6 Month Old in Negative 3% for Weight

I did go through that!!! My daughter is now 24, graduated college in 3 years and has always been an over-achiever as well as a totally great person. Don't worry, she will be fine. give her a little formula, she'll do great! K.

If she is in good mood and healthy, just let her be. She migh be one of the lucky ones and never get fat. (seriously) In my family, the girl who are pettite they were underweight when babies.

K.,

My first question is, are you feeding her from only one breast per feeding? If you are switching breasts at each feeding, that may be why she isn't getting fat. The hind milk is the fattiest milk. That is the milk that comes at the end of the feeding. And if it were my baby, I would probably stop doing the solids and only give her breast milk to add weight.

Good luck.

M.

Is she healthy? What does your instinct tell you, that something is wrong? Or that she is just small?

I would not worry about her food intake and I'm sure you are making plenty of milk. I would definitely not give her formula. Also, if she is "scooting around", she is burning more calories which might account for the "dip" on the charts, especially if most other children her age are not moving yet (I remember mine just "sitting" at that age).

One other thing - is your doctor using the most recent charts? The 2000 CDC Growth Chart includes data for both formula-fed and breast-fed infants; while the 2006 WHO charts uses data from exclusively breastfed infants, but most docs haven't switched to them yet. It can make a *big* difference. If I were you, I would get hold of the most current chart and plot her on it myself.

Hi K.,
I'm sorry to hear of your struggles. This is what I think...you are making enough milk. Make sure you do drink lots of water. Don't feed formula defrost your breastmilk. (Don't use microwave for breastmilk). Breath! Especially when your feeding her. Focus your energy on what she is doing and eating (positive) and not whats she not eating. So, focus your thoughts on, "Wow she's eaten 3 oz!" Not, "she's ONLY eaten 3 oz". Or, wow she took both breasts this time. Babies are such perceptive little beings! Be in the moment and positive with her.
I know with the first one it's very hard and so many people tell you all kinds of worrisom stuff. I have four and some days the only way to get through it, is to breath!! Don't worry until a doc or your gut tells you to.
Peace & Light
S.

Every child is different! You seem to have addressed this in a healthy way with her pediatrician. Your doctor is right to recommend not filling her up on solids. any solids before a year is mostly for practice anyway. she will definately get more nutrients from breastmilk. (in fact, that 2.5 oz. of food may be replacing her appetite for a full nursing). Do not try to forcefeed her. If she is thriving, let her develop at her own pace. Let her nurse on demand. She most likely is simply petite. everything you have described (thriving, milestones, appetite, height) causes me to believe that she is just petite and there is nothing wrong with that! I have 6 children and 2 of them are very petite. (not on the "charts") my husband and i aren't big people, so we don't expect our kids to be big either.
These 'growth charts' are adjusted to the typical american diet lifestyle - they are standardized and don't take into account the thousands of variables for each INDIVIDUAL child. Please don't stress out. It will stress her. Love her, nurse her, enjoy being her mommy. You are wise to continue following up with her pedi, but try not to let worry consume you. It will only waste precious time and life. Everything else looks good - just let her grow into the wonderful daughter she is to be. Take a deep breath and enjoy your day.

My daughter did not gain any weight from 4m to 7m. At 7m they sent her for a whole battery of tests...urine, blood, bone age study. Everything turned out fine except she had a urinary tract infection. They said this was rare for a baby and along with not growing (they called it failure to thrive)they wanted to do more testing. She had a renal (sp?) sonogram (sono of the kidneys) and a VCUG. The VCUG is a test to see if urine is flowing out of the bladder properly. The sono of the kidney was clear but they did determine that she had grade 2 urinary reflux. Long story short urine kind of bounces back up into her kidney instead of totally draining as it should. Because of this she has to take an antibiotic daily to prevent kidney damage. Most grade 2 patients outgrow the problem by the time they are 7 or so. She will just have to be monitored by a pediatric urologist every 6 months.
Anyhoo, shortly after she started taking the antibiotic and got the UTI cleared she started growing. She is still small as am I but she is on the chart.
My doctors also encouraged me to start solids sooner than I had planned and lectured me about proper feeding of babies ( this is my third).
Good luck and remember to go with your gut because you are the momma and momma usually knows best.

Hi K. -

I wanted to respond and offer up my experience. I too have a little girl who has almost always been on the low or negative end of the % for weight.

DD was born at a normal weight - 6 lbs 14 oz and I too exclusively BF for 15 months. The hard thing was is that I have a niece who's 3 months older than DD and a nephew who's 6 months older and both were LARGE babies/toddlers (granted both were FF, not BF).

My pedi used a computer to graph DD's weight gain. And her comment was - if she's acting healthy, looking healthy, is happy AND is trending UP over time, then not to worry. It's the trend that is important - they want to see continued growth.

This is my personal preference, but I preferred to avoid formula. If your DD is 6 months old, why not start her on some rice cereal?

The other important fact I'd point out - - once your DD become mobile (starts crawling and then walking), it will be more challenging for her to put on weight simply b/c they burn it off so quick!

Please don't stress your self out over a number, look at all the factors.

BTW...my DD did not hit 20 lbs until about 1.5 years and at 29 months is still only 26 lbs!

My 6 and half month nurses and bottle feeds (homecare) and I feed her twice a day solids. She loves it!! My doctor told me I could start solids as early as four months as long as she was still gettng her milk.

I would bet the other ladies are correct in saying she will catch up. But I have to say there is no research to suggest a baby will be "healthier" than formula fed babies. The greatest benefits of breast milk your child has taken advantage of, and that is in the first few months when your immune system is protecting the child and her is building. So if you feel it will help your child by mixing in formula, then do it. While breast milk is best, I have to reiterate that your child has been able to benefit from your breastmilk already and babies who are formula fed can grow up just as healthy as any baby.

Hi K.,

I don't have babies yet and sorry, but I don't have any advice for you either. :) I just enjoyed reading your story and I will put you in my prayers that everything works out for you and your baby girl. You made me giggle a little when you said, "fatten her up" and I just wanted you to know that you put a smile on my face. I think you are a wonderful mother and I have high hopes and wishes that everything works in your favor and that baby will pack on a few pounds. God will always make sure she has what she needs.

Take care and God bless. :)

I am a mom of 4 boys. My youngest 2 are twins who have a similar story of pregnancy and delivery. They were born at 2 lb, 12 oz and 3 lb 4 oz. They were also early but should have been about 4.5 pounds. For a long time they were not even on the growth charts. They are 4 now but still small and have now landed on the charts. The thing is that someone has to be on the bottom of the growth charts just like some kids have to be at the top. Also, kids are starting to be really overweight these days too so that can pull the averages.
The hospital did have me feed my babes a few bottles of my milk a day with high calorie formula added to them. If your milk is watery and not creamy looking it may not have enough fat in it. Most likely, your baby will just be small for a while and will slowly catch up. It sounds like you are doing the right things so try not to panic with people's comparison comments etc.

