# my 4 year old doesn't weight 30 lbs yet..



## MamaFern

he has always been small (was born 7lbs 8oz but went down to 6 something..then gained Very slowly..he was 16lbs at a year..19 lbs at 2..not sure at 3) he has always been very active and seemingly healthy..but as time went on i expected him to have a growth spurt!
he is 4 now and still no sign of one. he is 41" (3.41 feet) tall and still under 30LBS (my guess would be 25 lbs.maybe)
my baby girl is 15 months old 22lbs & 33inches tall, which considering her birth weight of 10lbs 5oz is small too!

i breast fed him till he was 2 1/2 but he has always been a very picky and doesn't eat much at all.

im really reluctant to take him to the DR. i have a lot of negative feelings about the medical system. but once in a while i worry that maybe something is wrong and the longer i wait the worse it will be.
i also feel guily because i dont take him and if i do now will they spazz at me? i wish i didnt worry so much









are there other mommas of small 4 year olds out there that can reassure me?


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## MsChatsAlot

There is a whole tribe in "Finding your Tribe" for parents with small children that you might find helpful.


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## IdentityCrisisMama

Yea, DD is 5 and weighs 35 lbs (9lbs at birth). I don't worry about it because my mom says all my siblings were like this ~ even the tall adult ones. If you're worried, I'd go see someone but educate yourself a bit first do they can't freak you out! I always just told the doctors that my mom predicted DC's growth pattern since birth so don't bother telling me that you think it's any more than how she grows.


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## Village Mama

I agree that it is nice to have some support when you go in. Both of my boys have been really small naturally. My son who is 3.5 is about 28 pounds. We took them in last year for a checkup because they both have lung issues ( and were assigned to see a pediatrician) They sent us to the next city over for blood tests and a sweat test to see if he had cystic fibrosis. I was really confident before I went to the doc that he was fine, but after leaving the office I was terrified that there was somthing wrong with him. Nothing was!!!

( PS... you have the most beautiful family ever! I had a little cyber crush on you all a while back!)


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## Peony

DD1 is 4 and just recently gained a couple lbs, she now weighs 29 lbs. She has always gained weight very slowly. She is happy and healthy, just thin, I don't worry about her.


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## charmander

I have a skinny guy, too. I was so glad when he finally hit 50 lbs - at almost 8 years old. Whew.


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## JBaxter

According to my DH's baby book he weighed 29lbs at his 5yr check up. He hit 135 at high school graduation is about 5ft7 now.


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## ZanZansMommy

My DD is 3.5 & I'm guessing she weighs about 28lbs. Everything falls off her waist, so we just wear leggings (size 18-24 mos or 2T). DS is 16 mos & weighs 26 lbs (no wonder he can knock her over so easily







) Try not to worry too much Mama. I have to remind myself that both DH & I are small people so our children will also be small.


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## Amylcd

My DD is 3 1/2 and weighs exactly 30 pounds. She was over 10 pounds at birth. I'm starting to get worried, but that is because she has not gained a single pound in almost two years.


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## Kirsten

My 8 lb 5 oz dd1 is now almost 11 and weighs 63. They all grow at their own rate. If he is active and eats ok (averaging out to a decent amount over each week or month), then I wouldn't worry. But if your mom instinct is telling you to have him checked out, go in!!!


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## MamaFern

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Village Mama* 
( PS... you have the most beautiful family ever! I had a little cyber crush on you all a while back!)











really?


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## MamaFern

ill look in finding your tribe MsChatsAlot, thanks for the tip!

and thank you all for being mommas of small kids too! it really does make me feel better just knowing we aren;t the only ones..everywhere around us are BIG kids.

on eating: he doesn't eat much some days, but other days he eats a ton. it really depends. im wondering if he is maybe intolerant of wheat..we dont eat much refined wheat products, but im going to cut them out entirely and see if it helps at all.

maybe i will have a check up set up..just to be reasurred. its been well over a year anyways, so it couldnt hurt..i guess...


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## mama2mygirl

My dd is also really small at four. She's not quite as tall as your son--a couple inches shorter but I'm not sure what she weighs. She can still wear her 2ts--and 18-24 months in a couple of things--but has recently moved more into 3ts. I'm not worried. (Although, we saw my mom this weekend and she was kind of freaked out by skinny dd is.







: ) I'm surprised--my dh and I are not small people. But dh is from Peru and the rest of his family is small and my mom is short so maybe that's how she'll be built???But, like you, I always figure she'll have a growth spurt one of these.


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## falcon

My 3.5 year old is about 28 lb, he's always been a small (healthy!) kid







I think my dh was a thin kid too (and is average weight/height as an adult). The dr was fine with my kiddos weight on our last visit.


