Not gaining weight

Elysa - posted on 11/20/2010

Mine is also petite. For the past 4 months, he only gained .5kg. He now weighs 7.5kg and is 66cm long. Doctor is concerned; but when I read some posts here, I'm not as worried but still hoping that he'd gain more weight. Both my husband and I are quite tall. Also, breastfed babies tend to be leaner than formula-fed ones.

Anna - posted on 11/09/2010

My son is in the 20-30th percentile for weight, and I was worried too. When I asked my doctor about him, she said this: that as long as he was active, inquisitive, had an appetite, and carrying on a normal daily routine, I had nothing to worry about. Also, both myself and my husband are petite people. He was 7lbs. at birth and at his 9 month check up weighed just over 18lbs. From what I know of the way babies gain weight, yours seems to be pretty well on track. She should be doubling her weight by 6 months and tripling it by one year. And as long as everything else is normal and she's active and hitting mile stones, she's likely going to be one of those skinny girls everyone is jealous of in high school.

Amber - posted on 11/06/2010

My daughter will be 10 months on the 9th of this month. She went to the doctor about a week and a half ago and only weighed 15lbs 13 oz. She is 28 inches long. They say she is very tall for her age. As long as they are gaining then i'm not gonna worry. She is a very active little girl. Walking all over the place. I'm not sure if I would add butter or oil to their foods. I would think that would be bad for them. Well I hope your LO feels better!

Danielle - posted on 11/05/2010

Hello Amber, My son was born on Jan 21st @ 7lbs 8oz and 20 1/2 in long, now at 9 months he is only 17.2 lbs and 26 in long. my ped said for his height compared to his weight he was okay but he is only in the 5% for his height and 8% for his weight. She has recommended that i add butter or oil to his food to add some fat. I'm not sure i agree with that, as long as he keeps gaining weight then i think he will be fine. Im just going to monitor him, he has a bit of the flu this week so hes not eating much and not much food is staying down, but his formula is so i'm just making sure he gets enough of that.

Amber - posted on 09/23/2010

My son was born January 13th weighing 8lbs 4.3oz. at his 6 month appt he weighed 18lbs 15.5 oz., that being said he is not "chubby" the dr said he was a lb over weight but its good bc he is strong. he was trying to crawl up the mirror at his 6 month appt. You shouldnt compare your baby to others though. My little cousin just had her 2nd baby a girl and she is 11 months and 16lbs and shorter then my son. by a lot. its just bc she is petite. there is nothing wrong with your daughter :)

Jessica - posted on 09/23/2010

My daughter was born Jan. 21, 2010, two days past her due date. She weighed 6lbs11oz. 19 1/2" She now weighs 15lbs5oz. The last time I had her to the doctor he said she was in the 10th percentile for her age so she was small but just fine like yours. I'm not worried at all because I have always been small. I am 19 and after a baby weigh 109. I just feed her as much as she will eat and as far as I know that's all you can do. lol Good luck

Jacqueline - posted on 09/21/2010

amber if u are really having issues with the formula try a vitamin enriched soy milk or even goats mmilk goats milk has al lot of fat and most babies do like it but i would recommend the soy over that being it has about the same amount of vitamins and minerals the formula does with a few exceptions the stuff i give my daughter is called so nice give it a try my daughter loves it more then her formula and she aso has a milk issue hope it helps

Jacqueline - posted on 09/21/2010

like kristen says do not compare ur child with someone elses every baby is different my daughter was born january 4th weighed 5lbs 8oz and now weighs 23-25lbs yes shes a big girl and she packed on the weight very fast after being born but when it came to other things she didnt do things as quickly liker her brother was sitting up and pulling himself up on his own at 6 months and crawling at 8 month lexi she didnt do any of that untill this month shes only now sitting up crawling and just starting to pull herself up and i figured being she has her brother to watch and learn from she would have been around the same but nope and there is nothing wrong with her just she does things at her own pace and same goes for ur little one she will put more weight on as she gets older and usually if the doc says shes fine and healthy then u have nothing to worry about ..also as long as shes eating her meals and snacks every day and getting her formula she will be getting what she needs for sure :)

Jennifer - posted on 09/20/2010

Hiya, my daughter was born 10th jan and weighed 6lb 8oz and now at 8months she weighs 15lb 6oz, the health visitor said she small 4 her age but is doin great and reaching milestones for her age. She eats solids 3-4 times a day and has about 20oz of milk a day. Even though she is 8months old she's only in 3-6months clothes,people always say to me she is so tiny for her age when i say she is 8months, they think she is only like 4-5months. But as long as the health visitor is happy with her growth and weight i'm happy aswel.

