Slow Weight Gain in 9 Month Old

I'm a mom of a big baby and then a small one. My son was 90th percentile for years and my daughter 5th percentile. At 16 and 12, they are both thin, but healthy kids. I say don't worry too much! Enjoy! As long as he is eating well, he should be fine. Worry will just add wrinkles!

My son always had a weight issue until he was about 1 or 1 1/2 yrs. The doctor actually put him on a type of protein drink along with feeding him high fat foods. Try avocado w/a little mayo mixed in or mashed potatoes w/ butter. Look for the high fat foods.

It sounds like you are doing everything right. I was in the 8th% until I was 4, then I jumped up. I didn't weigh 20 lbs until I was almost 2. I am now almost 30 with three wonderful kids, still small at 5'2" and 112 lbs, but perfectly healthy:)

I totally understand your concern - you are not alone. My daughter is also small (20 lbs at 15 months) and her growth is always top of mind for me. She was born 7 weeks premature and was diagnosed as a poor feeder early on. Her food consumption now is fine and her growth seems to be fine, but she's just small. Someone the other day thought she was 10 months old! It was like a blow to my gut.

However, she is happy and energetic, which shows me every day that her size is fine and she's fine. I think that as long as your son is happy and energetic, then you have nothing to worry about.

As far as suggestions go for improving his weight gain, you have lots of options in additon to your doctor's advice. Depending on how you nurse him, you can try to make sure he gets as much of the hind milk as possible -- nurse him on one side at a time, or pump after he nurses then serve him the hind milk in a sippy at meal time. You can also mix the milk with cereal (you may already be doing this). I also recall reading a post recently where a mom had a newborn that wasn't gaining as much weight as he should, so she changed her diet and his weight gained improved. I think she removed wheat and dairy from her diet.

One food that is a staple in my daughter's diet is avocado. Smooth, creamy and SOOOO good for her. It has a high fat content and can be blended until it's creamy smooth -- your son may enjoy it considering he doesn't like chunky textures.

For feeding in general, make sure you keep mealtime fun, with ZERO pressure. It's easy for us moms to ask our kids to "take just one more bite!", but it's best to stop as soon as our kids say they have had enough. I find that my daughter is a much better eater when I don't worry about how much she is eating.

Finally, remember that the beauty of having a small baby is that we can carry them longer without killing our backs and they stay baby-like a bit longer. It is frightening how quickly they grow up!

My youngest was the same way. He was very little and petite and the dr's tried to get me to put him on formula instead of breastfeeding. I know that breast is best and talked to a few different people (one from a wic office, and another dr) and the dr I talked to I fell in love with. He said some kids are bigger, some are smaller. As long as he is eating enough and he isn't getting dehydrated then he's fine. And he's now almost 4 and a perfectly healthy little boy. I wouldn't worry too much, I think many people have been through similar issues and things turn out just fine. Good luck.

Our son is also a skinny kiddo - tall an lean at 8 months. Takes after his father and I. As long as he doesn't appear unhealthy (no hollow eyes etc) I wouldn't worry too much. Our pediatrician also recommended trying to get him to eat more. We've tried things like avacado with varying success. We have days where he eats like a bird and other days where he eats like a horse. I try to gauge his appetite by how much he's eaten all week rather than just day by day.

More than anything, check into what you and your husband were like as babies - your little one could be following right in your footsteps. I try to think of it with a bit of humor - at least my back will hold out a little longer than most while carting him around ;-)!

Hi L.,

Each child is different and will grow at different rates. If he is happy and sleeping well, then he is eating enough for now. I think those charts can tend to be skewed by those children who have a lot more baby fat and are fed formula instead of breast milk. My daughter has always been around the 20th percentile, but has never looked underweight. My daughter is now at 29.4 lbs at 2 and a half. I have a friend whose son is about to turn 3 and is 9 lbs heavier. Both kids look healthy (and are), but he is just more "solid".
As your son's ability to gum and swallow finger food improves, then he will probably start gaining weight. You might try 4% fat cottage cheese as another idea (you could even blend it up some) and mix with fruit baby food. I think that continued focus on healthy foods is the important thing. There are all kinds of studies that suggest that overweight toddlers become obese adults. It is much better to have a child on the low end, as long as they have a varied and healthy diet.

My daughters were both small; not hitting 30 lbs until 2nd grade. We felt their small size could be attributed to heredity, but the doctors did have us keep food diaries (for months) and ran tests to make sure they were not only eating enough, but actually able to absorb the nutrition from what they ate. Once that was clarified, we just concentrated on upping caloric intake - we mixed half-n-half or cream in the rice cereal, made scrambled eggs with an extra yolk and cooked in butter, and gave a late afternoon snack (cut up bits of ice cream sandwiches, soft peanut butter cookie chunks, whatever would mostly disintegrate in their mouths so they'd have to swallow it).

The other portion of weight building is giving your child opportunities for muscle building excercise.

You didn't say whether you were feeling pressure to get you to switch to bottle feeding. I would definitely encourage you to continue breast feeding as long as you can. We did offer a cup as a supplement (1/3rd half-n-half and 2/3rds whole milk) at 1 yr old.

