but now we see one day she will do nothing be drink, another eat more than my 5year old, the next doesn't want anything. At first they (doc) want us to make her anything she wanted, even if that ment making 5-10 meals, we did do it for months, but we don't have that kind of money and it seemed to make things worse because now she is so picky and stuborn. And they want us to give her everything fatning, but what about her becoming addicter to fatty food and getting unhealthy and overweight? ( I am)

Moral is, some days they aren't hungry, so don't worry too much. If they don't drink and r dehydrated thats different, but they will usually eat eventually (and u can't force them, I've tried lol)

Mary - posted on 06/14/2011

I don't know all the factors involved here, but would just like to offer some perspective on wt. gain in general. I am 70 yrs. old and my five children are all in their 40s. My only daughter was 8lbs. 2oz., 21 1/2 in. at birth. She was breastfed for 10 1/2 months, with solids started at 3mo. At 6 mo. she weighed 13lbs., at 1yr., 18lb., 4oz. Obviously, she did not double her wt. by 6mo., nor did she triple by 1yr.! She "fell off" the growth chart early on! Our pediatrician never expressed concern, instead evaluating my daughter from a total perspective of her growth and development. Today, she is a very petite, small-boned, 100lb., 5 ft. tall., healthy, 45yr. old mother of three. At the same time, my largest child, an 8lb. 7 oz. son gained weight much more quickly, but reached a plateau, where, between 3 and 4 mo., he only gained 6oz. This pediatrician was a new one (we had moved) and he freaked out! He was not a breastfeeding supporter and certainly not happy that I was exclusively nursing. After examining the baby, he said, "well, he's healthy, well-muscled, has fat rolls, and his hemoglobin is fine...I guess you can feed him whatever you want!" Eventually, this baby picked up wt. again. As I said, I don't know everything about your child, however I do know that wt. gain is important in the overall picture, but one size does not fit all. I also know that food intake in itself is not the whole story of wt. gain. Keep communicating with your child's doctor, and good luck!

Tania - posted on 06/12/2011

You should talk to your doctor. The most concerning thing is her diaper situation. She isn't putting out enough urine, that is an indication she's not taking in enough. Good luck!

Kathy - posted on 06/08/2011

Neelima, when you say she's not gaining "enoiugh" weight, does that mean she's gaining at least some weight? Was it her doctor who said she wasn't gaining enough, and if so, was he/she going by the growth chart for formula-fed babies or for breast-fed babies? They're quite different.
Shge's probably pretty active by now, so her rate of weight gain will be slower.

Many babies are not big eaters. And I do think we can sometimes get carried away by weight gain.'s definitely important, but it's only ONE factor. Is she happy and settled? Reaching her other milestones? These are other considerations.

Perhaps try not to force her at daycare, if she's busy doing other things, or mealtimes will become a source of distress.

At home, again, don't push it. Make sure you always offer food, and have it available, ut accept that, at this stage anyway, food is not her no. 1 priority. Just enjoy her.

Sarah - posted on 06/06/2011

Does she like eating bread or oyster crackers? My daughter has been refusing to eat new foods (puree style) so I make her little sandwich's and it seems to be working. Also, BF babies don't gain weight as fast as formula fed babies and if your small boned/petite yourself then maybe she will be also. She may also just be picky so you might want to just stick with foods that have always worked. A call to your doctor might ease your mind too.

OhJessie - posted on 06/06/2011

My daughter went through that at specifically 9 months - turned out she was teething. But sure, it's concerning. Have you felt her gums to make sure teeth aren't coming through?

Michelle - posted on 06/06/2011

Don't worry yet. Talk tO your doctor. My son is small for his age. As long as he's healthy you have nothing to worry about. You can try sippy cups and trying some of the higher calorie baby food so when she does eat it's higher calorie. Weight gain does slow down at some point. My son was 17 lbs at a year and my daughter was 19. She'll probably start eating again soon enough.

Betty H - posted on 06/06/2011

Hi,
First of all,I would try to buy her a sippy cup or something she likes to give her the breast milk in. Secondly, try to find some foods that she does like. My youngest child, the youngest of eight, has always had that nature to eat very little and slowly. This may just be who your child is, a slow eater. Also, you can find an activity to do with her while she eats to distract her. Good luck. Betty H Greenman BS,CLC,IBCLC International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

Rebecca - posted on 06/06/2011

Why would you want her to gain more weight? If she is healthy and nothing else wrong with her , just love her and show her you care. Becky

Aideen - posted on 06/06/2011

my little man stopped putting on weight for a bit when he got active....just too busy to feed and using up the calories....not very well established on solids yet. I really wounldn't be concerned. You could get her iron levels checked just to put your mind at ease. apparently low iron means no appitite...a viscious circle!!! but really, I would imagine it's just that'she's too busy to waste her time on food!!! A few weeks and she'll be more interested again!!! In our house we offer food every hour and have no expectations of what should be eaten. We don't offer any unhealthy food so even snacking is on veg/fruit. tiny tummies find it hard to eat 4 meals a day but they will get enough into themselves if offered 15 small meals a day!!! check out DR Sears advice on 'raising a grazer' -it will certainly calm your concerns....:) http://hubpages.com/hub/dr-sears-healthy...

