I didn't know whether to put this here or prayer request....

My dh took my daughter to the ped for her apt. she went from the 40% in weight to the 3rd%. Of course they questioned dh and made him feel like the worst dad in the world. dh was worried they might try to take her away from all the questioning. Anyways they did some lab work (all of which came back normal including her iron and electrolyte levels) and told us we have to feed her 6-8 oz of formula (my dd is breastfed only...with solids started this week) and we have another apoint. on monday. They said if she hasn't gained weight they are thinking of hospitalizing her. As you might think this whole ordeal is really stressful. Our daughter is fussy at times but nothing that would make us think she is starving, she is already crawling (6 months) and cooing and smiling. Nothing that would indicate there was a problem. Of course we are feeling like lousy parents and upset with the peds for making dh feel like a horrible parent. It is just a confusing situation and a little scary since they made a big production of everything. Sarah, to me, is a normal happy little 6 month old who just isn't a real chubby baby...I don't make chubby babies. Josh we remember had the peds doing this same thing when he was around Sarahs age because he went below his curve too. I would appreciate prayers for Sarah to gain some weight and for our stress levels. I am meeting with my lac. specialist tomorrow. I just talked to her earlier this week and she said we were doing fine, and when I told her all what the dr's said she thought it all was a little absurd. anyways thanks for the prayers.

Becky, I'll pray [praying] how much weight needs to be added? I know Rebekah was always under....she finally caught up with things by 4yrs :-D
Your poor DH....if that happened to mine he'd be like I don't want to take them anymore :(

Becky, I'll pray [praying] how much weight needs to be added? I know Rebekah was always under....she finally caught up with things by 4yrs :-D
Your poor DH....if that happened to mine he'd be like I don't want to take them anymore :(
I am not sure how much weight needs to be added, I think they just want to see something. She is 11lbs right now. dh has said that he will not take them to appointments.

I don't blame him!
Becky, she'll be fine [crossheld] PRAYING

How much did she weigh when she was born? If she was a little baby, then that may be why she is so low in the charts. I honestly think though that they have upped the weight on the charts, so babies that would have been fine, say 5 years ago are now looking on the low side. 11 pounds is pretty light, but if she is healthy and happy then I wouldn't be worried. Has she been gaining weight steadily or gained, then stopped for quite awhile? I have a 7 mo. old dd, and we've started her on solids (which she loves :-D), but I breastfeed her only. I'm not sure what she weighs, but she started out at 8 lb. 13 oz. Love to you, it's hard when you get criticized for nothing!

Becky, from what I remember, YOU are a pretty small gal (aren't you under 5' tall?), so maybe Sarah is just taking after you? Just a thought :)

From the pictures I've seen of Sarah, she looks absolutely perfect! You would think that if she was having any kind of physical problem, she wouldn't be crawling, smiling, etc. Her being fussy doesn't seem to mean much. My son was kind of a fussy baby.

I'll be praying for her though and for her continued good health! Her eating solids now should help some with the weight.

You and Neal are great parents...Remember, doctors don't know it ALL. My DH reminds me of that quite often! ;) Hope all goes well in these coming weeks. Keep us posted on her.

Love Ya!

i too had a little one who was also labelled FTT. Her older sister was on the higher end of the growth charts and brother was off of the charts(over 29 lbs at one) Grayce was my largest baby 9 1/2 lbs but by one year she was only 17 lbs. They did blood work on her and we saw dieticians ( 3-4 times over the years) and that is just her. She is petite, like some of my hubby's family members. she will be 5 in a few weeks and she weighs almost 35 lbs.

Will be praying! That is so stressful and unnecessary, to put you thru all that.

Hugs! I don't know what to say other that I'll pray for you all. All of mine have been bigger babies. Youngest is the smallest but they all hit 11lbs by
one month. Every baby is different. She sounds like she id doing great, just a bit small and in the world of supersize me that is not a bad thing!:-D

I've switched pediatricians in the past when our opinions were different. My oldest DD was on the VERY small side and *STILL* is, it's just her genetics. She was 18 pounds when she was OVER a year old. I finally just asked my pediatrician who kept giving me a hard time, "Is she unhealthy?", "no", "Does she seem to be struggling?", "No", "Does she seem unhappy?", "No",.... "Well, then, I'd say she's just a petite child."

