Anyone else have a tiny (size wise) baby?

[confuddledDOTcom]

Last weekend Baby (15 months) was in hospital with a virus. Weighed in at 15lb 3oz which wasn't really a surprise. Born at 35 weeks with IUGR weighing in at 4lb 8oz Baby has maintained her weight and followed her line really well. Was never really interested in solids (BLW) until just past her first birthday. She will now eat but not usually huge amounts and doesn't really drink unless I'm not around. She now wears 3-6 clothes and is in proportion although a little slim (I mean she's not 6-9 height or anything). She's never been ill, odd cold and then that virus last week, she wasn't really ill last week, they kept her in because she had a 39.8 temperature with no indication why. She's doing everything you'd expect for her age, crawls around, walking with support...

So my HV called to say the paediatrician is unhappy with the weight and now they're talking about concerns and home visits! They've said I've missed doctors appointments (I missed her development check last week because she was ill and I forgot) and that she's been in A&E which I don't think I've ever had to take her to!

I told MIL last week and for the first time ever she made me feel better about something! OH was the smallest of her children, the biggest was admitted to hospital at 15 months because they were worried about her weight at (bet you can't guess) 15lb! So it sounds like she is normal for his family.

So anyone who's also got/had a tiny baby who can make me feel better or any words of encouragement from anyone would be helpful about now!

[MmmmNeedaParasol]

Let them fret, she sounds fine and as you know their charts are soooo important.

If she has never visited A&E and they are saying she has then i would pick up and that and make sure they show you their 'proof'

As for the single missed appointment, they couldn't really have done the check as she was ill and tho it is mildly annoying when appts are missed caring for a sick child takes priority.

[4andnotout]

My dd4 is 17months ans weighs around 20lbs, she is still in 9-12 clothes (her pjs tonight are 6-9!)

We were referred to the paeditrician as the dr was worried about her weight but when he saw her he agreed with me that she is just petite and perfectly proportioned for her frame. My dd2 is tiny too yet they were both relatively average weghts at birth (dd2-6lb7. Dd4-7lb )

It sounds as if your dd is taking after her dad and will be a small child, my family are very small people as are dp's so I refuse to worry about charts etc, she is doing everything she should.

[beammeupscotty]

Hi

My DGS sounds similar to your LO. His anomaly scan predicted around 7lb. My daughter is small but her H tall so about right. Then it became apparent IUGR was happening. I think because the placenta was a bit crap anyway she had a placental abruption at 37 weeks (classed full term) and DGS born no heart beat or breathing and 4. 1/2 lbs so also tiny. Anyway because of the abruption he has CP, fortunately fairly mild and not an issue here.

He was fully breast fed for nearly 6 months (bf another reason babies are smaller) and the HV kept harping on about 'not on the (bloody) charts'. As did the Paed doc. Now 19 months and weighing around 20 lb. Rubbish at eating, drinks a max of 1 small beaker of water a day, wont touch milk, except a little breast milk at night, practically force fed (though better recently and actually opens mouth Everything bulked up with butter and cream, NO reservations whatsoever about chocolate or sweet stuff - the more calories the better, fish oil and vitamin drops and stuff from the dietician to feed him up, doesn't like these diatetic supplements either.

Weight wise still not on chart!! But length has been on for several months. Everytime we see a couple of chubbie cheeks and pat ourselves on the back - he shoots up in height and all his ribs show again. aargh
Anyway, I researched this as I do everything and read that it can take up to 7 years for IUGR children to catch up to what would have been their 'proper' weight, so do not fret

[confuddledDOTcom]

Thanks all, it's good to hear the stories. I was looking at the Red Book and she's almost quadrupled her weight since birth, the other lines aren't as much gain as that! I know about the charts but from their point of view she's maintained a line, that should be enough - it usually is! I know some good MWs and a HV who I'd fall back on for support if she was younger but not sure it would be right at this age.

Although she doesn't seem to eat much I keep reminding myself that the stomach is the size of the fist and can double in size so she does well when she eats and everything gets washed down with breastmilk!

I'd totally forgotten about the appointment, after she was released I said to Mum I had booked her in but couldn't remember when for but I knew they were off Easter week.

My eldest was small, usually about half her age in clothes size until she was 2 then it was six months behind, still is. I never thought I'd have one smaller!

beammeupscotty I'd be interested if you have links, it makes sense that they'd be slower, it's an awful lot of weight to expect a child to put on and I'd worry that it would carry on if they gained like that! My eldest was fed chocolate a lot and we were told to let her because it would help her gain, Baby loves chocolate too, she manages to eat it cleaner than her sister does!

It's just scary the way they are talking like it's a child protection issue. I don't want to say too much on that because I could affect other people. How can an ex-prem who had IUGR, who's healthy and doing everything she's supposed to do be a child protection issue???

[BananaPudding]

My DD is a petite child. She was 5lb2oz at birth. I had high blood pressure (among other things) that degraded the placenta and she ended up born just a week early.

Anyhow, on her first birthday she weighed 13lbs. Her paed was all worried about it and told me they were concerned etc. I panicked and called my mom and mil.

Mom said that if baby was eating reliably even if small amounts, nursing or bottle feeding daily, energetic and awake and having regular dirty diapers then baby is most likely not suffering from malnutrition. She also said that for the growth charts to be created, there had to be children on the upper and lower ends. Nothing wrong with them, they just aren't "average". And who wants to be average?

Mil said that all her babies were exactly the way mine was, and not to worry. She was right!

