2nd/9th percentile babies?

[generallyokayish]

Hi all, my DD is nearly 11 months and since about 6 weeks she's hovered between the 2nd and 9th percentile. She was born at just over the 9th at 5lb15.

I worry about her all the time, my older DD was 8lb2 and never struggled.
DD2 is in clothes sizes 1-2 sizes behind!

Anyone else have/had a small baby?

Hopeful bump x

Hey, I had a small baby. He was 5lb 10. He's a healthy happy three year old now and you'd never know. If they're eating normally and following their curve I wouldn't worry!

My DS is just under the 9th centile and is 12 months. He was born 6lb 1 but dropped a bit as he was struggling to latch. However since then he's stayed consistently around the 9th centile.

But that's not a bad thing. As long as they don't drop below their centile, then they're the weight they're meant to be. Also the clothes sizes are just an average size for that age. DS is in 6-9 months for some things.

Nothing to worry about as long as she's eating/drinking/wet and dirty nappies etc?

I like having a small baby, he's not so heavy to carry around!!

My son is on the 9th centile. It’s never occurred to me to worry about it! What exactly are you worried about?

My DD was always on around 2nd/9th centile and now a lovely 19 year old 5ft 4 which is 4" taller than me.

My daughter was 6.12 born but dropped due to feeding issues. She remained on 9th centile, she's 26 now with no health issues, she's just small at 5'1" and around 8 1/2 stones. Perfectly healthy.

I had a 9th centile baby (with a 99th centile head...). He moved up a bit but is generally quite slim still. He's nearly 5 but still struggles to stop age 3-4 trousers falling down. He suspect he'll be built like his dad - average height, pretty skinny, still with a big head

Mine was born on the 2nd centile. He is still on the 2nd centile and dinky at 12 but very healthy. He will just be small. Or he could have a massive growth spurt during purity.

DS1 was born on the 25th, but dropped down, and sat around 9th since about 6 months.
On the nhs bmi for older kids, he usually comes out on 6th centile.

He's 14 (years) now. Fit, active, strong and healthy. Yes, buying trousers is a nightmare - he's a string bean, but otherwise no issues. Just completed his Duke off Edinburgh Silver expedition with minimal issues. Eats everything and anything.

If she is eating and growing, just roll with it.

Another one who had a 9th centile baby who developed a 90th centile head. Was small through primary school but ended up over 6’ tall with really broad shoulders.

6lb13 at birth dropped to 6lb8 and then followed the 9th percentile until I removed allergens from my diet and then she moved up to the 35th percentile. She is 3.5 now and is on the 25th for weight and 1st for height

My older sister was 6lb13 a birth and by 10 weeks was only 7lb10 and under the 0.4th percentile due to projectile vomited. She reach the 0.4th percentile at 1 and at 2 was fairly average. I was always on the 2nd percentile and at 7-8 I shared clothes with my younger sister aged 3. All three of us are within 2 inches on one another and share clothes. I'm 5ft2 we are a small family!

Mine was born 50%ish but crashed down to 0.4% at the lowest after a serious hospitalisation a few months in. Age 3 they're back up and for the first time ever I bought that age clothes at the "right" time which was bizarre!

It was stressful at times but if they'd followed their natural curve I'd not have been so anxious. Benefits were they definitely easier to lug around, car seats and carriers lasted longer. Mine walked early so this dinky dot staggering around in 3-6month clothes was pretty funny.

My son was induced and was born at around the 4th percentile. As far as I know, at close to 11 months, he's still at that. He's tiny compared to his peers and still comfortably in 6-9 months clothes.

My eldest was born on 9th centile and steadily increased in toddlerhood. At almost 5, I think he's around 25th and is a slim build.

Both DS were both both 6lbs odd but healthy, they are now teenagers and last time I checked DS1 in 25th and DS2 maybe about 30th-40th height, both fit and healthy builds. I'm short and DH just above average so probably evens out and I’d not expect them to be big babies, children or adults. Probably depends on your genes - if you and DH are bigger then maybe worth a heath visitor query.

13 month old DS hovers around 9th, he has done since around 5 weeks old. He was born on 75th, but due to an infection lost a lot of weight and dropped down the chart bless him.

I worry sometimes too that he looks small, he's reached the end of his 9-12 baby grows and the 12-18 ones drown him 🤣. We need footless ones really.

Is she eating/generally developing well? DS is taking a few steps now, I think he burns off all his energy constantly moving 😁

Is she struggling though? Sounds like she’s following her curve. Someone has to be the smallest.

DS was born at 75th centile and dropped to 2nd. That’s when it’s an issue.

Mine was a 9th% and dropped post birth to 2nd. You would never know it now. Dinky until about 4, very undinky now.

Mine was 6lb 7, usual drop, but still on 9th. Started weaning at 4mo and by about 7mo he was up to 50th and is still there at 18mo. If she's happy and healthy try not to worry, growth spurts can seriously change them

In the absence of any actual problem I think you need to gain some perspective.

If you put all the adults in order of weight there'd be people on the 2nd and 9th and 1st centile etc - it's just a way of comparing weights. Some people are lighter/heavier, taller/shorter, slimmer/more muscular etc than others.

There's nothing inherently wrong with being on any centile - it's whether there's a concern about weight gain/loss etc. If DC is steady and not unwell there's nothing to worry about.

I've got 3 DC, 2 we're born (and stayed) between the 2nd and 9th centiles for the first 18 months, 3rd child (born 4 on utero weeks later than the others) born on the 50th and dropped to the 9th by 6th months - so in line with my other children. Neither me or DH are particularly large in any dimension so that seems right for us.

If you are 6ft and Dad is a hulk I understand your concern a little more

My son was 9th percentile, born at 6lb 13, stayed on the 9th for at least his first year. He’s 7 now, slim (but eats like a horse), active, healthy. Never liked milk much as a baby (still doesn’t really). My daughter, 50th percentile when born, bigger build than my son comparatively. She loves her milk and always has. Not sure if that ever had anything to do with it.

Ours was on 0.4th (is it) he was 5lb 9. He is still tiny and in clothes a year behind, but he's healthy. He is 6.5 years and a dot compared to the rest in class - yes I do worry but he has the best diet going and despite being the youngest in his class, he one of the top of his class academically.

I do worry as he gets older he might face some trouble in school or finding a girlfriend, but you can only deal with the hand you are dealt. He is amazing and kind and funny and he's already showing signs of being resilient enough to deal with stuff, so we will just keep instilling that in him. And someone's got to be the littlest.

Oh and I'm not even 5ft and dad is 5"7 so ..

Not necessarily. My daughter being on the 9th was not because she was a 9th percentile baby as I was told. She was a 25th-50th percentile baby falsely on the 9th due to food allergies.

But yes 1% of babies are on the 50th, 1% are of the 2nd and 1% on the 90th all can be completely normal

Well quite. My son being on the 2nd centile wasn’t because he was a 2nd centile baby either.

My daughter was 7th percentile her whole life (currently two and a half) but followed her trajectory to the letter. i asked the doctor and they said she's just small. they prefer a baby that follows the line perfectly than one that jumps all over the place. some kids are just smaller and likely to catch up eventually