Jaime - posted on 09/20/2010

We are exactly the same, so no worries. Our little girl was 6lbs 13oz at birth and now at 7.5 months is 14lbs 13oz. Just petite as well, eats lots and has been growing the same all along.

Melissa - posted on 09/19/2010

My son was also born on jan 9 2010. He has had very slow weight gain too. He is in the 0-5% group for his age, but his dr says he is ok really. Avocado is a good food to give little ones as it has healthy fats. My son hates the taste, but maybe you'll have better luck!

Sarah - posted on 09/18/2010

My little guy was born jan 17 and was 12 days late. he weight 7lbs and 1 oz and was 21 inches long. he now is 8 months old and is 16lbs and 13 oz and is 29 inches long. which is a little behind but he eats a lot but is very active he crawls and stands up. all babies are different my girlfriend had a little girl on the 9th of january too and she was 8lbs 3 oz when she was born and now weighs over 20 lbs.

Amber - posted on 09/17/2010

Well my doctor gave me a food schedule to follow and what to feed her so apparently she is a little small. Not being on the charts for her weight scared me. Im just happy that she is meeting all milestones and learning very well. I didn't breastfeed. I tried so hard to get her too but she wouldnt and turns out I couldnt anyways. Im just sooo tired of hearing how tiny my daughter is and being compared to other babies her age. I mean she is only bigger than 2 girls in her age group. Not the greastest. I guess I will just have a small baby forever. Thats okay though. Love her anyways.

Crystal - posted on 09/17/2010

Did you breastfeed?

Crystal - posted on 09/17/2010

Well my lil Pumbaa is petite as well. And just like you my doctor says she is perfectly healthy. Some babies are just born that way honey no need to fret your doctor has guided you this far trust him. Only thing I would suggest which some moms wont like is uping the types of food you feed her. My family is traditional mexican and they gave me and my siblings food before we ever had teeth. And we turned out just fine. Npo bad eatting habits are any of that. So give her some chicken nuggets. My sister even without me knowing gave my niece red beans and rice, pizza rolls all kind of stuff. lol i and im not saying do tis all the time. But if you wana back on a few pounds to a narrow but this is my suggestion. YOUR BABY IS BEAUTIFUL NO MATTER WHAT..BUEN SUERTE!!!!

Claire - posted on 09/17/2010

My daughter was born 21st at 8lb 2oz 2 weeks over due but quickly dropped to 6lb 15oz she is now nearly 8 months but weighs 15lb and is on the 10% centile for height, she is also on dairy & lactose free diet and sick after virtually every meal we are now under the care of a paediatrician. She is also in 3-6 month clothes and I understand that it is a worry regardless of peoples comments when you constantly get told she is so small!

Melody - posted on 09/16/2010

I'm in the EXACT same situation....up to the oz and inch YOU said! haha. I'm not worried because she's proportionate for her measurements and developmentally on target so what's to worry about? She'll be a petite girl who can fit into her clothes longer than others! heehee.