Suzie - posted on 06/05/2011

Just so you know after my daughter turned six month she slowed down on her growth she never liked to eat and she would not take more than 2 oz at day care I thought i was failing with her till the doctor said she was fine she is now a healthy happy three year old and yes she is on the small side but that is gentics as i was small till I had kids annd even know im not large just bigger My daughter whighed in at 17.2 at a year old. My 9 month old son is at 20 lbs right now so every child is diffrent i know the frustration you are going through and how hard it is on a mom. Also they should triple there birth whight by a year and most of that happens in the first 6 month I would not worry to much but as a mom i would worried to. Good Luck

Heather - posted on 06/05/2011

I agree with many of the post below. Take her to see a doctor to make sure everything is okay. I discovered my daughter had lots of food allergies and it really effected her. When she was 6 months she was 16 lbs and when she was 18 months, she was only 18 lbs. She was happy and hitting all her milestones on time or way ahead, so her doctor was concerned but thought we should wait and see. At 18 months we had her tested and in the year after taking out all the foods she was sensitive to she gained 9 pounds. Might be worth a try.

Ruth - posted on 06/05/2011

When my daughter had her son, he was breast fed and suffered from failure to thrive. He was finally diagnosed with Pediatric Primary Immune Deficiency Have you had her examined by a pediatric specialist (one who specializes in failure to thrive disorders) and see if maybe she has an immune disorder.

Heather - posted on 06/05/2011

I would take her to the pediatrician and tell them your concerns. Maybe she has some food allergies that you don't know about and when she eats certain foods or drinks milk it causes her gas and/or pain. You might want to see if you can get her tested for food allergies.

Jessica - posted on 06/05/2011

Have you started to give her solids yet? I haven't read the other posts but when my daughter was about that age she was on more solids than breast milk. but if your concerned totoally call your Dr that's what they are their for to help or a nurse hotline

Debby - posted on 06/04/2011

I echo the other ladies here. Her weight itself seems fine because at this age so I've been told by my Ped they are taking on so much and are exploring as much as they can that they don't want to stop to eat or nurse. My 3 year old weighs 30 lbs and my twin boys are 20 and 21 lbs at 23 months. They eat and drink well. They also have wet diapers frequently. Call your doctor, it's always better to be safe than sorry. Let us know what you find out and good luck!!

Anne Marie - posted on 06/04/2011

I breastfed all 3 of mine. My middle daughter was similar. She only weighed 17 lbs. at 13 months. By 2, only 21 lbs, 10 oz. She was not a preemie. She weighted 6 lbs. 13 oz. She was just an extremely active baby. All her blood work would be fine. Very picky, finicky eater. My other 2 were on the higher end of the charts. It could just be her metabolism. Discuss with your doctor & make sure everything is alright. You need to be sure that it's nothing medical. My middle pretty much preferred a sippy cup. Didn't want to take the time to sit still long enough to nurse, once she was mobile. She also would nibble rather than eat a full meal.

Elizabeth - posted on 06/04/2011

Given the issues you've raised, I'd take her to a doctor. It may well be nothing, but the doctor will be able to put your mind at rest - or deal with any problems that might be there. If the doctor says nothing is wrong, and your gut still disagrees, get a second opinion... but other than that, don't stress. Usually, it's something simple if something is wrong.

Heather - posted on 06/04/2011

Keep in mind that as your child gets older and is nursing less frequently and for less time then your milk quality changes and your baby gets mostly high milk so their is less liquidly and more high fat high nutrients so that would make sense that diapers are not quite as heavy but i go back to saying does she seem ok? is she energetic and engaging and healthy and happy? if so i would not worry, you can certainly offer the boob more often and maybe a sippy of water (my kids took water much better when it was ice water but some kids take it better at rm temp or warm, so you could play with temp to see what she likes best). Good luck and i love that so many mommas are giving you such great advice here :o)

Hillary - posted on 06/04/2011

The weight itself ddoesn't seem like much of an issue. My almost three year old just broke 22lbs andd my six year oldd is only 35lbs. Both are just tiny and my three year old was lucky if she gained a few ounces some months. She also was not a big eater, she was exclusively BF'd and didn't really start eating any solids until between 11 and 12 months. Even now it's a fight to get more than a tablespoon of food into her at a meal. She is extremely active though and has hit all her milestones, so neither us or her doctor are concerned about her weight gain. On the other hand, the fact that your little girl isn't wetting diapers is a concern. My daughter used to go extended periods without peeing, but it was because she was getting mildly dehydrated. It woulnd't hurt to get her checked just because of the lack of wet diapers. If anything it should help put your mind at ease about all of it. We were concerned about our daughter, at 1 she only weighed 13lbs and was 7lbs 5oz at birth. The doctor ran a couple of tests and it helped ease our fears of something being wrong. After him closely monitoring her for the last almost two years, she hasn't gained much, but she is perfectly healthy and amazing!

