Is This Normal??

Doctors want them to double their birth weight by 6 months. It sounds like she's done that, so everything sounds normal. You just have a petite child.

that does sound good from what I remember, (my last baby is 3 now) weight doubles in the first months or two then half a pound more each month after.

My daughter was 5 lb 12 oz at birth as well. At her six month checkup she weighed 12 lb even. I think it is pretty normal if your pediatrician doesn't find it out of the ordinary. My daughter's doctor didn't find it unusual, so I didn't bother with further questions. If you really are concerned, give your pediatrician a call and ask about it.

As long as your child is gaining weight steadily I wouldn't worry about it at all. Your doctor should tell you if you should be concerned about her weight. If she is eating normally, she will be gaining weight. Babies gain weight in spurts...so she might gain a pound or two by the next time she gets weighed. My daughter was 5 pounds 1 ounce when she was born and she was weighed at 10 months and she weighed 16 pounds 15 ounces I think. So you just may have a smaller baby.

From what I looked up, that looks like she is in the 5-10% for her age. Are you and her father on the small side? Is your Dr. concerned?

Infants should double their birth weight by 6 months and triple it by one year. This is not always the case but it sounds like your daughter is doing fine. Enjoy her! God bless you on your journey!

My son was 6lbs 9 ounces when he was born which is a normal birth weight but he has never been on the charts weight wise.As long as you have a good pediatrician I am sure they will keep on eye on her weight.My son's doctor finally sent him to a specialist and they have ran all sorts of tests and can not find a medical reason.He will be 2 in July and only weighs 21 lbs.They have had him on pediasure since he was a year and it has made no difference.Anyway so hopefully that will reassure you that she may be perfectly healthy.I would just let your doctor know you have some concerns.

Bobbie-

I wouldn't worry. My son was 5 lb. 2 1/2 oz. at birth and didn't even weight 12 lbs. at 5 months. just remember your daughter has already doubled her birth weight. my son is now 9 1/2 months and isn't even 20 lbs. i don't think you have anything to worry about.

A.

Bobbie-

We could have an entire debate on what is "normal"... FYI, generally speaking, babies tend to double in weight by 6 months and triple their birth weight by one year. Clearly, this is not always the case. For me, my baby doubled in 3 months, but she was very small... Anyway, more important than weight is health status... if your baby is healthy, eating well, having regular bowel and bladder movements... that is the best indicator that he/she is doing well. All of the weight charts and percentile designations are just statistics. Another FYI, weight charts are based on formula-fed babies, and breastfed babies tend to weigh less than formula-fed babies... just another consideration.

Yours in health-
Dr. Alyssa

Hi Bobbie,
I've always heard that by the time your baby turns 2 months they should've doubled their birth weight. That being said if your daughter was born at 5 lbs and 12 ounces then she has doubled her weight and maybe 2 pounds also give or take when you actually add it together.

Also as long as there are no under lying health concerns, like acid reflux or something like this and your Pediatrician isn't concerned than I think she should be ok. Hope this helps W.

I went http://www.babycenter.com/growthchart/ and you can put in you daughters measurements and they will give you some information for you, thought this might help. I didn't read it all but I'm sure it will be helpfull, W.

Babies should gain 1-2 lbs a month. Sounds like your baby is doing fine.

At 4 months old my son was only 13 pounds and he weighed 6 lbs. 11 oz at birth. My pediatrician says it is not really how much they weigh, but that they are steadily gaining and staying on a good growth curve. My son has always been smallish and will likely stay that way. He is always in the lower percentiles for weight and height, but he was at birth so he is just a small kid (just like I was), and I suspect that your daughter is the same.

She sounds a little on the small side, but as long as she seems healthy, eats well and poops and pees well I wouldn't worry. Has her doctor expressed any concerns? If not then don't worry. My son is a smaller boy, he weighed 6lbs 1oz at birth and a week ago he weighed 14lbs even. Everybody always tells me how small he is when they find out he's only 4 months. Well, maybe they're baby is just fat! LOL! Sorry, that was mean. My son is constantly in motion so he burns off a lot of what he takes in... even in his sleep he is constantly moving, so it's no wonder that he's a small boy. Could this be the case with your baby too? You have to listen to your gut, if you think your baby is fine then chances are she is.

Only the doctor could say for certain. She sounds really tiny to me. But if her energy levels are good and she's happy then I wouldn't worry about it.

My first 3 children were well over 8 pounds and each gained a pound per week the first few months. My youngest was born just a little early and lost weight and took some time to start growing again. But she's tall, skinny and very healthy now. So I'm pretty sure all kids are just going to grow at their own rate.

One of my daycare girls is almost 2 and still wearing a lot of 12 month clothes. She was only 4 pounds some ounces at birth. But she's a big eater and healthy.

Suzi

My older son has almost never been on the growth chart, but off the bottom, heh. He just has a slow growth pattern. My little bro was the same way, and my hubby was on the small side too. As long as her growth rate stays the same, it should be fine. If your mommy alarm is really going off, tho, there are tests they can run. Just talk to your ped. :)

J.

My daughter is almost 2 and is very small for her age. She had a rough start. She didn't get back to her birth weight until she was 3 weeks old. I actually had to put her in the hospital because of it. I would say if her pediatrician hasn't said anything about it I wouldn't worry. My daughter is now 23 lbs. They all grow at their own rate. Just because someone elses daughter is bigger doesn't mean it is "normal" for your daughter. I'm sure she is a joy to have though.

Very normal!! My son was 5.13 when he was born and has always been in the 50th percentile or below. But always gaining weight and healthy, breastfed. And once he started eating solids has always eaten a ton! He's 14 months now and weighs just barely over 20 lbs and is in the 3rd percentile. But that's fine...he's just on the petite end of things. As long as your daughter is progressively gaining weight and you know that you are feeding her well...she has enough poopy/wet diapers throughout the day, you're totally fine! Are you breastfeeding or formula feeding? Breastfed babies are generally a little leaner than formula fed babies too. So, that's something to keep in mind. Remember that those "percentiles" that they give you are literally an average of all babies, regardless of height, whether or not they were premature, breastfed or bottle fed....just statistics and doesn't take into account a lot of different things. Stay in communication with your doc, he/she will definitely tell you if they're concerned about her!

Best wishes,
Missy