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## sevenkids

We just celebrated because my almost 8 year old gained 4 pounds, he's a whopping *46 pounds*! If you ever saw him naked you'd want to send him a Care Package







. His dad is 5'11", and on a good day, (like fully dressed and soaking wet







) he weighs about 145. DS was 8.8 at birth, and always looked chubby, but he had the tiniest little wrists and ankles, so I knew he was going to be a skinny guy once he outgrew the baby chub. He never ate much as a little guy either. I always joked he was like an anaconda, he'd go into a feeding frenzy once a week or so, and the rest of the week just pecking. Recently, in the past six months or so, he has really begun eating heartily (hence the 4 pound gain) but he's still and always will be a _very_ slim dude.


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## LauraLoo

I'm another mom with 2 "skinny" kids. DS at 5 weighed about 34 lbs -- and was about 42" tall. He's grown about 2 or 3 inches since his 5th birthday and has maybe put on a couple of lbs. We don't have a scale at home, so I never know for sure.

DD has always been in the 100th percentile for height and the 50th percentile for weight. She has followed both of those height and weight curves since birth.

Neither of my kids are sick very often and have good to superior







energy levels. If they were sick a lot or complained about being tired all the time I'm sure that I'd be worried, but that definitely isn't the case!


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## wendygrace

Two small kids here. Ds will be five in June and is 38 inches and hovers around 30lbs. Sometimes 29 and sometimes 32 on a really good day, at the end of the day, with clothes fully on. hehe. He does have some sensory issuse, especially around food but as his sister gets older, I think it may not be so much sensory as normal now. Oh and he was 9 lbs 10 oz at birth.

DD is 3 yrs old and is 34 inches and 25 lbs. She hasn't gained weight in about a year. She will eat anything and everything you set in front of her but she's also a very active child. She was 8lbs 11oz at birth and is still nursing regularly.

I was 35 lbs in the first grade (so about 6 yrs old) so I suspect my kids will take after me.


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## 3daughters

Quote:


Originally Posted by *charmander* 
I have a skinny guy, too. I was so glad when he finally hit 50 lbs - at almost 8 years old. Whew.

My daughter was 8 in November and just broke the 50 lb mark. She is tall and thin. Hopefully, she will stay this way her whole life and will never have to battle with her weight.

To the OP, no doctor has ever been worried about her weight. She has seen a few pediatricians and I've asked them all whether I should be concerned about her being underweight and they have all told me that she is fine as long as she is active and has energy (which she does).


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## marieangela

My 4 year old is about 32-33 lbs and 39 inches tall. I've been wondering when a growth spurt might come, too. He is very active and eats pretty well. My dh is worried, but I am not. I do take him for regular ped check-ups and the ped says he's doing great and growing on his curve. My younger ds is probably 24 lbs. already and may just catch up to his big brother in the next couple of years.


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## becoming

My DS will be 6 in October and just now hit 40 pounds. He was 28-29 pounds for the first half of his 4th year, and then he was stuck on 34 pounds for like a year. He's perfectly healthy.


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## edamommy

my ds will be 4 on march 7th. he was a preemie weighing 4lbs at birth, but never lost weight. It took him FOREVER to reach 20 lbs and at almost 4 he's finally 32lbs. 40 inches.

I worry becaue he hates food so much and I'm afraid he's going to stunt his own growth. But, he also HATES DESPISES FREAKS OUT at doctors... and there is no way they could ever get blood out of him to do a blood test (unless he was sleeping and they refuse to come out to the car and poke him...) So I just hope he's okay.

He's extremley bright. Met all milestones right on target and was accepted into kindergarten early (we declined). So, I suppose he is okay, but we still worry...


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## Ravin

My DD was 24 lbs. at her 3 yr. checkup and I doubt will hit 30 lbs before her 4th birthday. Her growth curve has been similar to your son's. The ped was concerned about her growth curve and did a bunch of tests last summer and everything came up normal. I was also petite when I was a small child according to my mom, and my DH is only 5'7", with a short mom and my mom is short, etc. so I don't worry too much. With our mix of genes a kid of ours is liable to grow up to be almost any height, we have lots of tall genes, too. It's just what comes out in the mix!


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## orangefoot

My dd turned 4 on Sunday and weighs 28lb she was 7lb 2oz at birth. The last time we saw a health visitor (kind of child nurse we have here at GP surgeries) Dh stared her out til she said 'She's on the petite end of the spectrum isn't she?'

I am 5'0 dh is not over 5'7" my 13 year old is 72lb (born 6lb 4oz) and head and shoulders shorter than his peers My other son is 8 and a bit more sturdily built but probably less than average height for his age. They are both good eaters and healthy.

