12 Mo Old "Underweight"

Hello I am young mom with 2 boys ages 4 years and 2years old and have learned that putting baby cereal like the gerber flaky cereal with bananas or apples into their formulas help them gain weight and helps with sleep time. My 4 year old underwent a operation a while back and had his tonsils and anoids removed due to that he lost weight so I tried the cereal and milk drink and now he's above his weight for his age. -Try it and let me know the outcome.

I see you've gotten some great responses so far. My son was in 85th+ percentile at 9 months and before, but at 12, 15, and 18 months he's been under the 20th%. He's always been 75th+ for height. The doctor normally wouldn't be concerned but it was a big dip for him to take (basically he didn't gain weight from 9 to 18 months). I wasn't breastfeeding anymore at 12 months (was 7 months+ pregnant with #2), but the doc said to offer him meals more often, ignore his pickiness and just let him eat healthy foods that I offer, offer him lots of choices so he actually eats something (we can't do the "if you don't eat, you starve" route and he's extremely picky), and at bedtime, give him a sippy cup of milk and a snack. When we first took away bottles at 10 months, he went on a drinking strike but after 4 days he easily took milk from a sippy. It could just take some getting used to for her.

I'm happy to say that since 15 months, my little guy has gained 2 pounds! He's 20 months now. He got taller but he's also eating better.

It's awesome that you're still breastfeeding and you're doing great. You might just have a thinner daughter. I asked my mom to please help me make good choices for my kids by not criticizing my parenting choices and remember that times have changed since she did this. I remind her that I learned from the best and am doing my best. My stepsister who eats more than most, is 5'2" and weighs maybe 85 pounds. She's just always been a little person.

Oh, don't worry...
I'm small.petite. Both my daughters are teeny - but they are NEVER SICK! :) So, my doctor has no cause for concern.
Yes, people say they're small, but that's ok...

One suggestion - when my girls started walking, I had a little tray table set up in the kitchen and I put snacks out for them. They get SO busy and distracted...but having snacks out all the time allows them to take a moment and eat something, then go play...and then go back...you get my drift...

You're fine. :)

S.,

My daughters have low weights for their age. My 22 month old weighs 19 pounds and my almost 4 year old weighs barely 30 pounds. They are healthy...just small. No one would look at them and say they look malnourished, and that is because they are not. Somebody has to fall on the smaller end of the percentile charts, that doesn't mean there is something wrong with them. Both of my daughters fall below the 10th percentile for weight. It's no biggie. I'm sure your baby is fine.

I breastfed my first daughter for 13 months and this last one for 17 months. Did that play a role in their weight....maybe...but since when is being small a bad thing? Aren't we a country of fat people compared to other countries? I thought breastfed babies end up being thinner as they grow than formula fed babies...I see that as a good thing.

D.
mother to 5

Hi S.,
My DD is only 5.5 months, so i'm not speaking from experience, but don't panic! My sister's nursed until their babies were 3 years old- no need to pump or stop - especially if she doesn't like a sippy cup or bottle. There are books about why children are picky eaters, including the safety of white foods in the wild -etc. Let her eat and nurse whatever and whenever she likes - and take a deep breath and smile at your mother. You're NOT a horrible mom!!! You're doing great because you're home! And your daugher is beautiful "very smart". If your fiances family doesn't think she's under weight, maybe she's not. Maybe you should find a ped. who supports breastfeeding too? I hope someone can help you with the weight gain. I just wanted to support what i think you're doing right!

your pediatrician is not giving you the best advice. first, make sure your baby is being compared on a breastfed baby chart. but more importantly, make sure you see the old charts. why are they concerned? did she dramatically fall from the 75% to the 15%, or was she always on the lower end like less than 50%. just being in the 15% is NOT UNDERWEIGHT. as adults, we are all different shapes and sizes. some short and fat, some tall and thin. some short and skinny, some tall and big built. the chart goes from 1-100. someone always has to be towards the bottom or else how could you compare. my aunts daughter was in the 5th percent even though her other children were around 75th. now she is 4 1/2. she is completely normal and not the tallest, but not supertiny either. someone has to be in the lower percent and it should not be looked upon negatively, there is always the smallest kid in the class(not that 15% is smallest, that means there are 14 out of 100 kids smaller).

