My LO is three weeks old tomorrow and I'm still fretting over her weight. I was 40 weeks and 4 days when she was born and she was only 5 lbs 14 oz. We took hhertz her pedi appointment this week and she was up to 6 lbs 9 oz, but she's still only 25th percentile for weight and 10th for length (19 inches).
I keep worrying I did something wrong during my pregnancy that stunted her growth. I had severe anxiety attacks during almost my entire second trimester and I worry that was responsible.
Anyone else have tiny babies either this time or in previos pregnancies? Did the LOs end up being healthy?
Re: Worrying about tiny baby
I made an appointment with my ob, concerning my ppd and some other issues, and I asked him what I did wrong. He went on and on about how some babies were just smaller, it wasn't anything I did. He was rather pissed the nurse said what she did. He was very reassuring that she was very healthy, just small.
She stays between 1025th weight percentile. I freaked out when she dropped from 25th down to 10th... but her pediatrician said there was no needfor concern, she is healthy and active. She will be two in about a week and a half and still wears some 12 month clothes
Try not to worry. As long as she is gaining and eating, there is no need for concern.
As long as your baby is continuing to grow on his/her growth curve, then she's doing awesome! From your post, I'm wondering if you completely understand the growth chart/percentiles. Forgive me if you do, but maybe this will help someone else. The growth chart is a bell curve based on all the sizes of all the kids in the world. 50% is the middle size, the average size of a kid for that age. Some kids will be smaller than the average and some will be bigger. Smaller kids fall in the 0-49% range and bigger kids fall in the 51-100% range. It's not like a test where 100% is the "best" or the score you are trying for. The goal is for your child to stay in their range. My kiddo #1 (and #2 actually) is in the 14th percentile for growth and weight. That means that he's pretty tiny for his age. However, he's always been in the 14th percentile, so he's growing fine. He's just tiny. If he was in the 14th at one appointment and then suddenly in the 2nd percentile at the next appointment that would equal an issue, because he wasn't growing. If he went from the 14th to the 90th, well that would be an issue too, because obviously he got really tall or really fat all the sudden, which isn't good. The goal is to the stay on the same growth curve.
Just like adults, babies come in all shapes and sizes. I would not worry about this at all and just enjoy your baby.
Hugs,
Jenn
We are so thankful that our second daughter, Lillian Elizabeth "Lily", was born healthy and happy on February 11, 2013. We love her to pieces.
We lost our first daughter, Hannah Grace on May 4, 2011. She was buried on May 14 during a beautiful service at my home church. We are grateful that if she could not be here with us, that she is healed and whole with the Lord. We look forward to the day when we will get to meet her. We love her so much.
DS1: Quinn - 10.22.10 and DS2: Cole - 01.18.13
BFP1: DD1 born April 2011 at 34w1d via unplanned c/s due to HELLP, DVT 1 week PP
BFP3: DD2 born Feb 2013 at 38w4d via unplanned RCS due to uterine dehiscence
I totally understand where your coming from. I'm a FTM too and my baby boy was 5 lbs 13 oz. 19 in at birth. I fretted soo much and felt (and still sometimes feel) guilty abut him be so tiny. I had a great healthy pregnancy and he was only 3 days early so I'm not sure why he was so tiny. It sounds like you LO is gaining really well! Heres some info from Dr. Sears website:
When I was born, I was only 5 days early and weighed exactly as much as your DD. I have been petite my whole life, but am perfectly healthy.
My DS developed a milk & soy protein sensitivity when he was a baby and he hardly grew for a couple months. He's average height now, but still very low in the weight percentile (like 5-10% I think) but he is also perfectly healthy and has never been behind developmentally.
25% isn't bad. As long as she is having plenty of wet & dirty diapers and continues to grow, I wouldn't worry.