Now having Holly, who is *JUST* like her oldest sister size wise, it's even MORE proof to me that not *EVERY* child fits the mold that every pediatrician has. I think their scale of "normal" is absurd. Every PERSON is different, and so is every child. Your daughter is eating? Happy? Healthy? Her tests came back normal? Then my humble opinion is ignore them, find a new pediatrician and interview them telling them what has happened and that you want a pediatrician who understands that everyone is DIFFERENT. My oldest dd and second oldest cannot wear the same kind of clothes... Emma wears a 7 SLIM, and Helen has to have the regular fitting pants, she can't even get her thigh in a slim! Holly and Cally are the same way; Holly wears a slim (and it's a little loose on her) and Cally has to have regular cut pants. I think they are all "normal", they are just "different". :)

I agree with "Israel", you are a petite person, I think your daughter just takes after you~ :)

It burns me up that because peds have a piece of paper that says the child must meet THIS end of the spectrum or THIS end, and not below it, that there's something wrong, even when tests say otherwise. I didn't mean to turn that into a rant. I hope that you can gain some peace and find a doctor who is on your side!~ ::hugs::

Good grief, I'm so sorry :( I think if she's happy, healthy and hitting milestones she's fine! They tried telling my SIL the same thing about my happy, healthy, little petite niece, she's just fine, just on the small side. I think doctors need to 'think outside the books' at times and look at the situation, not the numbers or percentiles, etc.

I'd consider switching peds or at least getting a 2nd opinion. That is just ridiculous, especially the way they make you feel like horrible parents.

Both of my boys were FORMULA fed, guaranteed to beef up kiddos they say....and BOTH of them were small....
Ethan was 6 lbs 10oz a month early (36 weeks) and 19 lbs even at 1 yr....
Owen was 7 lbs 10oz at 38.5 weeks and 20 lbs at 1 yr....he was VERY tall though and very slender.....our Ped. ragged me soooo badly about him being tall and skinny....he ate like a trucker and was always moving, even before he walked.....like his Daddy, tall and slender......

Just keep feeding her and as long as she's happy.....switch Dr.s and tell your old one to back off.

aww Becky that's crazy , i have a few friends whose babies are just naturally small (nothing wrong) one of my friends daughters is 2.5yrs and she's smaller than my youngest 22 months , they are all different and wow crawling at 6 months , none of my two did that. praying hun that these doctors see sense and see the wonderful parents you are ((hugs)).

I will pray for your sweet little girl! If you are not wanting to add formula...which I know the pain of doing, I would try and introduce high calorie/high fat fruits and veggies. If your daughter would eat them, avocados are super good for their brain development, high in fat, and pretty bland. My girls LOVED them as one of their first foods. Greek yogurt is also a great early food. It has wonderful probiotics that can help her gut absorb more nutrients, and it also has a lot of fat (make sure you get the regular stuff, not all is high fat)!

My Mak is on the very small side. She kept going down the scale slowly but she was developing well so our doc wasn't too worried. She wasn't even 20lbs at her 1 year check up. She is now finally getting some chub, but she is not a very good eater and my milk supply is very low.

I would say the only thing I would be "concerned" about is the huge drop in percentile. Who knows why, but maybe now she just needs a boost of something other than mommy's milk. It happens, (I have to take meds to keep up with my babies milk needs) but that doesn't make me a bad parent, just informed...KWIM?

I pray she gains what she needs, I pray her body uses what she gets most effectively, and I pray that you feel the Lord's peace in the decisions you make!

blessings,
Amber

I have to agree with many of the sisters - if your mommy radar is not bleeping- switch doc and ignore what s/he said about introducing formula. That being said, I'd watch her weight gain in relation to her development, mood etc.

Get a second, third, fourth, and maybe fifth opinion. Some babies fall way down the growth charts. They all grow differently.

I'm not sure that adding solids is the answer--solids are lower in calories than breastmilk generally. Heavy formula supplementation could mean an early end to breastfeeding. I don't know what to say other than make sure to get other opinions and seek the Lord about it. I'll be praying for you.

How much did Sarah weigh at birth again?