Some of us are just little. All mine gained weight according to the charts for the first 6 months then setlled to their own way after that. My eldest ds is on the very lowest centile for height and weight for his age but someone has to be there, right?

My grandmother's maiden name was Lowe and we follow in her footsteps all except my uncle and his only son who are both over 6'


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## Periwinkle

I'm going to push back a little here and NOT assume that everything is o.k. (I am a mama to a very skinny guy too fyi, and had to fend off attempts at Pedia-Sure etc etc, so I totally know where you're coming from re: not wanting to take him to the doctor). But, a couple of important questions:

1. How are his poops? How often does he poop, what is the color, and what is the consistency.

2. What is his skin tone like? Does he LOOK healthy? For example, if he is fair skinned, does he have circles under his eyes and is he yellowish pale, or is he pink-cheeked and well rested looking? If he is darker skinned, does he have dark circles (may still be able to see them) and is his skin blotchy or ashen looking?

3. Has he been vaccinated? Has he been on antibiotics? When was the last time.

4. Does he have excema?

5. Does he have seasonal allergies?

6. Does he have asthma?

7. Did he spit up a lot as a baby? Did he have bad "colic" as a young infant?

8. Do you think he is sensitive to any foods... e.g., upset tummy or looser poops when eating certain foods. Or does he have a history of this, e.g., you had to avoid dairy when you were nursing him as an infant.

9. Do you have a family history of any gut issues?... chronic constipation OR diarrhea, food sensitivities, family members who kind of always have upset stomachs, and of course any diagnoses or suspected cases of celiac disease, irritable bowel, acid reflux, etc.

Sorry for the "pop quiz"







but honestly, your answers will help provide clues as to whether you should look deeper than just assuming he's fine.


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## Kundalini-Mama

I'm sure your DC is fine. But I also think you should get a check-up at the Dr's.

My son passed all of Periwinkle's questions (which are fantastic btw) but he wasn't gaining weight--about 25 lbs at 2 yrs old. Turns out he had a rare genetic d/o that he is now getting treatment for that will save his life. If I would have taken him in before, it might have been caught earlier and treatment begun earlier. And the child was never sick or on antibiotics or vaxed. So I wasn't worried, but I wasn't aware either.


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## MamaFern

wow.. scary







its amazing that he was diagnosed and is getting treatment though...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kundalini-Mama* 
I'm sure your DC is fine. But I also think you should get a check-up at the Dr's.

My son passed all of Periwinkle's questions (which are fantastic btw) but he wasn't gaining weight--about 25 lbs at 2 yrs old. Turns out he had a rare genetic d/o that he is now getting treatment for that will save his life. If I would have taken him in before, it might have been caught earlier and treatment begun earlier. And the child was never sick or on antibiotics or vaxed. So I wasn't worried, but I wasn't aware either.


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## MamaFern

*1. How are his poops? How often does he poop, what is the color, and what is the consistency.*

he is very rugular. once or twice a day but they often loose, light coloured and very smelly.

*2. What is his skin tone like? Does he LOOK healthy? For example, if he is fair skinned, does he have circles under his eyes and is he yellowish pale, or is he pink-cheeked and well rested looking? If he is darker skinned, does he have dark circles (may still be able to see them) and is his skin blotchy or ashen looking?
*
he is pale, but he is very blonde and fair. if he runns around outside he does get nice pink cheeks. i wouldnt say that he looks tired. he doesn't have dark circles under his eyes and he has lots of energy.
*3. Has he been vaccinated? Has he been on antibiotics? When was the last time.

*no vax. he was on antibiotics 2 summers ago for pnumonia that he developed after a bad cold. it was very scary. he lost a lot of weight and was so sick, but he bounced back and with homeopathy and herbs and probiotics i think he is Much healthier now than before.

*4. Does he have excema?
*no but he does have kind of rough bumpy skin on his belly sometimes.

*5. Does he have seasonal allergies?
*no. no allergies at all.

*6. Does he have asthma?
*no. no breathing troubles.

*7. Did he spit up a lot as a baby? Did he have bad "colic" as a young infant?
*he did spit up but not as much as my younger dd.
both were/are breasfed. and yes he did hae colic but it was because he had tongue tie and couldnt nurse well at first. it gota lot better once that was sorted out..

*8. Do you think he is sensitive to any foods... e.g., upset tummy or looser poops when eating certain foods. Or does he have a history of this, e.g., you had to avoid dairy when you were nursing him as an infant.
*i dont think that he does.. but im sensitive to dairy and wheat, so its a possibility.