LaLasha - posted on 06/03/2011

You might want to check out dr sears web site it has a lot of information on how the growth of breastfed babies differs from formula fed children and I had very thin girl they still are infect my for year old is 3.5 feet tall and only 30 lbs and when she was your daughters age she was only14 lbs but she met her millstones for development and was a happy vibrant girl.

Callie - posted on 06/02/2011

I would ask your ped about what would be making it so difficult to feed her. I know my daughter didn't like to eat solids when she was cutting teeth but she often made up for it with nursing.

As for weight gain, as long as she's eating enough, and is active and happy, then I wouldn't worry. My daughter has always been a little lady. Between her 9 month and 12 month appointment she only gained like 9 ounces. Becoming mobile can really slow down the weight gain. My daughter is now 19 months and weights 21 lbs 14 oz.

Melissa - posted on 06/02/2011

i would honestly talkto your doctor about it, not necessarly how little she's gained, but how hard it is to get her to eat sometimes. If she lacks interest in eatting and it takes 45 min to eat 2 oz then it could become a problem. If she has no interest in BOTH breast milk and solids then that might be a problem. Talk to your doctor and see medically what your doctor has to say. Asking mom's is one thing but they don't have the medical advice doctors have!

Karen - posted on 06/02/2011

Hello- I wouldn't worry about her overall weight unless her doctor is concerned. I know my almost two year old weighs in less than most kids but that my doctor put him on a graph and as long as he gains at the same "rate" as other kids, there are no concerns.
I agree with the concern with the lack of wet diapers though. Did she used to feed more often or vigorously? Maybe you started eating something that changed the taste of the milk? (just a thought)
But, I agree that I am sure she is just fine. I read a great article way back that says when our little people are still little, they know when and how much to eat. I bet she is beautiful and she will be just fine :)

Laura Zoey - posted on 06/01/2011

My son gained very little from 6-9 months, 2lbs I believe, then from 9-24 months he only gained 3 lbs so slow weight gain is normal in those age ranges.
But the lack of wet diapers is concerning.....I'd try less solids, more breastfeeding, and maybe some avocado if. Anything cuz it's got good healthy fats.

Heather - posted on 06/01/2011

My kids both nursed often but even if they had a big break between nursing they could do a full nurse both sides in 5 mins or so. SOme kids are very efficient nursers and don't need to visit the boob too often. I would not worry too much as long as you are offering as often as you can to let her nurse. Also i know plenty of kids who don't eat much of anything when they are away from momma during the day then get a few good nursing sessions in at the evening / night time frame and that is plenty for the.. I bet she is just fine and dandy :o) Good luck and Sara that was great advice :o)

Neelima - posted on 06/01/2011

I think she is pretty efficient with nursing - she nurses 5 mins on one side, and she never takes the other breast in the same sitting. BUT she doesnt nurse often - she nurses once in 4-5 hours and that too from one side.

When she was EBF, overnight her diaper used to be FULL-FULL. but now overnight (12 hours) her diaper is almost dry. Even during the day, I change her twice and the diapers are almost dry.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 06/01/2011

She could just be a super efficient nurser. How long does she normally nurse? How many wet diapers does she have in a 24 hour period?

Neelima - posted on 06/01/2011

I would be surprised it is a nursing strike since this has been going on for months now. I can try your suggestion this weekend and see! thanks for your reply.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 06/01/2011

Could be a nursing strike if she's not wanting to nurse much. You could try spending lots of time skin to skin with her. Take baths with her. Sleep and nap with her if you can. Offer the breast frequently throughout the day especially when she's tired or already asleep. I wouldn't worry about solids at the moment. They are just for fun at this age, she needs the milk. Also, it's normal for babies to slow their weight gain around this age. They are usually becoming more mobile so they're burning more calories.

Neelima - posted on 06/01/2011

By eat i mean both solids and BF. She doesnt like to eat solids, neither does she like to drink milk.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 05/31/2011

When you say "eat" do you mean nurse or solids?

Heather - posted on 05/31/2011

Does she seem healthy in other ways? IS she active? Is she interactive? Does she play around and laugh and enjoy life? IS she happy? Is she healthy? If you answer yes to those questions then i would set your heart at ease she is prob just fine and dandy. I know kids who are 16lbs at a year or more and doing fine. My oldest did not gain any weight from 8mos till 24 mos and he was always fine he just got taller. I have friends with 3 yr olds that just hit 20lbs. I know lots of teeny babies and toddlers that are perfectly healthy. ONe question may be food allergies tho or an immature digetive system. Maybe her body is not really ready for food yet. my 7 yr old even at 2 1/2 yr old may not get 15 bites of food into him a day but he nursed a few times at night adn was perfectly healthy and happy when he stopped nursing he started eating more then i ate. The moral of the story is that every kid is different and if you feel like something is wrong then bring her for testing but if your gut says she is healthy and OK and you are just scared becasue other people are telling you to be then it is just mommy guilt so relax and enjoy your baby and keep offering healthy snacks but don't worry :o) good luck