9 month appointment sucked. =(

Daisy582 · July 2010

Cam was born past his due date w/ missed IUGR...he weighed in at 4 lbs, 5 0z. Fast forward to today, his current weight is 15 lbs, 5 oz. The pedi is still not satisfied w/ my peanut baby. We have done the blood tests to check for abnormalities such as hyperactive thyroid, hidden infections etc. These came up neg. Even though I strongly suspect that Cam will be a small person due to genetics, we still have to go and see an Endocronologist tomorrow to check for further possibilities.

I am sooooo upset. Every month (for weight checks) I get thrown the term "Failure to Thrive". It makes me feel like I do not feed my kid. Today the Pedi started talking about developmental delays since Cam is not yet pulling up to a stand. I just want to raise my happy baby dam*it!

Oh, on top of all that, they could not locate the urinalysis they did on Cam last month. The Dr. wanted to re-cath and get a new sample and I said no. He looked at me like I was the worst parent in the world. Crying

Ivana_Stolichnaya · July 2010

My child doesn't crawl at all or pull up on anything and my pediatrician is giving her a couple more months to attempt it and then we need to be concerned.

ladyalmalthea · July 2010

Your son has put on more weight than mine! He started 9 lb 4 oz and at his 9 month he was 18 lb 6 oz.... I'm sorry you're going through this, and hopefully the endo appt. will go smoothly

sgrl · July 2010

Daisy582:

Oh, on top of all that, they could not locate the urinalysis they did on Cam last month. The Dr. wanted to re-cath and get a new sample and I said no. He looked at me like I was the worst parent in the world.

Eff you doctor! It's your office that lost the damn urinalysis in the first place.

I'm sorry you had a rough appointment. I hope that everything is fine and that he's just a small, healthy guy.

MomsABoo · July 2010

it never hurts to get things checked out - to be safe. I don't think you are a horrible parent for not re-cath-ing. Watching that was the worst experience of my life with B. If anything, he's a horrible pedi for losing the first one!

I just wanted to tell you that B is 11 months and only about 3 weeks ago did he start pulling up and in the last two weeks did he start crawling. I was always worried about it - but my doctor never was.

I'm so sorry that you are feeling this way. He looks just precious to me - not even "fun sized". Do you think you need a second opinion or someone who can make you feel better about the situation.

"failure to Thirve" is a horrible term and should be replaced!

AfterAll · July 2010

I am sorry, it didn't go well. I think your pedi is being kind of hard on you... especially about the pulling up to stand thing. Some kids do that later.

Feel better ((hugs))

gumiberg · July 2010

I dont think my babies were pulling up at 9 mos? They were by 10, I know that.

Just one day he will do it! But as of now, that doesnt make him behind.

ssmith1005 · July 2010

I am so sorry. It sounds like your ped needs some sensitivity training!

Daisy582 · July 2010

MomsABoo:

it never hurts to get things checked out - to be safe. I don't think you are a horrible parent for not re-cath-ing. Watching that was the worst experience of my life with B. If anything, he's a horrible pedi for losing the first one!

I just wanted to tell you that B is 11 months and only about 3 weeks ago did he start pulling up and in the last two weeks did he start crawling. I was always worried about it - but my doctor never was.

I'm so sorry that you are feeling this way. He looks just precious to me - not even "fun sized". Do you think you need a second opinion or someone who can make you feel better about the situation.

"failure to Thirve" is a horrible term and should be replaced!

Thanks! Watching Cam get cathed was extremely hard. We also had to go and get blood drawn at a different office right after. I have been thinking about asking for a different Dr. the next time we go in....just to hear what they think. I am actually looking forward to meeting the Endocronologist since they deal w/ petite babies a lot. I want someone to tell me "it's ok, your kid is normal and developing at his own pace".

DanielsWife · July 2010

Your pedi SUCKS. 9 months is a minimum for pulling up. Whatever. It can be up to 15 months and STILL be NORMAL.

mtnrider · July 2010

Your DS doesn't look small at all in the picture! Babies hit milestones at different times and crawling isn't even supposed to be one of the official ones. Maybe Cam can do things other babies can't. My DS still can't clap his hands or wave goodbye or pick up finger foods very well and he doesn't babble much. And trust me, you're lucky he's not crawling or pulling up because that's a lot more work for you! The other thing is that your baby was born small and stayed small which is better than being born large and getting progressively smaller. At least he's consistent! My DS has dropped way down the growth curve and that's more of a shock to watch your little chunk lose all his baby chubb!

emiliemadison · July 2010

It's find to get things checked further just to make sure, but it sounds like your gut is telling you that he's fine. Not all kids pull up at 9 months and that's still normal. If he's always been small and you and your husband (and families) are smaller then it's perfectly reasonable to assume that your child will also be small. SOMEONE has to be the smallest, just like someone has to be the biggest. And, being at one end of the spectrum or the other doesnt necessarily mean something's wrong with them.

