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I have two beautiful 11-month-old girls who were born in November, last year. I formula feed them the same amount. Also, they eat the same quantity of finger food, soups, vegetables and even chicken popcorn. Basically they both consume the same quantity food. But Sneha weighs only 15.2 lbs whereas Rose weighs 32 lbs :( Sneha loves crawling and can't sit in one place. The only time she is not moving is when she is sleeping, and she doesn't sleep for more than 5 hours in the night, and takes no nap in the day :( She craves attention and loves continuously troubling Rose.

Poor Rose on the other hand, is my pink cheek sweet baby who loves sleeping and eating. She hates crawling and loves lying down on the cot and watching TV, while Sneha loves to crawl around.

The HV isn't bothered about their weight now. He feels when the baby will start walking, she will eventually loose some weight. But being a mum, I am not fully convinced. I also wanted to add that Rose was only breastfeed completely for the first six months, whereas Sneha was formula fed ( Aptamil). Sneha never had breast milk. Could that be the reason for such low weight? Any suggestions please! I am a single, first-time mother.

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  • Also wanted to Add, that nobody believes they are twins because Rose looks elder to Sneha. – Tiffany Oct 16 '14 at 16:28
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    Are they fraternal twins? If so, they may be different simply because they are not identical. But I do think one being twice the size of the other is odd, so I would make a doctor's appointment for them regardless. – user9164 Oct 16 '14 at 16:31
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    Your younger is below the 2nd percentile (just) and your elder is above the 98th percentile (by quite a bit), on the WHO Growth Charts. That seems extreme in both cases. I'd consider this a medical concern, and not really something we're equipped to handle here. – Joe Oct 16 '14 at 16:56
  • Yes they are non identical twins . – Tiffany Oct 16 '14 at 17:47
  • Hi Joe, I asked the HV and he says not to worry. They are still following their charts. He says the babies lifestyle ( one active and the other sedentary) may also have a role in.this. Sneha was 5 lbs when.she was born but Rose was 7.5 lbs. – Tiffany Oct 16 '14 at 17:50
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Good question, and I see where you would be concerned.

First, I don't think the breast milk had anything to do with it, because formula fed babies are usually fatter, and you've got the opposite going here.

Instead, it seems to be more about the exercise Sneha gets that Rose doesn't. If they eat the same amount of food, but Sneha burns it all off while crawling around, it makes sense she would weigh less. Sneha was also smaller to begin with.

Also, since they aren't identical, they won't necessarily be the same size. Instead of thinking of them as twins that should be the same size, they are really more like regular siblings (that just happened to be born at the same time). Since people have kids that vary greatly in sizes, your kids might too.

My first nephew is a tiny child (he's 4, and most 2-3 year olds are much bigger than him). My second nephew is only 1, and is a huge chunker. Although they are full siblings, they are totally different. Your daughters can be completely different in size and still be healthy.

If your HV says it's fine, he's probably right. Don't try to overfeed Sneha to catch her up in weight. You could try to encourage Rose to crawl more and be more active, but she'll more than likely pick it up on her own time. My only concern is why an 11 month old is watching TV, but that's a different issue.

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    I'd actually be curious of the reason for why formula/breast milk were different for the two: if the smaller one didn't do well and you switched just her, there could be a reason for that. – Joe Oct 16 '14 at 19:37
  • @Joe that confuses me as well, but I guess it's too late for her to do anything about that now. I just assumed either the hospital started the smaller baby on formula right away, or she was such an active baby that it wasn't worth the trouble. – Bobo Oct 16 '14 at 19:43
  • Thanks Bobo.Actually Sneha and Rose were fed Formula straight in.the hospital for 3 days ( cesarean).. When I tried giving breastmilk to The smaller baby, she refused and would cry really bad and not.take mine, so Had no choice but to give formula. As for Rose, She loved Breastmilk and would take it every half an.hour and would suck.it for.one hour. After 6 months, my nipples turn very sore, so I changed her to Formula. – Tiffany Oct 17 '14 at 1:40
  • Regarding why My Rose watches TV.. Hmm.. Not sure but i guess she loves sounds and funny faces. TV is turned on the whole day and baby just stares at it continously without budging. – Tiffany Oct 17 '14 at 5:38
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    @Tiffany Bobo's point is that it is typically recommended that infants not be allowed to watch tv until they are ~2 years of age (the age and amount of screen time varies depending on who is giving the recommendation and what research is referenced). Potential health, developmental, and social issues may arise. Some information – Doc Oct 17 '14 at 22:23

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