now whether there is a dip or she has always been on the lower half, the advice regarding whole milk is completely wrong. most health organizations recommend breastfeeding for 2 YEARS and none of them say not too!!!! the best benefits are clearly shown by breastfeeding for that duration, although there is absolutely no reason to think the benefits stop at 2 years. no matter what anyone tells you, breastmilk is better nutritionally than cows milk could ever be. breastmilk is full of good fats and calories. to switch to whole milk is outragous in terms of nutrition. if you are concerned, you should be nursing.
up to a year, the babys diet is breastmilk or formula but solids compliment it and are mostly to get used to. after a year, you can switch to whole foods with breastmilk complimenting them. i would suggest keep trying the foods over and over, kids are often picky and sometimes have to try something 15 times before they like it. if you find something healthy she likes, offer other things but you can keep giving her the favorite as well. cows milk in no way is NEEDED to thrive. you can give cheese, yogurts, ect for calcium. brocolli for iron. and the teensiest amount of sunlight for vitamin d(which is not a real vitamin). keep giving her the cup with water in it to get used to it and to drinking water.
remember, babies stomachs are the size of their fist. i think what you are doing with offering food thruout the day is better to keep her metabolism going than force her to eat 3 big meals. any dietician will say its better to have 3 meals and 3 snacks. you can feed her prior to nursing, to try and get the food in, but then nurse to make sure she is full.

america as a whole is overweight. to sit there and say she is underweight at this age is ridiculous. and the breastmilk is helping her, not hurting her. if she continues to fall in % or drop weight, i would then think it was a medical problem and begin tests. but if the only concern is she is and has been petite, she is fine. no matter what the case, you are an excellent mother and it sounds like you are doing 200% of what you can. good luck to you. and please read this position paper on breastfeeding from the american academy of family physicians. although this is their recommendations, they admit doctors and hospitals DO NOT encourage breastfeeding enough.

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/b/brea...

Wow. You've got some great advocates here. My own thoughts - KEEP BREASTFEEDING. It is the single best source for nutrition for children up to 2 years old. Don't be alarmed by fanatics who rave about the "low" levels of vitamin K or other nutrients. Breastmilk has EXACTLY what your daughter needs to thrive (assuming, of course, that your diet is balanced and varied). Enough said.

Consider that your daughter may be due for a growth spurt next week, or maybe she had one right before her last check up. You also didn't mention your body type, or her father's - petite people often have petite children. It sounds like your fiance's side of the family are used to small babies.

Also remember that YOU know your child best. If your pediatrician's advice doesn't feel right for your child, get a second opinion. Change pediatrician's if necessary. Talk to a nutritionist if you really are worried. You're doing a great job.

-K.

You are NOT a horrible mom! Those charts are based on formula fed babies, and there's nothing wrong with 15%. Breastfeeding on demand is a wonderful thing to do, and I would consider finding a pediatrician who is well educated about breastfeeding, which it sounds like yours is not.

My youngest fell off the growth curve while I was breast feeding. It does feel like it is "our fault" and " we're not feeding them." Try not to worry, but in the meantime high calorie snacks are gerat- maybe she'd like avacado? My son never tok to it, but his cousin did at about the same age. Schedualed meals can "work", as then they are hungry instead of simply snacking. Maybe a sippy without the valve? My son never used the valves and still doesn't like sport bottles. It would give her something to experiment with at her high chair. I wouldn't do it with breast milk as its so valuable rather the milk.

Try not to worry as sometimes its just a phase, or dip in growth.

try having her dring through a straw instead. also, you've breastfed for a year, you've given her the nutritional value that she needs. there are also feeding therapists if needed. she gets calcium from the other milk prodults you give her, so another thought would be to give hr other thingsa dn not mild from a cup. also, you could try a cup without the sippy top, and just help her. just some thoughts.
mom of 9 and 14 year old girls. i breastfed both my kids.

Okay, there are a couple of questions. First, is your daughter very active? It could be that she is eating enough, but burns it all off playing. Second, are you and your husband small people? Both of my children are small. My three year old son only weighed 16 lbs. at a year, and has ALWAYS been in the less than 3% on the charts. The doctors said it was fine because he was still gaining weight, just slowly. And, let me tell you, he EATS and EATS! My second born child is a little bigger than his brother, but still is in the 5th percentile on the charts. My husband was the same way when he was a baby.