Well K.,
I had a small one also. She ended up at 18 4ft. 11.SHe was also only like 89 pounds. She had her first baby and second and then after that she gained a lot. SHe is now at 198 pounds and they cannot get it off her now. Find out, now she has had a thyroid problem from birth, but no one bothered to check. She also has RA. We did not expect this with her. She was 5 lbs at birth. Little all her life. She was always the smallest in her classes. Even the kids in grade below her was bigger. I think sometimes you have to check into things to find out. She had a Preemie. He was 4 lbs at birth. We gave him mixed in his bottles rye cereal. Not much but maybe like 2 tablespoons with each feeding. He is now 11 and he also is getting taller now, finally, and he is still skinny but not like she was. He does weigh like 88 pounds now. Dr. says it's fine. He is most likely to have thyroid problems later on he said. Sometimes, a little extra cereal will help them get some weight, and they don't look malnurished. try some cereal, or oats if you wnt , but only 2 tablespoons in her bottle. Maybe at night before bed.
Shirley

K.,
Not to alarm you or anything. But it surprises me that the doctor is not concerned. One of the things I have discovered that causes failure to thrive is Cystic Fibrosis. What do her dirty diapers look like? I know disgusting but... does she poo all the time or is it often, mushy and or greasy?

My youngest son has this, he did great- good weight at birth, got a bit of a stuffy nose at 2 months, then by 3 months we realized he was not gaining like he should and the stuffy nose would not go away. Does your daughter have any congestion also?

Definitely would be looking into the reasons for her not gaining weight. CF can effect digestion at times more than anything else. It may not be it, but worth looking into.

Hope you figure it out soon.

It doesn't sound like a nutrition problem at all to me. I would not supplement or worry about doing anything different than normal breast feeding. If you do feel strongly to supplement, keep doing like you are doing and do it AFTER nursing...never replace nursing with a bottle or anything because that will start messing up your milk supply.

I would seriously consider looking elsewhere for what the cause of her small size might be...maybe it's her genetics. Have you seen a geneticist? If not, I would highly recommend getting in to see one. They might be able to run some tests and let you know what the cause of your daughter's tiny size is. She might have nothing genetically "wrong" with her and she might just be tiny.

But if she's eating normal and she's just staying small, then I wouldn't worry about it being caused from a nutritional problem. Also, technically you can't be negative on the charts (even though when they chart it, the child is clearly negative!). Even if she weighed 5 lbs at 6 months, she would still be considered "under 5%" for her size. If she was 3-5% before, fluctuating a little bit below that isn't too odd for a child to do. She might not have had a growth spurt yet. Maybe in a few weeks she'll be up to the same percentiles she was before;-)

My daughter weighed almost the EXACT same as yours when she was six months old. I think she weighed 11 lbs 12 oz. She is now 5.5 years old and weighs 25 lbs. She is 37 inches tall (close the the height of an average three year old). She is very small! We have seen geneticists and they were able to diagnose her with a genetic disorder and her small size is part of it.

Feel free to email me if you have any more questions! I know it can be stressful, but it really doesn't sound like it's an eating problem! Unless she looks starved:-) But it sounds like she looks healthy.

As long as she is gaining no matter how small the amount then she sounds fine. My daughter was similar only she was overdue by a week, she is still extremly small. She was Barely over 15 pds at her 1 yr checkup (she did not even double her birth weight), but she was gaining and is progressing like she should. Also the pediatrician should take into account the size of other family members. Both sides of our family are nowhere near huge. My son who is now 7 also had the weight issues that worked themselves out by the time he was 3. Not sure if this will help but here are her stats.
2 week-9.1pds 75%
1 month-9pds 9oz- 50%
2 month-10pds;10 oz- 25%
4 month-12pds;2 oz- 10%
6 month-12pds;10oz- 5%
9 month-14pds less than 5%
1 yr-15pds 13oz- less than 5%
15 mo. - 17pd 7oz - less than 5%
18 mo. - 18pds - less than 5%
2 yr - 22 pds - 5% finally back on
3yr - 27pds 10%

My son was full term and in the 5% for weight and height in 1st yr. I was exactly in the same situation w/ feeding etc. as you. At one yr. he weighed 16 lbs. I had a ped tell me they were concerned... went to another and they asked if we had a history of "small" people. I'm 5'3, husband is 5'9. Found out maternal Grandpa was 5'5. They said - don't worry, he's just small-he'll be fine. (Funny thing is - my Mom says that's what her ped had always said about me). Anyway, by 3 yrs. my son dropped to 3% and has stayed there until this year. He's 15 yrs. old, brilliant, physically fit and grew 3 in. in height since Aug. (He's now 5'3") He will probably be 'small' for his whole life - but I wouldn't trade ANYTHING about him. He's very healthy by the way.
Also - he didn't talk until after his 2nd birthday....so if that happens too - don't panic - we haven't got him to shut up since :)
Best wishes!
~S.

K., My son which is 6 now was born a healthy weight (6 lb 8 0z). He was off the chart on weight until he was a year old. He is still small for his age. He weighs about 35 lbs at age 6 almost 7. (My four yr old girl weighs the same) He has really never stopped growing, but just very slowly. He's healthy and always has been. He's dad is built just like he is and grew just like him when he was little. I am also small, so I really never worried about it that much.
I say this because being a mom you go with your instincts and I went with mine. It sounds like your doing everything you can to keep your baby healthy. Like some other mom's said, the chart is based on formula fed babies. Most breast fed babies don't gain as much weight right at first. My Dr. always told me to not worry about my child not being on the chart as long as he continued to gain and grow. It was if he started loosing weight or stopped growing is when the Dr. said he would start worrying.
Try not to stress, babies can feel that stress.
Good luck and enjoy your God given treasure.
SC

Hi, K..
At 36 weeks, I had an "emergency" c-section (well, it started as an induction and led to a section) with my 1st daughter for the same reasons; she was measuring small, and the docs were worried. She was only 4lbs 11oz at birth-- the ultrasound showed that she may have been smaller than that, so we were happy with that. However, she was totally healthy, and despite being tiny, she ate consistently (although probably not as much as other babies) and reached all of her milestones ahead of time. She is now 7 and is still very tiny. She has always been in the bottom 5% in weight and not much more than that in height. I am tiny as well (although I wasn't a tiny baby). A few years ago, a doc mentioned hormone therapy for growth-- we never went back there. Her Peds early on and our family doc all agree that she is just small but healthy and so that is okay.
In your case, where I would get concerned as with any mom with an infant, is if your baby starts to lose weight and stop eating. In that case, there may be some gastrointesinal issue or some other reason for the loss in weight.
I never breastfed for several reasons, but it worked out b/c bottle feeding allowed us to monitor a consistent intake of food with her at each feeding and record exactly how much she was getting each day. Also, the formula has certain nutrients-- us moms can't predict what nutrients will or will not be in our breastmilk. So sometimes when a baby is losing weight, it is b/c our bodies aren't carrying the appropriate nutrients through our milk. You may want to ween the breastmilk and go full force on the formula and see if that helps.
Another thing we did was start cereal early. She was only a few months old when we began adding small amounts of cereal to her bottle, which definitely helped her to maintain her weight. Some docs will tell you this is bad, others that it is fine... you just have to go with your instinct. My husband is a nurse, and I trusted his judgement, as well as advice from my grandmother, who was in her 90's at the time. I went with my instincts.
I hope you can find something in this to help. Good luck.

I had twins a little premature. I had to go in for weight checks every week the first 5 weeks of their lives. Each time, they lost weight. Finally as their mother, I decided to supplement with formula as they weren't getting enough milk from me. Wait...........read on.....this fattened them up right away. I continued to breast feed, pump & supplement w/ formula. They were the fattest babies ever! MY PEDIATRICAN ALSO TOLD ME THE BABIES WOULDN'T CATCH UP TO OTHERS UNTIL 9 mos. to a YEAR! You're not there yet. She will catch up. I recommend supplementing w/ formula. My kids are VERY smart & excelled from getting the right nurtients early on. Best of luck! J.

