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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Baby’s weight

32 replies

Keeva2017 · 22/08/2020 19:44

Ok I know I am being unreasonable posting here but I’m freaking myself out and figured this was the place for quick honest advice.

I have a 3 year old dd who is a little chunk. Always has been.

9 month old dd was also big when born and settled on to 91st centile. With everything there has been no clinics so other than her jabs which were fine she’s never seen another health professional and hasn’t been weighed since 10 weeks old.

Noticed today that she was looking long and slim so dug out our scales out of curiosity.

Basically (although not as accurate as proper baby scales) she is only 7kg which puts her in the 15th centile!

She is formula fed and started solids at 6 months. She has toast for breakfast, a meal at tea and snacks throughout the day and around lunch. Mix of baby led and spoon fed so when it’s baby led much less food gets in her.

Il call the HV on Monday but I have FREAKED out reading that she’s failure to thrive and may have long lasting effects. Iv swapped her bottle teats today for some faster flowing ones and she’s had more formula so wondering if that’s been the issue.

But she’s crawling, can nearly pull her self to standing, babbles so never had any indication she wasn’t thriving.

So please be honest, have I massively failed my baby and done irreversible harm?

OP posts:

Crunchymum · 22/08/2020 19:45

Your 9mo is 7kg. Is that correct?

Original poster

Keeva2017 · 22/08/2020 19:47

Yes 17lb so 7kg

OP posts:

idontknow202 · 22/08/2020 19:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Findahouse21 · 22/08/2020 19:50

My health visitor told.me that in my area they don't identify a baby's percentile.line until 13 weeks because up until then their weight is just as much about how your pregnancy went as what your baby's own feeding etc is like. Obviously they still record weight etc but don't use it for any long term prediixions, only % gained or lost in the very short term. So it may be that your baby was a little heavier in the begining because you had a good and efficient placenta but actually she was always going to be a bit more slender and has now found her own line.

Also, don't forget that at their size, a few grams can make a huge difference so a more accurate set of scales may help to reassure you. Babies who have failure to thrive are rarely happy or content, although may become non responsive, but you would know if things had got to that point

Not saying don't get medical advice, but definitely don't panic

idontknow202 · 22/08/2020 19:50

I misread the 7kg, that doesn't sound a lot for that age baby but mine have all been huge babies! Def check in with the HV like you suggested they can help you and make sure everything is ok

Fives · 22/08/2020 19:50

I have a nearly 9 month old DS who is not crawling and is a chunk at 22lbs but my friends little girl who is almost a year was weighed recently at 18lb somethin. I don't honestly know but it doesn't sound too bad. However, the drop in centile is quite a bit. I'd wait and see what the HV says and try not to worry too much if she is happy.

Original poster

Keeva2017 · 22/08/2020 19:50

Well 17lb as best as I could tell with dodgey bathroom scales and she was wriggling! She’s so bright and alert, moves around the room at the speed of light. I could definitely up her food on top of her formula.

She really is skinny though looking at her.

OP posts:

SideEyeing · 22/08/2020 19:51

I've noticed my nearly 9mo has slimmed down a fair bit since she started crawling. She was a chunk for the first few months, culminating in a stint of looking like a dough ball with eyes around month 6.

IKEA888 · 22/08/2020 19:52

don't panic
My untrained thought is she s different from the sibling that's all.
meantime add olive oil to anything!
avocados and fry anything !

Original poster

Keeva2017 · 22/08/2020 19:53

Thanks for responses. She was nearly 10 lb when born even though lost weight in pregnancy so she was a chunk! But she’s always been so long and never looked as much as she actually weighed.

If someone else came to me with this I’d say if she’s happy and reaching milestones there is no worry but when it’s your own it’s so scary.

OP posts:

weepingwillow22 · 22/08/2020 19:56

I think it is normal for babies to loose weight when they get more mobile. If you are worried though focus on getting her to have more nutrient dense food e.g avocado and adding milk to solids.

17lb is 7.7kg not 7kg, not sure if this makes a difference to the percentile.

