Worried About My Little Ones Weight

I have triplet girls and they are all COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! None of them are the same size and weight. They are 19 months old and are perfectly healthy!

Don't worry...it will ALL come out in the wash. How many women do you know who would LOVE to be smaller? She will eat when she is hungry. Give her opportunities, she will eventually take them :)

My daughter is 23 months fixing to be 2 and she is in the 90 percentile in hieght and 35 percentile for weight but she is about 2 and weights 26 lbs. She has always been alittle baby and she still is beside her height. She can still wear a size 3 in diapers. BUt her doctor says she is fine and healthy. Some babys are small i wouldnt worry about it. She is just going to be a small baby.

Most kids actually start losing between 1 year and 18mo... because they discover walking and running. Then their bodies readjust for the increased activity and they start gaining again.

I would suggest NOT chasing after her with food... but just making it constantly available. About that age is when I just left food out on kiddo's table (aka coffeetable) 24/7 PLUS he had his own shelf in the fridge for his bottle/sippy and yogurts and other perishable foods. He also had a drawer for non perishable foods. I'd remind him about his food, but wouldn't really stress it. Another little boy who I watched, I did the same thing for, and he ate like a champ. At home though, it had turned into a long running "game". His parents kept cooking and cooking and cooking, and essentially "chasing after him" to eat. So he just dug his heels in and wouldn't, or would just take a bite. We served the same foods. He just really dug the interaction that "the food games" created.

I know how hard it is not to worry, but really there is no need. Babies/toddlers are really neat in that they really do know what they need to survive. She will not starve herself and will eat when she's hungry :)

My oldest son is 2.5 yrs and has always been below the 5th percentile in weight. Finally at his 2 yr check up he made it to the 20th percentile. And mind you he eats like a champ. Even today he still only weighs 25 lbs. As I've told many other moms they are each on their own curve. As long as she's on her "curve" there's nothing to be concerned about. That's the advice I got from my ped., and I'm sure that's why yours is saying there's nothing to worry about. The first couple of visits it was hard for me not to worry, but I saw how I had a very healthy, active, energetic little boy. There really wasn''t a reason to worry.

Just offer healthy snacks, and let it be at that. One thing you don't want to do is 'control' what they eat, leads to bigger problems down the road. As a toddler as you've noticed they are busy exploring and really don't have the patience to sit and eat a whole meal. I always have to remind myself they only need to eat a meal the size of the fist (which really isn't that much).From day to day their needs will be different as well. Some days they may eat dinner the next day they may not. As soon as I stopped make a big deal out of what my son ate, I noticed he was more willing to eat what I offered him.

Best wishes mama you're doing great..Next thing you'll know you'll be just like me and another child that is the complete opposite..and you'll worry your over feeding him...My 10 month old and my 2.5 yr old weigh the same, where the same clothes and everything..Every baby is different :)

I think your little one's weight is fine. My 16 month old weighs 17 pounds. She was a preemie and has been on a high fat diet since she was born. We do pediasure drinks, olive oil and butter added to everything and lots of ice cream and milkshakes. My oldest daughter was full term and weighed about 20 pounds at 16 months. She's almost 4 now and I'm hoping we've finally cracked the 30 pound mark when we go in to the doctor next week. Good luck!

If she doesn't like to sit in her high-chair to eat (and MANY kids don't like high chairs), then feed her else where... anywhere where she will eat.
My kids, liked to eat on a low coffee table in the family room... on kid height tables and chairs.
And, on a tray, keep out snacks for her that she can use her fingers with to self feed. That is what I did with my kids. I kept non-perishable food out, and kept it accessible to them.
Kids also need to snack mid-morning and afternoons... in addition to their "meal" times.

At certain ages, weight gain slows... because they are active. But make food/snacks accessible to her. NOT only at her high chair.
I would feed her else where.... or get her a child sized table and chair... so she can eat there. Many kids like that better.

good luck,
Susan

I used to worry too, but not any more. My daughter turns 3 today and she only weighs 25 pounds. She looks healthy and is a great eater, she just won't gain any weight. Her doctor has never been worried, she is just petite. Like your daughter she is really active, and some days she barely eats, but others it seems like all she does is eat! Just be patient, and try not to worry. Your little one sounds healthy and energetic, which is great!

