6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Just got home from DS's 6 month appt. He only gained 6 ounces and grew a centimeter dropping his percentiles severely.

I'm BFing and supplementing a bit so I feel like a total failure... he's so happy all the time, I would have no idea that he's hungry.

The Dr. seems totally confused, he's hitting all of his developmental milestones, is happy, sleeps great, she wants me to load him up and come back for a weight check (I didn't know they did those this late in the game!)

Anyone go through this?? I worry he missed out on an important physical growth period and won't be able to make up for it....

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

I don't have experience with this but I wanted to say don't feel bad. You would know if he was hungry. You would know if he needed more food. Maybe his body didn't need it this month. If he is hitting all milestones, and doing great, I would try not to worry or feel like a failure.

Does he eat food yet?

Maybe his info last appt was put into the computer wrong?

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

what is hieght and weight?

what percentile was it?

i ask because 6 months is still very young and may be too soon to even worry.

in 5th grade i was 95% and everyone was saying i would be giant. now im like 30 (really im guessing but you get my point)

growth happens at different times for each kid

6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

I have no experience with this but don't feel like a failure. You are doing well and I am sure he will strive just fine.
Hitting all the milestones and happy, that sounds perfect to me. My sister's children have always been in the 10%. Yes 10%, and they are perfectly fine.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

DD would randomly drop on the charts significantly and the go back up. Growth spurts happen at different times, maybe he's just about to hit one. At 6 months, you would know if he wasn't eating enough.

6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

As everyone else said dont worry about it. DD is tiny too. The Doc said at her 4 month check up to spoon feeding her to bulk her up but she refuses to eat. She has her 6 month soon and i know he will say the same. She is healthy and passing her milestones so far. I am not worried at all even though DS gained weight so much quicker than her. She is a happy healthy baby and i would know if she was hungry. You would too. Everyone is different.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Don't feel like a failure You have bf this long...kudos to you!!!

I would make sure to try exactly what my dr said. They are concerned about the drastic drop in percentiles. I am sure its nothing, but just make sure to follow your doctors orders. It's not that they are saying it's wrong to be small, just that he's not following his curve.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Posted by want2beamom

Don't feel like a failure You have bf this long...kudos to you!!!

I would make sure to try exactly what my dr said. They are concerned about the drastic drop in percentiles. I am sure its nothing, but just make sure to follow your doctors orders. It's not that they are saying it's wrong to be small, just that he's not following his curve.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Don't be hard on yourself at all. Once I brought DS in he jumped so much from his last visit bc he JUST had a growth spurt. The Ped had to check him height and weight twice bc he couldn't believe how big he got from the last visit. He said he he just had a growth spurt and don't be surprised if he doesn't show much change with the next visit. Well, he was right. It depends on when the growth spurt is. Your DS may not of had a growth spurt yet, but it will come and don't be surprised if you see a big difference at his next visit.

He's 6 months too so you can introduce more foods too.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Posted by melbalalala

Posted by want2beamom

Don't feel like a failure You have bf this long...kudos to you!!!

I would make sure to try exactly what my dr said. They are concerned about the drastic drop in percentiles. I am sure its nothing, but just make sure to follow your doctors orders. It's not that they are saying it's wrong to be small, just that he's not following his curve.

Exactly, he's always been a peanut, in the teen percentiles, but he's dropped down to 1%/2% and barely grew over 2 months which is the concern.

I just don't get why DS hasn't told me he's hungry.. he's such a happy little guy, nothing bothers him... including hunger, apparently!

Message edited 11/19/2013 2:44:23 PM.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Have you started solids yet?

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

At DD's 1 month appointment her weight gain wasn't great. I'm bf'ing also and I was so bummed to hear that. I was feeling like a failure.

At her 2 month yesterday the dr. said her weight gain was "textbook perfect"

As others have said, if he's hitting milestones and is happy don't worry too much.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Posted by want2beamom

Posted by melbalalala

Posted by want2beamom

Don't feel like a failure You have bf this long...kudos to you!!!

I would make sure to try exactly what my dr said. They are concerned about the drastic drop in percentiles. I am sure its nothing, but just make sure to follow your doctors orders. It's not that they are saying it's wrong to be small, just that he's not following his curve.

Exactly, he's always been a peanut, in the teen percentiles, but he's dropped down to 1%/2% and barely grew over 2 months which is the concern.

I just don't get why DS hasn't told me he's hungry.. he's such a happy little guy, nothing bothers him... including hunger, apparently!