Kelly - posted on 09/16/2010

Dont worry as long as she is growing my lil girl is almost 8 months and was last weighed at 12 lbs 3 oz she is in the 1st % for height and weight are u and ur husband also small? if so u will also probably have a slender baby all of my lil ones have been petite except for my preemie go figure. If there was anything to worry about ur doctor would let you know

Stephanie - posted on 09/16/2010

Amber being in the 5th percentile is NOT a problem! I agree that dropping from 10 to 5 is a little disconcerting but it is NOT considered a drastic drop! If the new doctor was really concerned they would have given you an action plan to follow! I realize that you are not concerned about her height but it is all relevant! If there truly was a problem she would not be growing length wise either! Carbs are used very quickly by our bodies especially at that age so if you are giving her solids and she is not really taking much formula she is using up all her carbs! Wish we adults could say that! Anyhow will she take cereal mixed with formula? If yes try getting more formula into her by hiding it in her solids! I would also suggest going to a site like www.askdrsears.com and getting info from their staffers maybe it might make you feel better to have this question responded to by certified proffesionals!

Amber - posted on 09/16/2010

Stephanie, yes my daughter was seen early at 8 months. I know it was 9 after 6 months. We recently moved to another state and had to find her a new pediatrician and they saw her early. The new pediatrician was the one that told me she was now underweight. At her 6 month appt she was 13lbs 15oz. and at 8 months 14lbs 11oz. Im not worried about her height. Being below the 5th percentile for her weight is not good. She has never been big on formula which is why she has had problems gaining weight all her months so far. I have to feed her solids and other things in order for her to gain at all. I wrote the first message before I took her to the doc yesterday.

Claudia - posted on 09/16/2010

Did they tell you anything extra you could do or that you should try and put more weight on her? I think they have stuff like pediasure to increase weight but I would check with your Dr before doing that. If she is only on breast milk sometimes we have a lot of breast milk but its not as nutricous as our babies need (mine wasn't - I had to give Trin a bottle as well as breast to suppliment her food). Just a thought...hope this helps

Stephanie - posted on 09/15/2010

Amber, if your daughter is meeting her milestones is in the 50th percentile for her height has shiny hair and bright eyes don't worry!! My friend's 9mth old son weighs what her daughter did at 2 1/2! Girls tend to be skinnier... She is clearly metabolizing the food you are giving her at an etremely quick rate! Maybe cut back on the "solids" as they are mostly just carbs (which are a much faster form or fuel) and increase her formula as it is more protein and fat (slower forms of fuel). My son eats solids only about 2 times a day (if that as we are following baby led weaning) and still mainly receiving breastmilk as his main source of nourishment because like formula it is higher in protein and fat he is gaining just fine about 1lb/mth... He still wears some clothes that are 3 months as well and he is about 20lbs, so I wouldn't even use clothing size as a basis!! I am concerned that the doctor is waffling though, at the begining he said she was fine and now he says she is underweight? She is only 8mnths did you take her to the doc early? Generally the next visit after the 6mnth is 9???

Amber - posted on 09/15/2010

She isn't even on a line on the chart. She is below the 5th. They told me today. Her height is 50% though.

Claudia - posted on 09/15/2010

My daughter was born on the 14th, at 7lbs, 19in and now she is 18lbs 28in so I don't think there is anything to worry about...drs have a chart that the mark the growth of your baby on and if she was below the 50% line then they would of said something. Do you feed her cereals or any type of solid food yet? Trinity has oatmeal cereal in the morning with some fruit, then veggies at lunch and rice cereal at night with fruit again and the breast and bottle in between. If she is a happy baby and doesn't seem hungry or whining for more substance I don't think you need to worry.

Amber - posted on 09/15/2010

My LO is meeting all milestones. Actually developing faster than some babies in her age category. My family is not petite. I just happened to turn out that way. Noone in my family is shorter than 5'4". My Husband and I are actually above average weight for our height. She eats solids 4 times a day and has cereal 2 times a day. Formula in between.

Amber - posted on 09/15/2010

My husband is 6 feet tall on the dot and has healthy weight. I am 4"11 as I said before and weigh 125 now. I am the only petite one in the family. I was told by her doctor today that she is underweight. She is below the 5th percentile. When she was born she was in the 10th. They said she is bigger than 2 girls in her age group. That made me feel terrible. She is 25.5 inches long still. Her length is fine. It's the weight I worry about. Please don't respond to my thread with a rude attitude. I am just a worried mom that had a question. I see others are having the same problem. My daughter is also allergic to milk and soy. That makes it harder to gain weight. I was just trying to find ways to put a little weight on her. I mean she still wears 3 to 6 month clothes. Sometimes just 6 months.

