Worried About a Baby

[Kajbk]

I have a four month old that I’ve kept since he was six weeks old and I’m getting more and more worried about him. He only weighs 10 pounds. He’s breastfed and I feed him 4 ounces every two hours. I never let him sleep through a feeding and the two hours are from the start of the feeding. He’s the skinniest baby I’ve ever seen, I mean there’s no fat on him anywhere. He still wears newborn size onesies. The mom doesn’t seem concerned at all so I’m just wanting to ask you all who are more experienced if you think I’m feeding him enough? Do you think there’s an issue with the breastmilk? His mom says he sleeps all night so would you suggest she wake him to feed him?
There are other areas of concern also. He doesn’t reach for toys or really play in any way. He doesn’t cry to be held and even though I do hold him a lot (it takes 45 minutes just to feed him) I notice that he just lays flat and doesn’t do anything when I put him on the playmat for up to 30 minutes. He can’t really hold his head up well and I can’t sit him in a bouncer seat because he slumps to the side or forward. He does smile at me when I talk to him but he doesn’t coo. He’s also sick all the time with a runny nose and cough.
Let me know what you would do or if I’m just being a worry wart.

[Ac114]

How much did he weigh at birth? By 4 months old he would have already had 3 doctors appts and if the doctor is ok with his weight increase then I wouldn’t be worried about it. 10 lbs doesn’t seem extremely small but it is in the smaller side. Most breastfed babies are smaller anyways. 4oz every 2 hours is plenty, even for a breastfed baby.

I wouldn’t see the other stuff as worrisome just yet. He could just blossom overnight and just be a pretty content baby. My 2nd child was content watching from afar rather than getting in on all the action. I was very concerned but around 18 months it was like a switch was flipped and he was a rambunctious, into everything little boy.

[Kajbk]

He weighed 6 pounds. Thanks for your reply. I guess I just feel like I should be able to get more interaction from him. I’ll try not to worry.

[hwichlaz]

The milestones bother me more than his weight.

He sounds like a little one I have. She’s 2 1/2 and 15 lbs...and about dev. 4 or 5 months. She has microcephalie. Looking at her, you wouldn’t know it. She just looks like a 6 month old until you realize, she’s not crawling, sitting supported, pushing up on her arms etc.

[Ac114]

I do want to mention that sleeping through the night at 4 months old, especially a breastfed baby, is unusual. I think most tend to start sleeping through the night around 8-9 months but can even go past a year. Maybe the next time he has a doctors appt which should be his 6 month check up, just ask how everything went etc. and see if she divulges in any info.

[Rockgirl]

I think the general guideline is that a breastfed infant should double his/her birthweight by about five months old, so he could be on track as far as that goes. That does sound really small to me, but probably because my son was over ten lbs at birth! The developmental stuff would concern me a bit, too. It seems like he should be more active. Hopefully his pediatrician is keeping an eye on him. I think you’re smart to question these things.

[lovemykidstoo]

My kids were both sleeping all night at 8 weeks old believe it or not. They were not breastfed however. At first I thought holy cow that seems small, but my kids were also 8.3 and 9.5 at birth so . I have a 14 month old dcg that is 17 pounds,(she is just so dang tiny and cute) so maybe that's just fine, he's just little. If he is held a lot at home, he may not know what to do when he's on the floor you know? I would ask mom if he's allowed to lay on the floor with toys over him to entice him or if she holds him. I don't think I put the babies in the exersaucer until about 6 months old. I would just keep an eye on him. He still is pretty young for alot of things.

My dcb that is 8 months old is actually heavier than the 14 month old dcg that I wrote about above

[Kajbk]

He probably is held a lot at home so that might be a big part of it. I should have clarified when I said bouncer seat... it’s the reclined seat that vibrates, you can bounce it and it has toys dangling above it. I haven’t even thought about putting him in the exersaucer yet.

[jenboo]

I think the general guideline is that a breastfed infant should double his/her birthweight by about five months old, so he could be on track as far as that goes. That does sound really small to me, but probably because my son was over ten lbs at birth! The developmental stuff would concern me a bit, too. It seems like he should be more active. Hopefully his pediatrician is keeping an eye on him. I think you’re smart to question these things.

My ds was 9.1 at birth and didn't double his weight until after a year old. At 2.5 years old, he weighs 24lbs. He eats like a hardball m garbage disposal though 😂

[lovemykidstoo]

He probably is held a lot at home so that might be a big part of it. I should have clarified when I said bouncer seat... it’s the reclined seat that vibrates, you can bounce it and it has toys dangling above it. I haven’t even thought about putting him in the exersaucer yet.

If he's held alot at home, mom and dad need to put him down so he can learn things appropriate for his age. That's probably most of his issues. He won't know how to interact with toys if he's held for sure.

[mamamanda]

Is mom or dad small? My children have all been small to the point of Dr asking for extra weight checks but it is just genetics. They have all been around 18-21 lbs at 2 years old. I still struggle with my own weight as I lose very easily & have been labeled borderline malnourished at times in my adult life. I have to be very intentional with my eating to maintain my weight. Other than that, I am healthy as are my children. I'm thinking mine were around 11 lbs at 4 mo, but they were not behind on milestones at all. As long as he's seeing the Dr regularly I wouldn't worry just yet.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I have a four month old that I’ve kept since he was six weeks old and I’m getting more and more worried about him. He only weighs 10 pounds. He’s breastfed and I feed him 4 ounces every two hours. I never let him sleep through a feeding and the two hours are from the start of the feeding. He’s the skinniest baby I’ve ever seen, I mean there’s no fat on him anywhere. He still wears newborn size onesies. The mom doesn’t seem concerned at all so I’m just wanting to ask you all who are more experienced if you think I’m feeding him enough? Do you think there’s an issue with the breastmilk? His mom says he sleeps all night so would you suggest she wake him to feed him?
There are other areas of concern also. He doesn’t reach for toys or really play in any way. He doesn’t cry to be held and even though I do hold him a lot (it takes 45 minutes just to feed him) I notice that he just lays flat and doesn’t do anything when I put him on the playmat for up to 30 minutes. He can’t really hold his head up well and I can’t sit him in a bouncer seat because he slumps to the side or forward. He does smile at me when I talk to him but he doesn’t coo. He’s also sick all the time with a runny nose and cough.
Let me know what you would do or if I’m just being a worry wart.

I would be concerned with his development. He definitely needs tummy time. Nannyde has some great videos on tips for tummy time. The weight and lack of muscle tone are definitely worth keeping an eye on and hopefully his doc is keeping up with it too.

[knoxmomof2]

Breastfed babies don't increase their milk intake. The milk itself changes in composition. That being said, I'm not certain how many ounces is typical. I exclusively breastfeed my 5 month old.

The developmental stuff is concerning to me. I would ask Mom how his last checkup went as far as milestones. Not every parent is aware of what is typical for their babies age so they may not realize things are off. You could always look up developmental milestones for the baby's age just to be sure before saying anything. Any chance the baby was premature? That would throw milestones off.

[Ariana]

Your gut is telling you something is off so I know something is off. I would think something is off too. 10 pounds plus the developmental things is huge red flag.

Bring it up to mom and ask about DR visits. I bet he has never been to a DR. My friend was getting a hard time from her DR because her baby was 13 pounds at 4 months and she was a tad chubby and smart as a whip. Something is off trust your gut.

[daycarediva]

do you require a full physical and immunization record for each child in care? if not, time to start.

Pediatricians here list concerns, plus parent concerns. Eye opener for sure.

He's half the size of the 8mo in care. I can't even imagine.