My DD weighed the same as your LO (15 lbs) when she was 15 months old. She had her 5 year checkup yesterday and was only 34.5 lbs. Still tiny. My son is also a peanut. But that's just their "normal".

I dont think you did anything wrong by refusing a cathader again, either. Personally, I"d look for another Dr or at least get a 2nd opinion. Someone who can see all of his records, his total growth etc, and get the big picture. Sometimes Drs look at RIGHT NOW and what they see might appear alarming. But when they look at the whole picture, they might realize that what they're seeing would be concerning if it was a huge change from that child's norm. But if what they see IS the norm, then there probably isnt an issue.

Best of luck

Tara&Ryan · July 2010

Ivana.Stolichnaya:
My child doesn't crawl at all or pull up on anything and my pediatrician is giving her a couple more months to attempt it and then we need to be concerned.

Geesh, don't let that pedi. get you worried. With gross motor skills it's a big range in age on when a child starts crawling and walking. Some don't walk until 18 months and some skip crawling completely! If she seems very strong and not rigid in her movements, she is probably doing fine. It's by 15 to 18 months that you should start to keep an eye on things if she is not progressing. GL! Your DD is beautiful!!!

Oh and my disclaimer: I'm a developmental specialist so I see babies everyday, obseving, interacting, and evaluating them...so I'm not pulling this advice from mid air. ; )

bwralc · July 2010

I know you already have a ton of responses so I really hope that you read mine anyway. If you were living anywhere near me I would be convinced you were seeing my OLD Pediatrician! With DD we had weight checks every month from 4 months +. He blamed me for not feeding her enough, not trying hard enough etc. etc. We were also slammed with the failure to thrive label and asked to run UTI and blood work tests. Everything came back normal and he still sent me to the Endo. The Endo (I'm sorry if this bursts your bubble) said your DD is fine but kept having me do weight checks there too. 2 Weight Checks a Month!!

I finally said enough was enough when he was pressuring me to put butter in DD's purees to fatten her up and I found myself another Pedi. She looked over her charts and told me that some babies don't gain weight because of a undiagnosed allergy. Basically their intestines are inflamed and don't absorb nutrients well. I was highly doubtful but low and behold after running a blood test to check for common allergies DD had a dairy allergy. She had no outward signs at all. She also had undiagnosed silent reflux for which she barely had any signs for. The only thing is when she nursed she would latch and unlatch but I thought that was her being "busy" and curious.

I'm not saying your DS has an allergy but if for any reason your Pedi is putting the blame on you, they are not a good Pedi. You sound like an awesome Mom who is trying really hard. I would get a second opinion. Also they don't have to Cath to check for a UTI. They can put a bag on and do a catch. If that shows up positive then they can Cath them to be sure.

My DD was only 14lbs at 9 months so I know what you are going through. If you want to talk more feel free to page me about it. Now that her allergy was diagnosed she is gaining by leaps and bounds.

dragonsmercy · July 2010

Wow... okay, I have to say that Evelyn was born at only 2lbs 1oz more than Cam, and she's still only 2lbs 6oz more than Cam - same (less a few oz) amount of weight added on in the same amount of time, and my doc's not worried at all. In fact, Evelyn's rate of growth would be less than Cam's, because she was a slightly bigger baby to start with.

I would DEFINITELY go seek out a different pedi. Cam doesn't sound like he's failing to thrive AT ALL. Is he hitting other milestones? And if you feel in your gut that things are fine, then go with your gut. Don't let that pedi get under your skin. I hope things go much better at the endo's, and that he tells you Cam is doing very well. He looks very happy in your signature, and that's all that matters, right?

groovygrl · July 2010

I know 15 lbs is low for 9 months but to suggest failure to thrive over & over if he is still growing & following a growth curve of his own, esp w/ an IUGR diagnosis is pretty extreme. and delayed b/c he isnt pulling up? that is insane. DD just started pulling up in the last 2 weeks & she is almost a year. I'm pretty sure they just want them to be able to move themselves around in some fashion by around a year and even that is kind of loose.

Perhaps time to find a new pedi. GL & try not to worry!!!! Hopefully the endocrinologist can reassure you.

soccermom-to-be · July 2010

I'm really sorry that your appointment didn't go well.

