Pediatrician Keeps Saying Baby Is “ Small”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the doctor informing you that he is small and below average on the curve? Statistically almost 50% of children are smaller than average. So the doctor may just be informing you of that fact. He is smaller than other boys his age.

Is the doctor concerned that he is losing weight or not gaining weight? Is he staying on his curve? Like maybe he’s 15% and staying there? Or has he dropped from 15 to 10 to 5%.

I can’t tell from your OP if the doctor thinks there is a problem or if you do.

I’m sorry, what sort of sentence is that? It’s not “almost 50%” of children are below average. It’s exactly 50% are below average! That’s what average means!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the doctor informing you that he is small and below average on the curve? Statistically almost 50% of children are smaller than average. So the doctor may just be informing you of that fact. He is smaller than other boys his age.

Is the doctor concerned that he is losing weight or not gaining weight? Is he staying on his curve? Like maybe he’s 15% and staying there? Or has he dropped from 15 to 10 to 5%.

I can’t tell from your OP if the doctor thinks there is a problem or if you do.

OP here. The pediatrician has said at 1 month and 2 month checkup that he is small and not on par with the average weight for a boy. He gained almost 4lbs in 2 months and she said that was a “ slow weight gain”. Technically he gained about 4lbs in 6 weeks once he regained his birth weight.

He is steadily gaining but the doctor has said he is too small. She has asked both times how much he is eating everyday. I switched from nursing to pumping at 1 month when she said he was small. I was worried he wasn’t getting enough or my breast milk wasn’t fatty enough. I switched to supplementing - even though I make enough to feed him with breast milk - at 7 weeks because I was still nervous. She has suggested giving more formula instead of breast milk or switching to a higher calorie formula. She also suggested we offer another feed throughout the day. He eats 7 times and she said to feed him 8 times.

I feel like he is gaining, sleeping well, and is developing normally.

I would find her suggestion to use formula instead of breast milk disturbing. Topping off with formula if baby is still hungry after nursing is one thing. I had to do that with my first, as my supply just couldn’t keep up with his demand. But the suggestion to use less breast milk and more formula would rub me the wrong way and I’d honestly be looking for another ped.

[Anonymous]

I think your baby sounds perfect, and in your shoes I would try a different pediarician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the doctor informing you that he is small and below average on the curve? Statistically almost 50% of children are smaller than average. So the doctor may just be informing you of that fact. He is smaller than other boys his age.

Is the doctor concerned that he is losing weight or not gaining weight? Is he staying on his curve? Like maybe he’s 15% and staying there? Or has he dropped from 15 to 10 to 5%.

I can’t tell from your OP if the doctor thinks there is a problem or if you do.

OP here. The pediatrician has said at 1 month and 2 month checkup that he is small and not on par with the average weight for a boy. He gained almost 4lbs in 2 months and she said that was a “ slow weight gain”. Technically he gained about 4lbs in 6 weeks once he regained his birth weight.

He is steadily gaining but the doctor has said he is too small. She has asked both times how much he is eating everyday. I switched from nursing to pumping at 1 month when she said he was small. I was worried he wasn’t getting enough or my breast milk wasn’t fatty enough. I switched to supplementing - even though I make enough to feed him with breast milk - at 7 weeks because I was still nervous. She has suggested giving more formula instead of breast milk or switching to a higher calorie formula. She also suggested we offer another feed throughout the day. He eats 7 times and she said to feed him 8 times.

I feel like he is gaining, sleeping well, and is developing normally.

How much breast milk to formula is he getting? How much does he eat in a day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would get a second opinion. My first baby was small like yours. He was on his growth curve but always a couple lbs behind. He was super tall though - like 90th percentile for height. The pediatrician never said anything. My second was a big boy going from a 7lbs at birth to 16lbs at 4months. The doctor never said anything. My first is still slightly smaller but he grew a lot in the toddler years.

I had a friend who was told her baby was overweight. He was like 6/7lbs at both and 18lbs at 4months. His dad and all his brothers are football player builds. The kid is now 4 and a super tall and skinny.

I wouldn’t worry unless he’s losing weight. All babies grow at their own pace.

I am confused. Nothing of what you mentioned (your experience) would warrant a second opinion. Why would you suggest OP get one?

I think op’s post at 18:29 is concerning, where the dr is advising her to cut out breast milk and switch to formula. I’d get a second opinion or switch drs over that.