Is he eating baby food yet? Is he maybe taking too much of that, and not enough milk? Is he eating cereal...that may be filling him, and it really doesn't provide that much nutrition.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Posted by melbalalala

Posted by want2beamom

Posted by melbalalala

Posted by want2beamom

Don't feel like a failure You have bf this long...kudos to you!!!

I would make sure to try exactly what my dr said. They are concerned about the drastic drop in percentiles. I am sure its nothing, but just make sure to follow your doctors orders. It's not that they are saying it's wrong to be small, just that he's not following his curve.

Exactly, he's always been a peanut, in the teen percentiles, but he's dropped down to 1%/2% and barely grew over 2 months which is the concern.

I just don't get why DS hasn't told me he's hungry.. he's such a happy little guy, nothing bothers him... including hunger, apparently!

Is he eating baby food yet? Is he maybe taking too much of that, and not enough milk? Is he eating cereal...that may be filling him, and it really doesn't provide that much nutrition.

Yes, we were giving him "dinner" but the Ped said to increase that to three meals a day to help pack on the pounds.

I'm just so worried that my supply is going to tank with all of this supplementing...

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Posted by cateyemm

Posted by melbalalala

Posted by want2beamom

Posted by melbalalala

Posted by want2beamom

Don't feel like a failure You have bf this long...kudos to you!!!

I would make sure to try exactly what my dr said. They are concerned about the drastic drop in percentiles. I am sure its nothing, but just make sure to follow your doctors orders. It's not that they are saying it's wrong to be small, just that he's not following his curve.

Exactly, he's always been a peanut, in the teen percentiles, but he's dropped down to 1%/2% and barely grew over 2 months which is the concern.

I just don't get why DS hasn't told me he's hungry.. he's such a happy little guy, nothing bothers him... including hunger, apparently!

Is he eating baby food yet? Is he maybe taking too much of that, and not enough milk? Is he eating cereal...that may be filling him, and it really doesn't provide that much nutrition.

Yes, we were giving him "dinner" but the Ped said to increase that to three meals a day to help pack on the pounds.

I'm just so worried that my supply is going to tank with all of this supplementing...

dont decrease your nursing, just add food as suggested. your milk has the most of the good stuff anyway! Also, how are his diapers? He may just be a tiny guy!

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

DD was similar in that she NEVER asked to eat. I just always fed her as soon as she woke in the morning or after her naps. She was in the low percentages and the ped just kind of took it month by month but I used to say if she was starving I didn't think she'd complain! I introduced solids at 6 months just one meal a day and then added a meal each month after and she eventually bulked up. I would just make sure to nurse first, then offer solids an hour later so he gets plenty of milk first. You can offer rich foods like avocado and add bm to his cereal. GL and you are definitely NOT a failure!

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

some months dd didn't grow AT ALL and she was bf and healthy. she had some larger growth spurts and some where it looked like she wasnt growing at all. its normal. plus you are going to start adding solids soon too right?? i wouldnt worry

6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Is your doctor using the growth chart for breastfed infants?
There is a different CDC chart and they address the difference in the womanly art of BFing.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Dd was 15lbs 6 oz at 8 month appt and 15-4 at 10 month. She lost weight and is almost off the chart. She refuses food, drinks maybe 3 oz.each bottle. We are watching, but this is just one little element in a big picture. If milestones are on track and they are happy and healthy,don't stress yet at this point. Some babies are just little. I make sure I give her healthy fat foods and her vitamins.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

Use olive oil generously in your cooking and with his meals and he will start gaining.

Re: 6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

DD is 17m now and we've been dealing with this since she was like 7 or 8m. She was originally around 25% but has now dropped to bring in the 1% for weight. Our ped has us going in every few weeks for weight checks. Each month, she gains anywhere from 2-9oz. We were worried at first and had to take her to get blood tests for her thyroid, but nothing came up...except for her weight, everything is normal and she's on track for other milestones.

Nowadays, we just check to make sure she's gaining each month, even if its just 2oz, we are content. She's in the 1 percentile but parallel to the curve. Ped said that's fine, but every once in awhile I still get discouraged. At her weigh in last week, she was 18 lbs 13oz. I see 6m babies heavier than her.

If you are truly worried and want to try upping your dc's weight, start feeding him stuff like avocados, pastas, foods w/olive or coconut oils, etc. if you think dc's not eating enough, our ped had suggested nutritional supplements like pediasure..

Hope this helps!

6 month appointment, barely gained weight/grew

This is when my ds fell off his original growth curves.
he's been tracking in like the 7th percentile for wt ever since. And he's 18 months now, he eats like mad. I really think this is just where he was meant to be.

Just make sure you keep nursing as much, if you pump maybe supplement a little with freezer stash. Bm is way more calorically dense than any baby foods.