Have you thought about going to see a different doctor? I am not saying that the concerns wouldn't be the same but I think that you should be taking your child to see a doctor that works with you and doesn't make you feel so awful. I love our pediatrician because he works with us and never makes me feel like a bad mother/parent.

You are going to have to see a pediatrician for a long time so I think it's really important to find one that you like, respect and that respects you and your parenting skills/style.

mommie-to-be-0809 · July 2010

My DS will be a year old on August 7th and he is just now pulling up. It took him until he was just over 10 months to start crawling. At his 9 month old appointment he was only 16 lbs 5 oz. And let me tell you my DS eats ALL THE TIME. He eats 4 jars of stage 3 baby food a day plus 4 6 oz bottles of formula a day. Get a 2nd opinion for Cam!!!

blushingbrideoct07 · July 2010

emiliemadison:
It's find to get things checked further just to make sure, but it sounds like your gut is telling you that he's fine. Not all kids pull up at 9 months and that's still normal. If he's always been small and you and your husband (and families) are smaller then it's perfectly reasonable to assume that your child will also be small. SOMEONE has to be the smallest, just like someone has to be the biggest. And, being at one end of the spectrum or the other doesnt necessarily mean something's wrong with them.
I dont think you did anything wrong by refusing a cathader again, either. Personally, I"d look for another Dr or at least get a 2nd opinion. Someone who can see all of his records, his total growth etc, and get the big picture. Sometimes Drs look at RIGHT NOW and what they see might appear alarming. But when they look at the whole picture, they might realize that what they're seeing would be concerning if it was a huge change from that child's norm. But if what they see IS the norm, then there probably isnt an issue.
Best of luck

I could not have said this any better. ?I am sorry you are going through this. ?I cannot imagine how stressed out all this is making you feel. ?((HUGS))?

deltagirl79 · July 2010

Good luck tomorrow at the endo, I hope they can reassure you. I'm really sorry that today went so bad. As for the pulling up thing, that's rediculous. DS didn't start crawling until he was 10 months and just started pulling up in the last week, so at almost 11 months.

I kind of agree with the other posters that suggest you might want to look for a new pedi. You need a pedi who is not going to make you feel bad everytime you see them. Your pedi should be on your team not working against you. :::hugs:::

Brooke208 · July 2010

Re-cath for a urine sample? No way! I NEVER let them cath DS. I would if it were an emergency. They have little bags they can tape there and then you just wait for a sample. Didn't they offer that to you?

Hugs! Don't worry too much, mama. Sometimes babies are just small and when you're hearing those terms like FTT, I can imagine how scary that is.

Daisy582 · July 2010

Brooke208:

Re-cath for a urine sample? No way! I NEVER let them cath DS. I would if it were an emergency. They have little bags they can tape there and then you just wait for a sample. Didn't they offer that to you?

Hugs! Don't worry too much, mama. Sometimes babies are just small and when you're hearing those terms like FTT, I can imagine how scary that is.

Y'all are sweet! Thanks for making me feel better! When they took the urine sample, they cathed but were unsuccessful as Cam had just peed. The nurse put a "just in case" urine collection bag on. We then went to have his blood drawn and came back. When we came back, the nurse took one look at us (Cam looked pitiful and I am sure I looked rough too) and said "if there is pee in the bag, we will NOT put him through that again". At that point, I wanted to kiss her feet.

mfransdell · July 2010

I just wanted to offer some hugs. Sounds like there has been some great feed back in here. I agree that I wouldnt hurt to check into another pedi office.

AMYfromKY · July 2010

My cousin is a dietitian and she said she gets a ton of failure to thrive cases from pedis. She said in her opinion only about 10% are true FTT and the other babies are just small.

I'd get a second opinion if I were you.

Good luck!

sarahbear713 · July 2010

I've said it all along - Cam is completely healthy and pushing foward at a good pace! I dont see the need to rush through things....He looks and acts healthy! Dont let anything upset you...this is something to not stress about!! Every baby progresses at their own pace, and he has grown ALOT! I love Cam to pieces Smile

lilsandra · July 2010

I am way late on this one, but I want to let you know that I am in the exact situation that you are, although with a very different type of pediatrician. My little one was born at 4lbs 8oz due to IUGR, and the doctor's have never been worried about her. I was told to expect her to have a tremendous growth spurt after she was born, and it just never happened. She weighed in at 15lbs 5oz at her 9 month appt, too, and I was told, "Babies have to make up the growth charts somehow!"

The funny thing about my pedi is that they won't tell me where she is on the growth chart-I think they don't want to freak me out, which I'm not at all. A quick google search says "Your child is in less than the 5th percentile".

Please don't worry, and do yourself a favor and find a new pedi.

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9 month appointment sucked. =(

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