Skinny Baby Survey

[yhtking]

DS had his 9 month check-up this afternoon. He has completely dropped off the weight chart. He weighted in at 16 lbs something. He only gained a little over a pound for the past three months. Ugh! He had his normal 9 month blood work done today as well. Everything looks good. The ped said that he seems health. He is in the 50th percentile for height and head size. He's grown another 2 inches in height in the past three months. I'm just worrying about his weight.

He's been eating okay. He takes about 24 - 28 oz of formula plus three feedings of solids (homemade rice pourgee or mixed grain cereal, 1 jar of baby food, and Yo-baby yogurt). He is active though. He started crawling around 7 1/2 mos. and currently climbing the stairs every night.

I just want to see how many of you out there who have skinny babies. And, how much do your babies weight at 9 month. I'm just afraid that other kids gonna pick on him when he gets older. Even our neighbor's baby who is three months younger weights more than my DS. Ugh!

Thanks ya'll.

Mommy to Baby T (06/06/03)

[Roleysmom]

Mom of skinny baby and still skinny toddler here. At 10 months Roley weighed 16 pounds 13 oz. I think Baby T is in good company.


Paula -- mom to Roley Julia --01-04-02

[mharling]

I'm guessing that Lane is around 17 pounds. I think there's plenty of great company here for Baby T!

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[MelissaTC]

Matthew fell off the chart at 9 months as well. The Dr. suggested to me to make him food that I can add more fat to, like egg yolks scrambled in butter with cheese, etc..

I worry sometimes that Matthew is a "wimpy" toddler. He is probably around 24 lbs now at 20 months. But he seems to do just fine and eats like a horse! He ate 7 panckaes at breakfast on Saturday...DH and I stared in amazement...

[JMarie]

I certainly cannot lay claim to a skinny baby - Aidan is topping out at 25 pounds! - but both of my nieces are teeny ones. Abbey is now 2.5 years and weighs the same as Aidan! She didn't hit 18 pounds until she was 18 months old... She eats constantly, but she is also very active - she just burns it all! Jaiden is 8 months and just hit 14 pounds, I believe. Both were born small - just over 5 pounds each - and if Jaiden follows after her big sister, she'll be just fine. Abbey is just skinny, just like her mom and I were at her age! None of us (5 kids in my family) were very big growing up. It was just natural for us. Aidan just takes after his dad!

Don't worry about having a small baby. It's a curve for a reason - some are under and some are over. I know there are lots of other teenies out there - you're in great company!

Jennifer
Mom to Aidan Christopher
01/28/03

[Rachels]

I have a barely 20-pounder at nearly 22 months old. Watch your babe, not the scale or the charts. If he's happy, healthy, interactive, and meeting developmental milestones, all is well. :)

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[sweetbasil]

Skinny toddler, big baby...DS#1 weighs 29# soaking wet (at 3 yrs), DS#2 weighs 22# (at 8 1/2 mo). DS#1 was around 17# at 9 mo.

Hang in there- it's hard to not take people's comments to heart, but he'll catch up soon. Do you or his daddy have your own weights as a baby to refer back to? DS#1 has followed my growth curves to a t from the get-go, which is a little more comforting.

HTH,

[millerpjm]

I can't remember exactly what DS weighed at 9 months (that sounds about close ) but currently at 13 months he weighs a whopping 18 pounds... and is also in the 50th percentile for height. DS was also very active - took first steps at 8 1/2 months and was walking a lot by 9 1/2 months.

As far as later on in life, my MIL keeps telling me that DH was also a very active skinny little guy when he was a baby... and he is now average height and weight for a man. So, I would not worry too much about other kids yet. Just worry about how you're going to keep up with him!

Jen

Proud mama to Thomas 2/3/03

[momathome]

Can't remember her 9 month weight but at her 1 year, Kasey was only 16lbs 8oz - a peanut! She has caught up a bit since then and now at 3, she weighs 28 lbs - small, but not off the charts anymore. He'll catch up!
-Lauren

[peanut4us]

10th percentile for weight at her 9 month check up... steadily dropping percentiles. But I think we might have pleasant nwes for her 12 month. About a month ago it was as if she woke up and said "hmm, I'm really hungry" and she's been eating like a piggy until about a week ago. Go figure?!

[caleymama]

I don't know if I'd say DD is skinny, but she's definitely on the thin side. Like your DS, she's very active and always has been (if she's not sleeping, she's moving) and she has never been a big eater. DD's cousin, who is 5 weeks younger, has always outweighed her by quite a bit. Your DS sounds fine!

