Percentile dropping? skinny baby?

[@llli*satin.mama]

We've had some nursing problems but seem to be on the right track, with exclusively nursing for 4 weeks now. Baby is 10.5 weeks old. I'm just on-and-off concerned and not concerned, wondering if it matters that she isn't really getting "plump" like my other daughter did. The brief history is that she was born at 9 lbs, went down to 8 lbs 1 oz, and gained really slowly to reach 10 lbs 5 oz at 9.5 weeks - so at 9.5 weeks, not even 1.5 lbs over her birthweight.

So at birth: length was in percentile 90, and weight between percentile 90 and 95. Being about 10.3 lbs at 2 months old is apparently between the 10th and 25th percentile. As far as I know she has never LOST weight besides the initial drop, just had a very slow gain rate; but is that much of a change in percentile something to be alarmed about? I had been going along thinking everyone was being so paranoid (midwife, health nurse, etc.), but now I wonder if they were right to be weighing her as obsessively as they were. I am out of town and we won't have access to a baby scale until Monday now.

I have a "bad side" that she doesn't like, and slowly I think we've both been, consciously or subconsciously, transitioning to nursing more and more on the good side and less on the bad, so by now she only nurses the bad side 3-4 times in 24 hours, and believe me, she's nursing a lot, so she spends a LOT more time on the good side. Could it be that somehow we've made my supply go down overall by doing this? I sometimes wonder about that, too.

She doesn't act hungry whenever we're not nursing - she does have happy times where she comes off and seems perfectly satisfied, so I don't think she's starving. They're not very LONG times, but they're getting longer!

She obviously isn't wasting away, and she's a bit squishy in cute places but she definitely doesn't have the ROLLS of chub that my older daughter had at this age (and before). We were, however, supplementing DD1's nursing with 2-4 oz formula per day at this age.

Any thoughts are appreciated!! Thanks!

[@llli*djs.mom]

As long as she has 6 or more weight diapers in a 24hour period and her weight gain is consistent, at whatever growth curves she is on, there is no need to worry. Your baby who is exclusively breastfed will be naturally, the size and weight she is supposed to be. 2-4 oz of formula a day could totally have thrown off your 1st childs natural growth curve. Did she slim down when she stopped drinking formula? Whenever that was?

[@llli*jenna562]

Also remember that weight gain is calculated from her lowest weight, so 8#1 oz correct ? That makes the gain more substantial.

Overall you sound like me. My DS1 was a huge kid 10 lbs at birth and 30 at 12 months, always 99th in height and weight. When my DS2 was born he was 9 lbs 14 oz and now at 19 months he is just 21 lbs! 2 Nd percentile. I had a lot of trouble finding an educated doctor, but in the end I did. He always reminds me that we have an obesity epidemic in the US and a thin child who is nursed on demand is actually quite healthy. Don't worry mama.

[@llli*blue2000]

My son, who is now 3 1/2 and totally healthy, has never been chubby. For like, a week, he had full cheeks, but other than that he's never had rolls or chunky thighs or a big belly or anything. Now, he is lean and tall, and when he holds hands with my DH, you can see the exact same body type in minature form. As long as there is appropriate growth and wets, I think some kids just don' t get chunky.

[@llli*lovemygirlso1]

I have a side both my girls always preferred. I think because it's a bit bigger and produces more. With my first daughter I found the same thing happening that's happening to you, ending up nursing more on the "good" side and thus creating a bit of an under supply in the "bad" side. With some pumping and lots of nursing on the "bad" side I was able to get them more even. With DD2 I've started out just trying really really hard to always start with the breast I finished on the time before. Even if the "good" side feels fuller I will start on the "bad" side if I fed on it last. Because my DD never completely drains the second breast, so I start with the second one on the next feeding in order to get it completely emptied and stimulate the milk production. Make sense? I hate being uneven to the extreme like I was with DD1! It was like 2 sizes different! Crazy! hahaha. GL!

[@llli*maddieb]

Also remember that weight gain is calculated from her lowest weight, so 8#1 oz correct ? That makes the gain more substantial.

This is really important. Assuming all the weight checks are all correct (and since we are probably talking multiple scales that is a big assumption) your baby has actually gained 2 pounds 4 ounces in 10 weeks (or however long it has ben since the 8.1 weight.) Your baby lost a pound after birth! So I do not think her birth weight percentile is relevent at this point.

But if you sense something is wrong, what about getting breastfeediing assessed by an IBCLC who is experienced with working with this age baby and weight gain concerns to make sure there is not a milk transfer issue? if your baby is nursing a ton and not getting much, that would be my first concern followed by low supply.