S.,
Good work and good Luck with the breastfeeding! There is nothing wrong with it. I am sure you have to have gotten this message from others so far.

Nursing before eating will help you with your supply for her - you can increase what she eats, and schedule more if she is very hungry, too. Your milk is giving her the FAT she needs to keep those neurons going gangbusters and making more to keep her smart.

There is nothing wrong with continuing to breastfeed - if she won't take a bottle, don't force it. It will only make her unhappy. She is happy with you, and that is fine.

My DS is going to get dinged for being underweight when he gets there, but he is healthy, happy, tooling around on his feet (which was why we didn't even raise an eyebrow when we went in for an early visit, and he had actually LOST a few ounces since his 9 month visit!) They are going to get used to using up calories when they are learning to walk!

DS's ped'n was all over us when he hadn't gained anything after leaving the hospital, then again after 6 month visit. No reaction once he started toddling/crawling/CLIMBING.

You have enough worries, breastfeeding your daughter is not one of them.

Please have patience with your Mom. She feels like my Mom: no control over the situation, and frustration because she can't fix it the way she did when HER pediatrician told her to when you were small.

Oh, I hope you find a measure of peace from all this, it is hard to pump and breastfeed and keep it going!
I wish you all the luck you need to keep this going as long as you both need it to.

M.

She is considered "underweight" because she's being measured against formula fed babies from a formula growth chart. Try this chart from the World Health Organization which is the growth curve for breastfed babies. Its much more accurate considering she isnt getting formula, which chunks babies up. If I were in your shoes, I would continue to nurse on demand...follow your gut, Momma. Its hard when people make you feel like you arent doing the best, or offering the best, but you are. And in this formula fed society, they dont understand the normal growth of our nurslings. (Remember this chart is in Kg, not Lbs. You'll need to convert it)

http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/cht_wfa_girls_p_...

*Edited to add this link about nursing past the first year:
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

Hi S.,
You are not doing anything wrong! You're giving her plenty of food and the best thing of all - mothers milk. Remember how those percentiles work - it's a curve, most babies should fall in the 50th. Someone needs to be in the 15th. It doesn't mean she's starving. Not everyone is going to be in the 50th. It's been a long time since the days when a fat baby was considered healthy. Keep doing what you are doing, and if your mom isn't supportive, do not tell her what percentile your baby is in, she doesn't need that information. Just tell her that your daughter is healthy and eating well!
Good luck

First of all, don't let anyone "make" you feel horrible! You are a fantastic mom, and you clearly are taking wonderful care of your daughter! Everyone loves to give advice and pass judgement, but nobody really knows anything about you and your child. You clearly care greatly for her, and have given her an amazing gift by breastfeeding her for so long!

That being said, let's fatten her up a little! I think your solid food schedule sounds really good. But I know it can be hard to get an extreme nurser (as some of my friends call the babies who won't take a bottle!) to move to a sippy cup. I'd skip the bottle altogether, and just move straight to the cup. Try the Nuby brand, without handles. It's worked wonders for a bunch of us. It'll take time, but it often really works better than the harder or flat spouts. Instead of whole milk, you may want to try formula. It has more calories, and is a little sweeter. That may help her become a bit more interested in the cup as well. You can also help her learn to use a regular cup as a treat- my son loves that! But it's hard to get a ton of milk down that way, I know.

At this point, breast milk has less fat, iron, and nutrients that it used too. So it's a good idea to supplement with whole milk or formula, particularly if a child is underweight. Maybe just nurse 2-3 times a day, and give a sippy cup with Similac (or some other formula) the rest of the time?

Yobaby yogurt is also a yummy way to add calories and fat, and live cultures too!

If her height is okay, then it doesn't really matter what her weight percentile is, unless it's dropped significantly from what it used to be. Personally, I think if the child is alert, energetic, and happy, she's probably eating as much as she needs, though fat is important for brain development...

