Advice about small breastfed baby

This is going to be quite long but I would just like to hear from some other breastfeeding mamas. My daughter was 6.14 and 20'' at birth, 9.12 and 22 1/4'' at 2 months, and today we went to her 4 month check up and she is 10.13 and 23 1/4''.

She is obviously kind of small but from what I have realized since she was born, she just seems like a petite little girl. Before we went to the doctor today, I figured that she would weigh at LEAST almost 12 pounds. Looking at her, I can definitely tell that she is growing well. She is nursing every 2 hours and is happy and reaching all of the milestones that she should be for her age! Today her pedi said that her growth is okay and that her length slowed down a little bit too so she just thinks that she is going to be small but she asked me if I have started solids and I said no, I am waiting until 6 months because that has been my plan for a while... I really have no desire in starting solids earlier than 6 months especially since I am exclusively nursing. She said that she thinks I should start cereal now just to give her some extra calories and that if she isn't interested in it, that is fine, but if she is.. That I could give it to her a couple times a day. She also said that I could give her a few oz of formula a day if I wanted to for some extra calories. She is having me come back in 4 weeks to check my daughter's growth again. I have pretty much already decided that I am not going to start the cereal just yet because like I said before, I am pretty adamant about the fact that I didn't want to start it before 6 months. And I am definitely not going to give her any formula because that would defeat my whole purpose of breastfeeding... I just feel that at this point none of that is really necessary because my daughter IS growing and gaining weight, she is just doing it slowly. Which I know can be pretty normal for breastfed babies. I feel like as long as my daughter IS gaining weight and not losing it, and that she is developing properly and acting how she should for her age that there is nothing to worry about.

So my question is, who else has dealt with this? What did you do? Do you think my decision is right?

Well, I haven't necessarily dealt with that you have but I know if I ever did I will be making the same decision you are!

1) I have never dealt with it
2) Honestly, first of all I would total up my fat intake (like drink a bunch of milk and such) to see if that made a difference. If my child still didn't gain much by the next month, then I would probably follow their recommendations and introduce formula as well, with mainly BFing (to see if that makes a difference from month 5-6)

Quoting Becky☮Will:" Well, I haven't necessarily dealt with that you have but I know if I ever did I will be making the same decision you are!"

It seems like more and more mothers are giving their babies solids at a younger age and I just don't feel like it is necessary at all. I DEFINITELY don't feel like giving her any formula is necessary. I know some babies are just smaller than others and some have faster metabolism than others.

DD is on the petite side. She weighs 19 Lbs and is 31 inches at 22 months. She dropped of the growth chart at 4 months and use to be such a worry wart with her. I have just come to the conclusion that DD is just fun size 

I would do the same as you. My son is 9 months and 0 percentile for weight.

Quoting Momma x 2:" 1) I have never dealt with it 2) Honestly, if of all I would total up my fat intake (like drink a bunch ... [snip!] ... their recommendations and introduce formula as well, with mainly BFing (to see if that makes a difference from month 5-6)"

Yeah, what I actually have decided to do that I forgot to mention is I am just going to offer her more. She always only feeds on one boob per feeding but never acts unsatisfied. I am just going to start offering both boobs at each feeding and see if that possibly makes a difference for her. Considering she has only gained 1 pound in the past 2 months, I don't know how much they expect her to have gained in 4 weeks, but her next well check up is in 9 weeks so I assume she will have gained more by then at least.

Quoting Lillybutt's momma:" DD is on the petite side. She weighs 19 Lbs and is 31 inches at 22 months. She dropped of the growth ... [snip!] ... chart at 4 months and use to be such a worry wart with her. I have just come to the conclusion that DD is just fun size "

I like the way you think! What did the doctor's say about her growth?

Quoting Lindsay...:" Yeah, what I actually have decided to do that I forgot to mention is I am just going to offer her more. ... [snip!] ... her to have gained in 4 weeks, but her next well check up is in 9 weeks so I assume she will have gained more by then at least."

Yeah, offering her more would definitely be worth trying  

My son was 10lbs 5oz when he was born. The first couple of months, (maybe the first 2 months), he gained a few pounds but after that, it slowed down dramatically. At his 9 month appointment, he weighed 18lbs exactly (10% and height was 75%). The pedi was ok with that because well .. he's not my first breastfed baby. Granted my other 2 have been bigger, but that doesn't mean that every baby i have will always be built like my first 2 (height 90%, weight 50%). If she's growing and has plenty of wet/poopy diapers, it's probably not a big deal. She's probably just small. Not everyone has those huge babies with lots of fat rolls.  

Quoting Lindsay...:" I like the way you think! What did the doctor's say about her growth?"

She wasn't real concerned. She said she was likely just petite. She had her own growth chart. As long as she was curving up and dropping below her own curve she wasn't worried. She did however send her for an u/s of her head because her head was growing normal size while she had a petite body....lol But her daddy has a big head 

ETA: Her head was in the 95 % and her length and weight wasn't even on the chart

Quoting Lillybutt's momma:" DD is on the petite side. She weighs 19 Lbs and is 31 inches at 22 months. She dropped of the growth ... [snip!] ... chart at 4 months and use to be such a worry wart with her. I have just come to the conclusion that DD is just fun size "

My daughter is and always was tiny too, but my doctor has never been concerned. She's still the smallest in her class, at 6 1/2 she's only 40 inches and 39lbs.

Quoting Summerfrost:" My son was 10lbs 5oz when he was born. The first couple of months, (maybe the first 2 months), he gained ... [snip!] ... it's probably not a big deal. She's probably just small. Not everyone has those huge babies with lots of fat rolls.   "

You are right!! I just hope that if I go back to this appointment in 4 weeks and she hasn't gained much weight, that the doctor doesn't put even more pressure on me. I know that overall it is MY decision what I do and feel is best, but, you know how it is with the doctors. Some people act like they are God and you must follow all of their advice.

Also, I was born at 29-30 weeks and was 3 lbs 2 oz. Her dad was born on time and was 6 lbs 4 oz. I'm an average sized girl, and he is built VERY small! So I won't be surprised if she ends up being a super petite little lady.

Quoting Momma x 2:" My daughter is and always was tiny too, but my doctor has never been concerned. She's still the smallest in her class, at 6 1/2 she's only 40 inches and 39lbs."

Yeah! We cloth diaper her right now so her pants fit better. I can fit her tushy in my hand (def does not take after me). Idk what I am going to do when she is older and its hell to find clothes that will fit her properly

<blockquote><b>Quoting Lindsay...:</b>" It seems like more and more mothers are giving their babies solids at a younger age and I just don't ... [snip!] ... her any formula is necessary. I know some babies are just smaller than others and some have faster metabolism than others."</blockquote>



Yep I have a really fast metabolism and have been "underweight" according to doctors my whole life.
My son is in a pretty low percentile I think like 10%. His pedi wanted me to go back for a weight check but I said screw that, I know he's healthy and fine. He eats a little picky sometims but most of the time he eats fine and even eats pasta every single day for lunch.
He's also never had a drop of formula   and didn't drop to a lower percentile until he started eating more table food and less breastmilk.