Can't stop obsessing

My twin DDs are 7 weeks old. They were born at 36w6d, 6lb1oz and 6lb6oz. The smaller DD had a slow start with the weight gain. She lost way too much weight after birth, and although she is gaining about 1oz per day now she is still in only 5th percentile on the regular charts. The other twin is gaining at the same rate but is in the 20th percentile. I can't stop obsessing about how much my little peanut is eating and gaining. I rented a baby scale and weigh her all the time. She is 8.5 lbs now at 7 weeks and looks much smaller than all my friends' singletons at this age. And it doesn't help that DS was in the 90th percentile for everything (still is).

I know it's not fair to compare preterm twins to full term singletons, but I just can't help obsessing. 5th percentile is just so small!

 

I can relate. My DD were 5-9 and 5-6 at birth (34 wks) and are now only 10-13 and 11-2 at 5 months. I fret about it some, but they are growing. My pedi told us at our 1 month visit that he is impressed if pre-term twins even make it on the chart. So maybe you could look at it like 5% is better that 1%. IMO, having the scale might be making you more inclined to obsess over it. If she is eating well and steadily gaining weight, I would try not to worry so much about how much.
It's silly, but one thing I count as a bonus is that they have stayed small enough to actually get some use out of 0-3 month size clothes, my singletons were out of them by 1 month.

 

I was the same way at first...especially b/c i was BFing and DD was slow to gain weight. The doctor said both were thriving and she had plenty of dirty diapers, but I was obsessed for a few weeks, weighing her before and afer she nursed a few times a day to see how much she was taking in! I finally made myself just weigh her once a week and now I don't even think to touch the scale. She's still only in the 10th percentile, but she's totally healthy and happy. Just little!

 

Always make sure it is their "corrected age" that gets recorded for their weights.

I had one 3rd percentile baby and one 5 th percentile. Every baby is different and some are just little things. I quit telling people what my babies weighed since it became a competition type thing. I eventually read this great book "child of mine: feeding with love and good sense" (includes bf and feeding from newborn to school age) great reference book. It really helped to stop obsessing.

Heather

 

Mine are the same. My peanut was 5-15 at birth, had slow but steady weight gain and is still in the lower percentiles. 5-10th. She is just small and that's OK. She is perfectly healthy and meeting all her milestones before her bigger sister. You probably just have a little one on your hands. Don't worry about her weight. You need to be looking at her growth scale and making sure she is following HER growth curve, adjusted or non-adjusted. Adjusted the age really makes no difference when you are looking at her curve and making sure she has steady gains.

 

The percentile doesn't matter as long as she continues to grow on her own growth curve. If she was born at the 5% it's not fair to expect her to jump up to babies who were much bigger than she was at birth! Just like adults come in all shapes and sizes so do babies. I know it's difficult not to worry, I have two girls who are just now in the 5th% and 10th% at 15 months old. At their 12 month appointment they didn't even make percentiles, they were 0%. They are the right size for themselves, they are perfect.

 

:hug: I am so sorry. It is very hard when you are concerned not to obsess over it especially when it comes to your kids. Mine were born premature and I obsessed over their weight forever. At least until they were well over a year. Although, I did not have a scale at home. That might be something you can get ride of in time and maybe just rely on the Ped weight checks to help you out. Hang in there.

 

QUOTE(colleenh11 @ Jan 31 2009, 12:16 AM) [snapback]1170169[/snapback]
My twin DDs are 7 weeks old. They were born at 36w6d, 6lb1oz and 6lb6oz. The smaller DD had a slow start with the weight gain. She lost way too much weight after birth, and although she is gaining about 1oz per day now she is still in only 5th percentile on the regular charts. The other twin is gaining at the same rate but is in the 20th percentile. I can't stop obsessing about how much my little peanut is eating and gaining. I rented a baby scale and weigh her all the time. She is 8.5 lbs now at 7 weeks and looks much smaller than all my friends' singletons at this age. And it doesn't help that DS was in the 90th percentile for everything (still is).

I know it's not fair to compare preterm twins to full term singletons, but I just can't help obsessing. 5th percentile is just so small!


First, are you nursing? Because the standard baby growth charts were based on FF infants. BF'ed infants gain at a different rate and there are other growth charts out there.

But, our boys were similarly slow to gain. I just kept telling myself that someone has to be in the 20th or 5th percent. A baby in the 99th percentile is not in better health than one in the 20th. Just heavier Just think, your babies will be able to use all those great infant clothes and equipment you spent so much $$ on, because they won't weigh as much .

FWIW, all my babies have been below 50th percentile (even my singleton). But no concerns because, as it sounds like yours do, they gained at an appropriate rate. And it makes sense to me why they are lighter because I tend towards the thin side.

BTW -- those weights are fantastic for 36 weeks. One of my twins was lighter at almost 39 wks.