I feel for you. I have a 26 mo old daughter who at last weigh in was only 24 lbs. Does your family have a history of "petite" children. My brothers and i were always thin so i dont worry bout her weight as long as she is hitting the milestones.

Hello L.,
It's easy to freak out over our babies not being within "normal" ranges. We want so badly for them to be healthy little ones and at the first sign of detour from normal we get worried. It's normal.
I'd keep an eye on it, and try different foods. Have you tried avacado? My son was tiny, skinny and wouldn't eat anything until we introduced avacado. I thought he was going to turn into one. Just keep trying different foods with him, maybe he just hasn't found one that tastes good to him.
Also, be aware that your doctor has to protect his/her license. If these slow growing rates are missed by him/her, that's not good for his or her career. In my opinion, sometimes the docs jump with little signs like this and run with them, when the babies will catch up on their own. So ask your ped what other signs to look for that may cue you towards something being wrong. Be observant and be a detective. And maybe this is just your babies normal growing rate and that's ok too.
He'll catch up!
Good luck! Hugs!

My 8 month old is in the same boat. She is only 15 lbs but 28 inches, plus she is average for head size. DON'T worry!!!! ESPECIALLY SINCE YOUR BABY IS HAPPY, SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT ETC. I was a small baby (and so were my bro and sis) and I truly think it is genetic. Don't let the doctor freak you out or the charts. You know what is best and so does your baby. He will eat when he wants/needs to. I was still trying to feed my daughter every 2 hours even up until 6 months to try and get her to gain some weight but it didn't work. (She is breast fed also). I have also heard that breast fed babies tend to weigh less and not chunk up as much as formula fed babies (due to the fact that your breast milk adjusts to your babies needs whereas formula is always the same). GOOD LUCK!!!!! NO WORRIES!!!!!!!

Hi there,
Don't worry! I have a 2 1/2 year old who has always been below the charts for weight gain. The first few months of his life we had to take him in for weekly weight checks and I have to tell you it does make you paranoid.
I still have him on whole milk and I did do alot of butter, yogurt, etc. with him which helped a little. He is also a picky eater which makes things even more difficult. Sad to say but if he eats something everymeal we rejoice. At this point I have decided that even though he is still below the chart he is happy, hitting his milestones, energetic, and eating so I shouldn't be too concerned.
Good luck.

My now 19mo old has only been in the 25% once and that was at birth. Since then he has as his ped. puts it been on his own growth curve. He stays between the 5% and 10% for weight and 50%-75% for height. I still worry but the ped and his specialists say that he is growing just at his own rate so not too worry. There have even been times when he is sick or teething,etc. that he will lose weight and I worry but he always gains that little bit back though never more. He is 19mo old and only 22.8lbs(which is less than a few weeks ago of 23.4) and about 33in tall. If your really concerned talk to a specialist like a nutritionist or something. Jojo has asthma, allergies, slowly outgrowing reflux, and has a sever dairy allergy so he can't have the "fattening" foods that most kids can. GOOD LUCK and don't worry so much, I know easier said than done.

After having 3 chubby babies, my 4th was diagnosed with "failure to thrive". He was small, skinny and not a happy camper. I tried feeding him various fattening foods but he was not interested in eating.

My fussy baby is now going on 12. He still would rather play than eat and is a slim kid. But after a difficult start, he is now healthy, happy and thriving.

Hi L.-
I too have a very small son. He never got over the 25% at any age on those charts. My doctor was concerned also, he told me to feed him Ben & Jerry's ice cream, because of the high fat content. I could never do it. My son is now almost 11. He is still very small (like me), but he is a healthy, active boy. He almost never gets sick, even when everyone around him does. He actually enjoys being small, it gives him distinction. He says I may be small but I am quick. We just left him alone and let him grow. He may never be tall, but it is what is on the inside that counts anyway!
Annemarie

My daughter is the same way, even at 18 months. Her cousins were small so I am not worried.
We give her as many calories as we can, let her snack frequently. She otherwise is happy and healthy.
i've had to ignore comments like "she's so petite" or "small for her age"

Boy, do I hear your pain! Our little girl was born 3 days late and came in at a "whopping" 5 lbs. 14 oz. - needless to say, we were all shocked because my OB thought she would be over 8 pounds. Well, her head and height stayed around 10% while her weight was never more than 3% (and I think that was being generous).

She's had blood work, pee tests, etc. and is always completely healthy. We've gone to a nutritionist (What a waist of $180!! She told me what Gerber foods had more calories - which we didn't feed to our daughter, and I CAN read labels. And told us to give her things like creamy dips, mayo, ice cream, butter, etc. - all the things the doctor already said. And, gave me crap for raising a vegetarian child [she does eat fish now, but didn't then]. Basically, she wanted us to give our child plenty of unhealthy, processed foods that are extra fattening to supplement her diet).

Well, now I have a 2 1/2 year old little girl who is a picky eater, extremely active and still teeny-tiny. She FINALLY hit 22 pounds (that's right!!) after not being able to get past 21 for 6 months. She is no where on the chart any more for her weight. However, she has sprouted in height and now stays consistently in the 25th percentile for her height. We have had weight check appointments every few months of her life and she continues to stay small while gaining just a little each time. We go back in July to decide if we're going to run more blood work. Her doctor says she's getting more and more small babies and she thinks of us all the time. She's not SUPER worried because she is still growing even though her weight barely increases. She has told me many times that if her head growth and height stalled out and/or she was lethargic then there would be real concern.

