EBF Daughter's Weight Gain

[MaeiBunny]

Hello all!

A little bit of background: I gave birth to my beautiful daughter in a hospital setting all natural, pain-free, never any IV's, no vaccines for either of us. She was 6lbs59oz. when she was born and is now 10lbs 8oz.

My lil' one just turned 5 months and is EBF. She is extremely alert and very active. The doctor is slightly concerned because she is below the 5th percentile. She is hitting all the milestones in good time. I'm fairly little, 5'1", and so is the rest of my family. My mother was small as are my siblings. My sister was tiny forever but always healthy. Anyways, the doctor wants me to start her on supplementation either formula or rice cereal but I don't see need because she is obviously growing just fine and slowly but steadily gaining weight.

Any suggestions or advice to help this all natural, first time, mama out? Please?

[katt]

i think you are dead on.  not every baby is going to hit the dr's average.  some babies are going to fall on both ends of the bell curve.  

Being small runs in your family.  As long as she's gaining and reaching milestones, plenty of wet and poopy diapers all is good.

[MaeiBunny]

Thank you! That gives me reassurance. Sometimes they (medical staff) make me second guess my natural maternal instincts. 

[Megan73]

She sounds like a happy, healthy baby! But her weight gain does seem a bit low. My understanding from kellymom.com - which has great resources on normal infant growth - that the typical EBF baby doubles birthweight between three and four months and triples by a year. Average weight gain is 5-7 ounces a week to four months and 4-5 ounces from four to six months.
I found an interesting link about "natural" slow growers but it suggests it's still a concern if baby is gaining less than a pound a month: http://www.chp.edu/CHP/P02653
You could check out some of the resources at kellymom.com or talk to an IBCLC...

[fruitfulmomma]

I think I would try to increase feedings before I would start supplementing. Maybe a lc who can help you weigh her before and after feeding to make sure she is taking enough in.

As far as the %, my concern would come with a baby who was dropping lower in points each month rather than a baby who was consistently on a low curve but continuing to gain along it.

I haven't always kept track but I am sure dd#1 was probably in the lower percentiles while dd#5 is in the 90/95 for weight/length.

[KristyDi]

You may also want to check to see what weight chart your dr was using.  Te one a lot of drs use is based mainly on formula fed babies.  The WHO has one for breastfed infants it can be found through kellymom or google. (sorry I can't link using my tablet)  Around 5-6 months is when BF babies seem to start appearing to fall in %tiles on the formula fed chart.

At my older DD's 12 mnth appt her dr as concerned because she had fallen to the 10th%tile on the FF charts.  When I came home and looked up the WHO's BF chart she was just beow the 50%tile.

[dashley111]

I also have a tiny baby!  She is currently in the 7th percentile at 10 months, and was once not even on the chart.  She has ALWAYS been low- which is kind of the key in our situation.  Weight gain never tapered off or stopped, but its just slower than normal.  The PP mentioned the chart difference and it is very true- the CDC chart lumps formula fed babies in with breastfed babies, and it ruins the curve for breastfed babies by almost always putting them low on the scale even when weight gain is very normal. 

Now, I am not small.  My DH is not small.  Our other 2 children were not small.  But this last baby is, and I spent a lot of time worrying about nothing.  She is hitting all of her milestones perfectly, and it sounds like your daughter is also.  At one point I did start supplementing, and you know what?  It did NOTHING!  Some babies are just small.  Some adults are just small.  Everybody is different, and every baby is different. 

Trust your mom instincts.  If it seems to you that she is fine, and you feel like she just picked up being small from your genetics, try not to worry.  If she seems happy and healthy to you and everyone else, you must be doing a fantastic job!  Don't second guess yourself.  There has to be babies that are on the bottom of the "Charts"...somebody has to be in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th percentile or they wouldn't exist.

[phathui5]

Has her weight gain slowed down or has it been slow and steady all along?