Can you chew this over with me? 2/3 DC not putting on enough weight..

[poocatcherchampion]

We went to the HV today for the first time since mid January.

Dd1 is just 4 and weighs 18kg and remains on 75th centile where she has basically always been

Dd2 is 2.5yo and 13kg. She is on the 9th centile - having dropped from 75th when she was about 9mo. She is on the 9th for height as well. The interesting thing is she has not put on a single g since the last weigh in in January. Is that weird?

We are a bit worried that we haven't been paying enough attention to what she eats.

Ds1 is 5mo and was 5 weeks prem. He has gone from the 75ty centile to the 9th. He is6.6kg.

I am a bit surprised by all this as we have always had podgy babies. Indeed the older two are podgy and the baby isn't skinny. I need to do some thinking about what is going on - I feel a bit like I haven't looked after them properly - because it is two of them.

The easy thing is to feed D's more - but I do feed him often, although he fusses quite a bit in the day and normally the dds are there. Not sure what to do about weaning as he seems a long way from the signs for blw - because he was prem I guess.

Dd2 I guess we need to watch more closely what she eats and try to offer her more food.

I'm just writing this out as I need to think about it properly. I would be delighted for anyone's comments / thoughts. I might not reply til the morning as I will be in bed lying awake worrying

Thanks!

[MattDillonsPants]

I would make a doctors appointment for the baby. As you say, at 5 months and prem he's not going to be ready to eat solids....but maybe there's some special formula they could offer him?

As for DD...can you tell what she eats on an average day? I'd ask the GP about her too.

[Spandexpants007]

I have two children on the 50th percentile for height/weight and they take after my side of the family.

I have two children who are in the 2nd percentile for weight and height. They take after my mother in law who is small. They are healthy, bright, nimble and lucky to be naturally slim. Lots of their friends are unhealthily fat despite being only 9.

I don't worry about how much they eat, I don't pander to fussiness, I cook one home cooked meal and they stop eating when they have had enough. I don't nag.

My friend has done the opposite with her child (despite the child clearing taking after a small relative)and she became utterly obsessed about calorie intake. The kids now vastly over weight, very picky and eats only rubbish.

Your child has a perfect height to weight ratio. I wouldn't get obsessed about building up

[poocatcherchampion]

Thanks for replying. Baby is ebf ans I would rather not go down the formula route. But I am wondering re weaning ans whether I should actually off puree rather than wait.

I am toying with the doc for the 2yo too. But then I tell myself she is in proportion for her height. But then I remember she hasn't gained any weight at all.

Typical day

• beaker of milk to start
  
• granola / cereal / granola bar. She doesnt always finish this on reflection. Sometimes fruit and yog too.
  
• lunch isis something on toast normally. On reflection she doesn't eat her crusts but usually eats the something - beans, egg, cheese, or marmite, pnb etc. Usually with peppers, tomato or cuc. She doesn't like tomato and picks the flesh off cuc and apples. Fruit or yog for PhD if no yog already
  
• supper - hot meal of some description. She loves meat so always eats that but on reflection doesn't often completely clear her plate. Proper pudding a few times a week.
  

So far we have thought that she doesn't actually often finish and acfuly her sister and her trade and swap quite a bitvand maybe she is coming off worse.

I'm going to watch that and up the dairy - yog and cheese ans switch to full fat milk again for her.

I'd be grateful for critique on this diet

[Spandexpants007]

You could always get your baby checked over but maybe the 9th percentile is a natural size for your kids. Particularly as you already have a child on the 9th.

Are you quite large op? I think children can find a more natural percentile after birth.

[BeaufortBelle]

Sounds like you have Chubby babies who adjust to their own norm.

What did the HV say about it? It isn't unusual for toddlers to stay the same weight for ages. 9th centile is normal.

As a family are you petite, big boned, etc. If you are a dainty size 8, 9th centile might be about right for your dc.

I detest the obsession with weighing and measuring. Comparisons are odious. If they are fit, healthy, hapoy and full of beans it matters not a jot what they weigh.

[Spandexpants007]

I think the 9th is a natural percentile for your kids and you should avoid making it an issue.

[Dalmatian2017]

Check your 2.5 year old again as my almost 2.5 year old is 11.9 kg and is just below 25th centile. He sees a peadriatrican for something else and hasn't out on weight since November and she's not concerned at all.

[poocatcherchampion]

Thanks for more replies.

We are certaibly not a slim family. We are both about 11/12 stone. Although neither looks particularly podgy

Kids need me I'll be back in a bit

[ToastyMcToastface]

So is it just 2 months she hasn't put weight on for? I wouldn't really worry about that at all, especially as she's in proportion. if you hadn't had her weighed yesterday, would you have been worried about her? Does she have plenty of energy?