Your daughter sounds very healthy. Let's take a second and think about growth charts and how they work. Several years ago, the powers that be, aka the CDC, surveyed the height and weights of children across the country at different ages and made a comparison chart. We spend so much time trying not to compare our child with other children, especially when they are a little ahead or a little behind devlopmentally, yet our doctors think it's appropriate to compare them in size. An old standard is that a child should double thier birth weight by 6 months and trpile it by a year. She has over doubled her birth weight. Once babies become mobile they do not gain weight as quickly. They are moving and developing muscle rather than accumulating fat. Ask you doctor if she has continued on a steady curve. Ask if there is any reason, other than some magic comparitive number, that you should be concerned. Some children are just small. She is by no means a failure to thrive just because of her weight. She eats, eats appropriate amounts and is meeting her milestones. My oldest has always been at the bottom of the growth chart. He is 2.5 years old and I had to drag out his 12 month shorts so that he could walk without holding his pants up(I can't even find a belt small enough!) My nephew is the same way. One way you can boost the calorie count of solid foods is simpler than you may think. Make your own. I am doing that now for my youngest and I wish had done it with my 1st. There are some great cook books out there. A great 1st food with lots of good fats and calories are avacodos. Sweet potatoes are great too! I cook them and mash them. Most foods are too thick at first, so I think them out with breastmilk. that's 20 cal/oz vs. 0 with water. If you thin it out too much, no big deal, add some rice cereal to thicken it back up. No extra bulk, but extra calories. Yobaby yogart makes a variety that has rice cereal already added. My oldest used to eat it like crazy. There are lots of ways to secretly boost her calories and she won't even know it. You never know, giving her more solid food and allowing her enough rest may allow her to gain weight by not interrupting sleep where you don't really burn calories.

I would not panic too much. Do what you can do and call it good. My youngest who is now 19 months has JUST hit 20 lbs. She was born at 35 weeks and was 5 lbs when she was born. The girl EATS. She will out eat her 3 and 5 year old brother any day of the week! She has met and surpassed milestones, she is just ity bity. My oldest son now 5 skinny as a rail did the same thing. Doctors had me try everything and he never hit the benchmarks for weight that they wanted him to. Breastfeeding or formula feeding made no difference my oldest was formula fed and the youngest breastfed. My middle child is a tank and I have done NOTHING different with him. He has always been in the 90th% for everything. He was born a at 35 weeks also and he weighed 7lbs 9oz. He might have killed me had I carried him to term. I say all of that to say each kid is different. to plot them all along the same growth chart is just about an injustice. As she gets older I am almost positive that you will see she gains weight on her own terms as long as she hits developmental milestones and grows some I would try not to worry about it.

Hi K.! I know you've gotten lots of good advice already--definitely keep breastfeeding, and it may very well just be that your little girl is small but healthy. I would also encourage you, however, to get her a full check-up, perhaps from another doctor. My daughter was born with a congenital heart defect that stunted her growth. In her case, it was less obvious, since she ate like a champ and was always in the 20th-30th percentile for weight, so at first we weren't concerned. Her pedi heard a heart murmur at her 2 mo. checkup, however, so we took her to a cardiologist, and ended up having surgery when she was 6 mo old. Between her 6 mo checkup and her 9 mo, she went from 25% to 90% for height and weight! It turns out that she's naturally a big girl, but we didn't know because her heart defect was causing her to burn up all her calories just to pump her blood. I'll pray that there's nothing wrong with your little girl, but it's worth checking out, just to be sure, and so you can get her the help she needs, if necessary.

Do not worry, She sounds fine. I do know that to say,..Make sure to get a second opinion...Go to Childrens medical Center..find a doctor here. I learned the hard way. There are a lot of Doctors out there. Pediatricians....Once your daughter gains more weight,..what will they say then??? Obese? Just get a second opinion from Childrens. You do not need the stress!

My ped has always told me that the baby should double their birth weight at six months. And she has done that. When babies start out small even if it doesn't seem like a lot she has grown. They are always changing stuff on us, so I am not sure if this still applies, but that is just what mine has told me.

H. M.

What a hard spot to be in. It sounds like you are doing everything you can to help her gain weight! I would recommend giving her pumped breast milk after if she is still hungry, but it sounds like she is getting all that she needs during normal feedings. Do you have a baby scale to weigh her before/after feedings to see how much she is taking in? At this point that would probably really put your mind at ease. If you need help with this go see a lactation consultant. They are so awesome. It sounds like she is just going to be a tiny little thing. My son is almost a year old and has been in the 10th percentile for weight and the 90th for height since his 2 week appt. It can be frustrating to see such skinny little legs, but he is also very happy and content, so I'm finally just accepting that he's going to be a skinny little guy all his life! He doesn't eat much, but neither do I and I made it, so I'm sure yours and mine will be just fine. I did start supplementing with formula at 2 mo. and in hind sight I wish I'd just stuck it out with nursing as much as possible, b/c he began to totally reject the breast and by 5 mo. I had to stop nursing. It was just so forced and frustrating. Going to formula did not help him at all in gaining weight. Hope this helps! You and your little girl will be in my prayers.

I don't have too much info except that my niece was and is small for her age too. She always registered in the negatives for percents of height and weight. She is 8 yrs old now and she's maybe a whopping 35-38 pounds. She is just going to be tiny...probably 4'9 tops. She is a brilliant little girl and we love her to death. Just little. I hope this makes you feel better about your situation, but I understand the concern as a mother! Just thought I'd throw in a positive note for you.

I was in the same boat as you with my sixth child. However she was a healthy 9 pounds at birth...by the age of 4 months she was only 9lbs 4 ounces. I had been concerned for 2 months and my doctor wouldn't do anything. I finally took her into their office with her clothes off (along with a little ranting) and they saw her little body was so skinny. Her face was still nice and rounds, but she was nothing but skin and bones. I immediately took her to Dallas' Children's hospital to see a gastro doctor. If you hadn't done so, I seriously recommend this.

My little girl was eating non stop, as I was breastfeeding her I would have known. And I had tons of milk in me, but something just wasn't right. Turned out, with her, for some reason her body wasn't processing my breastmilk. She drank enough to fill a 2year old, but her body wasn't processing the nutrients. Almost like she was allergic to my breast milk. She was put on a very special (and very expensive) formula that worked wonders....and this little girl is a VERY healthy two year old now that will and can eat everything.

Make sure you get to a specialist and don't let your doctor tell you everything is o.k....because it is not. Scream, yell, kick...anything you need to do to get that referral.

Best of Luck!

Krisit,

I do not have an answer; however, my sister had a little girl 2 weeks early and she is very small. She weighs 13lbs and will soon be 7 months. She is healthy and at each doctor's visit she has grown in length and only gained a few pounds. At her last visit the doctor told my sister that he likes for them to at least be double their birth weight by the 7 month checkup. She is so small that my girls think of her as a little doll. My brothers 2 children were both born premature and were so tiny that I was afraid to hold them. I could hold my niece in one hand when she was first born. They both are so big now (size 14 at age 10)and you would never know that they were so little once.