*9. Do you have a family history of any gut issues?... chronic constipation OR diarrhea, food sensitivities, family members who kind of always have upset stomachs, and of course any diagnoses or suspected cases of celiac disease, irritable bowel, acid reflux, etc.
*when i was younger a LOT of things caused me to have a sore belly..it is my area to hurt when emotional stuff is going on. ium sure i had an ulcer when i was a younger adult and my dad has gut issues as well..
but i ask him often and he tells me that his belly doesnt hurt..and he does tell me if he isn't feeling well..

*Sorry for the "pop quiz"







but honestly, your answers will help provide clues as to whether you should look deeper than just assuming he's fine.

*no no. thank you for asking them. they have all been things in the back of my mind.


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## Pookietooth

Could be food allergies/intolerances. Gluten intolerance and dairy intolerance are the main ones that can cause slow weight gain. Like celiac disease.


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## mommy68

My DD and my DS both didn't weigh 30 pounds when they turned 4. My DD is now almost 5 and she is finally over the 30 pound mark. Once they get closer to 5 they have a growth spurt. A lot of it is hereditary too. I think there is a lot of misconception with people (especially pediatricians) that boys this age shouldn't be small. We all grow differently. If you had a daughter they probably wouldn't be as worried and would be asking about other family members that might be petite or claiming it's hereditary.


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## mama2mygirl

Oh, I posted earlier but I will add that it turns out my small dd has allergies. She stopped nursing at four and my LLL leader warned me that all her kids had severe allergies within six months of stopping nursing. (She has a history of severe allergies in her family as do I.) She suggested trying to eliminate high allergens now and so, long story short, we cut out cow's milk. I honestly believe I was hurting her by giving her milk. She loved it, drank about three cups a day, and would just cry if she couldn't have some. (If we were out, etc.) She also started having these melt downs that were so unlike her and just so unbelievable. I thought maybe it was toddlerhood. Anyhow, since we cut the milk, the meltdowns are gone. I mean, she's four so she does cry occassionally, but she is reachable.
Also, she had dark circles under her eyes and now they are mainly gone.
I am also wondering about a wheat allergy and am going to look into that.
So maybe look into allergies.


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## MamaFern

that is very interesting about the meltdowns due to dairy..i think i mmight cut it for a while and see if it changes anything.

what do you use as a replacement? soy? rice milk? goat?
the fact that we use whole organic milk comforts me. and knowing that i get some fat into him every day makes me feel like he's not starving to death, since his favoite foods are all very low in fat.. he doesnt really drink milk on its own but i use it in baking and on cereal and other foods for him......but its worth a try.


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## Cinder

My dd is 4 1/2 and still under 30lbs as well, she is 27lbs as of 3 weeks ago, which is annoying cause she was 27 1/2lbs at 3 1/2 and 27lbs in september at her 4 year visit, so she hasn't gained at all in a year...but we've done every test immaginable on her (she has always liked to lose weight/not gain weight...her birth weight was all of 5 1/2lbs, she lost a 1lb in the hospital and didn't get back up to birthweight till 2 months old...) and know everything is fine, and she is a happy healthy kid, so we aren't worrying about it. We are hoping for 30lbs by 5 years old, but not counting on it. She is 40" tall.

My ds will be 3 next month and is 28lbs and 39"...so they are basically the same size, and have been forever...in fact, he grew into 18-24 month clothes before she did.

I'm pregnant with #3, and at 14 weeks s/he is already measuring small for dates (and my dates were set through u/s dating and are 6 days later than my dates set by date of conception).


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## mama2mygirl

Sorry, I haven't got back to this thread.
I actually just give her water. My dh and I both did some research and from what I can tell, we actually don't get much calcium from milk because calcium is hard to absorb when it's taken with a protein and milk is a protein. (Think I have that one down right.) Also, my dh discovered that the only reason we are able to digest milk after the age of four or five is because of genetic mutation.
I drink rice milk just because I like it in my tea. DD doesn't like it very much.
We are also going to reduce the amount of wheat and possibly cut it out too. (Last week my dh and I had a misunderstanding. I bought kamut bread and he thought I said it was "wheat free" and he and dd ate half a loaf! DD had a huge, unreachable meltdown, very similiar to what she'd have on dairy. So far, I've just greatly reduced the wheat and I haven't cut it entirely.)
We visited family last week and my mom had a really hard time accepting the no milk rule. That and it was eighty degrees so we were all at the beach and dd was in a bathing suit and my mom kept saying, "This child has no meat on her! She has no meat on her!" I think she thinks we're starving her.







:
My dh's family, on the other hand, is from Peru, but live in Southern Cali now and they thought it was great that we cut milk. But they don't drink milk in Peru the way that we do here.


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