Toddler weight

[TheChristmasCountessOlenska]

I've always been very relaxed about DD's weight and I've never taken her to get weighed in between official check-ups. So the last time she was weighed was at 12 months and she was fine (on the 75th centile I think, don't have book to hand)

Anyway - she has a very small appetite at 20 months and is quite fussy. She is still breastfed. I was looking at her today and suddenly thought she looks quite a skinny thing. Especially compared to other toddlers.

I think I will take her to get weighed but feel guilty now in case she is underweight! How would I tell - ie. should toddlers have fat belly etc?

If you can't wait to get her weighed, weigh yourself, make a note of the weight, then stand on the scales holding your daughter. The difference will be the weight of your daughter.

Do you think she looks worryingly skinny? or just a slender toddler?

My ds (16 months) weighs 11 kg. Biggish toddler but very tall, eats a lot.

Thanks, I haven't got scales in the house but I will do it at my mums or just wait till baby clinic next week.

I don't think she looks skinny, just not a "chubby" toddler - which is how they are supposed to look I thought.

She just doesn't eat hardly anything - like a bite of apple and cheese, a quarter of a slice of toast, a spoon of sweet potato, a few peas, one biscuit - that would be it for a day!

I will take her along to baby clinic.

I think once they get over 12 months they start to slim down as they are more active, my dd is only 7 months but a right chunk, all the other babies at swimming class are over 12-14 months and have now apparently slimmed right down as they are walking etc. I would say that as long as what she does eat is healthy and as long as she isn't hungry that she is fine.

If you are really worried you could try offering her a healthy snack as well during the day.

Ds has never been chubby! He is just turned 2 and only weighs 12kg.

It would probably be a good idea to weigh her (even if only on your own scales) just to see roughly where she is percentile wise. If she seems healthy and not hungry though that's a good sign - not lacking in energy?

For comparison dd weighed 11kg at 18 months, 11.9kg at 2 years and 12.7kg at 2 1/2 years, so really she's put on very little in the last year. She has got a lot taller and does look skinny. However, she is hovering around the 50th centile so I guess they aren't supposed to gain that much weight at this age!

She won't drink milk any more so I feel I'm constantly foisting yoghurts and cheese on her . She hasn't had a baby tummy for ages now.

Hope it goes well if you do go to clinic xx

They do slim down at that age, OP - mine both started needing every single garment taking in at the waist when they turned 18 months because they were both tall (DD2 was and still is VERY tall) - they needed the bigger sizes height-wise but boy did I have to do a lot of sewing!

Your DD will still be getting a lot of calories from your milk, BM is very calorific. At this age they also tend to start a fussy stage - as long as they are having something from every food group, a monotonous diet is OK. You can have them try things every so often, but don't make it pressured - the fussy stage stops when they're 4-5 and then they get more adventurous again.

My two were both as you describe at that age, they are now almost 9 and almost 11. DD1 is starting to develop physically and is 4'11'', DD2 is very slender and 4'7'', they both eat really well and a wide range of things. As long as you don't end up making food a battle ground, you will be fine.

Thanks all

My daughter is 32 months and weighs 12.5kg so about 25th centile and 50th for height. She has always been the same, even as a baby and never had the baby chubbiness. I reckon they take what they need.

my dd goes through phases of getting slightly chubby and then shooting up in height and remaining a skinny minny. she's always been 2nd centile and weighs about 10kg at 28 months. I think if they are happy and developing normally they work out what they need food wise and eat that much and no more

Agree with Pointy. Your BM is probably even more calorific now than it was when she was little - fat levels are much higher once you're into toddlerhood (and a lot higher than cow's milk fat levels).

I'd keep offering a variety of food, including calorie/nutrient-dense foods, and let her decide what / how much to eat.

FWIW my DS is a huge chunky monkey of a toddler at almost 2 y.o. and all the other toddlers I know are pretty slim, so I worry about this from the other side of the fence.

I didn't know that about BM having more fat than cow's milk - thanks AngelDog

is she alert, happy healthy?
if yes don't worry.

a two year old should be rather skinny with the ribs slightly showing.

if you are worried can you keep a food diary? as she is getting a lot of nutrients from bm she is probably getting al, she needs.

My Dd has phases of being skinny after a growth spurt then she gets a bit chubby before she shoots up again.

OP, the figures are in a post by TruthSweet here if you're interested.