Hi,
Just wanted to let you kn ow that my older daughter was the same way. I can't remember her exact weight when she was that age but she was VERY petite . Her percentiles were very similar to your daughter. My ped also told me not worry. He pointed out that my husband and I are also small and it would be more worrisome if she was in the 100th percentile for height and weight when her parents are petite. My daughter was also VERY active, never sitting still and I think she just burned off all of the calories that she ate. She is now five and and has caught up to her peers a bit. At her five year checkup she was in the 50th per for height and weight and is still as active and strong as ever.

If you ped says not to worry, I honestly wouldn't worry. Just keep feeding her full fat dairy and other healthy fats like avocados. Hang in there!!

This sounds just like my oldest when she was little. Long story short I was so worried that my ped at the time sent her for all kinds of tests. Everything came back fine. She was just small. Very actvie like your daughter and just small. She didn't get over 20lbs until she after 2. She is 7 now and she is only 36lbs. She eats good (for her), sleeps good, and does not get sick any more than any other kid. The one thing that did finally put on weight for my daughter was Carnation Instant Breakfast. I would give her that on top of her waffle or pancakes. Check the lable...she is getting way more nutrition out of that than most things they would eat. She only likes the chocolate. I don't blame her, I tried both and the chocolate is way better. I wish I would have tried it earlier....didn't start giving that to her until she was almost 4. I was busy trying all of the other nutritional drinks designed for kids. She liked none of them. It does fill her up so she doesn't eat as much food for breakfast but like I said it is full of things that she needs and she finally put on weight.

if the doctor isn't concerned then yoiu should rest easy and she will catch up. keeping her active is a good thing. enjoy her and do not worry to much

Do not worry! My 3 year old was and is the same way. He eats what he needs, but is so active. As long as she is reaching all of her milestones and has no developmental delays, do not worry. If you are you can try vitamins just to make sure she is getting the nutrients and use whole milk or things with more weight. At this time you do not need to worry so much about the fat content in foods she is eating as she needs the calories. Of course choosing healthy foods not junk food, but maybe try soy nut butter on toast or apple slices. Lots of cheese if she enjoys string cheese. even cream cheese on graham crackers or a cheese spread on ritz crackers. There are so many things you can do. She will eat when she is hungry, but I would not press the issue otherwise she will become defiant and resist it even more.

I agree that if the doctor is not worried, then I wouldn't worry either. If she is drinking cow's milk, is she drinking whole milk or a lower fat content? My friend talks all the time about how little her daughter is (she is also in the 10th percentile or so) but the only milk the child has ever had is skim milk. Since she doesn't eat much as far as solid food goes she needs the calories and fat from whole milk but isn't getting them.

Good luck,
K.

Hello K.. My daughter didn't weigh 20 pounds until she was 2 years old. She is in the 75th percentile for height and less than 10% for weight.
I agree with a previous poster.....if your doctor is not concerned then you have nothing to worry about.

My son had a hard time gaining weight and still is a very picky eater. I sublimented his diet with PediaSure or Kids Boost. He loved it and once he finally was able to keep his weight we took him off it. I now give him Ovaltine since's he a picky eater and it has more nutrients then just surgary chocolate milk.

my father would say when the kids are hungry they will eat, when they are tired they will sleep and when they need to use the bathroom they will go. Our son was a picky eater and now that he is older he loves food. Try not to worry like the doc says...he will be fine.

My kids between age 1 and 3 all stopped at 24 lbs. and just got taller. They started growing out of their baby fat and just got longer... they are now 8,11,16 and all doing great. Try not to worry too much, just provide the good stuff they like and enjoy running and having fun with your little girl. Best Wishes.

so you want us to tell you to feed your kid junk food so she gains some weight? is she healthy? the doc said she is OK? dont mess with her metabolism and develop her taste for bad foods. She is fine. she is petite. I was a small child, made to sit at the table until i fished my food and guess what now as an adult i overeat because someone messed with my innate sense of fullness. let her be please!