My only concern in reading your note is that you said you put breastmilk in the bottle when your doctor wanted her to drink whole milk. Why did you do that?? Or was that just a typo? If it's not, then your daugther is probably not drinking from the bottle because she's confused. I would stick to the breast for breastmilk, and either a sippy cup or a straw for whole milk. If she doesn't like whole milk, try adding some yobaby drinkable yogurt to it. It sweetens it up a bit. I did that with my daughter, putting less and less yogurt in the milk until she was just drinking straight whole milk and loving it.

Wow, my son was also in the 15% at his first year check up. This is what I've learned in the meanwhile and I truly hope it helps you feel better. First of all her diet sounds great. You are feeding her the correct amount of meals and it all sounds healthy and nutritious. Really try to let go of all of the pressure that is now surrounding her diet, it just causes a bigger problem when the baby realizes food can be control issue. Just present the food to her, dont register any emotion if she gets picky and doesnt eat it, just take it away and try again later. It is hard to do this when you think she is too small but she will eat more in the long run if she doesn't get a reaction by not eating.

Breastfeeding her is the best thing for her health. The thing is breastfed babies are leaner. I don't understand pumping breast milk though, why bother? You can offer her a sippy cup of whole milk. My 15 month old son only occasionally drinks it. I waste a lot of milk (and feel guilty about it) but I just keep offering it. My son hates a bottle too. Don't worry about it, it is just one less thing to deal with. Try different kinds of sippy cups, my son like the Avent magic cup and Sigg type metal bottles. Keep nursing 2 to 4 times a day and you know she will get the nutrients she needs.

Let me share what I've learned about weight percentiles. In the US our charts are based on the average US baby. We have a weight problem in this country. The charts here reflect the average for both formula fed babies and breast-fed babies. Look up your babies weight and height on the WHO (World Health Organization) growth chart. This chart is based on babies who are all growing while being raised with "best heath practices". WHO defines these practices as a breast fed baby who receives regular well baby doctor visits and vaccinations. Google the chart and also an article on babble.com for more information. This chart takes in a much larger amount of the world population and was created much more recently that the US chart. My son was in the 15th in the US and 50th on the world chart.

I like Annabel Karmels cookbook"First Meals" for meal ideas. Does she like yogurt? My Sam loves the Yo Baby Smoothies by Stoneyfield Farm also. It sounds like you are actually doing a fabulous job so try to remember your Mom might not be right about this one!! Good luck and truly, great job!!

After having a nice and average weight first child, my second is quite underweight as well. At his 10 month checkup, he was less than the third percentile in weight while he was in the 20th in height. But doctor told me that as long as he is gaining (a pound in two months) she's not worried.

Here's the advice she gave me:
1. Make sure to get two snacks in every day in addition to the three meals.
2. Feed until he pushes the spoon away. And keep his hands busy while he's eating so he doesn't get bored.
3. For now, while he is going through these first growth spurts, variety and introducing new foods is less important than just eating well. Should still try to introduce foods, but if he doesn't eat them, try something else until he is done eating. Always have stuff that you know he will eat around.
4. Don't worry if he doesn't drink any milk...more important that he gets lots of food. Milk should just be comfort in the morning and evening and then for thirst during meals.

It feels like I am feeding him all the time, but he is actually sleeping more soundly and

Also, neither of my kids were able to drink from sippy cups because they had to suck so hard to get the milk out. So I use regular plastic cups with tops with slits in them and I just held them until they got the hang of drinking out of them. It is definitely a lot messier, but they were able to drink through them and learn to drink from a cup much more quickly.

I hope that's helpful. As far as mealplans and food goes, I don't have any great insight. I just keep trying different things. Good luck!

=-l;pl,l,,.

i would not worry about it my son was always on the small side, while still is looking at some children today. he didn't hit that 20 pound mark till he was over 2 years old and the doctor always told me i wasn't feeding him enough and he wasn't growing fast enough and blahblahblah. i breastfeed him till he was two and he ate regular food too but it wasn't enough for anyone else. for the most part if they are happy and your happy and youll know when you need to feed them more or less there is nothing that you can do except watch and wait for a growth spurt! regardless of what family or anyone else says im sure your a great mom and you know whats best for your little girl.
good luck and don't worry she'll grow in her own time.