Our daughter has hit all of her milestones on the early side and has done most things weeks or months before her friends. She is very smart and very energetic. I always joke that her food is fueling her brain and that her brain is too busy learning to bother worrying about making her body grow. ;-)

Now that most of her friends will be three this summer or fall, it's amazing how they are all catching up with each other. She doesn't look like the runt (for lack of a better word) of the group anymore and is pretty close in height to the shorter kids.

As a mom of a tiny kid, you tend to meet other tiny-baby moms all over the place. We all have the same frustrations, and when you meet moms with kids 5 or older, they seem to say that they have caught up in size.

We have started giving her at least 1 PediaSure a day the last couple of months (which you can do once he's one) just to guarantee she's getting an extra boost of calories and vitamins. Please know that you're doing a great job and don't beat yourself up about feedings. I know I have worried myself sick since she was two days old, didn't want to latch on and lost too much weight. Our little girl does gain weight but then when she's sick for 1-3 weeks, she basically stops eating and loses everything she took months to gain.

Also, my dad and myself have done a lot of research on the weight and height charts and please know that they are based on formula fed babies in the 1970's!!! Back when the main ingredient of formula was corn syrup! We also found that breast-fed babies tend to grow faster earlier on and then they slow down considerably around 6-9 months. In contrast, formula babies get chunkier at that same time. Also, once our little girl turned 2, her doctor said that she would MUCH RATHER be dealing with a small 2 year old than a chubby one and that chubbier toddlers are a much greater concern. So be proud of your "pocket-baby" and know you're a wonderful mom!!! :-)

I am the mama of a tiny girl. At her 18 month check up the nurse joked with me about how tiny she was, still not quite 20 pounds at a year and a half! She has always been in the 15th percentile or smaller. She is happy, healthy and has always steadily grown so the doctor has never had an issue with it, says "she's just small". She is now 2 months shy of 3 years old and only weighs 27 pounds! I often get compliments of how bright she is and how amazed people are at what she is doing for her age, they typically think she's less than 2 because of how small she is.
I wouldn't worry about it. As long as he is still growing overall there probably isn't anything to be concerned with.

Sounds like he is probably just fine, as long as he seems healthy in other ways and is continuing to grow. The charts are about averages, and there is nothing at all wrong with being smaller than the average person (especially since the average person these days is quite overweight!). But I do wonder whether breastfeeding five times a day is enough for him at this age? it seems like my babies nursed more often than that. I wouldn't give him milk products at all, they are not good for humans of any age, and especially not good for babies. Avocados and nut and seed butters are good sources of fat, and babies usually love them. I'd offer him lots of fresh ripe fruits and vegetables, a wide variety of healthy foods he can feed himself, as well as letting him nurse as often as he wants (and continue breastfeeding until he is ready to wean, which could be 2 or 3 or even 4 years old), and otherwise not make a big deal of it. And I agree you don't need alarmist advice! Sounds like you're a wonderful mom!

L.,

I know the anxious feeling that you're going through, my daughter was diagnosed as Failure to thrive due to GERD, thank goodness this isn't the case for you! I would imagine some gagging is normal as your little one is figuring out how to munch, swallow and breath all at the same time. That takes a lot of coordination! I would say if it's consistant and causes him to vomit I would mention it to your pediatrician.

Listen to your pediatrician, a few extra calories can do so much for a little body! It sounds as if your little one is very much on track, meeting milestones and happy. What we did for Abby was add organic yo-baby yogurt or any other "healthy" yogurt that is RBST and antibiotic free. Did you know that butter and cream have a lot of calories and adding a tsp or more to his favorite puree like chicken and noodles or oatmeal will add quite a few calories? Also some of the baby food vegetable purees are nothing more than glorified water with added vitamins. You could try to make your own vege and fruit purees. A blender, some fresh ripe fruit/veges and some yogurt....YUM. There are a ton of combinations. But I get ahead of myself. We had to do major calorie adjustments for Abby as well as a few other things. Maybe start with the yogurt and go from there. Our girlie liked avacados as well. We do try to stay away from sweets like ice cream, so much sugar!

Just don't sweat this. It will pass, he'll gain weight and you'll wonder why you worried so much! How could he not gain weight? You're already on top of the game. My little Abby is now actually on the charts, she fell off them before she was one, she's now almost two and is 22 pounds, a cherub...almost.

Good Job Mom!
K.

I'm so sorry this is worrying you. The same thing happened with my daughter. She was tiny, weighing only 17 pounds when she was! I tried to tell the doc's that she didn't come from giants and I thought she was perfect. After a long list of tests, they told me she was just small and needed to eat more. I never knew how to get my baby to eat more, so I stopped seeing that doctor and switched to a naturopath. Now my daughter is 15 years old, taller than me, robust and healthy. Try to keep in mind that the charts are made by insurance companies and allow no room for the individual person. My younger children never knew where they fell on the charts and I never talked about it with other moms; they are fine too. My heart goes out to you because I felt so worried for at least a year; that I wasn't doing something right. I think mom's know in their hearts if something is wrong or if their baby is okay. Try to trust your instincts more than the doctors. Good luck to you good mama!