It’s not just that the dr comments that the baby is small, it’s that the dr is qivibg questionable advice for a baby that’s following the growth curve on a lower percentile.

Op didn’t say that the doctor advised that. Perhaps Op chose to do it (which is fine.)

[Anonymous]

Your doctor is probably concerned because he is not on his growth curve. He dropped from 32nd to 25th. It’s something to watch and your pediatrician should be asking questions to be sure that your baby is getting sufficient food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your doctor is probably concerned because he is not on his growth curve. He dropped from 32nd to 25th. It’s something to watch and your pediatrician should be asking questions to be sure that your baby is getting sufficient food.

That is not much of a drop, and it isn't very low on the growth curve. My kids were both lower on than that at one point, now they are both above average in weight and height. My Dr had me come in for extra weigh-ins but otherwise wasn't super concerned. I feel like there has to be something else going on for the Dr to be so concerned.

[Anonymous]

My niece was 6 pounds 2 oz at birth and was in the 5th% percentile her entire childhood until high school when she grew to 5'8". Picky but healthy eater -- she was never into junk food.

She was small like her mom during early childhood and tall like her dad in her late teens.

Find a new pediatrician.

[Anonymous]

Random thought: if he is STTN maybe you need to wake him for a feed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the doctor informing you that he is small and below average on the curve? Statistically almost 50% of children are smaller than average. So the doctor may just be informing you of that fact. He is smaller than other boys his age.

Is the doctor concerned that he is losing weight or not gaining weight? Is he staying on his curve? Like maybe he’s 15% and staying there? Or has he dropped from 15 to 10 to 5%.

I can’t tell from your OP if the doctor thinks there is a problem or if you do.

OP here. The pediatrician has said at 1 month and 2 month checkup that he is small and not on par with the average weight for a boy. He gained almost 4lbs in 2 months and she said that was a “ slow weight gain”. Technically he gained about 4lbs in 6 weeks once he regained his birth weight.

He is steadily gaining but the doctor has said he is too small. She has asked both times how much he is eating everyday. I switched from nursing to pumping at 1 month when she said he was small. I was worried he wasn’t getting enough or my breast milk wasn’t fatty enough. I switched to supplementing - even though I make enough to feed him with breast milk - at 7 weeks because I was still nervous. She has suggested giving more formula instead of breast milk or switching to a higher calorie formula. She also suggested we offer another feed throughout the day. He eats 7 times and she said to feed him 8 times.

I feel like he is gaining, sleeping well, and is developing normally.

How much breast milk to formula is he getting? How much does he eat in a day?

OP here. I pump about 32 ounces a day. He eats 24-32oz/day with the average being 28-32oz. He rarely eats below that but there has been days that he will not eat much, but then the next day he will eat 32oz.

He eats 4oz 6 times a day and 4-6oz at bedtime. I do 24 ounces of breast milk and the rest formula. He just cut middle one of his night feeds and that was all formula. The pediatrician said I should do 16-20 ounces of breast milk and the rest formula or switch to a high calorie formula. I’m very hesitant to do both mainly because I’m running out of freezer space and he takes the formula he is on very well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Random thought: if he is STTN maybe you need to wake him for a feed

OP here. He just dropped one of his night feeds. He eats 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, 10, and 3/4am. Some days time shifts because he wakes up between 6:30/7:30am but this is pretty much his schedule. He was walking at 1am but dropped that feed last week and started taking more at the 10pm feed and the 3/4am

Right now he does 7am - 4oz, 10am - 4oz, 1pm - 4oz, 4pm - 4oz, 7pm - 4oz, 10pm - 4-6oz, and 3/4am - 4-6oz.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Random thought: if he is STTN maybe you need to wake him for a feed

OP here. He just dropped one of his night feeds. He eats 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, 10, and 3/4am. Some days time shifts because he wakes up between 6:30/7:30am but this is pretty much his schedule. He was walking at 1am but dropped that feed last week and started taking more at the 10pm feed and the 3/4am

Right now he does 7am - 4oz, 10am - 4oz, 1pm - 4oz, 4pm - 4oz, 7pm - 4oz, 10pm - 4-6oz, and 3/4am - 4-6oz.

OP here. I made a typo before. He eats 4oz 5 times a day and then 4-6oz the other two feeds. I’ve tried feeding him more than 32oz or 4oz at a feed and he will refuse it unless bedtime or the 4-5 hour stretch at night. Times vary depending on 6:30/7:30am wakeup and naps but generally eats 4oz every 3 hours which I read is average and normal.

