Jill wrote:
My baby will be 3 weeks old on Sunday. Time flies! Well, she
weighed 7lbs 11oz at birth and At her 1-week pediatrician
appointment, she weighed 7lbs 2 oz. The doctor said this is normal
especially for breastfed babies, to lose weight and they would like
to see her back up to her birth weight at the 2 week appointment.
On my receipt where they mark tests and diagnoses etc, I noticed
that the diagnosis section said "Small for number of weeks". And
the paper they gave me had her in the 25% percentile for size, 50%
for head circumference, and 50% for something else, I forget....I'd
have to go look. At the 2 week appointment she had only gained 4
ounces, so was 7lbs 6oz. Because of this they want me to bring her
back tomorrow just to be weighed.

I suspect that the concern is that she hadn't gotten back to her birthweight
by the two week appointment *and* her weight gain in the second week was
less than would be expected. (Newborns typically gain about an ounce per
day, thou some gain less and some gain more.) They are probably hoping that
her weight gain in the past week will be more in line with the expectations.

Is this that big of a deal? My neighbor breastfed and she says it
almost sounds like they are watching her to see if I need to
supplement. If I have to bf her every half hour, I will do that
before I supplement...she nurses great and has the appropriate
number of diapers, wet and poopy. If what goes in comes out, her
output is good!

In which case, as long as she's *gaining* weight and showing no signs of
problems, I wouldn't supplement, even if she's not gained much more weight
in the past week than she did in the previous week. She is still *gaining*
and that's what matters. If she were not gaining at all or were losing
weight, you'd have a reason to supplement, but otherwise, I wouldn't worry.
She may just be genetically programmed to be on the small side.

And one mroe question---I am surprised a 7lb 6oz baby at 2 weeks
old would be only in the 25% of others babies as far as size...that
is not *that* small of a baby. ?? It seems pretty average to me,
except I know a lot of people who have fairly large babies, 9 and
10 pounds....but I also know people who have 6 pound babies. But at
2 weeks old is 7lbs 6oz really considered that small?

Being in the 25th percentile doesn't mean a baby is exceptionally small.
What your pediatrician meant by his notation was not that your baby is
exceptionally small by the chart, but that she's smaller than he'd expect
her to be (because she should have been very close to if not back to her
birthweight by then).
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Sin (Vernon, 2), Misery (Aurora, 4), and the Rising Son (Julian, 6)

Aurora (in the bathroom with her dad)--"It looks like an elephant, Daddy."
Me (later)--"You should feel flattered."

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