I have three boys, 6, 4 and 17 months. All three have been at 10% or under for weight. My two older boys at age 1 weighed 18 lbs and my youngest weighed 17 lbs. I just had to have his weight checked at 15 months and 16 months. He only gained 1 1/2 lbs in 4 months. At the last appointment he had blood drawn and had to collect stool. Every thing came back fine. The pediatrician said to give him more fat. Also, I nursed him for 14 months and the doctor was going to have me stop nursing because he was worried he was not getting enough. You may want to supplement with formula to see if that helps. He will be fine and they say if his head is not growing then that is a concern. Just give him more things with fat. It is stressful but am sure he will be fine.

I am here if you have any other questions.

S.

Hi L.,

I know this must be tough, but hang in there! In my work, I've watched a lot of infants grow up, and they all have their own ways of doing it. Some start out big and stay big, some start out big and slow down. Some start out small and stay a little smaller than the pack, some gain weight and height later on. The important thing to remember is that your child's body knows what it is doing. There are reasons beyond our comprehension that they do or don't gain weight as fast as other children. A higher metabolism will be a blessing as he gets older!

My girlfriend's son is very similar. She worried, too, about his lower-weight, and placing in the percentile (wretched charts, in my opinion...all they cause is worry!) and her doc suggested the same thing. He is about 14 months and still a little on the small size, but overall, he's just fine, cruising around, and exploring his world.

Some children don't gain as much weight because they are very active and crawling/walking, burning off calories like mad. Others are just inclined to be a little smaller. As long as your son is healthy overall, pretty happy (i.e. not depressed--no baby is always happy) and developmentally on track, as your doc will be sure to check at each visit, RELAX! You are doing a great job as a mom, and your son will continue to thrive. Thriving isn't about a number of pounds, it's about being alive to one's fullest. Enjoy your son, feed him what he can reasonably eat (my 13 month old is still on pureed food most of the time, so don't worry in that regard either!), and keep on nursing that sweet boy. That's the best nutrition of all!

Remember the weight charts are for FORMULA FED BABIES and not breastfed....my daughter has finally hit 30lbs at 3 1/2... she started at 75% and is now down to 25% and my ped never worried about her weight because she saw the rest of the picture...it's disturbing with the obesity epidemic that drs are prescribing MORE fat-unless your child looks/tests ill/depleted, then I think you should just keep doing what you are doing-yogurt is another good dairy source and great for the tummy! "Child of Mine" and "Secrets to feeding a Healthy Family" (I'm not exactly sure of that second title) by Elyn Satter is also a good supportive book that reminds us, kids know how to eat and how to stop when they are full...it helps to have support to trust ourselves and our kids!

I ditto the other responses: please do not worry too much!
Those charts were made for bottle-fed, caucasian kids and do not take into consideration breast-feeding and ethnic backgrounds, genetics or simply individual growth patterns.
Of my nieces all 3 were awfully small and petite, the youngest still is (2.5 years, still wears size 9-12 months) and her doctor is NOT WORRIED AT ALL. She is otherwise on target and ahead developmentally. She never even made it on any of the weight or height lines.
The older ones have both caught up to their peers by the time they entered school.
To add some calories to his meals, try adding a spoonful of a high quality vegetable oil (cold pressed) to his pureed foods.
Slowing down in weight gain is pretty normal around this age, as they get more physically active.

Ok so my now 16 month old was a 22.8 lb 6 month old!! At her 1 year check she weighed in at 23.6..... she didn't even gain a lb in 6 months and she has held pretty steady at that weight since then. She has gotten alot taller but she has not put on more than 2 ounces since her 1 yr check. (We were just at the doc so I know for sure)

I don't have advice from a small baby stand point, but from a moms stand point where you worry that they are not "ok". If he is eating and happy then you are doing your job. Add a few high fat things if that is what your ped reccomends, but know that as he gets even more mobile, he will stick pretty close to this plateau weight.

Good luck to you and hopefully he takes well to his new delicious food options!! :)

Hi L.,
I understand your concern. Sometimes these things are just genetic, though. As long as he is still gaining weight, and having enough wet diapers and dirty diapers, he's fine. Active, happy, sleeping. All good things. Hitting his milestones. I know 9 month old babies that are almost 30 lbs, the doctors never tell them to go on a diet. I know 2 year olds that are barely 22 lbs. If all other signs point to normal, don't worry too much about his size. They grow in spurts, and some babies are just petite. MOST importantly, keep on breastfeeding. That will ensure that he is getting all the nutrition he needs. :)

I think your doctor has given you good advice and as a doctor, has to document concerns--for malpractice reasons. If he's just a petite boy, that's just it. I agree with others about the charts, they're skewed toward a certain type of baby.

