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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

DD not doubled birth weight by 10 months.

45 replies

Netflixandchill · 13/05/2016 11:50

Posted here for traffic.

Just had my daughter weighed by HV again and she still hasn't doubled birth weight, she's just over 10 months old. She has actually lost 1oz in the past 11 weeks, since birth she's dropped from 75th to low end of 9th Centiles for weight, she's still on 75th for height.

It's been a constant struggle since she dropped her first Centiles at 3 months old to get food and drink in her and a massive worry for 7 months just to see her drop further and further and be told "she's just petite" "she's just slim" or "we will check her again in 2 weeks" and then she puts a tiny amount on and they decide she's fine again.

Is this normal? To me it doesn't seem like it, I've got a GP appointment booked first thing Monday morning because I want a second opinion, she's gradually reaching developmental milestones and is active, still doesn't sleep through in her own bed. I know all kids are different but DS doubled birth weight by 4 months and is on 91st Centiles for height and weight.

Very worried and need some advice!

OP posts:

ReginaBlitz · 13/05/2016 12:04

Mine is only 2 pound over her double and she is 10 months tiny though and still in 3-6 months clothes. All babies are different.

SaucyJack · 13/05/2016 12:08

My advice is to stop having her weighed.....

Seriously. Unless you think she has a serious medical condition obv.

AndTakeYourPenguinWithYou · 13/05/2016 12:16

I imagine you'll get lots of responses that all babies are different and you don't need to get her weighed. And they are, and you don't.
BUT, that is a very long drop through the centiles. And 11 weeks, almost THREE months with no weight gain at all? I would be getting concerned at this point. My DC2 was very similar, was marked as "Failure to Thrive" (which was hard to deal with, felt like I was being judged as a mother) and had lots of investigations, turning up a few problems. A decade later DC2 is still small for age but very healthy, but I'm glad I didn't ignore the voice that told me that is wasn't normal that a baby just wasn't growing at all.

Babies grow a lot in the first year. No weight gain at all from 7 to ten months is concerning. I would be seeing a dr, personally.

Original poster

Netflixandchill · 13/05/2016 12:20

I get all babies are different all the time, it sort of invalidates my concerns then, although I know it comes from a good place and is true.

The problem is all healthy babies grow, they gain weight and develop and mine isn't and I'm being told not to worry. What problems did you encounter after seeing a doctor Andtakeyourpenguinwithyou?

OP posts:

GreenMarkerPen · 13/05/2016 12:21

agree. you are concerned so see the gp.
it could a number of thing from food intolerances to growth hormone issues.

greybead · 13/05/2016 12:23

Are you and your dh short and slightly built?

I don't see her birth weight in the op, but if she was relatively big at birth although born to small parents, she will not double it quickly.

We had the opposite. Baby born tiny and early (bad pregnancy) but to big, tall parents so more than tripled weight by 6m.

GastonsPomPomWrath · 13/05/2016 12:26

My dd was 10lb 5 at birth and she hasn't gained weight in the way she was expected to. Although she's perfectly in proportion and a happy 7 month old baby, she dropped 2 centiles in a very short space of time and I was sent to the gp by the hv.

We have a referral to paediatrics, the appointment is next Wednesday. On the whole they've been very on the ball with getting the referral done as quickly as possible.

Don't be fobbed off op. You're concerned, you feel that somethings not quite right and that's all that matters.

Rinceoir · 13/05/2016 12:27

It's stressful isn't it. My DD is just turned 2 and has gradually been dropping down the charts since weaning started at 6 months- from above 75th to hovering around the 9th. On around 50th for height. She has a tiny appetite and gravitated towards lower calorie foods (loves fish etc). Was a nightmare to wean. Still hasn't tripled her birth weight.

She's under the care of paeds for another reason, and they've looked into it and aren't especially worried, just keeping an eye. I am inclined to think she is just meant to be small though- my DH and I are not tall, and she's got tiny narrow feet (still in baby size 3.5-4). I would certainly have it checked out to make sure there is no medical reason for it, but try not to panic.

Original poster

Netflixandchill · 13/05/2016 12:32

Dad is 6ft 3 and I'm 5 ft 6, her dad is naturally very slim but I'm medium build just at the far end of healthy BMI.

Her birth weight was 8lb 3 and her current weight as of this morning is 15lb.2.

She was weighed 2 weeks ago and had lost 2 ounces and this week she had gained one so over the space of 11 weeks she has lost 2 ounces and gained one back, we have had 2 weeks of butter, double cream, good feeding and snacks I just don't get it

OP posts:

Rinceoir · 13/05/2016 12:40

Well I would certainly speak with your GP and ask for a paeds referral. Keep a diary of what she eats/drinks for a week or two before the appt. I feel much better about DDs weight/size now she's a bit older, active and never stops talking but I was certainly more stressed when she was younger.