I don’t want to wake him up because he is a good sleeper and I want to follow his cues. He takes a solid 4 naps most days and is doing well at night. Unless we get a second opinion and they’re concerned, I don’t want to wake him and make him eat if he doesn’t want or need it. I’m all about following his natural cues and letting him dictate how much he eats, when he wants to eat, and how much he wants to sleep. He is on a schedule but we don’t force him to eat and I don’t want to get him in the habit of waking up and making him eat if he’s not hungry. I would do it if he wasn’t gaining well but he gained 4lbs in 6 weeks. I feel like he is small but growing at his own pace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Random thought: if he is STTN maybe you need to wake him for a feed

OP here. He just dropped one of his night feeds. He eats 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, 10, and 3/4am. Some days time shifts because he wakes up between 6:30/7:30am but this is pretty much his schedule. He was walking at 1am but dropped that feed last week and started taking more at the 10pm feed and the 3/4am

Right now he does 7am - 4oz, 10am - 4oz, 1pm - 4oz, 4pm - 4oz, 7pm - 4oz, 10pm - 4-6oz, and 3/4am - 4-6oz.

I'm not an expert, my babies are little porkers, but maybe he needs the 1am feed back. I don't know that 4 more ounces is going to make all the difference in the world. I went to a breast feeding clinic with my first baby, maybe that could offer you help? Or a lactation consultant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Random thought: if he is STTN maybe you need to wake him for a feed

OP here. He just dropped one of his night feeds. He eats 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, 10, and 3/4am. Some days time shifts because he wakes up between 6:30/7:30am but this is pretty much his schedule. He was walking at 1am but dropped that feed last week and started taking more at the 10pm feed and the 3/4am

Right now he does 7am - 4oz, 10am - 4oz, 1pm - 4oz, 4pm - 4oz, 7pm - 4oz, 10pm - 4-6oz, and 3/4am - 4-6oz.

OP here. I made a typo before. He eats 4oz 5 times a day and then 4-6oz the other two feeds. I’ve tried feeding him more than 32oz or 4oz at a feed and he will refuse it unless bedtime or the 4-5 hour stretch at night. Times vary depending on 6:30/7:30am wakeup and naps but generally eats 4oz every 3 hours which I read is average and normal.

I don’t want to wake him up because he is a good sleeper and I want to follow his cues. He takes a solid 4 naps most days and is doing well at night. Unless we get a second opinion and they’re concerned, I don’t want to wake him and make him eat if he doesn’t want or need it. I’m all about following his natural cues and letting him dictate how much he eats, when he wants to eat, and how much he wants to sleep. He is on a schedule but we don’t force him to eat and I don’t want to get him in the habit of waking up and making him eat if he’s not hungry. I would do it if he wasn’t gaining well but he gained 4lbs in 6 weeks. I feel like he is small but growing at his own pace.

You might pay for waking him by having to sleep train a toddler later. Either get a 2nd opinion somewhere or re-evaluate after the next visit. Sometimes the nurse flubs the weight. My son dropped 10 percentiles then magically regained them a couple months later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would get a second opinion. My first baby was small like yours. He was on his growth curve but always a couple lbs behind. He was super tall though - like 90th percentile for height. The pediatrician never said anything. My second was a big boy going from a 7lbs at birth to 16lbs at 4months. The doctor never said anything. My first is still slightly smaller but he grew a lot in the toddler years.

I had a friend who was told her baby was overweight. He was like 6/7lbs at both and 18lbs at 4months. His dad and all his brothers are football player builds. The kid is now 4 and a super tall and skinny.

I wouldn’t worry unless he’s losing weight. All babies grow at their own pace.

I am confused. Nothing of what you mentioned (your experience) would warrant a second opinion. Why would you suggest OP get one?

I think op’s post at 18:29 is concerning, where the dr is advising her to cut out breast milk and switch to formula. I’d get a second opinion or switch drs over that.

It’s not just that the dr comments that the baby is small, it’s that the dr is qivibg questionable advice for a baby that’s following the growth curve on a lower percentile.

Op didn’t say that the doctor advised that. Perhaps Op chose to do it (which is fine.)

OP here. The pediatrician advised up for supplement at 1 month and she did say to offer more formula instead of breast milk or to switch to a high calorie formula.