Help Me Help My Baby Gain Weight

amother

Tue, Feb 10 2015, 4:29 pm

My 7 mo. old ke"H was always very large. But, over this last mo. she hardly gained any weight (was around a half a lb. bigger than last mo. IMMEDIATELY after nursing). She has been acting very tired lately (different thread), but I try to be careful about iron and b"H she seems more energetic.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out what to do. She needs more calories. The nurse wasn't worried b/c she grew in height (b"H she's growing) and she's still very large for her age, just not for HER. Although, she was suggesting formula before bed which I am really not interested in. But, I am trying to figure out what to do. I introduced solids at 5 mos. and she accepted it, but is not always interested. S/t I'll prepare her food and she'll eat two bites and s/t a lot. Today, I gave her store bought fruit babyfood for the first time (usually its homemade) and she seemed to really enjoy it.

Any ideas for me? I want her to gain weight in a healthy way. She's EBF besides for real food.

Dolly Welsh

Tue, Feb 10 2015, 4:53 pm

The kid is evening out. She may end up being an ordinary size person, instead of a larger person, as she was in early infancy.

If her energy level and output is ok, and she acts generally ok, and likes eating, which it all sounds like, I don't think you have to fiddle with her growth pace.

Growth has its waves and rhythms; I think you should let nature take its course.

People have twists and turns. Do not try to create consistency from the outside.

Last edited by Dolly Welsh on Sun, Feb 15 2015, 3:48 pm; edited 1 time in total

smss

Wed, Feb 11 2015, 4:47 pm

breastfed babies who start solids before 7 months are at a higher risk for anemia. http://kellymom.com/nutrition/vitamins/iron/

this might be helpful: http://kellymom.com/health/gro.....ease/

breastmilk is much higher in calories and fat than most baby foods (definitely than fruit!), so more food isn't the answer, more nursing probably is.

one more thought, have you given her grains yet? this can be a sign of gluten intolerance.
ETA: or dairy? or any other commonly allergenic foods?
she sounds a lot like my first DC in many ways... feel free to PM me if you want.

mandr

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 1:05 am

smss wrote:

I couldn't agree more.

Try to sneak in more feedings at night. You can try dream-feeding. Pick your baby up while she's sleeping and just let her nurse. Do this before you go to bed at night. Is your baby nursing around the clock?

musicmom

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 10:11 am

My baby is this age. I work all day and wake him several times at night to feed him. My last child had a situation similar to yours, where I just fed her when she was hungry. She wasn't gaining enough weight and the doctor did suggest formula. I just breastfed her more and she was fine.

amother

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 12:50 pm

smss wrote:

She nurses a lot. Approx. every 2.5 hrs. during the day (s/t closer to 2, but I don't like to do this b/c I won't have a strong letdown and often she eats a little and then starts playing around). At night, I try to do every 4 hrs., but she often wakes up and I try to get her to settle back to sleep.

She eats fruit, veges and baby cereal. She just has her moods. I noticed if I distract her, she'll eat more. She does not eat anything dairy as I (and her ped) suspect a milk sensitivity/allergy. Anyway, I think they say to give it from 9 mos. which I won't do unless dr. decides otherwise.

amother

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 12:52 pm

mandr wrote:

Definitely around the clock. As I said in pp, every 2.5 hrs. during the day and usually around 3 times btw 7 pm and daylight.

I think dreamfeeding would wake her up. She usually gets up around 11-12 PM to eat either way. She does wake up a lot at night (approx. every 2.5-3 hrs.) but I usually try to get her to go back to sleep.

smss

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 12:53 pm

amother wrote:

TBH, I personally would get her off all those things, but especially the baby cereal. empty carbs and babies actually don't digest grains well until at least age 1 or closer to 2. if you want to give her solids, give her soft pieces of avocado, which is really high in healthy fats. but keep in mind that any food you give her lowers her breastmilk intake, which is probably not what you want.

amother

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 12:57 pm

smss wrote:

It's corn. Not sure if that's what you're calling grain. I have given her avocado in the past. She seemed to like it. I just have been very tired lately so I've been buying jars and I haven't seen avocado lately. I doubt it lowers her breastmilk intake. She finishes nursing and still looks hungry and when I feed her real food she usually nurses the same amount as usual.

smss

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 1:05 pm

amother wrote:

corn is a grain, yes, but do you mean cornstarch? I don't know where you live but I know they recommend that in israel for babies who "need to gain weight". it's just not your solution...fills the baby's stomach without giving them the nutrients they need to grow. they'll eat less of other things because their tummies are full, but it doesn't fill their nutritional needs, at all.

I actually find that avocados are the easiest baby food...cut open, spoon out or just put cubes in front of baby and let her take. sweet potatoes are also easy- bake, scoop out of skin. you could add coconut oil for extra healthy fats. the jars contain added water and often sugar and are just not very calorie-dense.

amother

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 1:23 pm

I add butter/coconut oil/tehina/avocado/whole milk/fresh cream to my baby's food.

Grains are hard to digest and wholegrain stops the absorption of other nutrients. Fruit and veg purees are mostly water, and low fat.

You need more fats in the food, and more nursing.

Dolly Welsh

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 1:35 pm

Put more fats into your own food, particularly animal fats. They will jump into your milk more easily than vegetable fats because their chemistry is closer to your own.

This may increase the fat content of your own milk. That would be good.

amother

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 1:42 pm

smss wrote:

I am in Israel, but wasn't told to give her it. I just picked it b/c I heard rice has problems w/ arsenic and thought oatmeal would be too heavy at 5 mos. (that's when I started)

I like the avocado sweetpotato idea, but in general, she likes things perfectly pureed, no pieces or she tries to spit them out. But that could've changed. She ate challah on Shabbos and seemed to like it.

Anyway, maybe I'm over-reacting. She weighs almost 19 lbs. at 7 mos. That is large. She just didn't gain very much from last month. She did grow in height, just not weight.

amother

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 1:45 pm

amother wrote:

What types of food do you feed your baby as you mentioned grains are bad? Please correct me if I am wrong, but I think that if I nurse any more often, she will just get the foremilk b/c she won't keep sucking. She's had foremilk/hindmilk imbalance in the past when I've nursed more frequently than every 2.5 hrs.

smss

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 3:09 pm

amother wrote:

I've dealt with foremilk/hindmilk imbalance too. the issue is not nursing too often, it's changing sides too little. if you feel like she hasn't emptied the breast, you put her back on the same side next time she shows interest. nursing more often, BUT on the same side, is actually the recommended way to deal with baby getting too much foremilk.

smss

Sun, Feb 15 2015, 3:12 pm

amother wrote:

what they're looking for is not overall weight, but rather a consistent pattern over time. so if she's been gaining more rapidly and it's slowing down, that's a potential concern. then again, it could be due to innocuous reasons- like moving around more, for example. either way, babies need healthy fats to grow and develop, not grains and fruit.