My sister is feeding my niece either baby carrots or bananas (one serving) 3 times a day. She then gives her a bottle of juice or breastmilk afterwards and she is still small. (she can really eat too). I'm worried but since the doctor is monitoring her growth I'm holding steadfast. Pray and believe that God will allow her to grow into her true weight. I'm praying that my niece will start to gain some weight. If anything changes I'll write back.

Give her the frozen/thawed breast milk first and save the formula for when you run out of breast milk. The breast milk will give her the most nutrients and help her to gain weight faster. I breast fed all 3 of mine for 19 months each. It does make a difference.

Do not despair. My daughter was negative for most of her life, no intererest in food, no suck-swallow reflex when she was born, only weighed 10lbs at 1 year! She is now 12, 5'5" and 120lbs. She was always healthy but I had to feed her at least 2oz every two hours night and day for the first year.

Dear K., Quit worrying! You have a beautiful, healthy little girl who is developing properly and eats well. Averages are just that. If she was +50% you wouldn't worry about her being too big. I have one sister who was "normal" and one that, like me, was tiny. Although I weighed nine pounds when I was born, by the time I started school, I wore a size 3 (30 inches high and 29 pounds) and in fifth grade wore a size 6X (where most kids are when they start school). My sister was similar. Fortunately, the doctor told my parents that there are two sides to an "average" and to quit worrying. He was right. Today? She's a 65-year-old grandmother and retired engineer, and I'm a 58-year-old grandmother with a PhD. We are both active travelers and in good health. ENJOY your little girl!

Not to alarm you more but has she been in for genetic testing? This may have more to do with a genetic trait or disorder. You might start doing some reserch or get another opion, there maybe some cromozonal defect that caused her to stop growing in the womb. Best of luck.

Although I am no doctor, you daughter sounds perfectly healthy to me! Since she was born, my daughter has always been low in weight.
Remember that a doctor has to consider the liability that comes along with offering his patients information. So he may not be as concerned as some of the recommendations sound concerning.
Your daughter is uniquely made by God. As long as she is meeting the milestones and seems healthy in the other areas, I would not worry. Thanks God for her health, and pray for it to continue. Take Care!!

Hi K.,

Maybe it would help to improve the nutritional content of the breastmilk you're feeding her? It couldn't hurt and it just may help. I market a product that puts fresh, raw fruits and veggies into capsules. Just 4 caps a day gives you all the nutrition of 10 fruit and veggie servings. It is the most researched, best-selling whole food concentrate in the world. I wish I had known about it when I was nursing my babies; maybe they would not have had the chronic ear infections they suffered. BTW, it also comes in gummie treats for kids or for adults who don't like capsules.

For more info, check out my website and my coupon here on Mamasource.

God bless,

M.
www.GoodHealthMadeSimple.com

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. Sometimes breast milk isn't as rich as it should be (cream) ha, anyway, so long as she seems healthy and does keep gaining, if not as fast as you'd like , I think you are maybe worring too much . If she doesn't act hungry. If she did, than I'd be for giving her some of the frozen milk.

Hey K.,

Been there, done that! I say throw those charts out the window. My son, who is now an amazing 20 mo old. Started out in the 3rd percentile in weight, and fluctuated between 3-5%. One thing that those charts done disclose is that they are made based on weights from formula fed babies, completely different from those babies that are breastfed. I was told to stop looking at the charts and begin looking at my baby. Is she happpy and content? YES! Hitting her milestones? YES! If she is content after your feedings and not hungry inbetween then you have nothing to worry about. Each baby has different needs and a different growth rate. My son was 6# when he was born, 12# at 6 month (which they look to make sure they double their birth weight), and 18# at one year (where he should triple his birthweight). Looks like you guys are hitting all those marks as well. NO WORRIES!

I would cut back slightly on the solids, and make sure she only gets them after she has a full belly of breatmilk to make sure that she gets the maximum calories from you! Other than that please enjoy this time with your baby, don't worry about medical charts etc, you know as a mom if your baby is healthy.

Let me know if I can be of any support. Keep smiling!

M. :)

Well, My son isn't exactly like that, because he's only 2 1/2 months and weighs 8lbs 4oz. But I thought He was really small. I was also nursing him ever 3 hours, and could pump milk afterwards, and he never acted like he was hungry except when it was time to for him to eat. I started thinking that maybe my milk wasn't nutritious enough, but I REALLY wanted to nurse him. I planned on nursing him for 1 year. But I was really worried about starving him, so I did start giving him a bottle of my breastmilk, about 2oz, then In the same feeding, I'd give him another 2oz of formula in the same kind of bottle. (the wide bottles with the breast like nipple.) and he would eat just fine! The next day, I gave him just formula, and a 6oz bottle, he ate every bit of it! Now he eats almost 8oz every time he eats and he is now 10lbs 6oz. at 3 months old!
I hope every thing works out for you!
B. Teeples

My five year old lost weight and could not gain weight when he was 0 to 6 months old. I breastfed and was giving him enough liquid, but it did not have enough substance to it. It was like feeding him skim milk instead of whole milk. I did supplement with formula. When I began doing it, I used a syringe with a plastic flexible tubing that I ran along the side of my breast into his mouth while he was breastfeeding. You could try that and see if she is getting enough "solid" breastmilk. I would suggest formula supplement. I was opposed to it with him, but looking back at his 1 month old pictures I am so glad that I did not push to continue breastfeeding at the expense of my child's health. I tell all pregnant moms in my MOPS to begin accepting the idea that formula is okay, especially as a supplement. The first three days of breastfeeding giving them the colostrum is the most imperative. My other two after him, I supplemented in the hospital b/c I knew that my breast milk would not give them enough...they gained healthy weights at each appointment.

first I would recommend you join the yahoo group, for babies sake. It is a nursing support group. We also have meetings every Tuesday night at 7pm in South Arlington. Mellanie, a lactaion consultant runs the meetings. She is great and so are all the other mommies.

Secondly, check out the www.kellymom.com website. They have tons of great nursing info.

I have two friends, one who comes to the nursing group regularly that have or have had very petite babies. Both are healthy, just small, but their moms worried about these same things. ONe, who's daughter is almost 3 was wearing 3-6 months size clothes when she was over a year old.

It sounds like your pedi. has been pretty calm about this and may be starting to get worried. That is good since I hear a lot of mommy friends that have pedi's that freak out early and recommend formula supplementation.

I would NOT give your daughter formula. I would even stop giving her any solids at all for now. I would stick to breastmilk only. It is the most nutritional food source for babies, by far. If you decide to give your daughter some supplemental breastmilk in a bottle, you might have to have someone other than yourself give it to her. She would much rather get it from your breast when you are around, I bet. Either that, or she is already full. You could try a straw or sippy cup, a medicine dropper or even a spoon.

IN your post you didn't say anything about her not being healthy and happy, just small. Unless that is changing, I wouldn't worry too much. I would bet she is rolling around and scooting around on her tummy so much(she's going to be crawling soon- earlier than both of my average size babies!)that she's expending more calories everyday. Lots of babies start to slim down as they get more active. YOur daughter just probably didn't have a lot of extra fat to get rid of. As long as she is still growing, that is great.

I hope you get some peace on this issue soon, it is so stressful when we have to worry (more than average) about our babies!

My DD over a 6 week period in utero went from the 30th percentile to the 15th, they almost labeled her IUGR. She was born at 38weeks at 5lbs 15oz. 14lbs at 6 months. Now at 9 months she has hit all her milestones, and is about 17lbs.