CatsRule · 13/05/2016 12:42

My ds was around 2 before he doubled his birth weight...and he wasn't a huge baby! He was absolutely fine, just natually small and still is although he is tall now but still slim. It didn't stop me worrying at the time that he was on the 0.4 centile and sometimes dropped off the chart. It's only as he's progressed that I know it's just the way he is.

AndTakeYourPenguinWithYou · 13/05/2016 12:42

My DC had some quite specific issues that are unlikely to be relevant to you, but also a few quite bad food intolerances/allergies. He had other signs of problems though, not simply a lack of growth (severe reflux, severe diarrhea, vomiting etc, cried a lot).

IF the baby is otherwise healthy and happy, I would't be terribly worried, but I would be looking for a full medical assessment. Slow growth is one thing, but no weight gain at all for the best part of a third of her life would be pushing me to ask for investigations.

Crazycatladyloz82 · 13/05/2016 12:55

I could literally write pages on this as our daughter has had huge weight gain and feeding issues and they weren't resolved until we found the right doctor and dietician. She is still skinny and gains weight slowly but she is thriving. Like your lo our daughter is tall (91st centile) but skinny (20th centile). Some questions for you. You mention feeding issues, can you elaborate? Our daughter vomited all the time and then refused to feed at all. Is she doing well generally? Sitting, crawling, climbing etc or is she noticeably behind targets. Our lo was behind targets but has now completely caught up. Some babies are just skinny as our daughter is, you only need to be concerned if they are skinny and clearly other issues around food or development exist.

Original poster

Netflixandchill · 13/05/2016 13:18

She has met all her milestones, with feeding she was refusing any more than 13 ounces of milk a day, sometimes even as little as 6 a day, sometimes none at all 😔

She was initially breastfed but I stopped at 12 weeks due to health problems of my own. She's like most babies and prefers her sweets to savoury but for the past 2 weeks we have fed her so much cheese, milk, butter and full cream and clotted cream, she's been having 18 ounces of milk some days and 2 or 3 yoghurts on top of meals and snacks, a multivitamin too and she's still gained so little? It's a struggle because we then feel like she obviously needs to eat more but I feel like I couldn't physically feed her any more high calorie foods at the quantity we are feeding her and it still isn't enough, does that make sense?

OP posts:

Original poster

Netflixandchill · 13/05/2016 13:19

When I hold her I can feel her ribs and spine :( her stools look normal, sometimes hard and she rarely vomits so I can't see her losing calories through D&V

OP posts:

Original poster

Netflixandchill · 13/05/2016 13:20

Sorry also she met milestones average about 6 weeks to 2 months after the "guidelines" (bloody guidelines and charts )

OP posts:

AndTakeYourPenguinWithYou · 13/05/2016 13:25

I'd be wondering then why she isn't growing with that much food? It doesn't sound like absorption issues if the nappies are fine, and their is no vomiting. But there may be a reason.
Nobody here can tell you, they can;t see the baby and we aren't professionals. See your GP and tell them all of it, see what they recommend. I'd be expecting a paeds referral for a full assessment.

Original poster

Netflixandchill · 13/05/2016 13:28

The appointment is Monday morning first thing, I wasn't expecting a diagnosis from Mumsnet, just something to compare my daughter to for comfort until her appointment arrives to reassure me that this is normal or atleast that it's not as scary as my mind is making it. I think the reality of it is that it is an issue and I am right to be worried.

OP posts:

AndTakeYourPenguinWithYou · 13/05/2016 13:29

Don't be too worried though

Original poster

Netflixandchill · 13/05/2016 13:29

If the doctor doesn't suggest a refferal to paeds am I allowed to demand one at this stage?

OP posts:

Crazycatladyloz82 · 13/05/2016 13:45

My daughter hates milk and barely drinks any but loves food. Milk is needed for calcium but your daughter is getting plenty from cheese etc. Demand a referral and maybe ask to be referred to a gastro paed as if she has feeding issues they help a lot. It may be a calorie absorption issue which they can rule out. If she is otherwise thriving she is probably just skinny. I can feel my daughter's ribs and spine too.

ToniWol · 13/05/2016 13:45

You can certainly request an appt. We did.

FWIW my DD only got to double her birth weight at just over 10 months. However she dropped through the centiles early on, and then steadied just before 6mo (although at nearly 18mo she'd still be in her baby carrier in the car if we hadn't moved onto an i-size one)

Is your DC very active - we think that contributed to her issues in the early days. Even though she wasn't mobile she was very active

MigGril · 13/05/2016 14:06

This is really quite concerning, please do ask your GP for a ped referral. Normally a drop of 2 centialies should trigger this from the HV and especially as she's not gained in the last 11 week's.

Don't panic as most babies the pediatrician see are perfectly healthy but she should have been seen by now.

NickyEds · 13/05/2016 14:08

Can you give us an idea of an average days food?

NickyEds · 13/05/2016 14:11

I think the referral might depend on the area? Where we are the gps seem to be the gate keepers to all other services and you would need to be referred by either them or the hv. However I don't think that a gp won't refer you after what you've said here.

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