You've already gotten a lot of good advice. I just wanted to reiterate that there's nothing wrong with being in the 15th percentile--especially at 1 year old. Also, from what I've seen, it's normal for breast-fed babies to hit a plateau somewhere between 9 and 13 months where they don't seem to grow at all. But if you look closely those same babies are putting all their energy into learning to crawl/walk/climb and generally getting much more mobile.

If your daughter is not showing any signs of being undernourished (lethargy, dark circles under the eyes, frequent illness etc) I would not worry at all, just continue to feed her high nutrient meals, snacks and breast-feed as much as she wants.

I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter who is just now in the 3rd percentile for weight. I believe our issue is that I did not produce enough milk and her body adapted to that and did not demand my body to produce more.
I was able to get her weight up with a few great foods. Avocado, Fage greek yogurt with fruit (delicious) and whole fat drinkable yogurt.
I believe that there has to a child in the 95%, one in the 15% and in our case in the 3rd. As long as your daughter stays on her "own" curve, she should be fine.

Tara is right on the mark with the weight idea. Formula fed babies will usually be heavier. I really don't like the idea of "well baby checkups". They can be very misleading. There is nothing wrong with being slim. It's healthier. My daughter was considerably large as a breast fed baby but didn't want food until she was about 11 months. She would eat fruits like bananas and pears, sweet potato (mashed), and she loved meat. She's a real meat child even now. With me being borderline vegetarian, that was a bit of an issue but she did well on it so I just gave her whatever she wanted to eat.

Cow's milk will certainly fatten her up but do you really want that? We've become accustomed to seeing obese people and the younger generation are so used to it that it seems almost abnormal to be slim now. Fat is not healthy!

Dairy and wheat are highly allergenic foods and I would avoid them entirely. This is one case to ignore Mom. You own your feelings. Anyone who is still breastfeeding at a year is certainly not a horrible Mom but a very caring and loving person to do the right thing for your baby.

If you like fill out the form at the end of the video on my website and I will call you for a free nutritional consult.

All the best!

S. Hoehner
www.sharethecause.com/detoxqueen

I wouldn't worry at all. She is obviously the perfect size that she is meant to be. If she is healthy and growing, don't let anyone upset you about those dumb growth charts. Normal is relative. You have been doing the best thing that you can for her by breastfeeding her. She will learn to like all kinds of foods when she is ready. My kids loved yogurt at that age. But don't force feed her. Let her sit with you at meals and have what she shows interest in. I am so upset that someone who has done so well breastfeeding is being made to feel that she did something wrong! Keep doing what you feel is right in your heart. There are other peds around, I'm sure. Don't be afraid to change.
L.

I have a petit little girl too- she made it onto the charts by her 18 month check-up and my pediatricain was never worried. He always told methan my husband and I are "slim" and that my daughter was perfect. I have a friend who's daughter was borm one week after mine and our two little girls have been on the same growth curve since birth. Her pediatrician is always worried about her little girl's weight and thinks she should be feeding her more, but she's just as healthy and happy as my girl. It's just the pediatrician's oppinion and sometimes even though they're "medical professionals" they still have oppinions.
If your daughte seems heathy to you, I wouldn't worry- good luck!

My two daughters were and are still in the 15th percentile for both height and weight, even at ages 5 and 7. As long as your daughter is growing consistently and steadily, and as long as she is eating and thriving, you don't have to worry. My pediatrician tells me that the 15th percentile as a female adult is 5'4" tall and 125 pounds - exactly what I was before having children, and I wouldn't complain a bit about that! I would recommend that you add more protein from food to your daughter's diet - eggs at breakfast, cheese for snacks, etc. BTW, my son, age 3, has already passed his 5 year old sister in weight and is gaining on her in height - he's in the 70th percentile with the same breastmilk as an infant/toddler and the same diet ever since. He's just build differently, not petite like his sisters, but much more solid and muscular. Don't worry about a petite daughter, just do what you know is right and be sure that she is healthy and thriving.