My suggestions is to give her plain whole milk yogurt,(which is considered a first food) like yo-baby, instead of cereal it has a lot more calories.
Also remember, some babies are just small just like some are just big. I know a 5 month old girl that is the same size as my 9 month old DD.
If you need peace of mind, feel like there is something wrong then by all means have her tested! Mothers intuition is a powerful and usually justified instinct you shouldn't ignore!
But if you feel she's fine I would leave things be. Maybe she has been extra active lately? burning calories sitting and playing, and her appetite will catch up with her bodies needs. As long is she is gaining weight, and when she learns a new calorie intensive skill (crawling, walking) that may platau for a time, I woudln't worry so much.
And when people act suprised when you tell them her age or comment on her size, shes small, tiny, etc. say
I love my little girl!

Okay, I can't say I was in the exact same position but we did struggle with weight gain. My son came early and only weighed 4lb 12oz when we went home from the hospital. We struggled from the start with weight gain and I was breastfeeding him. At two weeks they suggested supplementing after every feeding but I was afraid that he would stop nursing. He was losing weight though so I didn't feel like I had a choice. I would give him just 1 extra ounce of breastmilk that I had pumped and frozen after every feeding and things turned around for us within a week. I continued to do it for the next two months. In truth though, he is still small for his age but like you mentioned he has met all the milestones on time. He is now 17 months old and perfect in my opinion. I would try the extra at the end of the feedings just for the next two weeks to see if there is any improvement. Keeping weight on them becomes more difficult the more active they become. I hope this helps and good luck!

I am curious to know who her pedi is, sounds like one I used to have.

My daughter is 26 months old and has always been off of the charts. I would not let him/her freak you out. Just keep an eye on the eating, a baby will not eat if she/he is not hungry. Do not worry yourself, I am sure you are doing a great job.

2 of my kids-now grown-were low birth weight for no explainable reason and both had trouble gaining-the idea to supplement with formula wasn't appealing to me at firs but I tried it. It takes a while for a baby to learn how to use a phony nipple, but once she learns she will probably take a couple more ounces.
Do it AFTER nursing, of course, so she doesn't decide she wants formula more. And keep on pumping after nursing because you will make more milk that way and eventually can put away the supplement.
Try to remember that the charts are just a guide. My daughter, now 25, was itsy bitsy also and only weighed 17 pounds at one year, though her height was average-she did everything on time and was always fine other than that, so I am sure yours will do great also.

Hi K.,
My twin boys were born at 36 weeks and 6 days. Nathaniel had previously been diagnosed with a fatal birth defect and lived an hourand a half but Gabriel we were told was completely normal and weighed 5 lbs 5 oz. a week before he was born. When he was born we were told he had IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction). He weighed 3 lbs. and 15 oz. and had to stay in the NICU for a week. I pumped constantly and so he was fed breastmilk but it was through a bottle. His Perinatologist had us feeding him a supplemented breast milk. We would add formula to all of his bottles of breast milk. Unfortunately I don't remember the amount per ounce but this could be something you could ask your doctor about. So everytime he was fed he was getting extra calories per ounce! It was like a 1/4 tsp or 1/2 tsp per ounce.
He ended up catching up to the averages by the time he was 6-9 months. He is still in the 15-20th% for his weight but is in the 75th% for his heighth. His head circumfrence is in the 50th%. I hope this helps.

Blessings,
A.

You know, every time you have a baby they (dr;s) change the "rules"! IS your daughter still acting hungry? If milk is not satisfying her, add a little dry baby cereal to one of the bottle feedings and see if she is satisfied. Ask the dr which one to start with...I think it's the rice, but can't remember (and they may have changed the rules since my son was an infant). Some babies are ready to eat before the dr's say to give them other food items. I had one that was, and hey, the kiddo was hungry, so I fed him. The cereal in the milk satisfied him - it doesn't take a lot. Don't make it thick or they can't drink it, but even so you may have to make the hole in the nipple slight larger so that it doesn't get blocked. Good luck!

First, get a second opinion to ease your concerns. Then, listen to the pediatricians! My son was born at a healthy weight, but becamse ill when he was three months old. He lost a significant amount of weight and he didn't regain the weight for several months - leaving him significantly smaller than the other kids. My son was in the negative percentile until he was two-years-old. Then he gradually went up on the progress chart. Up until last year he was in the 25th percentile. Guess what? Last year he grew six inches and now he is in the 95th percentile. I never imagined THAT kind of growth.

K.,
Have you thought about using a mixture of formula and breast milk in a bottle at feeding time, instead of breast feeding and then trying to feed her with an additional formula bottle? I would mix half breast milk and half formula in a bottle for her feeding and see how she responds to it. If she is developing as well as you explained, you may be concerned for no reason. My first sone was born at 36.5 weeks and was 5 pounds 12 ounces. He has ALWAYS been in the really low percentiles but he very healthy. I think some children just take longer for their bodys to grow. I understand your concern because I have been there and done that, but as long as she is happy and the doctor sees that she is well nurished, I do not see a problem. Good luck to you and your husband on this issue.

I had three very small and slow growing children. My son also quit growing while in the womb,and he did have a problem and was diagnosed as failure to thrive as a baby. He is now 16 and still skinny but tall and getting ready to receive his Eagle Scout award. Our story is that he was a slow grower while on breast milk and he also had a problem breastfeeding so I was pumping at about six months the doctor and my husband convinced me to quit pumping and change to formula. For us that was not the thing to do he started losing weight. After many test and lots of time in the Hospital we found out he has Celiac. We do not have a family history of it and he is very sensitive to gluten, apparently he was getting some from my diet in the womb and some from breastfeeding, but when we switched to formula he was getting even more and in baby food alot of gluten in is prepared baby food. Once we found out the problem and put him on a special diet he started to gain weight. He was also tested and found to have a very high metabolism so for some time he was tube feed at night also with a very special formula. Good luck with everything and just watch her and love her and everything will turn out great. She may just be a slow grower like my girls. One is twenty and is around 5'2' and 105lb the other is fifteen and 5'5' and 103lb.

Hi, I have walked in your shoes. My daughter was 15lbs and 27in at one year.The labeled her "failure to thrive". She was walking and talking and making all her milestones. She was "petite" in her measurements. One happy baby.

Today she is 30 years old. Married with an absolutely adorable 18 month old little boy. There are no effects from her early life at all.

Just enjoy every day because time goes so fast.
Nana

K.,

My cousin went through this very same heartache 23 years ago.
Her little girl was taken by c-section for the same reason and she was under CPS supervision for a year for Brandi's "failure to thrive" even though Brandi was healthy in every way but did not meet the normal values curve.

Finally, My cousin took her to a geneticist. It turns out that Brandi is a miniature person. At age 6 she was the size of a 2-3 year old, highly intelligent and active, just tiny.
My cousin gave in to pressure to try growth hormones when Brandi was 10 in an attempt to give her more height, so Brandi is 4'10" tall today.
My younger sister was born weighing 9 pounds but at 3 was the size of an 24 mo old, at 6 the size of a 3-4 yr old. She is 4'11" tall and perfectly normal.
Do not despair and try to overfeed her until you have gotten another opinion.
Good luck and just love that baby.

Hi. Im a SAHM and graduate nurse.
I had sort of the same issue as you. My baby girl is 9 months old today actually.
When she was younger she was having issues with her growth - she wasnt thriving much - and my doctor just had me supplement with more formula and try to ween her off the breast. He explained it in a way - where the only way to understand it - would be as if i was pumping out "skim" breast milk. Does that make sense? Like I made enough - the hind milk just wasnt as nutrient rich and thick as it was supposed to be.

