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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Skinny baby

22 replies

LilyBolero · 13/08/2010 00:52

Ds3 (dc4) is 12 weeks, and exclusively breast fed. Like all my children he started off big (10lb12), lost weight (down to 9lb8) and then slowly put weight back on. When last weighed at 8 weeks or so he was 11lb11.

He is looking really quite skinny atm, and although I don't want to top up with formula, I also don't want to deprive him of nutrients. Nappies are good and wet, and plenty of LARGE yellow poos. I am reluctant to take him to the HV as I know they will say 'give formula top ups' and I don't want them 'monitoring' his weight, because I know my babies gain slowly.

So really what I'm asking is does it matter that he is skinny, and how can I feed him up? (I do feed him on demand and he is very settled and happy, sleeping through the night and alert and active during the day). TIA!

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Morloth · 13/08/2010 09:22

DS1 was a skinny boy he still is now at 6yo. If he is feeding on demand and looks good he is probably OK.

Maybe just offer a couple of extra feeds a day if you are really worried?

DS2 is a chubbler and it is such a relief.

Some kids are fat and some kids are skinny it stands to reason that babies would be the same.

Purplebuns · 13/08/2010 09:35

If he is reaching milestones and plenty of wet nappies he should be fine!
Especially as it is normal for your family and he is happy which is the main clue as he wouldn't be if he was undernourished!
My DD has just reached 19lbs at 15mo and she is perfectly happy and healthy.

ragged · 13/08/2010 09:47

How does he compare size wise with your other 3 at the same age? Sounds like he's fine, he'd be quite unhappy if he was hungry for more.

My DC4 was the biggest at birth and at 2yo was on the 2nd percentile for height -- amuses me no end.

Original poster

LilyBolero · 13/08/2010 09:47

Thanks - it is normal for my kids, certainly, but he just seems 'ribby'! He doesn't really have a set number of feeds in a day - he starts off with good gaps between feeds, and by early evening is just feeding his way to sleep, so I'm not sure how I would offer another feed (given that it is fairly random when he feeds anyway). I think I will try to make him feed for longer (used to do this when he was absolutely newborn), as I suspect he may take enough to take the hunger pangs off, but not as long as he could iyswim!

Oh to have a roly-poly baby!

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Original poster

LilyBolero · 13/08/2010 09:49

ragged, he's pretty similar in size to the other 3, although I think he may be longer but skinnier (not by much though). Ds1 who is my skinniest as a child wasn't SO skinny as a baby, but I was topping him up with formula, so not a totally fair comparison.

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tiktok · 13/08/2010 10:14

Lily, your ds is basically fine from what you say, but I would share your concern about his weight and appearance, even so - more about his appearence, actually, as his weight gain from his lowest point is not very alarming.

A skinny baby may be physiologically skinny, but it's unusual enough at 12 weeks of age (when babies are usually chubby) to at least raise the question 'could this baby need more to eat, even if he seems happy without?' Some of his slow weight gain could be regression to his 'real' weight from a heavy start, of course, but it may not be the whole story.

There is no proper research on this, but I have noticed that babies in families where there is a lot going on (like yours, with 3 older sibs) may be laid back and happy especially if they have that sort of personality anyway - their environment is such that they do get attention and entertainment from everything/everyone around them, but they learn to tick along with less food than they might otherwise take (which is what you reckon, with your observation that he feeds to keep his hunger at bay).

Can you offer one or two extra feeds - even when he doesn't 'ask' for them? Don't wait for him to fuss and fret and wriggle and yell. Just offer. More feeds is going to get more milk into him than extending the feeds he has - although you could certainly offer more breasts to see if he will stay on a bit longer as well.

He may need opportunities to feed more sort of carved out for him, if you see what I mean.

This strategy is better than messing about with formula, from the health and the convenience point of view, and cannot possibly harm him :)

What do you think?

Original poster

LilyBolero · 13/08/2010 13:04

tiktok, that all makes a lot of sense - ds2 was similar in that he was happy to just about take what he needed, but no more, so probably didn't demand enough milk to make him chub out (you gave me loads of help with him - was tortoiseshell then!) - ds2 is naturally a very laid back child, still doesn't eat very much and has a light frame, so I guess ds3 will be similar, and you're right, having lots of other children around does keep him amused and stimulated when he might otherwise be feeding.

I think that's a good suggestion to try and fit an extra feed in when he's happy (ie not requesting milk), as especially in the morning I think this would be possible - he usually has a fairly long spell after his first feed of the morning, as that is always a very 'big feed', as he is sleeping through the night.

I think you're also right that a lot of this is him 'catching down' to his natural weight, as none of the kids are 'big' children, but ds1 was the smallest at birth at 9lb12, the other 2 were 10lb+!