I have a petite little one here who is growing just how her big sister did and she is now an extremely healthy average size 6 yr old. I'm sure the docs would have had something to say about Azalia and Brooke's growth rates but that's just the way they are built. Azalia is a happy healthy thriving 18lb 15 month old now and she was 8lbs at birth. We have a family doc who has done a check-up on her and specifically said that she is thriving but she doesn't go by any charts thankfully. My sil is dealing with the doctors right now regarding her 8yo sons size. They have done every test under the sun on this poor kid and found nothing but still will not except that he is just built small! Dh's whole side of the family is built like this. Him, his brothers and their dad were all built just like my sil's son and they all grew into healthy men (just a little on the short side). I hope your doc doesn't cause any trouble for you guys (in my sil case social services got involved when she refused to continue with testing). I hope you will find a good doctor who doesn't go soley by the charts!

I feel like I'm going to say the same thing as others, but my Shaelyn was 6lb 10oz at birth (40 weeks). She is 20 months now and about 22 lbs! She is walking, running, talking, comprehending, following directions, etc, etc...At one time she was in the 10%ile and the docs were 'questioning' me. But since not having insurance, we haven't been back for 8 months...*I* know my little one is fine. She is actually following the low percentiles like her older brother. Even though I and my dh aren't on the small side, both my kids have been so far. Trevor is off the charts now as far as height...no worries there! Blessings to you, may the Lord give you peace. hugs!

I agree, go with your mommy gut feelings. Docs don't know as much as they want us to believe they do! If she is developing on track I would think that would count for more than her being small.

Hey, Becky. Wondering how Sarah is doing. Did she have her appointment Monday?

Hope all is well.

I would like to say that I can off the top of my head think of 5 kidos I have known that had life thretening medical conditions that where keeing from gaining weight and properly, (most of them had no other developmental delays) so what I would do would be to have them run a few non invacive (sp) then and as long as they all come back fine then leave it at that and keep doing what your doing and accept that she is small. I think that it is better to find nothing than miss something. JMO But defentatly remember that doctors can not make you do any thing they can only make sugestions if you don't like the sugestions then find a new doc. I will be praying that God will give you wisdom, grace and strength as you deal with this.
Erin

I would like to say that I can off the top of my head think of 5 kidos I have known that had life thretening medical conditions that where keeing from gaining weight and properly, (most of them had no other developmental delays) so what I would do would be to have them run a few non invacive (sp) then and as long as they all come back fine then leave it at that and keep doing what your doing and accept that she is small. I think that it is better to find nothing than miss something. JMO But defentatly remember that doctors can not make you do any thing they can only make sugestions if you don't like the sugestions then find a new doc. I will be praying that God will give you wisdom, grace and strength as you deal with this.
Erin

Erin, her original post says that they *did* do some lab work and everything came back normal except a couple of very minor things. Thus the feeling that she's a healthy, but petite, little girl. :)

Jen I think you miss understood what I was saying I was saying that because poor weight gain can be a sign of a lager problem the doctores wanting to check out and make sure their was nothing else going on with sarah was a good idea but since they found nothing then it is just an indicater that she is just a small baby.
Erin

Hhhmm... guess so~ Sorry bout that~ Just thought I'd help clear up any misunderstanding~ :)

Hey Becky,

I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. My lil' Rebekah is 14 months and barely 17 pounds. She's below the 5% percentile on the charts. She eats, not as well as I'd like, but never seems to be hungry. She's also very active (just starting to really walk around). When she went in for her 12 month check-up, the only reason the doctor was concerned was her slow rate of growth (10 ounces in 3 months). Even then, he just told me to really push the starches and possibly offer some supplements (like Pediasure...which, of course, my picky lil' eater doesn't like). Please don't worry. It's sounds like there are a lot of petite babies here at C'moms (which makes me feel better too since I'm always being given a difficult time about Rebekah's size). You're doing a wonderful job! I'll be praying for y'all!

Megan

03/06/98 - Married DH
10/10/08 - Welcomed Rebekah Faith

I thought I had responded to this? I guess not! I was just wondering how things are going! I would agree that if you are not happy with the ped. office then maybe look into another! When we lived in your area we took E to Dr. Humphreys office when we were having concerns over his dev. They treated us very respectfully and did not rush us, even though it is a very busy office!