6 months: 27" and about 14 1/2 lbs
9 months: 29" and not quite 18 lbs
12 months: 29 1/4" and 20 lbs 6 oz
15 months: 31 1/2" and 21 lbs 3 oz
18 months: go for this appt. next week - ? height and 22 lbs on our home scale

[Marisa6826]

Sophie's 15m.

She was weighed yesterday. She's 20 lbs and 30". That's 10th percentile for weight and 40th percentile for height. The height thing is new. She has always been at or just below 10th percentile for height until now.

She's just Sophie-sized!

-m

[zuzu]

You've gotten some great advice.

DD had her 10 month check up this week and we thought she would not even be 17 pounds, but they said she was 17 pounds, 10 ounces. I think she was probably just under 16 pounds at 9 months, and was 14.5 at 6 months. She has consistently been between the 25th and 50th percentile for height. Sometimes I worry about her size, but am getting better at focusing on her accomplishments and ignoring everyone's (likely unintentionally) rude comment about how tiny she is. A new baby started at her daycare and at 3 months old, he weighs over 18 pounds, so I know what you mean about seeing younger ones that are bigger. As one of the oldest, she is still the smallest in her group.

It sounds like baby T is healthy and is doing really well. So try to focus on that. And some advantages--his clothes will last longer and you'll have more time to develop your arm muscles for lifting and carrying him! I'm sure there are many others too, but we've been up with teething lately, so I'm not working at full capacity here.

Good luck!

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5.10.03)

[Hallie_D]

One more skinny baby/toddler here--DS was 17 lbs 3 oz at his 12 month appointment. At 21 months he is somewhere around 21/22 lbs. He's also in about the 1st percentile for height. But like Rachel said, I watch the baby, not the charts--he has all his teeth, healthy color, is active, happy, and hitting all his milestones. He's just a little bean!

[jk3]

DS was about 17 pounds at his 9 month check-up. He's 3 days younger than your son! The doctor wasn't concerned since he continues to grow and is healthy. Some babies are on the thinner side. My husband, however, flipped out because most of our friends babies are well over 20 pounds at the same age. Must be a guy thing but having the biggest baby isn't that important especially when I'm the one carrying him around all day! If your baby is eating well which he is than everything is fine.

[HoneymoonBaby]

Two of my friends had babies at the same time. By the time they were 12 months old, one was 26 lbs. and the other was 16. Both were healthy, active, happy kids . . . one was just a peanut, and the other a giant.

Kids come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they get teased, yeah, but usually not for being skinny -- I'd be more worried if I had an extremely SHORT kid.

[houseof3boys]

We just had Ryan's 9 month visit and he dropped from 25th to 10th for weight, holding steady at 50th for height and head dropped from 25th to 10th. I don't even worry about the weight since I know he eats and I know he crawls all over the place expending all those calories he just ate! I do have to go back in for a stupid head measurement though in 6 weeks.

Don't worry about heavier babies, we're all different and perfect in our own way...10th or 100th percentile!

[peasprout]

DD was 15 lbs, 11 oz a couple of weeks after she turned 9 months. She's now 16 months and weighs 18 lbs, 10 oz. and EVERYBODY I know's babies, even the younger ones, weigh more than her! She's in the 10th percentile in height weight and head, so the ped thinks she's just petite! :)

[papal]

We have a skinny baby too!
She is off the chart for weight (10.5 pounds at almost 5 months) and 5% for height (22.5 inches). I worried when my ped showed me the growth chart but not any more. She is reaching all her developmental milestones and is VERY active (maybe she is working it off). Not sure, but the charts may be based on average Caucasian babies? I am Indian and dh is Hispanic and both of us are short so i dont think the charts are calliberated for Leela! :)
I would not worry if i were you. Your baby sounds healthy and active.

[Bethann31]

Another petite girl here. Katherine just had her checkup last week and she was 16 lbs. 5 oz (20th percentile), 27 3/4 inches tall and in the 90th percentile for head size. All was fine with the doctor, although he did suggest we give her some starch at each meal. He did NOT suggest cutting back on breastfeeding though, thank goodness


Beth

Josh 3/90
Mollie 4/92
Jeffrey 12/94
and Katherine 6/03

[brubeck]

Well Andrew is on the weight charts, at 50th percentile actually. Problem is he is at the 95th percentile for height. So I guess that makes him a tall stringbean.

