Katherine's 12mo checkup

Well, she is still long and lean. 29 inches tall, which is right in the 50th percentile, but only 16lbs 13oz. Her weight is way below the curve. At this rate, she will be 3 before I can turn her carseat around. Dag-nabbit! The Dr. said that she looks healthy and even has some rolls on her legs and that she doesnt look or act unhealthy but that I need to introduce her to some really high cal foods to try and pump her weight up. They did alot of blood work last time so we know that there is nothing wrong there so it is just a problem with my milk and/or her reluctance to eat solids. I just got back from the grocery store where I stocked my cupboards with alot of foods that I can't eat. Hagan Daz, cheese, bread, mayo, carnation instant breakfasts etc.

I really don't understand why she is so small. DH and I both hit 20 lbs right around 1 yr. She really doesn't eat solids very well (maybe a total of a jar of food and 1/4 c. of cereal a day) but she is still nursing a lot. I guess my milk just isn't enough? That kinda bums me out but hopefully she will start eating solids more if I cut out the daytime nursings, except for her nap.

She got the MMR and the Chickenpox vaccine too. She was actually crying from the time we walked into the Dr's office so the shots were too bad. However she barfed when we got home (from crying I think) and she has just been really mellow so far tonight.

Anyway, just a kind-of stressful day but everything looks good except for her weight.

Glad the appointment went well. If the Doc said she looks healthy, I wouldn't worry too much about the weight. I know easier said than done. Maybe she'll really like some of the new stuff you bought? I remember when Ashley was about 6/7 months old and she didn't eat much in the way of solids but I kept reading about all these babies eating jars of food at every meal... I got worried. But, once her appetite for solids picked up, it REALLY picked up! Ashley still nurses every couple of hours, even with all the solids she eats... maybe Katherine will be the same way? I am sure her appetite for solids will pick up soon.

I am sorry about the shots, I just hate those! Poor baby! BIG hugs from Ashley and myself!

Glad she is doing well. Jason doesn't eat much solids either. Try not to worry, if her ped said she is healthy, then she is! I'm sure her appetitite will pick up soon. Try mac & Cheese, cooked veggies with a dab of butter, munster cheese, town house crackers....these are some of Jason's faves

Sounds like she is doing good to me. I would just give her more solids to eat. Maddie loves food. Today we went to WIC and they did a iron check and did her weight and height. She has great iron and her weight was 18.8 lbs, but her height was 26 1/2 inches. I swear everytime I go and get her height checked it's always different. They said her height might be a concern, she's so short for a year old. Maybe there just a bunch of quacks. lol

Sorry about those shots. Ugh.

But I really think the weight thing is because she is soooooo active. She's just burning everything off. I don't think there's anything wrong with your milk, if there was-she wouldn't be so healthy and happy.

I agree with everyone here... she is just a petite little girl! DH was always a tiny kid, and doctors kept checking him for parasites and diseases to see why he wouldn't gain weight! He is just a small guy - always has been! Always will be. Don't fret. I don't think Sophia's going to be 20lbs at her checkup on Friday, either. I'm bummed about the carseat deal, too.

It seems like everyone I know is hearing that their baby is underweight at their one year checkup. It makes me wonder! I'm in a similar boat: Daniel gained no weight between his 6 month and his 9 month appointment today (stuck at 18 pounds), and I'm a little worried too. Going to try to increase the solids, although he's not a big eater and like Katherine would rather nurse.

Avocados have a lot of fat (for a vegetable), and Daniel loves them! Give them a try if you haven't already.

Most babies don't gain much weight the second half of the first year, mostly due to their newfound abilities to crawl, walk, run, etc. Their increased mobility makes them burn calories much quicker, which then need to be replaced. I know Hannah didn't care for solids either at that age; she was happy to nurse all day long. But now (at 16 1/2 months), she just eats solids like crazy, and is nursing a lot less, probably due to the PG.

I wouldn't cut back on the # of times of nursing. Just give her more opportunities to try solids more (i.e. frequent snacks), and even if she doesn't eat much, any little bit would probably help. Try giving them to her before she nurses, so she can get used to eating solids first, then let her nurse as long as she wants. I know Hannah really loves cheese, but I limit her on that; she gets constipated from it easily. Everyone else gave you great ideas on some other foods to try. If she doesn't like them, keep offering them every few days; she might like them on a different day.

Hope some of this helps!

Good luck, and keep us updated on how she's doing!

Thanks guys! I really appreciate all of the input and hearing that other babies are considered "small", makes me feel a little bit better. Where do they get this curve from anyway? Are American babies just bigger than the rest of the worlds (I wouldn't be suprised)? I will try to offer her more snacks during the day and feed her more fat-rich foods. I'm definatly going to try grilled cheese sandwiches and I'll be on the hunt for a decent avacado, I'd forgotten that she really liked those a few months ago. She is so active though that it will be hard to get her to slow down. I'll just try stuffing food in her mouth as she zooms by

Anyway, thanks again! You guys are great