[North_Of_60]

We had problems in the beginning with weight gain, dehydration, low milk supply, jaundice, and a few other things. We ended up supplementing, which I weaned her from 2 months ago (on the 15th she'll be formula free for two months!).

Anyway, we had a doctors appointment today (4 months), and it seems her weight gain is still slow. I LOVE my (new) pediatrician. He thinks she looks great, etc. He never mentioned one thing about her weight gain since giving up formula, but it's nagging at me in the back of my mind.

At 9 weeks she weighed 11 pounds 4 ounces. Now, at almost 20 weeks, she weighs 14 pounds 6 ounces. If my math is correct that's 50 ounces gained in not quite 11 weeks. That's only 4.5 ounces per week. That's at the low end of "normal".

I keep reading things that say they should double their birth weight by 6 months. I doubt that's going to happen, she was 9 pounds 2 ounces. She has 4 pounds to put on in 2 months. I doubt it will happen. Is that theory a formula feeding theory? Is it bad if they don't double their birth weight?

Plus, I had a HIGH intervention labor (I have a clotting disorder), which resulted in lots of IV fluids, which I've also read can contribute to added water gain before birth. If that's true, it's possible that's she's "normal", since some of the weight at birth was from fluid retention?

I'm a worry wort, and I think I'm WAY over analyzing this. She's having good wet diapers. She's content. She's meeting and exceeding mile stones.

So is she "normal"? At 4 and a half months 14 pounds 6 ounces seems a bit on the small side to me.

 

[skueppers]

Honestly, if your doctor's not worried, there's absolutely NO reason for you to be worried. Doctors tend to worry about these things way more than actually necessary.

You might find it reassuring to look at the growth charts on the CDC's web site. You'll find that your daughter is slightly above the 50th percentile in weight.

 

[lasciate]

She is normal! The low end of normal is still normal. My baby was a slow gainer too and over time it became obviously she is just naturally petite.

To put it in perspective:

Your baby @ 4 months: 14lbs6oz

My baby @ 4months: 11lbs13oz (she was 14lbs11oz at *8* months)

DD barely doubled her birthweight by a year (she was 7lbs13oz). It's not bad if they don't double their birthweight at 6 months, that's just the *average*. Not every baby is average.

As long as baby is gaining, she's fine. I fretted and fretted about whether DD was getting enough, and she always was. Watch the baby, not the scale.

 

[TortelliniMama]

With the good diapers/milestones/etc., I'd really say you don't need to worry. But, in any case, I also believe that "double birth weight by 6 months" idea is even less accurate for babies who were large at birth. 9lbs2oz isn't totally humongous, but it's bigger than average, I'd say. Ds was 10lbs3oz at birth and didn't get to 20 pounds till 9-10 months.

 

[jillmamma]

My little girl was 6 lb, 14 oz at birth, and was 12 lb, 6 oz at 4.5 months. Now at 11 months, she is somewhere between 16-17 lb if I had to guess. Your baby sounds like she is normal and growing just fine to me.

 

[leximom]

wow, I really wouldn't be worried if I were you. My dd didn't weigh 14 lbs until about 9 months. No one was concerned except me and she's still happy and healthy!

 

[bjorker]

I know it's hard, but like everyone else said, try not to worry. It's very good if you have a doctor that isn't putting the fear into you about it, because we had a very bad experience with that. It seems all doctors are obsessed with their weight gain charts, when in reality all babies grow at different rates.

My dd wasn't 14 lbs until 10 or 11 months. Yes, really. She actually weighed just over 12 lbs for months and months. That was very difficult.

This, to me, sounds normal, so try not to worry! If she seems okay to you as you describe, then that's what is important. And she sounds like she is doing great!