[MattDillonsPants]

There's not much fat in the DDs diet op....perhaps she could have some cheese as a snack between one of the meals. Maybe with a buttered cracker or two?

[lornathewizzard]

Honestly, I'm not sure you need to do anything. The 2.5 yo diet looks fine - my 20mo would snack more, but a)who says thats a good thing and b)she's 75th percentile and a bit of a beast! And assuming you're bf on demand I would keep at it. Introducing food when baby isn't ready has its own issues and they get many more calories from milk anyway.
And yes I would probably change back to full fat milk for 2.5 yo.

[lornathewizzard]

I also didn't bother getting DD weighed unless the HV was out at us. But then this maybe comes from having a big baby, I guess you worry less.

[Spandexpants007]

Ok so both adults are large-ish. Are you tall? What were you like as toddlers? Are all your relatives large?

The 9th is healthy.

[AnotherRubberDuck]

I agree with not caring about percentiles. If your children have enough energy to do the things they want then they are doing fine.
At 5m I'm sure DS would let you know if he's hungry! And bf has everything he needs - unless you've been very ill or are not eating properly.

I thought the recommendation was to have full fat milk until they're 5 years old? I wouldn't switch to low fat options of anything until they're school age.

[YouMakeMyDreams]

I agree that it doesn't need to be a problem. All my babies were chunky. All at 12.9 and 5 are skinny. Ds2 (5) in particular went through a period of not gaining much weight but stretching into it. If you hadn't got her weighed would you be worried? Does she seem well have lots of energy? She is in proportion as is my ds2 he's a shorty and will probably take after his dad who is not tall for an adult male whereas dd and ds1 very much take after me who is on the tall side rather than average.
I reckon at 5 ds2 doesn't weigh much more than he did at 2-3 he was a chub and grew into it and nobody was concerned at the time when he stopped gaining. Is it also possible your dd has become more active maybe outside moe with the better weather so that will cause a slow down as well.

[NoCapes]

Well I'm going to go against the grain and say it doesn't sound like Dd2 is eating enough
Some days she may just have a granola bar for breakfast? And that's it? That is not really a substantial breakfast is it
Lunch may just be a few beans and a bit of pepper as she picks at the other veg
Then dinner may be just meat and by a lot else
I'd say no more swapping with her sister so you're sure exactly how much she's eating, encourage her to eat much more of her meals and I'd throw in a snack or two aswell

[NoCapes]

And she should be having full day everything until at least 5 years old

[NoCapes]

Full fat obviously fucking phone

[poocatcherchampion]

Thanks again . a bit more of a considered response this time.

We are not totally fat people - I'm on my way down to a more normal weight of 10st. Dh is more normal at that weight.

I don't normally consider weigh ins but I thought I'd better take the baby for his 3rd ever and should get the others done at the same time. I always think we are porkers so the small thing has surprised me. And I wouldn't have been too concerned about either - just both together seemed like I should think it over - in case I was actually being too relaxed!

[BertrandRussell]

Do they seem fit and healthy? Lots of energy? Peeing and pooing? If so, I wouldn't worry. And milk has far more calories than purees- so trying to fit in a couple of extra feeds for the baby would be better than weaning.

Have you heard of "catch-down" growth? My ds was born huge- then steadily lost weight despite meeting milestones and feeding well til he got to the 50% centile, then stayed there. And is still pretty average now as a teenager. The excellent HV I had said that it was quite common- that some babies for whatever reason are born the "wrong" weight and their bodies adjust as they grow. Not sure if this could apply to yours as he was prem, but I thought it was interesting.

[lougle]

Premature babies need to be weaned by chronological age rather than corrected age. The gut starts to mature when they are born, so a prem baby's gut is just as matured as a term baby. It's the one area that doesn't get corrected. Having said that, the current recommendation is 6 months for weaning and milk has more calories than food. The adage 'food is for fun until one' is worth remembering -the bulk calories should still come from milk until one year of age.

[LittleNelle]

Both of mine were born on the 75th gentile - one is now on the 9th and one is still on the 75th. They're just destined to be different sizes.

9th centile is healthy especially if in proportion.

[LittleNelle]

Actually OP, someone plotted your DD's gentile wrong - 13kg is 50th centile for a 2.5 year old.

[poocatcherchampion]

OK thanks - I'll check the chart for dd2.

I have read again and understand what you are saying in relation to my weight. Could be true. I am a hippo hungry preggo and tend to mainline cereal. At 5 weeks prem D's was 6lb 4 so quite big - and maybe that is indeed a factor - that they come out big and shrink down a bitDt

[poocatcherchampion]

Sorry for all the typos btw. I blame the children harassing me.