Thanks for responding!

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GraceK · 13/08/2010 13:19

DD1 was born small & stayed skinny - one of my more sensible HV's pointed out that so long as your child is following their OWN growth curve & seems happy then there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

On the plus cell, when we put on weight our body creates adipose fat cells to fill with fat. When you lose weight those cells empty but never go away and quickly fill up again should we be exposed to plentiful foods - to protect against famine. If your baby remains skinny he will have less adipose cells than most children & so will stay slim & have less battles with weight as an adult that someone who was a "lovely chubby" baby. Plus I find that DD2 (who is a chunky monkey) is loads harder to keep clean - all those creases that DD1 never had.

tiktok · 13/08/2010 13:29

Grace - forgive me but I have to laugh at the lovely idea that skinny babies are easier for mothers 'cos they're so much easier to keep clean!!

You are absolutely right, too :) :)

(Eldest was a porker who had folds in places where no other babies had places!)

Original poster

LilyBolero · 13/08/2010 13:37

grace - what a fab thuought!

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Morloth · 13/08/2010 15:17

Yes, fat folds are perfect for trapping poo can indeed be a PITA.

LilyBolero DS1 is still very much: Run, play, grab food (doesn't matter what it is), run, play. He thinks there are much better things to be doing than eating.

DS2 however shares his mother's view that the best way to spend the day is in bed with food on tap.

deemented · 13/08/2010 15:31

I have a long skinny one too - he's seven months, 15lb 10 (9lb 15 and a half at birth) and 70 cm long. I swear i could play the xylophone on his ribs. He eats like a horse though, but the HV is having many a hissy fit as he's gone from the 91st centile at birth to just above the ninth now. I know he's fine. She can see he's fine. It's just that he's not doing what it says in her book that he should do. He's very laid back too, he's DS3 and loves watching things going on around him.

Oh and i totally agree about the fat folds - dd was a chubby baby and it was amazing the parts poo could reach...

Original poster

LilyBolero · 13/08/2010 18:47

thanks morloth and deemented, that's encouraging!

I'll put a couple of pictures on my profile, see what you think, is he too thin for 12 weeks?

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deemented · 13/08/2010 18:49

Ohhh... pics.. i like pics!

Original poster

LilyBolero · 13/08/2010 18:52

Try that - is that working?

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MumNWLondon · 13/08/2010 19:04

I looked at photos, looks cute, but hard to tell, need to do more just in a vest so we can see legs!

My DS2 is also chilled out baby (DC3), I don't feed on demand because he would go four hourly and I'd rather feed him three hourly, so we do a loose schedule. I say loose because obviously if he ever demands before the 3 hours are up I always feed him, but sometimes he is asleep so it gets pushed back a little. Can you try and fit in an extra feed?

My baby (now 16 weeks) - has dropped from 50th, to 25th and now halfway to 9th, but happy alert, usually sleeps all night. Our schedule is roughly feeding at 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 6.30pm, 10.30pm (I wake him) - so thats 6 feeds in 24 hours. If he wakes in the night I try to fit an extra feed in the next day to try and help stimulate milk so 7am, 9.30am, 12pm, 2.30pm, 5pm, 7pm, 10.30pm. I did this yesterday and wed and seem to have stacks of milk today.

FWIW health visitor has not suggested formula tops ups just said she is pleased he is being BF!

deemented · 13/08/2010 19:10

IMO, for what it's worth, he doesn't look too thin at all, but it's hard to tell with clothes on.

Original poster

LilyBolero · 13/08/2010 19:12

I don't really have any photos of him in a vest, but I know it's hard to tell in clothes. His legs are quite skinny still, they're not the deliciously podgy legs that some babies have!

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deemented · 13/08/2010 19:20

DS 3 has twigs for legs. It's quite noticable as he has bloody big feet like his daddy.

theidsalright · 13/08/2010 21:17

I have to say he is gorgeous (broody emocion) and IMO not a bit skinny!

HappySeven · 13/08/2010 21:19

He looks v like my dd (17 weeks). I would like her to be a bit chubbier (she's on the 2nd centile) but I think she's just not destined to be. Her brother looked very similar although he was a lot heavier. I hadn't thought of the "easier to clean" aspect - I shall be grateful next time she has a dirty nappy!

theidsalright · 13/08/2010 21:27

FWIW and this will prob not apply to you but DS was much skinnier at that age (noticeably in photos now I look back) and I now know that it's because I didn't feed him enough til he was about 16 weeks...not deliberately, I just hadn't worked it out, iyswim. More milk will probably make you ALL more satisfied!

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