Babies SHOULD be getting lots of healthy-fat foods. Avocados, egg-yolks, whole milk, full fat yogurt, etc. Unlike adults, little ones need these healthy fats for development (brain development in particular). So experiment and see what he likes. My daughter is a pasta freak, so we buy the whole grain/wheat pasta, put a teaspoon of olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and she chows! She has enjoyed this meal since she was about your son's age. Sometimes we plop other goodies in the pasta like broccoli (but she's older).

I don't want to sound "alarming" but...You mentioned that he has a tendency to cough or gag when eating solids--you might ask the doc to take a look at his tonsils. I had a close friend whose little girl (at about 8 months) would not eat anything solid. It turned out she had enlarged tonsils...her doc said she would probably grow out of them, so it reassured her to know. Her daughter did indeed grow out of it. Just something to consider (it might be another mouth/throat issue too).

He sounds like he is most definitely thriving, and you obviously are doing a great job taking care of his needs. Enjoy these days with your little one and take care!

My son did the same thing. He was only 17 lbs at 1 year old and weighed 7.8 at birth. I nursed my son until he was 7 months old, and stopped mostly because I had gone back to work and my body just didn't produce as much even though I still pumped on a regular basis. Anyway, My son didn't like formula so it was a challenge getting him to drink enough during the day. He did eat other foods and pretty well, I thought. Anyway, at his 9 month check up, his dr. recommended feeding him whole milk instead of formula and then add all the fatty foods to his diet as it sounds like yours has. She said "what every you try to stay away from, feed him". He was in the 5% for weight all along. He is now almost 3 and weighs 27 lbs. He is totally healthy and active and drinks milk and eats really well. One good weight gaining yet healthy food is avocados...have you tried them? My son loved them. Hang in there and just do what works for your child.

both my children are very slow weight gainers. My 2nd child(8 months) especially has had trouble. Although he wasn't dropping weight..he was only gaining a few ounces and dropping from 25% down to 5%. He is very tall for his age and I assume most of his calories are going to his length. Anyway, I started giving him pureed avacado and that seems to help with some of his weight- I would give it to him 2- 3 times a week. It's good for them and has fat to help them.

When my son Shane was little, he was WIC certifiable after age five due to being labeled "failure to thrive"...he was just SO small! When he was walking at 11 months (small or not, he hit all his benchmarks, some early, and he was VERY smart) people used to say "oh he's only six months or so, how can he be walking?" He is now a 16 year old athlete who gets acceptable grades (he's ADD, not related to size, his brother has that too) and he outgrew me years ago...he has asthma but that hasn't stopped him from being for many years a three sport kid...this year he dropped one to concentrate on grades...I ramble, but my point is, as long as he's healthy, he'll catch up in size later.

I know how you feel. My son is going on 17 months now, but since he was born he has been on the smaller side of the charts...always in the 20-25% for height and weight (but in the 75% for his head size!! ). He is still gaining weight and heigth, but very slowly. Our doctor has said that he is just fine (he too is doing well in all other milestones, and actually better musclular control for a guy his age, according to the doc). Our friends all tell us he is fine....and he will grow when he grows...and sometimes they won't have that growth period until later. I do tend to compare him to other kids at daycare when I drop him off or pick him up...and yes, he is in the smaller catagory for his age group...but I tell ya, he is one of the most active, mobile and expressive kids there....even more so than kids older than him. I think that maybe being small at the beginning is a blessing...they can move easier and have better control than kids who are bigger at the beginning...so big that they just won't have that muscle control until later. So, have heart, there are plenty of smaller kids out there...and they are ALL fine. Who knows, maybe our boys will end up being bigger later in school when the other kids have stopped growing. :)

My daughter is also small she is 3 and weighs only 25lbs. But my dr. is not concerned he said that as long as she is gain she is fine. She is also in the 5th to 10th percentile

My daughter is almost 15 months and she is in the 20%. I have a great doctor who told me she is not concerned at all. If she is happy and has energy and wants to play then she is getting enough food. If she is low energy then she would be concerned. I hope this helps.

While I'm not a parent myself, I work with lots of moms with babies and toddlers. The best advice I can give you is to not worry, especially if your child is meeting other milestones on time. Trust your instincts, you know your child best, and if you feel he's doing well, then he's doing well. I know it's hard to not worry--that's what moms do--but really, he sounds like he's right on target. It totally sounds like you're a great mom, otherwise you wouldn't be concerned. :) Keep doing what you're doing, and go with your gut feeling. Not every child has to big the biggest or best...it's ok to be small, and being small has its benefits, really! Hang in there! :)

when my son was about 12 months, he wasn't gaining or growing length wise. i did worry too. The Dr. said i was trying to eat too healthy and that baby needed more fat. i was doing weight watchers and using many low fat products. i started giving him the high fat dairy products and gave him about an ounce of cheese as a night snack while we read stories. from our baby picts, my hubby and i were skinny babies, so i assume he gets it from us! if you little one is happy, just try to add more fat to his diet. has he had a change in activity level? my son stated walking about the time that he plateaued in growing. it seemed to be slow grow for about a year, but he is getting taller now, and gaing wt. still skinny though! i'm not complaining about that though! =-)

L.: I have a 9 month old too. My doctor was concerned a little when she only weighed 13 lbs at this age. He then looked over my history (I'm small and her dad is a large guy)and my son's history (4 yr old that weighs 29lbs). He realized that since all the milestones were made, then he wasn't too worried about it.
It hasn't been proved, but I feel that if you start feeding your children high fatty foods early in life, it could lead to weight problems later in life. That is my personal advice, so I would just keep doing what you are doing and feed him as you stated in your request. Unless he's not sleeping or seems hungry more often, then you're the perfect example of why we as moms are better at taking care of their kids than doctors. We know our kids better. Keep in mind that a practicing doctor can only give you advice that is for a majority situation. As long as his wieght and height go up, then you know that your child is fine.