Now her weight is i nthe 40th percentile.
Hope this helps.

As long as your pediatrician is ok with her weight she is likely just fine. Some kiddos are just little. My second was born at 4lb 1oz, granted she was 5 1/2 weeks early, and has been little-bitty since...she is 3 1/2 now. She has never made it above the 10% for weight and until she was 1 1/2, she was always in the 3-5% spot. Beofre that, my little bug was in the negative percentages. The key was always where did she fall in relation to the overall picture. Kids will deviate up and down on those charts depending on where they are in a growth spurt when you weigh/ measure them. This is expected. My pediatrician was never concerned because my kiddo "tracked" consistently, within reasonable gain/ loss amounts.

Just watch, keep mental notes and as long as your kiddo is eating and your are in touch with your pediatrician, you are likely fine.

I feel for you though, I was worried about my kiddo for a long time. As it turns out, preemie or not, she is just going to be a petite person.

Good luck!

I have the opposite problem - my children are off the charts huge. But...I have friends with small children. One of them was eventually instructed to give her daughter "ensure". She's older than your daughter is though. Then, I have another friend whose daughter just turned 1 and she only weighs 12 lbs. They are finally taking her to specialists to try to determine if something is wrong.

I think the MOST important thing is to be proactive with your pediatrician. I can't remember when the next scheduled visit is after 6 months, is it 1 year? If it is one year, I personally wouldn't wait that long to get her re-evaluated. If you are concerned, express your concerns!

According to all I've read breast milk is best. Is your diet good? Does your daughter have any feeding issues or does she spit up often?

K.,
my now six year old was small like your daughter...at one year she weighed 17lbs...I remember freaking out b/c she was so wiggly in her car seat and ready to move up from the infant carrier only she didn't weigh enough...she's now a bean pole (so am i)...i would definitely value what your dr. has to say, but, it seems like you have a skinny-minnie on your hands...she sounds like she's developing just fine and has a high metabolism like my oldest...i ALWAYS worried that it was my milk until my son was born a year later and was a TANK and ate less than my daughter did! maybe supplementing formula in her rice cereal could add calories?! good luck

Hey K.. Well I don't know if this will help you any however. I have a 15 month old and when he was four months the doctor told me to start cereal. By 6 month we were on cereal in the morning, 1/2 jar of vegetable. We did each vegetable for 3-5 days, then when he finished those we added the fruits and did the same, then we started to add the fruit to the cereal. We never had a low weight problem however I was always afraid of him being over weight but he is fine now. I have a daycare and I have a infant the same age and she eats like crazy and she is pretty small. Her schedule is a 8 oz. bottle at about 6:30ish a.m., then cereal w/ fruit at 9:00ish, then another 8 oz. bottle at 10:30ish, then a vegetable at 12:00ish, then another 8 oz. bottle at 2:30ish. I think that that she gets another vegetable at night as well as another 8 oz. bottle. Again, I don't have the same situation as you but this is what we do. I hope I help some. Good luck and don't stress out about it. As long as she is healthy, it probably work its self out. But I think you are doing the right thing with keeping a jornal and keeping a close watch on her and keeping in constant contact with the Dr. Are you giving her an additional vitamin? They have infant vitamins. My nephew was on an additional vitamin and he was a breastfeed baby. Anyways, keep us posted.

You are doing a great job. -3% is barely off the growth chart. Keep feeding her as you are and try to increase your caleries. Eat a higher caloric diet for a couple of weeks and see if that helps. It is NOT necessary to give her formula if you are making breast milk. If you have some stored offer it instead of formula after you nurse. Breast milk is always the best and remember she was always small. If she is meeting her milestones then keep nursing every three hours durring the day like clockwork. I would be willing to bet that she keeps up by a year.

Go and purchase some rice cereal or oatmeal (single grain) and put it into every single bottle she eats. This will help gets those electrolytes and extra nutrition into her diet. Also there is something made by enfamil called polyvisol. It is a babys multi-vitamin. This will ensure that she is getting all her vitamins with the polyvisol and all her electrolytes and extra nutrition with her bottles and oatmeal/ rice cereal.
I would also recommend to take her off the breast. You may not be giving her the nutrition she needs. SIMILAC NEOSURE is something my friend used for her premature son. It sort of fattened him up a little and increased his brain development like crazy.
So, Similac neosure, oatmeal/rice cereal in bottle and polyvisol (taken one time a day) and I GUARANTEE your daughter will gain weight and be more healthier than ever.

I would continue to try a bottle of breast milk after she eats every time. She may just be small!!! It is a very good sign that she has reached her milestones.

Hi K.,
I know how hard it is to take the news that your baby is no longer on the charts. My son was always in the negative and we finally got him to be in the 2nd percentile at his 2 year well check. I felt like a terrible mother because he was always so little. He was always a pretty good eater so we didn't understand why he wasn't gaining weight. Our doctor sent us to several specialist just to "rule out" possible problems. We went to a pediatric cardiologist (apparently a heart murmur can burn all the calories that they are ingesting) an ophthalmologist and a gastroenterologist. We found that he was healthy, but I was glad that our doctor was overly cautious. We did stay with the gastroenterologist for about six months and went in often for weight checks and he changed my son’s diet slightly. They also had me write down everything my son ate for a week and counted the calories for me. We switched his formula and cut back a little on his cereal and baby food because the formula had more calories. When he turned a year old we gave him pediasure instead of whole milk, again it had more calories. We charted his weight and even though he was never on the charts, we found that he was making his own curve right below and was always growing. That gave me some relief. I think kids are all built differently. I know how frustrating it is, but keep up the good work.

Don't give in. Your brestmilk is fine. You don't have to do formula. She doesn't want it anyway. She will be much healthier in the future with just breast milk. My son dropped to the 5% in weight at 6 months. I still styed just breast milk and started supplementing a little with cereal and baby food. At his 9 month he was back up to 20% range. He has always been tall and skinny. He takes after my side of the family. Genetics play a huge factor. If she is little, then maybe she is just little genetically. She sounds like she is getting what she needs though.

I was only 12 lbs at 12 months... the doctors did all sorts of tests... was I anemic? Did I have reflux? Was my mom's milk not "good enough"... poor mama even had her milk tested...it was rich like half and half... they never did find anything wrong with me... and I promise I have MORE than made up for it ... I'm about 60lbs over where I should be now at 32... but most of my life I was no where near the charts... I didn't weigh over 95lbs when I graduated high school...

My daughter at 9 months was down 10% of what her body weight was at 6 months... we were really worried, but now she is 19 months and fine... still on the small side 10th percentile, but I guess she is just petite... she eats a wider variety than most her age, but not always as much as I'd like.

Neither my daughter nor my son would ever take a bottle, but they both took a sippy cup... with my DD I eneded up supplementing with formula, I went with soy formula and I gave it to her in her sippy cup... she weaned herself from the breast at 15 months, but still loves her cups. I also mixed her cereal with milk... then later I used the Yo Baby yogurt to mix with the cereal just to get in extra calories and make it more appealing.

As long as the doctor says she's fine, try not to worry. I have seven biological children, and two of them were always in the negative range. In fact, when those two girls were a year old, they weighed 15 pounds and 16 pounds!! Think of that. They are grown now, and smart, healthy and energetic people.

