low weight percentile

[rootedngrounded]

I just had DD weighed/measured as she reached 6 months, as she doesn't have a dr. appointment until mid-July.

She is still 13 lb 14 ounces - not quite 14 pounds. That means she's below the 3rd percentile in weight, and hasn't doubled her birthweight of 7 lb 10 ounces.

she is long, super-long; 27 inches. which is about 90th percentile.

it's about the same ratio as it was at her 4 month appointment (12 lb 2 oz; 26 inches)

she's otherwise active, healthy-looking, eating well (EBF), cheerful and developing normally. the nurses at the clinic said I should make an appointment with my doctor. Would you?

[ChinUp]

I would not make the appointment.

I would try some solids - puree veggies perhaps.

But I'm bitter. The charts are mostly made by the formula companies and I had a lot of BS appointment with DD2 cause she wasn't gaining. Looking back, she was just fine.

[pumpkinpie]

Did you see your Dr at 4 months? Was he/she concerned then? If not, I wouldn't worry too much. She's on the same curve as she was then so that's a good thing.

In my experience the nurses at the well baby clinic have certain things they're required to say. They want each baby to follow the same guidelines and it just doesn't work out that way.

At 4 months DD started falling off her initial curve. She started in the 90th percentile for weight and has since decided that somewhere around the 25th to 35th percentile is where she wants to be. My Dr has never been worried because DD is VERY active ALL the time. If she's awake, she's moving, generally running haha

[rootedngrounded]

I saw my Dr. at 4 months, but she was actually weighed/measured on our way out (?) after I saw him. So he couldn't have commented on it.

Maybe I'll just feed her lots of fatty avocado.

[twinmommy]

DD was less than 10lbs at 6 months and the doctor went by how she was progressing and not by how much she weighed at that date.

DD was always below the 3rd percentile because she was born premature at 3 lbs 6 ozs, but at each appointment she was progressing so the doctor wasn't concerned. She said she would only be concerned if she was not gaining any weight at all. DD was less than 17 lbs at 18 months old. To this day she is still a petite and skinny girl. It can be a nightmare trying to find pants that fit her length but don't fall off of her...lol.

[Ingalls]

Sounds like she's tall and thin; the charts don't really account for that kind of thing imo.
I know my family doctor always looked more for proportional; like if she was getting a lot taller but not gaining weight, that might worry them - but she's consistently tall, so that is normal for HER.
Or if she were gaining weight but staying one height, again, odd -
so I would mention it next time you're in, but not be too worried. Chances are, she's just tall and thin. Some people are

As long as she's all you said like energetic, interactive, etc I would not be concerned. I had one who didn't register on the charts (ds) and one who was often teetering on the top of the chart or right off of it, and both were 'normal' for them.

[rootedngrounded]

that sounds right to me. she's long and lean. Both her parents are tall, and I was a beanpole myself until I had my kids. LOL.

incidentally, her measurements are almost exactly her brothers' 4 month measurements. He was also long and lean, but grew faster than she is. But she IS growing and a very active girl.

[Marvin]

As long as she's happy and meeting milestones, I wouldn't make an appointment. My DD was well below the corrected growth charts (under 16 lbs at a year) and she's fine.

[2xmom]

DD was tiny as well. We did see the doctor, got a blood test..... she was fine, just small. Healthy and thriving.

[WynterMom]

I wouldn't worry. She's growing great and still on the same track, and this is when her weight gain will slow down for a little while anyways. They try to fit our babies into the same mold, but no two are the same! When you have her switched to mostly solids you'll probably notice a change in gaining and she may fill out a bit more. Your DD has such a tiny frame, she'll probably always be light. My DS doubled his birth weight by 3 months, tripled it at 6 because his frame is so big and heavy. Interesting that they don't comment on that but they pick on the lightweights!

[razmataz]

My DD is also near the bottom of the scale in weight (around 5%) but is near the top in height (last appointment was 97%. Her doctor is not worried because she is meeting all of her milestones and is very active. She said it is only a concern if she is losing weight but she is still gaining (although slowly) and growing taller so all is good!

[BakerBev]

My DD is 7 months and weighs 9 lbs 7 oz. She hasn't made the growth chart for weight for over 4 months. We've seen every specialist at London Sick Kids and we went to Toronto on Wednesday. The final verdict...she is just skinny.

It's worth seeing your doctor just to make sure everything is okay. Some kids are just smaller than others but there are a lot of simple things they can suggest to help her plump up a bit.

We are trying some stuff with food and treating some reflux to see if she will take bigger volumes. She has an excellent appetite and already eats high calorie food but she tends to eat 13 times per day - most likely to avoid the reflux that comes on with a full belly. We are getting her down to 8-9 feeds a day and she seems to like it quite a bit.

Good luck to your little one...there's nothing wrong with being small and mighty!

[MysticalGemini]

I think as long as she seems healthy there shouldn't be a problem. She is at the suggested age to feed her solids - of course that is up to you, but it might help things out a bit. She might just be someone who is tiny (even if long) We are built differently and so long as she is eating, keeping foods down and having action in the diaper then I wouldn't worry too much!

[spout]

if she is happy, healthy, and eating well then someone has to be the 3rd percentile i would not worry about it too much its not like she is dropping significantly (or gaining for that matter) she is trucking along her curve consistently.