Lucy - posted on 09/15/2010

my daughter was born january 8th and 3 weeks early and weighed a tiny 4lbs 11oz she know weighs a massive 21lbs and is 73cm in length, i gave my daughter extra hungry baby milk from birth as she always seemed so hungry

Caralee - posted on 09/15/2010

So my son was born by emergency c-section on Jan 8.. 6 weeks early. He was 4 pounds 7 oz and 17 1/2 inches long. At his 8 mo weight ck he was 13 pounds 15oz (almost 14!) and 25 1/4 inches long. According to his doctor he is a lot smaller than the "normal" baby. Even for the adjusted age he is less than the 5th percentile. One thing that the doctor suggested is to add calories to his meals.. putting butter/olive oil (have only done butter) in his foods or on his bread/waffles... also adding cream cheese or sour cream to foods. (I was worried because they are not to have milk until they are one..but he said it was fine?) I have not done this yet. Anyways you are not alone.. I worry about his weight at every feeding/meal. Dr even said it was ok to give him banana bread or zucchini bread. ( I was concerned with the sugar in it, but he said my little guy could use all the calories he could get)

MELANIE - posted on 09/14/2010

I agree with Jennifer and what others posted (I read all the replies after making mine). For us, I am 5'7" and hubby is 6'5" so she is right on height wise and just skinny. Like was said earlier, the activity level is going to make the weight gain taper off at this age.

Jennifer - posted on 09/14/2010

If you and your husband are small or petite than that explains everything....Im the total opposite of you...my son was born Jan.7th...7 days late at 8lbs 4 oz... and he's 8 months old now weighing 20 lbs....lots of people thought my son was much older because of his size and also thought he was quite big when I told them how old he really was. Then I asked a few doctors including family and friends and they all said the same thing which i agree with that our son is the size he is because of us (his parents) we are bigger boned people and that always makes a difference when you have a child. So if your husband and you have smaller framed bodys then your childen are most likely to turn out that way as well

MELANIE - posted on 09/14/2010

Your post sounds almost identical to what I would post. My daughter was born January 13th and was 4 days late. She weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and was 20.5 inches long. I took her into the doctor the other day and she weighed in at 14 lbs 5 oz (she only gained 5 oz between 6 and 8 months). She was 26.5 inches at 6 months and I think she has gained 1 -1.5 inches since then.
At times I worry about her weight not being enough but she is meeting and exceeding milestones and is just a very active little girl. Eliza is breastfed and gets solids 2-3 times most days but is not extremely fond of them.
Is your daughter meeting milestones? Are you or your husband small/petite?

Stephanie - posted on 09/14/2010

Olga, this mom's worries ARE unfounded. Her doctor says the baby is fine and the mom admits to being 4' 11" OF COURSE her baby is going to be small!!

WHY are you trying to get him into the 10th percentile??? What is your reasoning? Your doctor says he is fine he is meeting his milestones, crawling should not be expected EVER as all literature admits that some children just skip this but even still 7 1/2 months is too early for crawling anyhow!! Being in the 5th percentile ONLY means that 5% of babies his age are smaller than he is it is nothing to worry about especially if he was born in that weight category. My son started in the 75th percentile for weight and has dropped to the 50th not a big deal since he is meeting milestones on time and in some cases early... If your son had been born in the 95th percentile would you have put him on a diet???

I understand that mother's intuition is important but sometimes mother's intuition is clouded by what society thinks is "normal" and that's a problem!

Olga - posted on 09/13/2010

Stephanie, I 100% agree with the fact that many kids are obese as a consequence of irresponsible or uninformed parenting. The point of this thread is a little different. It is unsettling when you realize that your child is struggling with gaining and maintaining somewhat normal weight. healthy weight gain during the first year of life is a critical aspect of baby's development. In our case reflux created hate-type relationship with food. our son takes about 10 baby spoons of solids once very 3-4 hours. We are trying to boost calories and "fatten" him up to get him into the 10%.of weight.