Best wishes-you are a great mom!!!!

Kim B.

I had a "runt," too. He's nearly two, now, and he's still wearing 18 month sized clothing! He is super healthy, very happy, and active. My husband refers to him as our "running back."

The head size is important - and he's fine on this. Just remember that those charts are based on the "average" of every baby in this country. The average father is six feet tall, and the average mother is 5"6. Not every family fits in to this category and I think it's perfectly reasonable that your son, my youngest son, and tens of thousands of other babies are considerably "smaller" than "average."

My guess is that the only reason your doctor is even really expressing concern is because 1) he knows what first time moms are like; and 2) your post seemed to indicate you might be a bit more of a worry wart than the typical first time mom - so he's trying to be sensitive to your concerns and he's trying to give you something to do to keep you busy!

My son hit every milestone. He's totally healthy. He's actually back on the chart now that he's nearly two - but he's still at least four pounds lighter and two inches shorter than his twin brother. I never worried about the charts - and I never found it necessary to stuff him like a Christmas turkey! I made certain he had proper nutrition and I fed him when he wanted to eat. (We nursed for a long time, too.) I actually enjoyed the fact that he could wear an outfit more than one time before growing out of it!

My sister's three kids have all been tiny. Meanwhile my other sister and I have large children. I think it's all in the genes if your child is doing so well in the other areas you pointed out. Don't worry - worry doesn't help anything! Put your efforts into continuing to provide a healthy life for your baby!

My son only gained a pound from 6-10 months, and there were 3 months in there that he weighed exactly the same each month. He never dropped off the chart because he started out so high on it, and he was growing longer each month, just not gaining weight. I worried about it for a bit, but then as I went through my own baby book, I found that I did the exact same thing at the same age. He was following my growth pattern exactly. He was also hitting all his milestones. Now he's a totally normal, healthy 42-pound 4-1/2 year old.

Our son had the same issue. Except he fell below the 5th percentile in weight. Our doctor told us to give him more fattening foods. We tried this he would eat a little but it didn't increase his percentile ranking. Our doctor had us concerned as well. Developmentally in everything else he was advanced of where he should be. At 18 months our doctor said this is just how he is made. And she wasn't concerned about it any longer. My advice is that as long as he is developing normal in every other area don't worry. Do provide him with the opportunity to eat those higher cal foods, but don't stress over it.

I just finished a great book title "My Child Won't Eat" by Carlos Gonzalez. He writes about the fears around weight gain in babies and how to best deal with it. I highly recommend it, even to parents of children who eat well.

The short answer, from what I gather, is that most table foods are less calorie-dense than breast milk, so adding foods may not help. In some cases it hinders weight-gain. The author recommends increasing breast feeding if weight gain is slow.

It also sounds like he's not ready for finger foods since he is gagging. Offering is fine, but please don't feel pressured to get food into him since it won't improved weight-gain. He's on his own time line and seems to be doing just fine.

Congratulations on raising a happy, healthy baby!

This is very normal for a breast fed baby. All my kids started out nice and plump but around the 8 month to a year mark started to thin out. That is because they become mobile and just frankly aren't chubby little babies anymore. America has such a problem with obese kids but when you have a "thin" one you suddenly are told to feed them fattening foods!! Ugh! Go to the World Health Organization website to find their growth charts. My daughter was not even on the "normal" ones you find at a drs office but she registered about 25th on the WHO charts because she was solely breastfed and their charts are focused on a breast fed baby who is not roly poly like babies on the formula milk. Do you know the first ingredient in formula is corn syrup solids??? No wonder it produces fat babies! I have 4 kids and my 2nd quit nursing at 6 months so I gave him formula. Guess who was my "fat" baby? You have genetics also going in here. Some kids grow a lot before they are 2 some before they are 6 and some poor kids are small their whole childhood but then grow like a weed in high school. Variety is the spice of life:) Be glad your kid isn't setting out for obesity. You are giving your son the best milk, don't sub it with pasterized milk lack of all the amazing properties of your milk. Hang in there!

My son is a slow gainer and I began to add organic butter or cream cheese to his veggie purees. I even put butter in his morning cereal. Babies under two thrive on fats--not just for weight gain but also brain development. Just look at breast milk--over 40% of its calories come from fat! He is still lean (that's just his build), but it seems to have put a bit of meat on his bones.

Hi L.,
I can understand that you are worried, but you can talk yourself out of it! This is about the time that all kids start to slim down--they grow taller, but don't gain that much extra weight. If he seems to be developing just fine otherwise--and he sounds like he is--he's just small and he'll catch up later. Kudos for breastfeeding. That will give him some fat also and keep him healthy.