I just look at it this way: I would personally LOVE to have those stats on my body. He's healthy and eating fine. It's just his body type! (And his Dad's body type too which is another reason I don't worry.)

[suribear]

Well, DD was around 12.5 lbs. at 9 months. DS, on the other hand, was 19.5 lbs. And Leela, not to worry. Those charts don't apply to everyone ;)

In fact, there are different charts for Asian kids!

Edited to correct DS's weight!

Kris

[yhtking]

I thank everyone who has responded to my "survey". I truly appreciate everyone taking the time to send me these posts. I especially needed it after a horrible day at work today. I got passed over for a promotion today. Oh well. I was just fuming. I ended up in a liquor store after work. Well, I had to get some dark rum. I'm making tiramasu for desert tomorrow night. Anyway, I guess I just didn't work as hard as other "single" folks in the department. I was out on maternity leave for almost four months. I was bed rested for a month. Anyway, I was just pissed off. Then, I read you guys' responses and saw my little DS' smiling face after I got home. Everything seemed so much better. I guess one just has to decide what is more important, slaving over at work and kissing a** to climb the corporate ladder, or come home at a decent time to spend quality time with your family. I choose the latter. Thank you so much for all of your responses and thank you for letting me vent.

Baby T thanks you too!

[nathansmom]

Nathan at his one year appointment was in the 10% for weight. Less than 5% in height and 5% in head.

[sntm]

We skipped our 9 mo checkup but based on crude weight at home, Jack is no more than 18 lbs. I think he looks totally normal, but we get the "oh, he's so petite!" comment all the time -- WTF? I think some babies just grow more in height -- Jack's about 60th for height.

I think they all even out at they get older. The skinnier kids gain, the bigger kids lose weight as they become older toddlers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[jmofarrill]

Hmmmm, I came here to check the posts, and mine isn't here???

Anwyn is 10 mo, and at 9 mo was 15.5 lbs, 27.5", so she's a little hazelnut herself. She can't have gained much since then, either. Sometimes it's like picking up a feather...

People do comment on her size: "oh, she's so little, isn't she?" I just respond with a yes, she's very petite.

[cilantromapuche]

This makes me feel so much better! MIL thinks I don't feed him enough. In the last week I have seen a 10 mos and 12 mos (girl and boy respectively) who weighed 30 lbs. (but are mostly height and wieght OK). It makes me feel like I am doing something wrong. But he is healthy and those charts be damned!

[22tango]

Chiming in a bit late...

Karenna was 17 lbs at 9 months, but her weight gain slowed once she started walking at 10.5 months and now at 18 months she may finally be at 20lbs -- we'll know for sure tomorrow at her 18-mo check-up. She's also incredibly tall! 7% for weight & 90% for height.

It's hard to find pants that will fit her...they just fall down. However they don't look too short since they're always down at her hips giving us another inch+ of length! LOL! I still have 12 months sized clothes that are too big around her waist and a handknit 18 months dress I just tried on her looks like a tunic so I'll have to knit several inches of border to add to the skirt!

I just keep trying to make eat bite count with fat/protein/etc... I'm a little bit paranoid that she'll fall off the weight chart even though she's a very happy, energetic, and (I'd say) thriving toddler!

[nitaghei]

Oh boy! Does this thread make me feel better! DS is consistently at 10% or less for weight. I think he was barely 17 lbs at 9 months, and 19lbs 7 oz at a year. The problem? He's 75%+ for height. Very long and skinny. But he's meeting all developmental milestones, and eats really well and is very active. So I try not to worry about his weight. In our case, DS takes after DH, who is also long and skinny, as the ped keeps pointing out to us.

Babies just come in all sizes and shapes, and as long as baby T is healthy, happy and meeting his milestones, don't worry!

Nita
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a cocker and a PWD

[kransden]

I would just like to point out that he'll fit better in Gymboree clothes! ;)

Karin and Katie 10/24/02

[mollyi]

Andy started off pretty average weight (7 lbs. 4 oz.) at birth, but steadily dropped in percentile from there. By the time he was 12 months, he was no longer on the charts. Our pediatrician ran some various blood tests/bone age scans on Andy and didn't find any reason for concern. At 18 months he was hovering just below the 5th percentile, I believe. At his 2-year appt. recently, he weighed in at almost 26 lbs. - which is about the 25th percentile!!! (And 35th percentile in height.) We were quite amazed. I think that all kids just grow differently - and may not even quite follow the shape of the "normal" growth curves, let alone the curves themselves.