Should I be concerned about baby's slow weight gain?

hrshykis

My LO is just about 5 months old and at the 4 month check up, his weight was in the 10th percentile. At birth (@40 weeks, 5 days) he was 8 lbs and since then he has slowly but steadily gained weight but I am pretty sure that he won't double his birth weight by his 6 month appointment. He is getting longer/taller but I'm petite and my DH is tall and thin. Obviously LO has our genes but I'm actually wondering if it's okay not to be overly concerned that he's only in the 10th percentile considering mine and DH's body structure. 

Just some background on his habits: He eats 6-7 times a day. He is 100% drinking BM, no formula, or solids/rice cereal just yet. I nurse when I'm with him and he has 6oz bottles of breastmilk while at daycare. I pump while I'm at work. He eats every 3 hrs during waking hours as per Dr. and LC instruction and he doesn't seem hungry or cranky or anything prior to that 3 hr mark. He is always satisfied after eating and when nursing him, I let him eat until he shows signs that he's done. He is always alert, energetic, happy, focused, observant, and is meeting all of his milestones on time. He's an excellent sleeper and has always been since coming home from the hospital. Currently he sleeps through the night a solid 9 hours everynight. I feed him right before he falls asleep at night and right when he wakes up in the mornings. Several times I have tried to wake him to feed at some point overnight but what I have found is that waking him up (or just bothering him from his slumber, ie: dreamfeeding) in order to feed causes him to not be able to return to his regular deep slumber.

I'm trying not to get wrapped up in "the numbers". He's happy, healthy, not malnourished or skeletal. He has baby fat (chunky thighs, a little root beer belly, chubby cheeks). His length and head circumference are in the average range.  Because of all that I have mentioned is it okay not to be freaking out that he's only in the 10th percentile for weight?

rspalding001

Sounds healthy to me but your Dr will tell you if you need to worry. As long as baby has plenty of wet and or poopy diapers I would not worry about the percentage. It's just a rang and healthy babies fall all over it from 2% to 98%.

hrshykis

Oh yes. He DEFINITELY has a good amount of wet and poopy diapers on a daily basis. No complaints in that department.

roo1oo

My LO is similar to yours. He was born mid 8lbs but was very long. He's continued to grow in height and is keeping a good curve in weight but he's not gaining weight as quickly as height. At his 4 month checkup he was in the 20th percentile for weight, but 80th for height. His doctor isn't concern so neither am I.

agfox92

My lo is petite too. Dh was petite when he was a kid and so the Dr said she's just gonna be petite. She's only in the 10th percentile too but healthy as can be!

justinsbabymama

My daughter was 6lbs 3 oz when she was born and at her 4 mo appt she was 11lbs 7oz. That put her in the 4th percentile. She was 23 in long. Her doc has said from the beginning she is perfectly fine during the checkups, just going to be petite. She will be 6 months in a couple weeks & I can't wait to see how much she has grown! She is also EBF.

eggmankate

Glad you asked because I just weighed DD at 15 weeks and she's 12 lbs and only gained 1 pound in 4 weeks. I was wondering the same thing. I thought babies up to 4 months were supposed to gain 5-7 ounces a week and my DD is about 4 ounces/week. She has her 4 month visit in 2 weeks so I'll ask pedi about it, but my DD is the same as your DS in that she has plenty of wet and poopy diapers, very content, meeting milestones, etc. Kind of frustrating.

doublefiesta

Like the PPs said, if the doctor's not worried, you don't need to worry. Breastfed babies can grow at a different rate than formula-fed babies, too.

tisunge602

My 4 1/2 month old barely weighs 13 lbs. and was in the 7th percentile for weight at his last checkup (but weighed 9 lbs. at birth). My husband is tall and skinny --- 5'11" and weighs 125 on a good day. We really think he just has his daddy's metabolism! 

Our doc isn't concerned because he is gaining (albeit slowly) and sleeps fairly well at night so that tells her he is satisfied with the food he is getting. 

Don't worry about it!

jtmomma13

My LO is very similar to yours. He was born 2 days before his due date and was 8LBS. He has gained pretty slowly about 1 lb a month and he eats A LOT. He had just doubled his birth weight at his 6 month appointment. And he has been in the 10th percentile for weight as well. 

If your doctor isn't concerned then I wouldn't be either (easier said than done because I was concerned at first too). Babies all grow differently and the only cause for concern is if there is a huge drop or a huge increase in percentiles. As PP's have mentioned a breast feed baby gains differently than a formula feed baby and most doctors offices chart off a formula based chart. 

As long as you have lots of wet diapers, your baby is reaching his/her milestones and is happy then you have nothing to worry about! 

cheverian87

I agree with what everyone has said. 
I am the same way I was wrapped up in my little guys weight. He is doing good gaining 1 lb a month, alert, happy, wetting and dirtying enough diapers, and reaching milestones.  I kind of wish they wouldn't tell me what percentile he is in sometimes. Just cause it feels like he isn't doing well as he should be, when in reality he actually is doing well. All babies come in different shapes and sizes just like adults do. As long as they're gaining weight and not losing I wouldn't worry :-)

iluvmeg11

My boy is low in the percentile for his weight also at his 4mo appt. he went from being in the 80s to 11th. My ped asked if he was getting up multiple times a night and he started to wake up 1-2 more times than his usual so she said it may be because he needs the calories. She suggested we start rice cereal, which I was planning to skip altogether. He's great developmentally though... Reaching milestones pretty early for a first baby with no siblings. I'm not worried though because he's only given BM and he eats like a champ. Screw the numbers...

aimlessone

Mine also went from the 80 percentile to 20 at the last appointment (4 month), I think.  She is probably now in the 10 percentile.  Huge difference from her sister who was in the 90th until 6 months or so.  Sister has 3 pounds on her at the same age.  I was very worried, but the doctor wasn't, and now I'm not really because she seems fine developing. But she still fits nicely in 3-6 months clothing even though she is almost 7 months.  Her sister was already busting out of 6 months clothes at 6 months.