With my son I never worried about weight and percentages when we went to the doctor for well baby check ups. He was always above the 50th percentile and usually was above the 75th percentile until he reached 2 years old. He was a fat, chubby, happy little baby and I loved it. I received comments quite frequently about how “healthy” he was. It made me feel like a good mama.
My son never had any food issues.
He also took a bottle quite well from the beginning and ate purees without a problem. Nowadays his eating is sporadic, as is any toddler’s, and I’m lucky to get in a full meal with him but he’s healthy and he snacks.
Then my daughter came. And since the beginning she’s been making me worry.
First came her refusal of the bottle. That lead to me quitting my job to nurse her full time… er… care for her and feed her. Then came her refusal of purees. She would only take one or two bites and then push the food away until I gave it to her in small pieces or chunks. That wasn’t much help since she didn’t get her first tooth until she was over 11 months old. Feeding was a very big chore.
But we kept at it and I thought she was getting enough food. Especially since she wasn’t yet one and she was still nursing.
However at each well-baby visit she seemed to be dropping in percentiles. And not by a little. She went from 50th to 40th. Then she hovered around 25th for a while before dropping down the 10th at her 9 month appointment. By her 1 year appointment she was down to the 3rd percentile however her height and head circumference seemed to be staying on their own curve so the doctor wasn’t worried.
But at her last check up, at 15 months, she fell off the chart for weight and is now below 0 percentile. And I’m kinda scared.
We have a weight check in 5 weeks.
I’m going to be doing everything I can to see if I can get her back up into the positive. The doctor reassured me that this is just a caloric thing. It has nothing to do with lack of nutrition. So I’m increasing the calories in this house.
I just purchased full fat milk… cream top milk to be exact. And I have full fat cream cheese, peanut butter, avocados, heavy cream, etc. She loves the green monster smoothies I make for myself so I’m going to start making her full fat versions to hope the extra calories do their thing.
And then we’ll go in for the weight check. And hope for the best!
Do you have any great pound-packing recipes for me to try with her? I’d love the suggestions!
You know we struggle with this with Elodie too. She has been below 0% for months. I’m not sure she even weighs 18 lbs yet. But I have to think- is adding weight, and fat really going to make her more healthy? She eats all she wants, and I offer a variety of foods. Even though a few pounds would make me feel better, I honestly don’t think it would make Ella healthier. Molly is just built the same way as Elodie (and even another baby I know with the same birthday as Molly). So if 3 out of the 4 babies I know that are within 2 weeks of each other are the same size, it seems to me that maybe the charts are off.
This article might make you feel better: http://www.babble.com/baby/baby-feeding-nutrition/breastfed-baby-growth-chart-weight/
She is just adorable! I think all children grow at their own rate. She is healthy and beautiful so you have nothing to worry about! Beautiful pics.
Everything will be fine. I know, I hated hearing that too when I thought something was wrong with one of my kids. Do keep her on the whole milk (in fact the doctors told me to keep my kids on whole milk until they were two). I think you are on the right track.
Danielle
Don’t worry! My daughter only weighs 29 lbs at 3.5 years and is healthy,although very low in weight stats. My son is almost 1 and weighs 26.5 lbs. Yes- they are 2.5 pounds apart and 2.5 years apart! They will all catch up!
Noah has always been small too. Started in the 20%s and has hovered around 6-8% the las year. He is picky and it kills me. We just go for thigs he loves…he likes string cheese, any food that comes in packet form (he could survive on them if we let him), PB honey sandwiches, and trader joes makes awesome yogurts that are only 4oz and 140 calories. That is pretty much his whole diet.
Some kids are just little and burn off everything they eat. As long as the dr. Isn’t concerned with nutrition I’m sure she will be fine, no fun that she’s making extra work for you though!!!
It sounds like you are on the right track switching to full fat foods. It’s in our nature to worry about our kids, but I’m sure that as long as she is eating she’ll be fine.
My middle girl was the exact same!! DO NOT WORRY about it!! Some kids are just smaller, more active, or catch up late.
oh and my youngest didn’t eat solids till after 1. There is more than enough nutrients in you milk that she is getting.
DO NOT WORRY! If she is making her milestone and isn’t delayed developmentally. Both my sons were big babies and fell off the charts. They are both healthy just small. 🙂 Those charts will drive you crazy and make you paranoid, I stopped checking them!
i wouldnt worry about it my 5 year old boy is only 32lbs and is 40 inches tall so he is and has always been in the negative % he is healthy and eats but our doctor told us not to worry unless his iron gets low or he is developmentally delayed which he isnt he is just smaller than the normal but who likes normal anyways lol
Thanks ladies. For the most part she doesn’t drink milk, Mel. So we haven’t been buying full fat. We already use full fat cheese but she just isn’t interested most days.
I think that what worries me is the decrease in percentages. If she was just at 3-5% and stayed there over a few months that’d be fine, but she is dropping. I’m trying not to worry though 🙂 Thanks for your words of encouragement and suggestions!
we gave payton full fat everything until her two-year well baby when the doc said it was fine to start giving her lowfat milk. in our house we have never done the lowfat/nonfat thing. but then again she has always been off the charts, we might have the same thing with b like you are dealing with m.
does she like cheese? how about yogurt? those are staples in p’s diet. she asks for just bowls of cheese. are you still nursing? what about pediasure or vitaboost? those might pack enough to help her gain some weight. if p goes through a no eating phase i start to give her those to ensure vitamins/protein are getting in. i just tell her it’s a shake.
you got avo’s, that’s another staple in her diet. i think you’re on the right track. she’ll get there.