Skinny Minny
We took Josie in today for her 9 month well-baby visit and she is continuing her skinny trend. Unfortunately she’s been sick for about the last week and a half and it has had a real impact on her appetite and so I think she’s dropped a little weight recently. Per usual, I have also been sick at this time which probably doesn’t help things either. Everyone on the town email list keeps saying that everyone has one really bad winter with each kid and then their immunity improves. Let’s hope this is the one. Oh and Josie has her second-ever ear infection because of this cold but the antibiotics seem to have cleared some of that up but haven’t removed the pain.
Anywho… onto the data. She weighs 16 lbs 1 oz which puts her in the 8th percentile for weight (kids on average gain 1/2 a lb a month after 6 months, this was a one pound gain for her over three months). She is 28 inches tall, but I don’t think they did a good job measuring as I think that’s a little shorter than she really is. That puts her in the 67th percentile. Looking at the weight for length charts for girls, she has now fallen off the bottom. She really does seem to enjoy eating at least but she just doesn’t stop moving ever so the doc says she’s just burning it all off. The doc was not concerned, Jordi and I are a little disconcerted.
Any other of you parents have similarly stringbean kids that have pudged out a little?
Josie's lovely face
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January 29th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Luke weighs one ounce less than Josie! He dropped in the weight percentiles too but just remember she is being compared to formula-fed babies.
I was a tall skinny baby (17 pounds at a year!) and that trend discontinued right around the third grade for me, when I decided I didn’t hate dessert any more (I was a strange child).
January 31st, 2009 at 3:29 am
RJ has been a tall skinny kid too (25%tile in weight, 90%tile in height) and CONSTANTLY in motion. He’s always been skinny and of average height, but now he’s shot up in height, but has grown slower in weight. He was below the 5th percentile after his surgery and has moved up to the 25th really gradually through lots of nursing and healthy foods once he was old enough. I don’t know if you’ve tried avocados yet – but they’re PERFECT baby food – really healthy fats to help plump her a little and for brain development, plus very nutrient dense – and a yummy mild baby-friendly flavor to boot! RJ also really loved beans at around 9 mos. I would cook up some dried pinto (or any other kind – but he really liked the pintos) beans in the crock pot (soak them overnight, rinse and then cover with water and cook in the crock pot all day or until desired mushiness). I don’t think you need to try and plump her up – your pediatrician would let you know if there was a reason to worry.
Plus, with her being sick for a week and a half before her visit – it’s not really an accurate assessment since they can loose weight with an illness or extreme teething (RJ hates eating when he’s got a tooth coming in) – in a week or two, she’ll probably gain back what she lost and then some. Cate’s right about the formula fed comparison too – after about 6 mos, the breastfed babies tend to be skinnier. Maybe it will be a healthy metabolic trend for Josie!
Also, the trend over time is more important – you might have had your appointment right before a weight spurt – they do not grow evenly at all – one day RJ will feel 10 lbs heavier than the day before. When he was an infant we’d put him on the scale every day (that was because of the crazy habit we got into after his surgery when he was real tiny) and sure enough, he would’ve put on several ounces overnight, but then wouldn’t gain anything for a week. Variations in scales are also notable – there are usually many different scales at the Dr.’s office and they can be up to 5 lbs off (but usually less) from one another, which can make it look like a kid drops off and jumps up percentiles like crazy.
It sounds like she’s a healthy little girl! I can’t believe she’s walking at 9 mos! That’s amazing!