How do I get him to fatten up??

[mamapajama]

Ok, I know I am a bit paranoid , and actually I have become a bit sensitive about this topic but:
My 10 month old, walking, talking, INCREDIBLY active, baby-toddler is so thin. Really I think he looks like a little boy. He has almost no baby fat on him, and he is really tall. So people always comment on how skinny he is especially my MIL and the ped wnats me to bring him back in a month for a weight check because he is "falling off the weight percentile chart" He still brestfeeds at least three times a night and probably five times a day. I offer him everything I eat. He is very picky and will refuse things like crackers and cereal and then eat a quesadilla full of beans and salsa etc. Then he'll do just the opposite on another day. Just when I find something he likes, he'll change his mind a few days later. So is this typical? He is very thin. But he is so busy. I don't want to push the food issue with him. I want himto set the pace but is that risking his health? Also, do you think I may not be producing enough milk for him anymore. I have noticed that my nursing bras are all too big. I am back into my pregnancy bras.
So how do I fatten up my ds. Or maybe I really don't need to??

[Nanner]

What is his weight/height?
It sounds like no problem at all. You might try to make most of what you offer him high in fat and/or carbs, like bread, avocado, cheese. Does he seem hungry?
I really believe that kids will eat what they need if given the chance, they will not let themselves become malnourished!
That is my not-so-expert opinion!
Sara

[mamapajama]

Oh right, I forgot that
He is 29 inches and 18 pounds 11 ounces

[Eris]

Originally posted by mamapajama
Oh right, I forgot that
He is 29 inches and 18 pounds 11 ounces

That's almost exactly what my DD weighed at that height (but at more like 13 or 14 months than 10 months!) Now she's 19 months and, I dunno, 31-32" tall and 21lbs. I know it's hard not to obsess, especially if you have other people poking you about it... I still obsess a little about my tiny baby. But... listen to what you're saying. He's healthy. He's eating. He's growing (right?). He's walking and talking at 10 months! He's a toddler and he's active and slimming out like a toddler should. If he was sleepy and lazy and tiny and not growing... that would sound worrisome, but from what you describe, Myles just sounds, well, great.

Keep feeding him, keep running after him, and just keep... looking at the baby. If your gut isn't telling you something is wrong, then, well, it probably isn't.

P.S. Avocado was my DD's absolutely favorite food for a lonnng time. Lately she's found other loves, too, but avo is still right up there.

[juicylucy]

he sounds just fine to me- doctors always obsess over those stupid growth charts. You just have to ignore them. He seems a perfectly normal weight and height. In fact he is only a few ounces less than my REALLY tiny tot... Gabe is 25 months and just reached 19lbs 6!!!! He is 32 inches tall. So don't worry. Your son sounds wonderfully normal. And don't worry about the food issue- food is only for experimentation right now- you are your sons' main source of nutrition for the first year, and I am sure your milk supply is fine. If you are really worried about that issue, to put your mind at rest you could try pumping. I did that just to find out how much Iw as making when Gabriel was 18 months old, and I made 4 oz in about 5 mins!!

[BowNessMonster]

I ignored everyone when it came to the same issue with dd. She has always been slender/tiny. She was a chubby (but not super rollie like some babies) until she sat up and started skooching at about 7 mos. Then she slimmed out and has been slim ever since. People used to guess she was 10 months when she was 14 mos. old. edit to add: She didn't walk until 16 motnhs old, and she never crawled. She bum skooched. People were worried because of this, and blamed it on everything from lack of nutrition to cloth diapers:

She was exclusively breastfed for almsot a year before we introduced some solids like banana and avacado. She's had no cow's milk until recently, only rice or soy. But dh likes cow milk, and now so does dd, so we give her whole milk. She loves it.

She wasn't even 20 lbs. at 2 and she just turned 3...she's maybe 30 lbs? She was 28 lbs a couple months ago. I have to try to fatten her up because she needs lots of fillings and they need to sedate her and do the remainder all at once (because of how she reacted to the first filling). She has to be 34 lbs before they give her anaesthesia.

She won't EAT!!!! She used to love everything (we joked that she ate like a 16 year old boy). Then she became insanely fussy, but would eat PLENTY of what she did like. She's a carb freak. Fortunately, she likes some vegetables. As long as we give her veggies with meals, and she drinks a glass of milk, she does well; good concentration, less/less severe tantrums, high energy...so I don't worry about her weight.

Now people think she's 4 because she's so smart, tall, and charismatic.

[stafl]

Yeah, our ped pulls out that stupid growth chart, too. Makes me so mad! Uh, yeah my baby is small, she always has been. She's never been sick, nothing is wrong with her, so what's the big deal about her weight?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it! Sounds like your little one is developing along just fine. You'll know it when/if something were wrong. Trust your gut instincts!

[Millie Ivy]

uggg. stupid people.....

I get the opposite, or did, rather. My dd was so tall and rolly for her age that she got called fat until she was around 18 months. My brother still comments on her size even tho she is 2 and wears a 2t. I have to get on him, cause he doesn't realize what that can do to a kid.

about the shrinking boobies? I am tandem nursing and making lotsa milk (my son is 9 1/2 months) and I just noticed that I am shrinking a tad also. Still making alot of milk, but getting a little smallerr all the same. And, thank G-d, firming up a litlte too. Don't know how that happened, I have had babies tugging at me boobs for over two years straight!:

[USAmma]

It's probably just his genes and I doubt there's much you can do about it. My dd was born thin and never fattened up like other babies, but is perfectly healthy. Dh and I are both thin people too. I was worried about it for awhile when seeing healthy chubby babies everywhere. My ped assured me that she's fine. She's just thin. As long as she's growing, meeting milestones, and is not lethargic (which she's certainly not), then she's fine. She's also tall for her age so I think most of her calories are making her grow tall vs. wide.