S., you're not a horrible mom. You're learning as ALL mothers are. Some children are petite and others are heavy...every child is different. So, if you're feeding her and she eats and still falls in the 15 percentile, so she falls in that. Also, some children are picky eaters and some aren't. My oldest is and was and who knows if he will continue to be. My second is so-so with foods and my third one eats everything and alot, bI mean alot and he has my husband's appetite and my husband is not fat, just a hungrier guy. This is what you can do...she can eat oatmeal if she likes it. We use dry oatmeal and when we can, get organic dry oatmeal and put water in and you haveto test her..my oldest likes it with syrup, ut we get the good and healthy kind. My second won't taste it because he did before and didn't like it. My third one ets the whole bowl of it. And then snack between breakfast and lunch unless she naps then. Then, eat a sandwich, bread and jelly? Frozen chicken nuggets, etc.? Then if sxhe wants snack and then dinner. What you eat she can too, except hard veggies. Try steamed which is better than cooked because cooking will take out the nutrients out of the foods. So, steam carrots and beans and cook corn. Meatloaf? See if she eats that. All the snacks can be fruits if you'd like and if she can eat yogurt, cheese or anything like that with dairy in it. We eat Stonyfield Yogurt because I am allergic to other yogurts and I have soe food allergies so I either steam them or back them or get organic. I find if I bake or steam some foods I have no allergic reactions o the food perhaps the heat kills the pesticides and hormone stuff in the "regular" foods. Sippy cup, pottles with nipples because it's not a real thing like nursing. But if you want to cut down nursing and do it only for comfort before napping and before going to bec, then perhaps she'll be thirtsy and if nothing is there during the day then she ;may take sippy cup and you'e want her to start takng sippy soon and longer you want the harder it may be to get her to do it. There is nothing worng with nursing when she's getting big and some people do it until the child is three years old. It depends on the mother and child. Then you haveto see about that for yourselves. I 'll pray that you'll receive Wisdom from Jesus if you ask Him.

15th percentile is not low. My daughter has always been between 25th percentile to not even being on the chart (below 3%)The Dr. made me feel bad, and they put her through blood tests to make sure there was nothing else going on. Everything came back normal, and my daughter is just petite. She does not look like skin and bones. either...just normal. As long as she's eating, and having healthy food, then I think she is just fine. You know best....you're the mom, don't let anyone make you feel bad.

Hi S.,
Don't let anyone worry you about your daughter being petitte. As long as she is hitting all the right milestones and looks and seems healthy she is fine. My duaghter just went for her 15 month check up and is in the "less then 2%" for wieght, but her doctor said she is normal and healthy and that she is just a very fit and active child!
My daughter has no time for meals, she is too busy exploring her world to sit down and eat so now we toss some food into her mouth as she runs around and plays. We try to focus our meals around healthy high fat foods such as whole milk yogurt, avocado and salmon. I find that my daughter can be coaxed into eating if it is something novel or if it is a unique texture or temperature. I like to freeze yogurt between two graham crackers to make a sandwich and then let her run around and eat it. Also is she can feed herself with a fork or spoon she is more likely to eat.
Kids at this age are so busy discovering new skills and exploring their world that eating sometimes takes a back seat. Try not to worry too much about wear she falls on the charts, keep lots of food on hand and be persistent and creative and you will find things she will eat.

Hey S.,
When my daughter was born she weighed only 5 pounds...she has never even been on the charts for her weight when we go for her doctor's visits...my pedi never made a big deal about it...just told me that when she wants to eat she will...I also was very worried and felt that she wasnt getting the proper nutrition, but I am happy to tell you that she is now 2 1/2 years old and weighs 27 pounds...she is also petite like your daughter, but my feeling is this...better to be petite than overweight at this age right??? As for the sippy issue....my daughter had the same problem....I was advised to try the Nubbie sippy from Walmart...the nipple is much like a bottle...my daugher hated it so I had a very tough time getting her to drink from a sippy...until one day she just did it....so my advice to you is try not to stress out about it too much....and dont let those pedi's drive you crazy...because they will....Hope this helps!!
Meg

Hi S. ..... first understand there will always be people who tell you that your child is too fat/skinny and you're doing things wrong ... once you accept that's way they are it'll make your life easier.

that said .... where has your daughter fallen on the charts up until now? my daughter was on the high-end of the length chart, and low-end of the weight chart .... and her doctor's always said as long as she doesn't deviate too far on either there's no cause for concern.

i nursed my daughter on-demand until she was much older. she never took milk (pumped or otherwise) from a cup or a bottle. now at the age of 6 she gets her calcium from other sources ... some kids just don't like it (or their bodies can't tolerate it.)

my son, at the age of 16, is still a picky-eater and i was advised by my doctor's that as long as he got food from the proper food groups to not worry about it .... so i stopped worrying, but since he was my first it took a long time. don't let it take that long for you.

good luck and keep hugging that baby girl .... and will work out.