Hi K.,

My little girl was born premature (she weighed 1 lb 6 oz when born) and the doctors told us that to help put on weight that we needed to mix breast milk with a special formula. You might want to look into doing that. That way your little one gets all the good stuff from your breast milk, but more calories with the formula. Just a suggestion, ask your pediatrician to be sure that is peachy. :)

Dear Kristy:

Your baby is petite, but there is only a 13% difference in the height/weight ratio. My son had a more than 50% difference. The doctor never worried about my son's weight when he was a baby although I did a bit. He was in the 98th percentile for height and about 47th percentile for weight. I now realize that my son is just built tall and lanky. He was 6'3" by the age of 15. It seems that your daughter is simply "programmed" to be a little smaller and slimmer than the average child.

Your daughter is getting enough milk because you are producing enough to have a bit left over and she is not chowing down on formula when she has the opportunity.
She also has the fat stores that are necessary for health and is developing normally. You are keeping a journal and taking her to the doctor. You can feel confident that you are doing all of the right things.

I'll keep you in my thoughts. It is hard not to worry about your precious baby (I guess that is a mother's job).

Jen

You don't mention how large you or your husband are, but if either of you is below average in size, then that your daughter might just be small. Also, the charts are based on formula feeding, which does cause babies to gain weight. So, breastfed babies are typically smaller. You don't say how long she's been on that feeding schedule, but I fed my second son (due to my first son having weight gain issues) every two hours during the day until he was gaining weight well for the first two months. So, you really might try nursing more frequently during the day. Also, rather than a bottle, try a sippy cup for the pumped milk. My second son refused a bottle also, so we just used a sippy cup for him starting when he was about 4 months old. This will also avoid the bottle weaning problem later, which is one of the benefits of breastfeeding. Your doctor is right that at this age, you don't want to add more solids. For the first year, the majority of a baby's nutrition comes from breastmilk. Also, you don't mention that she's losing weight, so if she's still gaining and meeting milestones, I honestly wouldn't be too worried. The pediatrician worried about my first son for two years because he was born 2 weeks early and also gained very, very slowly. At his two year appt, the doctor said he was just going to be petite. He is now 6'3" at 15. However, this gets to my final point, my son was diagnosed with celiac at age 10 because he had stopped growing for a couple of years. After he went on the gluten-free diet, he has grew 4 inches per year and gained almost 20 pounds per year for 3 years straight. Also, given your problems started during pregnancy, I would consider whether you might also have celiac. I did too and that was likely the cause of my pregnancy difficulties. There are currently 2 million people in the US that have not been diagnosed with this disease because most docs were taught it is rare. If you are of Northern European descent, then you are more likely to have this problem (it's highest among the Irish and Finnish). The celiac would explain why your daughter stopped gaining weight, as celiac damages your intestines, thus you might not have been getting enough nutrients in for her. Also, keep an eye out in a couple years on her teeth - another sign of the mother having this disease is that the baby teeth don't have any tooth enamel. That was the case for both my sons who had LOTs of dental work by age 3 (they should really train dentist to recognize this and have mothers tested).

My boys (twins) were premature and we were put on milk fortifier. It helped bulk them up. You might ask your dr. about this or adding carnation instant breakfast to some formula once a day. You have to remember she started out tiny and she isn't going to meet the "normal" ranges at the same rate. If she was a preemie, she would be on a preemie chart, not the "normal" chart....I also think it couldn;t hurt to try to feed her formula an extra ounce or two here and there if she will take it. You are doing everything right! Don;t feel responsible!!!

You might want to see an endocrinologist in case your daughter has a growth hormone deficiency. This is rare, but it does happen. My daughter was 8 lbs 8.5 oz at birth, and had dropped below both height and weight charts by one year old (and kept right on falling further and further below the chart for the next year while she was diagnosed, etc. until getting on the rGH injections)... After three years on rGH, she is around the 0-1% for weight and 3-5% for height, but she is holding steady at that place on the chart. After being below and falling further, ON the chart, or "almost" on it in the case of weight, is pretty good.

And it had nothing to do with my breastmilk or her not eating enough...!

You can read about her journey on our family's website. http://www.skoogie.net/book.htm

Contact me any time. Good luck.
D.
http://www.cherishbirth.com

K.,

Sorry you are dealing with this. You are doing the right thing by breastfeeding. But breast milk is not better if the mommy doesn't eat correctly. You need to be supplementing your diet with healthy fats! Idealy a 1:1 ration of omega 3:omega 6. Hard to do in today's world...Avocado, salmon, flax, wheat germ, nuts. Now some of this you can't do if your family has a history of allergies or your baby is sensitive to these foods. Feed your little one mashed up avocado. Great fat food that is also super healthy. One of Dr. Sears first foods - btw. Veggies/fruits are great but aren't going to help her put on weight. Stoneyfield farms plain full fat yogurt or brown cow cream on top full fat plain yogurt are also good vehicles to mix veggies, fruits and mashed beans with - added fat and good bugs for the gut. GO ahead and use up the bm. Maybe mix it a bit of brown rice cereal to add some bulk. My girls had reflux and that was always recommended but I never did it because I was die hard bm only. I think we could have avoided some unnecessary weight concerns had I given in.

Your little one needs these healthy fats so her brain can develop properly. Remember that most rapid brain development occurs up until 18 months.
Will insurance pay for a nutrition/diet consultation for both Mom and Baby?

Good luck!

***not to freak out but have you tested for Turner's syndrome? Occurs in girls, growth declines then growth hormones are given to help maintain a positive growth curve. THe growth curve doctors use is different for these girls so that also helps you grasp a clear picture of how your babe is growing. Just a thought.

My triplets were tiny like that (-3 to 5%) and the doctor had me add Human Milk Fortifier to my breastmilk in a bottle once or twice a day. I'm not sure if you can buy it at the store or if you have to special order it. Your doc should be able to get you some or help you find it. We actually got ours from WIC, because, even if you don't normally qualify for WIC, if it is a medical necessity like HMF they will help you out.

Our kids are still on the small side for their age, but they are no longer in the 3-5% zone, so it must have helped. ;)

My niece was exactly the same. She was born at 6ln 4oz, and stayed roughly at the bottom of the growth chart her whole infancy. She is now 5 yo and about 35lbs. She's still a little short and pretty skinny, but totally healthy otherwise. She's ahead of the curve intellectually in kindergarten even though she is one of the youngest kids in her class (her birthday is 8/28).

When she was a baby they made her have special formula, a tight feeding schedule, and ran every test in the book. All that and they found nothing wrong with her. The Pedi still wants more tests, but my sister says no. We have all accepted that she is just how she is supposed to be, a peanut. Good luck.

You say in your intro that your baby was growing fine and than began to decline and you had her at 39 weeks and was perfect but below the normal term weight. She may always be a small child. We don't know what goes on while pregnant regardless of what the medical field says. Don't freak out about her being small she is who she is for her size. Just keep feeding her. You may need to change some of the foods that you eat or consult a dietitian to up the fat and nutrients in your breast milk.

My son is dating a woman who had a small like you describe at birth. Jordan is 12 but looks like she is 7 in since. Her physical clock is on time as she is developing into a young lady with breasts. I call her my little Pixie.

If you are not happy with your doctor, take her to another one as a second opinion and talk with him about your concerns. Take a list of your questions to him and have him answer them to your satisfaction. Keep us posted.

