Are baby girls smaller than boys?

[benandoli]

Hi there, I am due to have baby number 3 in 5 weeks. This one is a girl and is measuring small although still within normal limits. My first two were both just under 9 pounds and are both boys so could this by why baby number 3 is smaller?

[ivykaty44]

My friend had boy 8Ilb then boy 10.5 Ilb then girl 8 Ilb does that help?

[NorthernLurker]

I don't think there's any particular reason tbh. My third baby was the smallest of my three - and I had all girls. I have a friend whose third was the biggest. As long as baby is well I wouldn't fret over it - I found the difference between 8lb 11 (dd2) and 7lb 15 (dd3) to make for a much easier birth!!

[aSlurOnBrilliantScientists]

I think no definitive evidence. My girl was bigger than my boy.

8lb and then 7lb (6lb 13oz close enough)

Also debunking second babies bigger myth.

[IdrisTheDragon]

DS was 6lb 1oz, DD was 7lb 11oz

[ghosty]

DS was 10lbs (and a bit) and DD was 10lbs 10oz.

[lulumama]

my DD was smaller than DS but only by a few ounces. and she was a second baby who was supposed to be mahoosive, both were under 8 lbs!

[francagoestohollywood]

dd (my second) was def smaller than ds. Ds was 8.4 lb, dd was 7 lb. And she was tiny and delicate!

[eidsvold]

my dds were 61/2lbs, 9lbs 7oz, 8lb 4oz.

[cluckyagain]

Both dds bigger/fatter than ds (by a lb) and both bumps def bigger than with ds. They don't stay smaller though!

[jalopy]

My sons were both 9lb 12oz at birth.

My daughter was delivered (emergency cs) at 37 weeks weighing 9lb 6oz.

If she had gone to term she would have been much larger than the boys.

[sadminster]

my dd was nearly a pound bigger than ds & born three weeks sooner he was (ds was 7lb 3 dd 7lb 13).

[cafebistro]

My DS was 7lb 15oz and 10 days late.
My DD was 8lb 4oz and 1 day late.

[georgimama]

I only have one baby but my mum had two boys then a girl (me), the second boy was her smallest baby, her first child was her biggest. I don't think girls are automatically smaller than boys at birth. Unhelpfully the HV ripped the girl charts out of my red book, otherwise I would look and see whether a 50th centile girl weighs the same as a 50th centile boy at birth. You could google centiles, I'm sure the info is out there somewhere.

[ShowOfHands]

My dh is one of four. He was a tiny 2lb preemie, his two brothers average size, his sister 10lb+.

My experience of having a girl is not tiny and delicate. She was a fairly average weight at birth but has consistently been off the charts ever since. I'm blaming dh's side of the family for producing big girls.

[penona]

I have twins, one of each, girl heavier than boy at birth and still is at 15mo. Also just generally much bigger, taller etc.

georgimama - the 50th centile girl and boy at birth are the same, but the spreads are different. Girl 99th centile is less than boy 99th centile, and 1st centile less too, if that makes sense. So the average girl weighs the same. By 1 year, a girl 50th is 9.5kg and a boy 10kg.

[georgimama]

Oh, Penona, I think I understand, so the median is the same but the range is smaller (I think).



Yes that is what I mean. Thanks.