Those charts don't really mean anything - my kids were all about 5th% forever, and sometimes not even on the chart. My husband and I are both short, so the ped always said "scotty dogs make scotty dogs, great danes make great danes". As long as she's got a healthy and progressing growth curve for her, she's fine. Since she's 12 months I'd switch to whole milk and if you can go straight to a sippy cup do so! Perhaps only nursing first thing in am, nap, and bedtime. Don't worry about her being picky yet, if you haven't explored a lot of foods with her, it will take time. I'd try some sort of pasta as a main dish too, since you didn't mention it, and stick with the format you're using - 3 meals and two snacks and just cut back the nursing a bit. If she thinks you're going to nurse her every time she wants it, she may be a little more picky with the solid foods. Good luck!

First and foremost, lower percentile does not mean malnutrition! My baby has been in the lower end (7th - 20th percentile) for all of her 10 1/2 months. Luckily I have a doctor who has NOT made me feel badly about this. However, I have STOPPED telling my mother-in-law anything about the baby's percentile (she sounds like your mom). She was making me feel paranoid and I could not handle it.

Next, my daughter takes a bottle when the mood strikes her, but will often reject it. She is also very anti-sippy cup! So, we have begun giving her water in a small glass. She drinks excitedly at every meal. When I am ready to transition to milk, I plan to give it to her in a glass as well.

Lastly, your daughter's daily menu sounds great! My daughter eats yogurt and fruit for breakfast, veggies and rice or potatoes for lunch, and veggies with pasta for dinner most days. (Cheerios at every meal). If you are interested in making your own food (if you aren't already), there is a GREAT book called "Top 100 Baby Purees" by Annabel Karmel. I have been using the recipes since my daughter was about five months old and she loves them. The best thing is it also gave me a sense of freedom about what to feed her.

We are starting to introduce more and more ground/chopped grown up food (from our dinner). She enjoys the seasonings and the texture and is doing great.

I will close with this: you are your daughter's first and best advocate. Millions of women throughout history had happy, healthy babies without the benefit of hundreds of books on the subject. If your baby is happy, smiling, sleeping, and developing wihtin the GENERAL guidelines then she is fine...and so are you!

I wish you the best of luck!

My three year old is also quite thin, but our doctor says that anything over the 5th percentile and under the 95th percentile is "normal". My son is a pretty picky eater and can often skip meals, but I will say that he drinks alot of whole milk. When he first started sippy cups he would not drink milk from them at all. The advice I was given is to only offer it to him in a sippy cup and eventually he would miss the milk and take the cup. This advice did work and it only took a few days (it was a bit tough, but it did work). I also try to avoid too much snacking so that he will eat more at meals. I just put my younger son (13 months old today) on a sippy cup and he is adjusting very well. I bought the Born Free starter cups. These have been good for starting because the spout is sippy cup shaped, but it is bendable and easier to chew on. Best of luck to you.

Does she seem underweight to you? Is she growing, compared to her 9-month self? if she is, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Are there particularly petite people on either side of her family?

If you're worried about her eating, try to "fatten up" the foods that she does eat. Try a piece of soft bread, spead with peanut butter and folded in half. Grilled cheese is also a nice option - my baby likes to pull it apart and eat that. For a toddler, they can handle a bit more fat than their "post pregnancy" mommies can!

As long as her ribs aren't poking out, she's fine.

I have had three petitie children out of four. The doctor's told me the same thing about them being small for their age. Pish Posh! I'm 5'2" and 105lbs...I'm gonna have small kids.

If you are that concerned about it, try feeding her Pediasure for kids. Mix it with milk three tims a day to get the extra pounds on and extra nutritian.

My daughter went through a growth spirt last week and she looked thinner than normal...turned out her bones grew and strectched out the little belly she had prior. She still weighs the same, just a little taller now.