Dd breastfed for three and a half years and eats well to this day. She's active in sports etc. She is 8 years old, 56 inches tall and weighs only 47lbs. Tall, thin and healthy!

[differentnameforthis]

My dd was 4.4 when born at 36 weeks. I had PE & she had IUGR. She was around 17lb at the age your daughter is at now.

We got great value for money for her clothes because she wore them so long! At 1 she was in 6-9 clothes, some 6-12, but they would hang off her.

She is now 6 (7 in Aug) and is 20k. She is slim & average height. Up until she was 4 she could wear 2-3 clothes. Her sister is 21 months & is wearing clothed that dd1 only stopped wearing a 2yr ago!

She has a very healthy appetite (always has) but she takes after her fathers side, slim!

[WorzselMummage]

My ds is a little bit. He was 2lb2 born at 27 weeks. He was 14lb on his first birthday and is 18lb now at 15 1/2 months. he's had a bit of a spurt recently which has taken us all by surprise.

Confuddled it sounds like your dd is doing well. If she's meeting her other milestones and is eating enough to keep her going then you have nothing to worth about what more do the drs expect you to do ? Everyone forgets an appointment occasionally.

You will probably find that you wake up one morning and your dd seems huge. That's what happened with dd, he had gastroenteritis and worried me half to death cos thevweight was dropping off and now he's pilling it on. Sometimes it takes a long tome for them to get going weight wise.

I put a lot of olive oil in ds's food. If you go to a dietition they will tell you to feed her lots of custard and stuff but we worried about the sugar and olive oil bumped up thevweight gain just as well

[confuddledDOTcom]

Nice to feel like it's not just Baby who's tiny, good to be normal sometimes!

Worzel, I have two custard addicts - well three when you count Daddy too! Cold straight from the tin or carton, one spoon between them!

I already think of her as huge, she's so much bigger than she was and I've only had tiny babies so I don't get it when people say she's small.

differentnameforthis I know what you mean about clothes. I have a picture of Baby wearing something at 4 months that still fits her 11 months later. My family tell me off about how much clothes I buy but she doesn't out grow them so I like being able to vary what I put on her.

[WorzselMummage]

What's not to like about custard !

[confuddledDOTcom]

I'm not so much a custard fan, but they're all mad on it

[heather1980]

my dd is 3.5 and still wears 18-24 month trousers!
she is really skinny and has no waist at all, but she is tall in comparision at 97cm.
she hasn't been on a line in the red book since she was 3 months old. the hv did mention her weight at her 2 year check but i have never bothered to follow it up and they have never chased me up about it.
she was 7lb 11oz at birth (40+5) with no growth problems at all.
some children are just small.

[CMOTdibbler]

My friend has twin girls - one is quite stocky, very average size, the other is a tiny petite fairy. They have been like this from babies. But guess who it is who eats everything in sight, and runs round like a bumblebee on speed ? The tiny one. They are nearly 4 now, and the she looks soo cute in her nursery uniform too - even though the age 2 dress has a huge hem on it !

It's just her natural size.

[maxybrown]

My DS last week was JUST 25lb he is 2 years 7 months. I remember at one point he stayed the same weight for 11 months. Just the way he is.

[purepurple]

I was a tiny baby myself!
When I was born premature 43 years ago, I weighed only 5lb, which apparently, was tiny for then. I was so small, that my mum had no clothes to fit. All my aunties got out their knitting needles, or I wore clothes for dollies.
I was small all my life, being just under 5 foot 2 inches and a size 10. For years i was a size 8 and only weighed 8 stone when 9 months pregnant. I managed to have a baby at 8lb 6 completely naturally, with just gas and air.

I have had no health problems and would consider myself fit and active today. The only thing that ever made me ill was when I got a cough, it would last for ages. But apart from that, no ill effects.
I can't ever remember anyone ever being concerned about my weight or height. I was just small.My DD at 13 is now bigger than me, and DS at 20 towers over me!
OP, don't worry too much, some people are just small.
Just work with the health professionals and not against them.

[alypaly]

DS1 born at 34 weeks was 4lb 4oz and then dropped 6 oz. he is now a happy healthy 21 year old although he is still a little too slim. 9st 12lbs and is 5ft 11. He was always on the bottom 10th percentile for everything and the only thing it has ever affected is his eustachian tube which never grew to the proper size,so his ear pops quite alot.They have put this down to him being a prem baby.....wether that is true or not ,i dont know. But i have no worries about him now.

[differentnameforthis]

confuddled...I used to do that too!

[confuddledDOTcom]

Had a surprise visit today and Mum turned up too (she called her to say she was lost so Mum let me know and came over giving me a little warning). I really found it hard because it was rather crowded here and the eldest was wanting to entertain everyone. I retreated to a corner of the sofa and couldn't talk very well

Anyway she is 15lb 10oz so she's gained 7oz in just over a week which is pretty good going at an age where they're usually slowing down! But - because they stop adjusting at 12 months - she's fallen off the chart and they're worried! FFS if they were to adjust she would be spot on!!!

I've got an appointment to go in on Tuesday next week for the 1 year check. I can't see them finding anything wrong, she whizzes around on her hands and knees (should have seen her with a cannula and splint racing around the ward!) cruises and walks when holding hands, she is about right on her speech (dad, mum, nan, nan-dad, moo baa quack quack quack quack...), she can follow instructions like when I tell her to put her top on, she has a wicked sense of humour! Not that I think her sense of humour will come up on a development check lol

Anyone know what it does say?

Oh and that patch of eczema on her leg we've been ignoring has spread ring worm up her back which we didn't notice until she was undressed for the scales!