Why do bf babies gain weight at different rates?

[WalkingBoob]

I've been ebf my DD for 18 weeks now (). She is a slow gainer (2-3 oz pw) who clings to the 2nd centile at around 11lb 6oz. Despite this I am proud of what I have achieved and she seems a healthy and happy little girl.

...however I can't help feeling inadequate when I read/hear about other bf babies who are fed just 5-6 times a day (10+ for me lately ), who are above 25th centile and gaining in excess of 8 oz per week!!

I need to try and understand why this is. What am I doing differently to these mothers, if anything? Are there inate physiological differences between babies that mean weight gain occurs at different rates regardless?

Your thoughts would be very welcome

Ooooh I didn't know that. I stand corrected

As someone else said, there's not only variation in the final size, but in the journey to get there.

I was 5 lb 7 oz born full term, 93cm tall when I went to school age 4, always the smallest in my class but ended up an average sort of size - 5 foot 4 but had always been told I'd be lucky to make 5 foot.

I went to secondary with a different group of people to primary, always remember meeting up with some of my old classmates and being shocked at how short some of the 'tall girls' were!