My daughter was round and roly-poly as a little baby, but from about 10 mos to about 15 mos or so she didn't gain any weight at all and didn't grow much taller. They told us that since she had fallen down a certain number of growth curves that she was in the technical category of "failure to thrive." But they said not to worry about it, just to try to feed her fattier foods and check her again in 3 months (instead of 6). Sure enough, she had dropped down on the growth curves, but began following one of the lower curves and is now a happy, healthy 5 year old who still doesn't eat very much. All of that is to say, I understand that it is stressful to be on alert, but keep doing exactly what you are doing. Keep your eye on this, but don't *worry*. Normal kids all look pretty different from each other :)

My 2 year old FINALLY weighs 20 pounds! Woo Hoo! I have a small baby, short and skinny too. She is much smaller, but her father's side is pretty small too. She is perfectly healthy and normal, and she eats more than her 4 year old sister at every meal, takes ample snacks and drinks! PPL think I don't feed her, because she mooches off of everyone (J/K- but my friends find it humorous).
So, don't feel bad. My friend's son fell off the charts, and now that he is two, he is fine, normal, and the dr. isn't concerned at all.
You're not alone - plenty of mama's out there have small babies!

L.,

Does you gut tell you that your baby isn't well?? If not don't worry. My daughter wasn't even in the 5% until she was 18 months. The pediatritian sent us to a nutritionist before she got on to the chart. They just wanted us to push junk food with her meals. Like syrup on pancakes, juice and pediasures. My daughter hates sweets and doesn't care for much that isn't fruit and meat. She's now 2 and barely over 20lbs. But you as a mother know if something isn't right with your child. They made us run lots of test and draw lots of blood to no avail. My daughter is very healthy and happy.

Wow! I would worry too but always remember it's what you do that matters. Don't beat yourself up with the self-talk.

My son is very active and with various fevers and 3 weeks of diahrea, he's in the 25th% in weight. He is 9 months (and we have an almost 3 year old too.) Here are some of my food suggestions of what we've done to put a belly on him:

1. Graduate Puffs (flavors are banana; banana strawberry and corn). They melt in his mouth. My son has eaten these since he was 6 months old and loves them. It gives them great practice at feeding themselves. This is a snack for my son.

2. Banana mixed with avocado -- mash it all together (whole banana and half an avocado)

3. Protein -- lots and lots of protein. We serve my son beef stew and chopped up turkey for lunch and dinner. We buy the Kettle turkey (already cooked) from Costco. It's the best!!! We also serve him steel cut oatmeal for breakfast with cut up fruit.

4. Whole grain pasta with melted cheese

5. I also liked your doctor's suggestion about whole fat yogurt and cheese. You can always mix your own yogurt parfait with plain or vanilla yogurt and fresh cut up fruit.

I was always taught to texturize fast or the baby gets used to the pureed food and 'somewhat lazy'. Start mixing pureed with chopped pieces of cooked food. We also serve chopped up bananas and raw pears. I agree that my son doesn't like all chopped up food but he's getting used to it by mixing it in with the things he does like. For example with the stew, we cut his beef really tiny b/c it's hard to chew but we include whole peas and chopped up cooked carrots for the texture and the gravy mashes it all together. He loves it!

Also, we give Jackson a spoon while he's eating. I never did this with my daughter but Jackson just doesn't seem to enjoy eating otherwise. He used to cry or put his thumb in his mouth. He likes to take part in the process. We have started to put food on his spoon and he feeds himself. It's very cute to watch. Or we make sure we have food on the table, i.e. bread pieces, so he can feed himself while I give him the meal.

One thing I learned at a presentation was there's 'good food' and 'fun food'. At this age, you want them to build a pallet for 'good food'. The 'fun food' can come later. So definitely don't start providing lots of sugary food or carbohydrates b/c it's not healthy for them. It's up to you what you consider 'good food'. In my mind, it's protein, whole grains (steel cut oatmeal, whole grain pasta, 100% whole wheat bread), whole fruit (not applesauce or fruit leather), meats, vegetables and dairy (yogurt and cheese). Fun food for us is banana bread and Puffs. We don't serve juice at this age nor any other sweets.

Good luck!

Hi L.,

I know how you feel. My daughter has been small since just a few months old. When she was born she was 50% all across the board, then her weight dropped to 20% then to 10% and then to 5% as of her first birthday. She is 14 months old now. She stayed in the 5-10% since about 3 months so it isn't as much of a drop as it seems. My doctor said not to worry as long as it didn't take a drastic drop or increase for that matter. From about 3-7 months we had to go in every month for a weight check. She was 50% for height until around 9 months then was about 25% and her head has been 85% since she was about 3 months old. The doctor said she is very healthy we just have to watch the weight too. So first off stop worrying, I know it is hard and it took me a long time, but once I did I was so much happier. She like your baby is on track for all milestones is happy and sleeps through the night! Part of her problem was the sleeping through the night since she did it from birth, so she wasn't eating as much as other babies, early on. So now for some helpful stuff to try. The yo-baby whole organic yogurt is awesome and did help put the weight on her so she didn't drop anymore in % for weight from about 6 months on I have been giving it to her. She loves it and has one a day for weight gain. Also bananas both baby food and finger food which ever you prefer are great for weight. If your son is having problems with harder finger foods the best to start are the little stars by Gerber. They have no calories so that isn't so helpful, but they really helped my daughter learn how to eat and they melt fast so no gagging. Once you feel comfortable Mac and cheese is great for weight gain. If he isn’t ready yet for the real stuff due to gagging they make a puree and it has tons of calories!! I was worried about giving it to her once a week because it isn’t' the healthiest, but my doctor said give it to her twice a week if I want because she can use the calories and it isn't bad for her either. Plus it is a great finger food once you feel comfortable. She loves, loves, loves, loves it too!! She will eat that the best and has really helped with the weight gain. She is still small between 5-10% for weight, but at least she isn't dropping % any more. Sorry this was so long. Hope it helps.

