DD2 was 8wks prem and coming up to 1st birthday... weight??

[cantmummyhaveabreak]

My DD2 was born at 32wks and was really well to begin with, at 4weeks old (aftre just over a week at home) she got hypothermia and we nearly lost her... in the end she didn't reach an 'average newborn' weight until she was over 4mths old.

Anyway things went really well after that until the last few weeks... she's now about 8 weeks from her 1st birthday. She only weighs just over 14lb... and is only averaging a weight gain of around 1oz per week. She is sitting unaided, will happily play with toys, is making normal baby cooing noises, is happily eating foods and will eat finger foods for a 10mo baby fine.

Her next consultant check-up is on 5th feb and i've worked out that she's dropped to the 0.4th centile when the last time they saw her she was following the 2nd quite nicely- even creeping above it a little...

Can you please advise on what i can/should do if anything? or is it normal given she's much more active?

Please tell me about your tinies and that it's all going to be fine!!

[LastOfTheMulledWine]

I don't have a tiny one, quite the opposite in fact (was 2.5stones at 1yr) but it's very, very normal for weight gain to slow down when they're active. It's expected in fact. So she's following the correct trend but is small. I can't speak in lieu of an expert, but if she's still gaining as opposed to losing and otherwise well, developing along a general spectrum, I think it's probably fine.

[cantmummyhaveabreak]

Thanks LMW- I also had 2 enormous babies before DD2 so it's really abnormal for me... she's still in 3-6m clothing, and most likely will still be by her 1st birthday the way she's going... My other 2 did start to gain much less once they got active, but i'd alwasy been told by her cons that as long as she followed a line it didn't matter that she was so small. Now that she's dropped a line then it's just put me into worry mode!!

[confuddledDOTcom]

Sounds fine. I had one of a similar age and a 35 weeker who is now one and same sort of size as yours. 1-2oz is the gain we were told to expect. My first was always about half her age in clothes, but my second has just gone into 0-3.

Don't pay too much attention to size, if you didn't know the weight what would you think? Is your baby healthy and doing everything right? If so then you have a petite baby, just like you can have petite adults.

[LastOfTheMulledWine]

My dn is exactly the same. She's 2 next month and in 6-9 month clothing. Normal development, normal milestones etc just dinky. She wants to potty train but her bottom's too small and she falls in.

My dd did drop down on the centile charts when she became active (from just off the charts to 99th centile).

She sounds really sweet.

[care4families]

You should be using corrected age when using the weight chart so being average newborn weight at 4 months is fine for a baby born at 32 weeks. You don't mention how tall you are or what body frame your daughter is likely to inherit. If you and your partner are smaller than average, then so will your baby be irrespective of whether she was prem or not. That said, based on data collected over the years babies born prematurely are more likely to have a below average weight, and be slightly smaller in height than the those babies born at term.
You mention she is putting on weight and is doing all the things a 10 month would do, which is what age she would have been, this is all the consultant will be interested in.

[RascalMama]

DD was born at 30+6 and at 12mths weighed 13lb 12oz! At 2yrs old she now weighs just over 20lb and has just gone in the stage 1 carseat!

Totally perfect in every way

[Bilbomum]

DD was born at 30 weeks and is now 21 months old and wearing 9-12 month clothes. She's very active, dashes around everywhere and looks small but in proportion. I've not had her weighed since she was about 12 months old so I've avoided the dreaded 'red book' centile chart angst I had with my first baby.

When they turn one they chart their weight uncorrected so she's bound to fall off the charts then anyway. I think there is a place for monitoring weight gain to flag up potential problems but if you're happy your dd is eating well, looks healthy and is gradually gaining weight then I'd step away from the scales and centile charts

I love my pocket sized dd and wouldn't wany bigger...!

[Bilbomum]

er that should read 'want her any bigger'

[Bobo23]

I saw our DS consultant yesterday - he's just turned one and is 15lb 12oz. He's still below the 0.4 for weight but scooting up the centiles for height...

The consultant said it was daft to stop correcting at one....

We're so much happier when we don't look at the charts and look at our DS instead!

[Bari]

our DD was born @24 weeks weighing 815g in 1998. She stayed on the 0.4th centile for at least a couple of years- eventually i got bored with weighing her. She's now a tall, svelte 11 year old. Bobo23, I would agree - look at your dd. Is there a bit of baby thigh to squeeze?- if so, she's OK.

[Georgimama]

My DS wasn't prem (born at term + 8 days and weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces) but after the age of about 9 months he put on weight very slowly. He hovered just around the 50 centile until then and ever since has been just below the 25th. He's on the 75th centile for height so for a long time he has looked like a little boy in that he's been long and lean - never a podgy toddler (nothing against podgy toddlers, I was one myself. In fact My brother weighed as much at a year as DS does now).

He eats when he's hungry and is absolutely bright as a button but at nearly 3 years old he only weighs 30 pounds. I think Bobo has it spot on, unless they are giving you cause for concern in other ways don't sweat the charts - the paediatrician will attend to the science bit, you just enjoy your lovely daughter.

[Bari]

Just to add that if she's had a little cold recently then that might affect weight gain.
Our 24 weeker also struggled to gain if too cold or hot- maintaining correct body temperature is demanding on energy resouces.You mentioned hypothermia which made me remember this bit of advice that we were given.After 6 months in hospital, I remember our dd lost weight the day she came home because I bathed her -silly me!
She sounds like she's doing fab though, well done , you!

[Galena]

DD born at 27 weeks is now 9.5mo and 13lb 5.5oz. We're seeing the consultant on Feb 10th, but I'm trying not to worry too much. Certainly when she has a cold her weightgain slows dramatically and she's had a fairly constant cold since the start of December! I'm not expecting her to have put much on in the past few weeks.