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Offline neelam.mom

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EBF 6 months old weight question.
« on: August 10, 2006, 20:15:21 pm »
Hi,

Our DD will turn 6 months old tomorrow. We had her 6 months appointment today and the ped was concerned about her weight, she has asked us to come back in 6 weeks to see if she is gaining! I am really sad to hear that. :'(

Our DD is basically small - born 5 lbs 2 oz and 17.5inches now she is 11 lbs 13.5 oz and 24 inches. She was gaing good weight till her 4 month appointment - she was 10 lbs and 7 oz. We planned to start solids after she turned 6 months and we will start this sunday - so that DH can be part of her first meal with camera. 

Ped said that she is fine with all the developmental milestones, its just her weight that her weight graph has little dip this month. It really bothers me and I feel bad that everyone advicsed me to start solids after 5 months but I decided to wait till 6 months.  :'( 

I am totally lost and really dont know what I want to ask when I am writting this post.
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Offline Samuel's mum

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Re: EBF 6 months old weight question.
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2006, 20:28:30 pm »
A breastfed baby is considered to be doing well if their birth weight is doubled by 5-6 months. The rate of weight gain in breastfed babies usually slows down after around 3-4 months compared to formula-fed babies. You fit this scenario exactly!!!!

Most health providers are still using charts which do not reflect this difference between breastfed and formula fed babies. Look on the FAQ board for a link to the WHO updated charts.

Starting solids does not contribute to weight gain. Solid food in virtually all cases has less calories per oz than breastmilk. (except one or two things like avocado). There are good reasons to wait until nearer 6 months if you can. You sound well-informed.

I think everything sounds like it's going really well and if you continue to be worried I would suggest you phone a breastfeeding helpline and get their perspective. I bet the counsellor with reassure you further.

Good Luck with the first solids!!
« Last Edit: August 10, 2006, 20:57:37 pm by Samuel's mum »
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Offline neelam.mom

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Re: EBF 6 months old weight question.
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2006, 20:31:34 pm »
Thank you, Samuel's Mom. I do feel better after reading your reply.

I will check the FAQ.
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Offline grandemlc

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Re: EBF 6 months old weight question.
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2006, 02:50:23 am »
I have the EXACT same experience as you!! 

My little girl is 6 months and 1 week.  She was born 7 lbs 3 oz and at her 6 month appointment last week she was only 12 lbs 2 oz.  They want us to come back in one month for a weight check.  She is exclusively breastfed and I have started solids.  I keep seeing other babies around her age and think "my goodness they are quite large and chunky".  My little girl is just petite but you just get worried when they say below the 5th percentile for weight  ---  but I guess somebody has to be (?).

Anyway - take heart - you are not the only one!

-Michelle
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Offline First Time Mom

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Re: EBF 6 months old weight question.
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2006, 03:45:08 am »
Ditto here!!

You probably just have a petite baby, if that's the case don't expect huge gains in the upcoming month. My dd was born 6.5 pounds and was always gaining the bear minimum (ebf until 6 mths), after her 4 mths she slowed down in gains further, and between 7-8 months she only gained 1/2 pound (I freaked out over this). She was 13.5 pounds just prior to 8 months. I have had to take her in every month for weigh-ins. Once solids were established I measured EVERYTHING to see how much she would eat vs leave behind, I compared calories to everything, I gave her extra bfs- still did the df. Finally, I just gave up, she's a very happy, alert baby, has some "rolls" on her legs and arms, just doesn't have the thick chunky mid section or 3rd chin like some other babies. You were wise to ebf and hold off solids until 6 months as the veggies/fruits have next to nothing in calories. Also, babies will take after a parent, are you or your dh small? Both myself and dh are tall but very small boned and lightweight so my ped also said not to expect  a chunker baby.
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Offline rachelle

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Re: EBF 6 months old weight question.
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2006, 04:49:42 am »
my kalli was/is a little bean too.  At birth she wasn't that small-7 lbs. 7 oz, but at 8 months she was just 13 pounds.  She was just itty.  She still is petite, almost 2 and about 25 pounds.  If you feel that she is healthy, that's what matters, and it sounds like she is :)
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Offline daisymelan

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Re: EBF 6 months old weight question.
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2006, 17:28:21 pm »
Sounds like your lo is perfectly "normal". 

My ds gained weight like a mad man in the first few months but then leveled completely off and hasn't had a major weight gain since then.  He seems healthy, eats like a champ and is hitting milestones so there is no point in stressing it.
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Offline M2L

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Re: EBF 6 months old weight question.
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2006, 17:59:43 pm »
i have a dainty DD as well (would that be a DDD?  ;D).  DD weighed 6 lbs 7 oz at birth, and went down to 5 lbs 14 oz after two days.  she is now 5.5 months old and weighs around 13 lbs, so she has doubled her birth weight.  she is average length, though, so you can imagine how little she looks!

some people with bigger babies feel compelled to treat her "littleness" like a disease, assuring me that she'll grow and get bigger soon.  ???  i always found that amusing, and i'd tell them that it was o.k. that she was petite, at the same time thinking that their baby looks fat!! :o  ;D on the plus side, she doesn't outgrow clothes so quickly, she's easier to carry around, and MOST people find her "littleness" adorable!!  ;D

i am tall and small-boned, and so is DH (although you wouldn't know it right now! ;)), so a lighter baby is no surprise to me.

my attitude is the same as grandemlc - someone has to be little!! 
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Offline neelam.mom

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Re: EBF 6 months old weight question.
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2006, 13:56:50 pm »
I always let her lead me in eating (and many other things  :) ), feed her when hungry and stop when she is done. She was 4 lbs 11 oz in two days after birth but reached her birthweight in 5-7 days, her ped was very happy at that time and suggested me continue doing whatever I was doing - follow her lead. At DD 6 months appointment, I lost my confidence after hearing the ped SO concerned- I dont know how to raise/feed my own daughter. But I gained my confidence back after reading all your replies. Yes she is happy and alert, she is achieving all her milestones.

Its nice to hear that many of the mommys face similar problem - petite baby. We both,  DH and me, are small - Asian Indian, so small baby is not a surprise to us or that matter to her Ped. Probably she doesnt encounter many EBF babies who doesnt gain a whole lot weight from 4-6 months  ;D. But you would think that Docs would know the difference  ;D

I agree with LindsaysMum that some people, totally strangers in supermarket, do give expressions as in is DD suffering from some illness!? after know that she is 6 months old with such small body. But I guess its just their ignorance that BF babies are more on leaner side plus -look at her mommy please, she is tiny too! and not to forget we are facing major obesity problems in USA!

The best part, as said by LindsaysMum, I get lot of use of her clothes  ;)

Yes your are right, FirstTimeMom. Even I dont want to freak out on her weight. On the back of me head I know all babies are different and as long as she is growing fine its OK to be petite. I dont want to measure and feed her or to force her to eat more than she wants, I want her to learn to stop when she is full.

I hope I am making some sense of what I am blabbing here  :)

ps: we did start with rice cereals yesterday.
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