My son was/is small and probably always will be. When he was 9 months old, my pedi asked me to see how much breast milk I was actually producing. As it turns out, not nearly enough and I needed to supplement with formula. Like you, I would have never known had my pedi not recommended that we measure. My son nursed as usual and did not seem hungry. It took him a couple of weeks to begin to actually drink the recommended amounts of formula as he wasn't used to drinking that much. My advice is to work with your pedi. They do this all the time. They are the experts.

I am so sorry you are going through this. I can tell you really are doing everything you can to take care of your baby girl...aren't they wonderful? I have 3 girls of my own. I wanted to respond because although I never had to go through that, I have a friend who did. I am not sure what else she was doing to get some weight on her babay boy, but I do know the main thing she did in that first 2 week period was to feed him a whole avocado every day. They are high in fat content, but they are alo extremely good for you and not many are allergic to them. She fed him an avocado every day for several months. Her son did catch up over the next few months and he also developed normally, just a little on the small side. I hope that helps! Good luck and many prayers for you!

Hi K.! I have a little boy that is about to be one. He has always been below 3% in weight and lower in the other categories as well. He is small...but so were my husband and I. When I was 1 I weighed 17 lbs 6 ozs. Some babies are just smaller.

Breastmilk is best. If your diet is rich then I wouldn't worry too much. I think with seeing so many bigger babies it causes us to worry, but if she is healthy and you are too then I wouldn't worry!

K.,

You are right to question. Keep in mind your pediatrician likely knows VERY LITTLE about food. Most med schools teach nothing about nutrition and those that do, it is paltry and misleading information. Does it make sense then to rely on your pediatrician for any advice related to food, health and development? Your pediatrician is not properly trained to evaluate your daughter's overall health and nutritional absorption. They are trained to treat disease with drugs and surgery. They are not trained to promote health through nutrition and healthy lifestyle. They are not bad people, just not trained in health. This is sad but true.

My daughter was born on the small side - 5lbs 15 oz. Her head was 3-5% and she was 20 inches. She was a voracious eater - like she was born really really hungry. She hit ALL her milestones ahead of schedule and appeared very healthy. She did not have an interest in solids until 9 months. We nursed on demand. She slept close to me and nursed at night. I always felt she was getting enough milk. She spit up a lot, but otherwise seemed fine.

NOTE - A lactation consultant can measure how much milk she is getting. You weigh the baby before and after a nursing session to tell- this little experiment told us my daughter was getting enough. Try this if you want to be sure, but your instincts are likely very reliable on whether she is getting enough milk. If she seems satisfied, she is getting enough.

After my daughter was born, I had some health issues (fatigue, low hormones, insomnia, knee pain, etc.) so I researched my health and discovered a gluten and casein intolerance. I believe in retrospect this impacted my daugther's growth in utero. I then had my daughter tested even though she showed no signs of any problem, and the test showed she had a massive nutritional malabsorption problem due to gluten and casein. It simply hadn't manifested in disease yet.

Food intolerances are VERY COMMON. You don't need to have digestive complaints or hives to have it. It is estimated that 1 in 3 people has a gluten intolerance and 1 in 2 has an intolerance to either gluten or casein, or both. These are HUGE numbers and conventional medicine misses the boat on diagnosis most of the time. Average time for diagnosis is 11 years, if at all. Gluten passes through breast milk. If you eat gluten, and your daughter is intolerant to it, it can stunt her growth. Also, if you are intolerant, you will have a malabsorption problem and your breastmilk may be low in nutrients. This is a hereditary problem. Fertility issues, delayed growth in utero and failure to thrive after birth are ALL common symptoms of gluten intolerance.

Testing is easy. You can have your and your daughter's stool tested through www.enterolab.com. What could be easier for a baby than a stool test!! This is a lab in Plano that is very good. The director and founder is the former director of the GI research center at Baylor Dallas. He discovered the tip of the "food intolerance" iceberg during his research and started this lab to try to make a difference. No doctor referral needed. Just order test kits online and they email you the results. GI doctor's will recommend blood testing and endoscopies, both of which are highly invasive and not as accurate. Take matters into your own hands and get tested through Enterolab!! At a minimum, you can get a nutritional malabsorption test done which will tell you whether she is absorbing nutrients properly.

I NEVER supplemented with formula. Formula fed babies are fatter for a reason - it is an obesity inducing food, not a health inducing food. Sceintific studies demonstrate this. If your daughter is not growing properly, try to find out why. IS SHE ABSORBING HER NUTRIENTS PROPERLY? Formula may pile on pounds, but they are not healthy pounds and it is a bandaid on the problem.

Other tips - make sure you take a fish oil supplement. I like Carlson's brand fish oils from Whole Foods or Royal Abrams pharmacy. You can get a little cheaper from www.mercola.com. I take cod liver oil in winter for vitamin d, and regular fish oil in summer when I am getting enough vitalin D from sunshine. Don't do cod liver oil in summer - you will overdose on vitamin d.

For more nutritional tips, I like Dr. Mercola's website (www.mercola.com). In summary, there is WAY TOO MUCH gluten in our highly processed food American diet. When you think about it, it is no wonder so many people are sick and the health of this country is on a fasttrack downward spiral. Only in the last several decades has the diet of humanity descended into this terribly degraded state. Our health is suffering the consequences.

Do you want more children in the future? If so, do yourself and your daughter and future children a favor and investigate now.
Good luck!

Hi K.,
It sounds to me like you are doing everything right. I think that you should keep breastfeeding, eat healthy, and don't start giving her cereal early. Your doctor sounds like a good one. I think that you can trust him. Good luck!
E.

Try nursing more often. Like every two hours during the day and see if she will take it. You did not say how long she would nurse or how vigorously. She might need to eat more frequently till she gets her weight up.
Good luck.

Find a new pediatrician. From birth to 6 months my oldest daughter was never higher than the 5th percentile. From 6 months through 3 years, she dropped off into the negative also. She developed normally and was perfectly healthy otherwise. I tried supplementing with ensure and other high-calorie products to help her gain weight, but nothing really worked. Today she is 5 years old and only about 32 pounds. She is starting to get taller, but is still the smallest kid in the class. Her doctor said as long as she was not showing any other signes of problems, that everything was functioning and progressing as normal, and she was small proportionately (in both height and weight) there really wasn't anything to worry about. She started gymnastics at 2 so she is this little tiny powerhouse. It sounds like you are doing all the right things, so don't waste as much time worrying as much as I did.

My oldest daughter, although born on due date, always fell way below what was deemed "normal". She looked like a petite porcelein doll. All through school she was the smallest one in her class and her nick name was mouse. Then she began High School, started her menustral cycle and grew 5 inches and put on 20 pounds over night. She is by no means a large girl now, very muscular but above average in height now at 5"7 and 135 lb! Hopefully this note will encourage you!
L. B

Hey, K.!
Congratulations-it sounds like you have a happy healthy baby girl and that from my experiences you are doing everything right. I was born prematurely weighing in at 4 lbs. 13 oz. My daughter was born overdue at a healthy weight, however, she too fell off of the growth chart. She was long and lean. I got stressed out about it before I realized that she is just the right size for her. I spent a lot of time worrying and being concerned. She is now 4 and a very healthy eater. And still long and lean. I supplemented breast feeding with formula. Your daughter is showing signs of being satisfied. She is the best indicator of whether or not she is getting enough to eat. If she needs more nutrition, she will take the extra being offered. You are taking excellent care or your little one:) Good luck!