I would not worry...I know it is hard to do but my little girl was 6lb 14 oz at birth then the next day 6 lb 10 oz. At her two week apointment she was 7 lb 10 oz which is great they always want the baby back at birth weight by then. At her 4 month she was a chubby 13 lb 6 oz but after that her weight and height slowed down. I stoped taking her to a tradditional doctor and went to a Natural path for our check ups so weights were never a issue aslong as she was meeting mile stone ( which she was and early) We did go back to the normal doc for our 15 month and the nurse actually said oh she lost a lot of weight! (That of course was not true) The Doc made the acurate observation that she had a growth spirt in the begining and then it slowed way down. She is still gaining weight just at her own rate. She was at the 25 % for height and off the charts for weight ( Below 0 ) but she is gaining and is beautiful. She is now 21 months and weighs 22 lbs! Now that I have a three month old I am hapy she is petit!

As I said before try not to worry and ignore all the remarks of how small your baby is.

Honestly, I wouldn't worry (more than you can help). My son was super skinny and is finally (at almost 6 years) growing like a weed and gaining weight. He is incredibly active and eats only cause I make him take a break from whatever race he's running. *grin*
Some babies are just petite and don't gain weight as fast as others.....

Hey, I just wanted to tell you that My 10 and a half month niece is half the size of my "right on chart" 9 month old daughter.( honestly, she is HALF the size) They are both breast fed. My sis in law is pretty small. Our two very different sized babies are both very happy and healthy. I think if your daughter is acting normal, healthy and is happy then you don't have anything to worry about. People are all different shapes and sizes, babies too! Some gain wait faster or slower and sometimes weight fluctuates. I don't want to go against your doctor, but don't worry! Small babies are ADORABLE! You are doing an awesome job! It is easy to have a fat formula fed baby. Breastfed babies get only the amount of calories that is perfect for them. And usually that means not a whole lot extra to store away as fat. No worries!
~Julie

I used pedia sure with my son when he was not eating well. I would also do. They have this baby yogart in the store also that my son loved when he was 9 mo old. If your doctor though it was a real concern he would put your son in the hospital. I am sure he will be fine. Kids go through this kind of thing all the time. Wait tell he is 2. My son never wants to eat. It is good you are breast feeding as well. Do your best and keep checking with the doctor but do not worry. he can sence it and that will not help!
You are a good mom!
L.

My son was actually turned in to CPS, due to someone else's major concern that he was undernourished. Of course, the claim went COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED once they came to my home and spoke to my ped. It was horribly embarrassing at first and then became a crazy story to share. He was skinny, that's it! He ate normally, even put on whole milk at 7 months old, per my pediatrician. That was the reasoning for the turn in. Apparently, a "friend" who happens to be a lactation consultant, demand feeding her 2 1/2 year old thought I was wrong and didn't believe me. If he is making milestones, DON'T WORRY! My now 51/2 year old weighs in at 42lbs, same as his 4 1/2 year old sister. He has about an inch of height on her, but is generally smaller, in bone frame and such. PLEASE DON'T WORRY... :)

In my experience, regardless of percentiles, children always plateau in weght around this time. Im sure you'll see a more substantial weight gain at 12 months. if you doc is not worried, then dont stress too much.

As far as adding foods... my 9 month old loves yogurt... I like the Stoneyfield farms organic whole milk yogurt in vanilla - it is in the natural foods section at Fred Meyer. Cheaper that Yo Baby and made by the same company....

I had a similar problem. We went to the Dr at 21 months and he only weighed 22 pounds. He has alway been on the small side. At least the bottom 5%. They tried to get me to feed him high in fat foods also. He loved the avacado, and sweet potatoes. Both are really high in fat. I also added baby cereal to his diet. He only took a bottle of it at night mixed with breast milk. That was the only time he every took a bottle :). Mine was also diagnosed with mild anemia. They wanted to refer us to a specialist, but he stayed on his own curve and is very healthy. Our Dr. now says he is just small, not to worry. I also noticed he would lose his appetite right before he started a growth spurt. Then he would eat like a horse. So he lost then gained, he did this at 9 1/2 months, 13 months and 19 months. These were also major growth spurts for him. On the littler ones he didn't seem to lose interest in the food as much. It did effect his weight though. I wouldn't worry too much. Hope everything works out for you.