Small babe..?

Nickioch

I've always been very good about not comparing my baby boy to anyone else or worrying about him being on track as far as milestones or growth, he's healthy and happy and always within the milestones goals just right. He's always measured on the short side at his ped appointments (like 3rd percentile!) but they're always like, he's growing perfectly, nothing to worry about, these measurements aren't always right etc, so I haven't worried. My husband jokes about him being short because my whole family and I are pretty petite, and didn't like us calling him a "peanut", but obviously loves him unconditionally! Anyway, we took him to the daycare where he'll be starting soon just to get him aquatinted and play and to meet the teachers, and since he hasn't really had play dates since he was a few months old (our family was childcare up until now), this was the first side by side comparison we've seen to him and others his age and we were both left feeling a little surprised and wondering if everything is okay. Like I said, HATE the comparison game, but he was closer in size to the 6 month old babies than the 12-14 month old babies there and he's going to be turning 1 in a couple of weeks!! He wasn't a preemie, born 10 days before due date at 6 lbs 5 oz, and increasing steadily since then. No illnesses, never even a fever until his most recent cold last week. Breastfed and still breastfeeding and solids. I think we are both kind of sad and trying not to be concerned that (as first time parents) have we given him enough milk? Food? Is he growing?? Is he developing properly?

Anyone else have lil shorties?? It was kind of shocking to have the staff ask if he was 6 months old. People who are around babies for a living everyday. When we go out with him people often are way off with their estimates of his age but again, never thought much of it til now. 

Just looking for a little support and reassurance I guess. His 12 mo checkup is in a couple weeks so we'll obviously run it by the doc too.

meremint

My daughter is definitely on the smaller side, her percentiles have all been between 5-8% for height and weight. I try not to worry too much because she's always shown consistent growth and her doctor says she's fine. I'm pretty sure the doctor would only be worried if there was a dramatic drop in percentiles - like 50% to 10%. 

TwizBeans

I know it's hard but I really wouldn't even think twice about this unless your Pedi gives you a reason to worry. Truly. If the Pedi said he is following the growth curve like he should then he is fine! I bet you he will have a growth spurt or eventually catch up with other kids but YOU aren't doing anything wrong.

I have the opposite "problem" as you. My kids are in the 98th percentile in growth and height. My kids look a year older than other kids their age but they are growing as they should and they are perfectly healthy. Not overweight, not overfed, just big kids. My son is 4 now but when he was 2, he looked 3 and people wondered why he couldn't talk well and why he wasn't potty trained. People didn't realize he was as young as he was but that didn't stop them from making comments.

Don't stress this. See what the Pedi says at the 1 year appointment and go from there

Nickioch

Thank you both for the reassurance! Helps to hear ☺️

KaLikeAWind

I'm a little late to this post but I have a smaller boy, too. He's turning 10m this month, and someone said to me last week "what is he? 3 months old?" 
While we did have some weight struggles the first 2 months of his life, we're far past that now, our pedi says he is growing on his curve, and proportionally - he just happens to be in the smaller percentiles (15 for weight, 18 for height). 

But yes, when someone makes a comment about him being small or I see him next to a bigger kid, it's stressful. It doesn't help that I live in an area where people seem to make large children, so all the other kids I see seem huge

klirwin82

I'm here with a 0%er!!! 15lbs at 9 months. Born at 38 weeks, 5 lbs 4 oz, scored 9 on the Apgar test, no one said anything about his size. EBF til 6 months when we started supplementing with formula (pumping less at work at all that) we were doing just fine at 3rd percentile (gaining as expected for breastfed baby) til getting RSV at 8 months and we gained nothing that whole month. Now at 9.5 months I think we've gained another pound or two, I feed him as much as he wants. If I nurse I offer a bottle afterwards.

Yup, he's the smallest in his class at daycare but someone has to be. Which is exactly what the ped said...someone is going to be the smallest on those percentile scales. It happens to be my kid. He's smiley, happy, thankfully healthy again, has a good appetite, is playful and alert and just on the small side. The ped isn't worried about it so that allayed my concerns.

There's a bell curve for body sizes, some are at the extreme other end (my boss had an 11 lb baby last month!) and our kids are at the other end. Maybe no basketball scholarships but def looking for coxswain scholarships!!

Nickioch

Thanks for sharing! We had his 12 mo check up on Friday and he's gone from the 3% to 1.23% in height . His weight and head are pretty much right in the middle so that's good. He's only grown an inch since his 9 mo visit. Can't help but be a bit concerned as hard as I'm trying not to be. The doc was a bit concerned but said to just wait and see where he's at in another 3 months for the 15 mo visit. Said if he continues to go down in % might refer us to an endocrinologist to rule out anything there, but that she's pretty sure he's fine and will just be short or a late bloomer. I know we're so fortune to have a healthy happy boy and that height is hardly a "problem " it just sucked to see the doc kind of hmm-ing over it too. Wait and see I suppose! Thanks for the support it helps to chat!