Nanc

Hey S.,

I as well have an "underweight" child he is just 19lbs and is 22 months old. I was freaking out everytime he went to the dr. because the peditrician kept telling me he is to underweight. I fed him everything and anything under the sun. We even took him to a gastroantrologist and tested him for everything. Turns out he has a high metobolism and is just a picky eater....he is perfectly healthy. So dont worry your not a bad mom, maybe she is the same way. All will catch up in time. I finally put my mind at ease and believe me, children will not let themselves starve, when she is hungry you will know it. Hope that helped a little bit.

Hi S.. My twins (will be 3 in december), have consistently grown but are usually in the 10-25%. They both are still nursing and my daughter took a little longer to warm up to food. There is nothing wrong with 15%. What you really want to look at is the whole picture. Ask your doctor to see her chart. Has she consistently stayed close to her percentile or has she had a sharp drop. What I did when my kids had a slowdown at one point was chart it myself at http://www.mybirthcare.com/favorites/babygrowthchart.asp You can see for yourself how she is progressing for weight and height.

You have no reason to feel like a bad mother. All children are different and grow at different rates. Luckily since she is getting your breastmilk, I'm sure any thing she is missing from food is made up for in the milk.

Dear S.,
I don't think that you have to worry, but if you are...
I have an idea. I got involved with a company that has an amazing product. It is a whole raw living food puree in a bottle, something you drink. It tastes great. It is full of minerals, and it is helping people all around the world with all kinds of health issues. 17 years of science behind this!
She will be getting all her vitamins, minerals and nutrients that she needs plus Each oz. is equal to 5 fruits and vegetables. It might help her put on some weight. Look at: www.gotvia.com/now, and www.viabenefits.com to see how people are enjoying it. Anyone from age 1 to 100 can take this.
Pregnant and nursing women can too. Parents are saying that their kids are not getting sick anymore. Much success to you.

Hi there. You are not alone. At my daughter's 12 month visit, she weighed 19.5 pounds and was 30.1 inches tall. My daughter was listed in the 20th percentile for weight and I felt like a horrible mother. She has a good appetite, picky at times, but she snacks. She started to walk around 10 months and is very, very active. I did not breast feed. She eats very well but her fast metabolism burns off what she eats. My daughter is very petite as well. She is slim and doesn't have any bones sticking out either. She is healthy. The pediatrician wasn't concerned about her weight because she has a very fast metabolism and is active. Did the pediatrician give you any meal advice since he/she was concerned? As for what you are feeding her, sounds like good choices. Try chocolate or strawberry milk in a sippy cup. Maybe she doesn't like the bland taste of milk. With my daughter, I started to see the weight gain with the more solid foods that she ate...eggs, toast, cereal, pastina, chicken, broccoli, ice cream, ice pops. At first she didn't like some of these choices, but as time went on, she began to love them. Also, is your daughter teething? My daughter barely ate when her molars were coming in. Hang in there...she will put on the weight.

i wouldn't worry. your feeding plan seems very reasonable. if she doesn't resist the feedings and is active, I don't see any problem. I had the same story with my daughter - on 12m. check up and 15m.check up, they said she was underweight. I didn't see that, she ate all regular table food plus milk. You know, at about 16 months, I think, she went through a growing spurt (when she woke up cranky but ask for bigger feeding) and gained some weight. My point is that you can't control the nature - she asked for more I gave her more. Then she's back to normal (not so big portions). If you really worry I can recommend the Pediasure (really works, especially if she refuses to eat one meal or picky, at least, you know she gets all her necessary nutrition.)When it was time when I really worried about her weight, I made sure she gets one bottle during the day (she wouldn't drink it all at once).

I can completely relate to how you are feeling. My son was born in the 30th % and now weighs so little that he does not exist on the weight chart. He began to drop around 4 months and the doctor has monitored him carefully since then. My pediatrician is great. They offered advice on feeding but did not make me feel that I was doing anything wrong. He is developing just fine and he is happy. I offer my son snacks throughout the day much more than I would have offered my daughter.

Do not let people make you feel that you are a bad mother. As long as your daughter is happy and loved, you are doing the best you can.