Worried About My Daughter's Size...

How tall are you? My guess is that either your or your husband is on the petite size. If your ped is not worried, then I wouldn't either!

I wouldn't worry too much. My daughter was well under 20 lbs. at a year old and she was 7.5 lbs. when she was born. She just grew REALLY slowly. She's still pretty small for her age, that's just the way she is! We couldn't turn my daughter around in her car seat (meaning she wasn't 20 lbs) until she was 16 months old. As long as she is hitting her milestones, then I really wouldn't worry. She may just be tiny! Also, during the toddler years, they don't grow as quickly as they do when they are babies. I hope this helped ease your mind!

I had to go check my chart...my DD was 28 inches and weighed 21 pounds. She seemed to always be in the 50%. I think your DD is just fine. I would take a wild guess and predict 37-40%-ile?
My DD is two and a half now and has sprouted like a weed!!!

Margaret :)

just for laughs....she is now wearing size 2T...she wears a size 9 shoe!!!! Can you say Sasquatch!?! Yeti!?! BigFoot!?! "They" say she's a gonna' be a tall one!!!!
(Thats ok...the big feet balance out her huge cranium)

My point....ya just gotta not worry and smile!!!!

Hi,

I wouldn't worry until there is something to worry about. Have her see an endo and they can let you know if there are any issues. As long as there is growth happening, even a cm or 2 she should be fine. The problem is is when growth stops completely. My son was tiny and ended up needing growth hormone treatments when he was 8. My daughter on the other hand was fine and had her growth spurt when she was 12, she was always petite. If you are concerned make sure you get a second or even third opinion, you are your daughters advocate.

T.

Another mom wrote in w/a similar situation & pretty much all the answers were 'does it really matter' how tall she is as long as she's healthy? Too many parents are relying on set 'standardized charts' or set info that's government regulated on what they 'think' is right. My response to the other poster was basically this, it's like saying to 3 different people who are the same height that they're supposed to weigh a certain amount just b/c they're the same height although each was a different build. True story! 1 was me! I went to school w/2 other girls & we were all the same height, one was very small framed so she probably weighed around 110, I was medium build but I'm supposed to weigh around 140 & the third, a former friend, is built very stocky & large & she's supposed to weigh probably, 160 so there you have 3 females, all the same height (5'8") but different builds so naturally we all need to weigh differently but not according to the medical standards, we're all 'supposed' to weigh 135-165. If that were true, the thinly built girl would look SOOO fat and unhealthy! I would look either pudgy or emaciated depending on the weight. Same w/two twin girls, also fomer fellow students, they were fraternal twins. One was about 4'8" to about 5 feet tall & very small in stature but a bit more stocky. Her twin sister was taller, about 5'5 to 5'6" tall & thin two sisters, twins even, but very different in stature to one another. It's the same w/your new daughter. Perhaps you have a relative in your geneology or her father's geneology that was small in stature. I personally would advise to just love & appreciate her for who she is & how she is. As long as she's healthy, does it really matter how tall she is?? Good luck.

my daughter is 17 months and weighs around 22 pounds, she is very small - mainly because she doesnt eat. we are due to go and see the doc for her check up.
the thing is though she looks healthy and strong, and she is never sick, she meets all her milestones.
you could try giving her pediasure.

You should always go with your gut because you are her mother and we have these instincts. Have it checked out if you are worried. However, it actually sounds really normal to me. Both of my kids have gone through strange growth periods where I worried. My son in particular stalled out for what seemed like forever....and he was eating fine. I couldn't understand why he wasn't growing. He didn't hit 20 lbs until he was 16 months old. He's still a smaller kid (25%) but definitely healthy at 4 years of age. My daughter was just the opposite, she was eating and eating and eating these ridiculous amounts. I was worried something was wrong with her because she wouldn't stop eating. All of my friends kids NEVER eat, it seems and they worry about that. Turns out, she grew an inch and a half in less than 2 months!!!!!! She completely skipped a shoe size and went from a size 5 to a size 7. I was dumb founded. My son never went through that. My point is, kids do weird things with growth. Don't stress yourself.

Do not worry about it! My daughter stopped growing for about the same amount of time and then out of the blue grew about two sizes. In fact, I did not want to get new shoes because she kept growing out of them so fast, and I waited and waited and waited. After about 4 months, I finally gave in and bought shoes that fit, and it seems like the next day, she grew two sizes. It is just as normal to grow quickly in a short time. I would not worry about weight or height issues. It has definitely been interesting (and sometimes scary) to see how she started out as a big baby (like I was) and ended up being a tall and skinny baby (like her dad was) and it is just how our genes worked together. I would not worry about it and just enjoy the time that your daughter can fit into the same clothes! ;)
Honestly, my concern would be the pediatrician. Are you pushing for a specialist? If not, I would be worried about someone sending you to a specialist - they should know that babies grow differently. Unless there is some other issue going on, there is no reason for the pediatrician to say that you need a specialist.

No need to worry until there's something to worry about. That being said, I know as a mother that this is impossible :) Just to let you know, there are other tiny tots out there:

My daughter was born 8lbs 10oz! She's now almost 18 months old and is only 21 lbs. She's in the 10th percentile for heighth and her head size is about 25th%. She is healthy, you can't see her ribs, good energy, and right on schedule mentally (she's a chatter box!). When she turned one yr old, she wasn't even 19lbs yet. We had to wait 4 months to get here the next size up car seat.

My ped. says she's just petite (dad is 5'8" and I am 5'6"). I'm sure your baby is just fine. As long as her skin, nails, hair are healthy and growing, no ribs showing, and no mental growth issues, I betcha she'll be fine! I bet you don't even need a specialist. Good luck and kiss that baby!

T.,
I understand your worry.. My youngest daughter's head started shrinking at around her 18 month ck up and was getting smaller for two more appts after that. The Dr. started to show signs of worry, but all of a sudden it stopped and she started growing again. I think going to a specialist is the best thing. God Bless you.

Kids all grow at different paces. I wouldn't sweat it. My daughter is 3.5 and she's only 27lbs and 36 inches. She is FINALLY on the growth chart. We were seeing an endocrinologist until last month. She gave her a clean bill of health and said not to worry.

As long as your child is thriving and is showing signs of mental development, you are fine. If it makes you feel better to go to a specialist, then by all means do!! It's nice to have a sanity check!

My mom said i was the same way as my daughter. I literally 'wore out' my clothes while most children grow out of them too fast. I grew at 5 yrs old....then again around 14. So of us are just later than others :)

Please let me know if you have any questions, I will try and make you feel better! :)

M.