I would agree with what one of the others moms said about making sure her weight gain it is not interfering with her development in other areas! I am sorry that you guys were not dealt with very professionally it seems!

thank you all! sorry it took me a while to get an update here my computer is pretty hit and miss right now :(

Monday we had the appointment and it was with the original FNP I told her I wasn't too happy with how things were. Sarah gained 2 oz which was enough to get the "hospitalization card" off the table. she said "now with her weight going up she will be more active and will sit" I told her WHAT? she already sits and is crawling and I showed her. her response was "wow she is a whole new baby" I wanted to slap her (sorry [halo]) I am working with my lactation consultant and a dietitian for Sarah. I am getting my first shipment of banked human milk tomorrow from fed ex. We are adding coconut oil to her baby food and trying to give her formula whenever she will take it. My lac. told me she most likely dropped the weight when she started becoming more active and I wasn't producing enough to keep up with her caloric needs. I am now on reglan to help boost my milk supply which I am already noticing a difference :) We have another weight check (with our normal ped, who I like) tomorrow. I am hoping for a good weight jump. After she is on a good path, I will be switching peds.[claploud] Thank you all for praying for us. It was pretty scary for a while, just because they were freaking us out. I feel good with this plan that my lac has me on, and I really think we will see good result. [loveyou]

Great update, Becky! I'm glad that things are looking up.

Been thinking of you and praying for you gal~ Thank you so much for the update! :)

One more thought, Becky, if you do need to supplement, could you get an SNS? That way she could get the supplement while nursing at the breast.

One more thought, Becky, if you do need to supplement, could you get an SNS? That way she could get the supplement while nursing at the breast.
I already tried the SNS system. as my lac. says she is too old for it and just wants to play with it. I think I will try it again with the BM, since she really doesn't want the formula and just spits it out.

Jayne, we will be switching to Dr. Humphrey[clapping]

Just a little of what type of weight issue we are having and settle any confusion from my original post. It isn't so much that she is in a low percentile (my son wasn't even on the charts when he was this age...so we expect small kids) but the issue was

at 10 weeks she was 10lbs 1oz
at 6 months she was 10lbs 2oz!
that was the issue....we believe (through the home scale) she got up to 13 lbs and then right around thanksgiving and then she started loosing weight due to increased movement.

Glad to hear thigns are looking up! Let me know how things go with Dr. Humphrey's office. they also have another really good ped. there called Dr. Sullivan. He spent over 2 hours with us one day observing E and helping us, he got us started with getting additinal testing done! Anyway I pray that it will be a blessing for you!

I just want to warn you that Reglan has some pretty bad side effects. I took it for a while, and it seemed the longer I took it, the worse I felt. I noticed more of mood effects than anything, and headaches....lots and lots of headaches.
I think it's awesome that you are seeing an increase in your milk! As someone who struggles with milk supply, I would encourage you to add Fenugreek too. (I'm sure you know about this) It seems that with Reglan, or if you can find someone to prescribe Domperidone for you (it seems to work better than Reglan for many people) the fenugreek adds just that little bit of a kick you need! I got to the point with 4 doses of Domperidone a day and (please remember this is the dose I needed) 4 capsules of Fenugreek with each Dom, I was pumping 8oz twice a night at work, and baby always seemed to get good letdowns.

The hard part, and this is the sad part, when you come off the Reglan (or dom) your supply will probably plummet. I came off of the dom VERY slowly and nursed extra and my poor breasts went flat and quite empty. I even went back on a lower dose of the dom for a few weeks because my supply was SO low poor baby wasn't getting anything.
Mak still nurses, and even gets a let down here and there, but my supply is shot, and I do not have anymore refills of the Dom left so we will nurse as long as Mak wants, but it's more for her comfort than nutrition now. I praise the Lord when she gets a let down, and I praise the Lord when she seems happy nursing even though not much comes out.

I pray you are side effect free from the Reglan, and I pray your supply continues to increase! I have been there and I know what it's like!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
blessings,
Amber

SO happy to hear the good news, Becky! Good goin Mama!:)

that's great news Becky , so glad everything is sorting it self out and she didn't have to go to hospital ((hugs)).