Skinny babies! EBF

kelslynie · April 2014

DS just turned 10 months and weighs in at 17.1 lbs. The doctor, though not concerned, is keeping track of his weight gain since he still hasn't doubled his birth weight (9 lbs). Doc says he is just fine and skinny babies are often healthier. He is gains a little each month, but it still worries me about my milk supply! He nurses and is finished so quickly!

Maybe I'm just not used to it. Our daughter was fully formula fed and was a chunkster...

minervacullen · April 2014

That's normal for bf babies. My DD is 22lbs at 16m, she's been hovering there since 12m.

LisaLisa1980 · April 2014

Hmm I'm a little offended at "skinny babies are healthier" since DS has always been chunky & everyone says bigger babies are healthier.

My point is that all babies are healthy, regardless of size, unless proven otherwise.

cyprissa · April 2014

My first DS dropped down to the 25% for weight once he started cruising furniture and was 19lbs at a year. He's perfectly healthy and we had no milk supply issues. My understanding is the EBF babies can gain faster in the beginning but slow a lot more as they become mobile and add complimentary table foods. Is he growing taller, meeting developmental milestones? What growth chart is doc using? CDC or WHO? That can make a big difference....

KARBloomquist · April 2014

My son weighed 17 lb 4 oz at his 9 month appt. And was born at 7 lb 7 oz. He is still considered to be in the 6%. I actually switched doctors recently because my last ped at 6 months (he weighed 15 lb 4 oz) told me he was too skinny and I needed to rethink breastfeeding. The only thing I rethought was seeing her face ever again! Here is a great article for you to read.

https://drjaygordon.com/pediatricks/newborns/scales.html

LisaLisa1980 · April 2014

KARBloomquist said:
My son weighed 17 lb 4 oz at his 9 month appt. And was born at 7 lb 7 oz. He is still considered to be in the 6%. I actually switched doctors recently because my last ped at 6 months (he weighed 15 lb 4 oz) told me he was too skinny and I needed to rethink breastfeeding. The only thing I rethought was seeing her face ever again! Here is a great article for you to read.
https://drjaygordon.com/pediatricks/newborns/scales.html

Hahahaha!! Loved the last line

good for u!!

jesselayne8 · April 2014

DS was 17lb 10oz at 10 months. He has gone from 70th at 2 months to 5th at 10 months. He is EBF and eats a ton if solids. My pedi is not worried at all.

jlpev · April 2014

Both of my kids were bf & chunky but once they started moving they would lose some chunk. I wouldn't worry. My friends dd was & still is behind in weight. She was formula fed.

taraleanne · April 2014

My baby is a "skinny" baby too, EBF (plus solids). About 18.5lbs at 10 months. If your doctor isn't worried, you shouldn't either!

aibrean · April 2014

Mine was in the 25% a week after birth. Now she's in 70% for weight. She's been around 20/21lbs for a month or so now. I agree that the growth chart curve should be your guide. Weight shouldn't be a sole determining factor in health.

PrimRoseMama · May 2014

My baby is EBF w/BLW. He's almost 23 lbs. not all BF babies are skinny...

DD was formula fed & she is only 28 lbs at almost 3 years old. Not all formula babies are chunky...

firemansflame · May 2014

My DS was 15.15 at his 9 month appt. He is EBF and has never been on the growth chart. It freaks me out but his pedi seems totally fine. He was born 100% healthy but 1 month early at 6.2

MattysGirl81 · May 2014

My older son was also EBF and plummeted to the 5th percentile at 12 months - he was around 19lbs then. He's now almost 5 and consistently around the 25th percentile. He's never been really interested in food (I read to him at the table to keep him eating). I figure at this point, he'll eat if he's hungry! So don't worry about it - your baby will be just fine!

magdalina.h · May 2014

My 9 month old is 16lbs 10oz. Pedi isn't concerned because she stays on her curve of the growth chart

MissaStar · June 2014

My son is almost 1 year and was 27 lbs. when we weighed him last month. He is EBF and was 9 lbs., 8 oz at birth. BUT he is also super tall for his age (he's 31 inches), so I imagine that taking baby's proportions into account also makes a difference.

roo1oo · June 2014

EBFing doesn't correlate to a skinny baby. I know a lot of EBF chunksters. My baby is now FF and he's in the 15th %ile for weight. Genetics have as much to do with it as what you feed.

DebbieM422 · June 2014

I'm so glad to hear everyone's 'don't worry' comments. Little man is 9 months and 17.5 lbs (27" tall), he's in the 8th percentile for weight, but the pedi says he's tracking fine against himself and that's all that matters.

sschwege · June 2014

roo1oo said:

EBFing doesn't correlate to a skinny baby. I know a lot of EBF chunksters. My baby is now FF and he's in the 15th %ile for weight. Genetics have as much to do with it as what you feed.

EBFing actually does correlate with a lower weight baby. BF babies tend to put on weight more slowly than FF babies during their first year of life. This is why pedis are being encouraged to use the World Health Organization Growth Charts because they use BFing as 'the norm' as opposed to the CDC Growth Charts.

https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/growthcharts/who/breastfeeding/

Now of course you can point to Sally Sue down the street who was FF and at the bottom of the charts and Peggy Anne who was BF and at the top, but looking at a few examples doesn't give you the whole picture.

Want a personalized experience?

Skinny babies! EBF

Re: Skinny babies! EBF

LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:

Choose Another Board

Search Boards