Stephanie - posted on 09/13/2010

Having a chubby baby is no longer considered a good thing. Chubby baby does NOT equal healthy baby and anybody who tries to "fatten" up their baby is only setting them up for weight issues and obesity in that child's future! As long as she is more or less following the percentile that she was born at she is fine. She is now more than double her weight at birth which is more or less the goal by 6 mths, but a lot of doctors are actually veering away from that line of thinking because of obesity rates in young children.

Olga - posted on 09/13/2010

ohh i know how u feel. our 7 1/2 m old is also very small. he is in 10% of weight and 35% of height (at birth it was 50% and then slowly dropped off to 35%) and 25% of head (at birth it was 10%). Both my husband and I are tall. i am 5'7" and he is 6'. our 2 year old daughter is slim but she is 75% of height . In general, we are very confused by his small size. We constantly try to fatten him up. At 6m i stopped b-feeding and switched him to formula and that took him form 5% for 10%. we add rice to his formula. we even tried adding olive oil to his baby food. He is a good sleeper but not a good eater. He had bad reflux till he was 5-6m. Generally he is strong and active (but he cant crawl yet). He is on track with his other milestones but i honestly don't know what to do to make him bigger. And i constantly have a feeling that something is wrong. Our doc tells me that he is ok and to stop worrying. I am just hoping that eventually he will catch up with us.

Amber - posted on 09/13/2010

Thankyou. Thats what I worry about. Having her compared to others and all the questions as to why shes sooo small and have no explanations. I am 4'11" so I understand to a point why she is sooo small.

Susan - posted on 09/12/2010

Hi Amber - you have a really pretty name but I am biased as that is what we have called our daughter. I have the same problem as you. Amber was just 5 1/2 lbs when she was born on the 28th of January and is only just 14 lbs now at 7 months. The pediatrician and the nurse at the clinic both say she is fine, her weight matches her height and head circumference. That said, I still worry especially when she is with babies her age or younger who all are bigger than her. I am only 5 feet tall and my partner is not very tall so I just have to accept that she is small as well!

Amber - posted on 09/11/2010

Thankyou ladies. I'm not too worried but it just seems like whatever I do she just doesn't gain. She was real sick last week and lost more weight. She eats like crazy, Very mobile so I guess thats why shes sooo tiny. I myself and very petite.

Danielle - posted on 09/11/2010

Olivia is being weighed in just over a wks time not sure how much she has gained but to help to gain weight i put milk in her cereal which she has after her morning bottle then i've i'm made her lunch which is too thick i put milk in it so its not so thick same with dinner, i try to give her as much milk as i can and i also give her cheese and yogurts through out the day which i'm hoping will help her put the weight on, hope this is a little bit of advice and it helps.
talk to docs and tell them your concerns

Eve - posted on 09/10/2010

If she is happy-moving around and eating when she is hungry she is absolutely fine.

Kristen - posted on 09/10/2010

our daughter was born on jan. 22, when she turned 37 weeks. she was 5 pounds 1 1/2 oz n 19 1/2 inches long. she was iugr throughout my pregnancy, which means she was below the 10th percentile, so they were going to induce me that day but i went into labor on my own. still had pitocin though, didn't speed my labor any, lol. anyways, at her 6 month check up she weighed 13 pounds n 9.9oz n was 25.25 inches. doctor says she's doing great, and i agree. i saw the chart and she's came a long way. i wouldn't worry. just like all of us gain weight differently, babies do as well. and at this age they're really active so that burns a lot more calories than what they had been, so growth tends to slow down. i'm sure you're doing everything you're supposed to be doing, that's a healthy weight gain. like i mentioned, just have to remember every baby has their own way of doing everything. try not to compare to other babies who may weigh a lot more, that will only make you worry

Rachel - posted on 09/10/2010

my daughter was 6lbs 4oz. at birth and also 14lbs. at 7 1|2 mnth today day when we weighed her. Totaly healthy weight gain, and at about age they can slow down on weight gain due to increased activity, crawling, pulling up etc..