Original poster

Keeva2017 · 22/08/2020 19:59

@weepingwillow22 dodgey scales were between 16 and 17 lb I think but the twatty things wouldn’t pick a weight so took 7kg as the average so think Iv got muddled but the 7kg was definitely the average.

Thank you though.

OP posts:

Gancanny · 22/08/2020 20:03

Just looked it up and at nine months old my oldest DD was 15lbs, no one said anything to me at that time about her being overly small or skinny.

Obviously speqk to your HV if you're worried but eating, drinking, active, and alert are all signs that she is growing well.

Original poster

Keeva2017 · 22/08/2020 20:10

@Gancanny thank you for checking!

I think Iv just been a bit lax with changing her teats and giving her more food around lunch. With my first boy I knew when she was hungry so just thought baby would leaded really but all children are different and I need to be more proactive.

OP posts:

Charlottejade89 · 22/08/2020 22:39

My dd has just turned 2 and she's only 22lbs now. Shes just naturally small. But she was born 7lbs 15oz and on 75th centile and then dropped on 25th by 1 year. Hv wasn't concerned tho as she hasnt lost weight, just gained less quickly. Shes probably just finding her natural curve now so I wouldnt panic too much

Thisisnotataste · 22/08/2020 22:55

Ive tried weighing my DD on our scales and honestly the variation is huge. I just dont think i can trust it at all. Don't freak yourself out. If shes developing in normal range you know shes ok

DrManhattan · 22/08/2020 22:59

Aww I had a skinny baby who is now a very tall girl of 14!
The charts differ for boys and girls. Check with your health visitor and try not to worry.

DoubleFunMum · 22/08/2020 23:27

The most accurate way to get her weight on bathroom scales is to weigh yourself first. Then pick her up and weigh both of you together. Minus the first weight from the 2nd to get her weight. I learned that when weighing my cat! But I agree with others, don't panic.

Original poster

Keeva2017 · 23/08/2020 07:20

Thank you guys. Iv been so chilled about second dd but this just frazzled me. Thank you.

OP posts:

Nquartz · 23/08/2020 07:52

She might just be more petite, please don't try t

Tini17 · 23/08/2020 07:54

It’s the drop in centiles that may be a concern - given she was big when born, is that what you’re getting at?
You say you changed teats, which ones was she on before you switched? Was she taking milk in or leaving it?
How much milk a day does she take? Is that about in line with what she should given she is weaning?

Try weighing yourself with her in your arms and then you on your own and subtract. You will get a better measure than a wriggly baby not staying still x

Nquartz · 23/08/2020 07:54

Posted too soon!

Please don't try to fatten her up, you say she looks skinny but in general I think we've lost sight of what skinny/fat/chubby looks like.

DD was always on low percentiles & is now, she's just tall & slim like her dad.

QueenofmyPrinces · 23/08/2020 08:00

Please don’t worry OP.

My first baby was born on the 91st percentile and always remained pretty high up in the charts and always seemed a bit of a chunk. He’s 6 now and he’s so tall and slim that I can’t imagine he’d be high up on the chart anymore.

My second baby was also born on the 91st percentile but by the time he was 6 months old he had dropped to between the 25th - 50th. A few months later he was under the 25th and ever since then he has remained between the 15th-20th percentile. He’s just turned 3 and he’s still in that percentile.....some infants are just naturally going to be more petite than others.

I would talk it through with your HV but honestly, please don’t worry too much.

Danilowe · 10/01/2024 13:00

Hey,

im freaking out!!

my little girl is 10 month old next week and is only weighing 7.1kg.

she’s always been a very small baby and has always been on a low centile but I’m worried she’s not gaining enough weight.

the HV has said to try let her eat on her own more baby led but I don’t get how that would make her gain wait as most of it ends up on the floor….

any advice please!? And to what meals I could give her?

SunSparkle · 10/01/2024 13:05

@Danilowe babies come in all shapes and sizes. It’s only a concern when they drop down more than two centile lines. Is your daughter dropping centiles?

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