BTW she's 2.5 years old exactly, and weighs 27 pounds and is 35.5 inches tall.

Darshani

[jenP]

Originally posted by mamapajama
Oh right, I forgot that
He is 29 inches and 18 pounds 11 ounces

Hah, you call that skinny? DD is 28 inches and not even 16 pounds! So I know all about the crap you must be getting from the in-laws and ped. Talked to my LLL leader and she said it's common for BF babies to "fall off the chart" when they start getting active. The WHO is working on new charts from a wider sampling of ethnicities and bf children. They have only prelim. data and I can't remember the link (sorry!) but according to their chart DD is in 5th percentile, not way below like on the "standard" chart. Plus, early walkers of course have their weight gain slow down because they are exercising so much. So tell the naysayers to stuff it!

Jen

[PumpkinSeeds]

It's not a contest

[mamapajama]

Thanks Jen,
That is really good to know about BF babies often falling off the charts. I have been really worried about that. I feel much better.

[mamapajama]

Originally posted by PumpkinSeed
It's not a contest

No it absolutely isn't, and it would be sad if someone cared about their babies weight for reasons other than health

[PumpkinSeeds]

I know it's not a contest because I keep having to remind people that about my skinny child.

He's really thin.

He has free access to food.

!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!


SOrry, I'm just so SICK AND TIRED of people saying dumb stuff to me about my PERFECTLY NORMAL child.

AAAAAAAAAAccccccckkkkkkk!!!!!

ANyways, that's what I say:


It's not a contest.

[PumpkinSeeds]

Can you tell I'm bunched up about it?

[SueZVudu]

My DD is 14 months, and we've been going to a nutritionist for a few months because she's so small. Our ped was a little worried, because she's always been small. She was in the 10th percentile at nine months, so it was off to the nutritionist. We wrote down what DD ate for three days, and after the nutritionist looked it over, she said she wasn't getting enough calories (I agreed, btw.) I know DD is small because she doesn't eat enough; there's always something more interesting going on! Anyway, we give her LOTS of Yo Baby yogurt. The nutritionist also recommends Boost or Pediasure or other such supplemental drinks; DD hates them, so we give her fortified milk instead (whole milk with powdered skim milk added.) You can make cereal with half-n-half instead of milk, feed lots of cheese and avacados, but the best thing we've done is have her eat her meals with us, from my lap. She eats whatever's on my plate, and she's up to the 25th percentile now, which both the nutritionist and the pediatrician are happy with, and me too.

I don't think those weight charts are all bad; ask anyone whose baby was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis or milk or soy allergies or any of the other medical reasons babies sometimes don't gain weight (OR the parents who water down their babies' -- usually girls' -- formula so they won't be "fat" -- ugh! I've known three babies whose parents did this!) I would highly recommend seeing a nutritionist if you're worried. It was a load off my shoulders to know that she just wasn't eating enough, that there wasn't any medical reason for her petite figure.

But I agree that it's nobody else's business how big or small your child is. As long as he's active and healthy and eats as much as he wants, who cares?

[Avery'sMama]

My DD is 22 months. We took her to a pediatricina for the first time and were really happy with her.
DD weighs 22lbs. and is 33 1/2 inches tall. The Ped. said she was a little on the thin side, BUT looked at me and said "judging by you I don't expect her to be high on the wieght charts." Which really is SO true! I have always been thin. It runs in my family and in DH's family all of the women are thin. And DD just recently went through a growth spurt and in the last 2 weeks has weaned from all BF except going to sleep.

She told me just to give her lots of healthy snacks and good meals and she will be fine!

[jenP]

[She was in the 10th percentile at nine months, so it was off to the nutritionist.
I don't think those weight charts are all bad; ask anyone whose baby was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis or milk or soy allergies or any of the other medical reasons babies sometimes don't gain weight


I don't know... what's wrong with being in the 10th percentile?? SOMEBODY has to be there, it's the nature of a bell curve!
I think a true problem can be picked up on by looking at the child's OWN growth. You can see if it has slowed or stopped or reversed without comparing her to a bunch of white, formula fed, early solids children in Ohio from the seventies.

Jen

[mingber]

I'm actaully very glad I found this thread. I wouldn't worry if I were you about your childs weight or your boobs.
1 - the boobs. Mine grew minimally when I was pregnant and shrank down to their prepregnant size by the time each of my BF kids were about 6 months old. I didn't worry about not producing enough milk, I knew I was. Don't worry, it's just your body adjusting.
2 - My DS is also tiny. 20 months and weighs 19.11 pounds and is only 26 inches tall. He is off the bottom of the charts for height and weight. His head is also off the bottom of the chart and not growing. The ped. is VERY nervous, but the kid eats like a horse and runs around like a bandit. The ped watches DS in Synagouge and says develpmentally he is fine. He called a Ped neurosurgeon who said just keep an eye on his growth. He does continually grow, but by VERY small amounts.
As long as your child is active and developing on schedule - I STRESS - do not worry. Go by your gut feeling and do what you think is best for you and him. Don't listen to other people. They don't know him like you do.
Good luck.
Marcie

[Curious]

We went through weight anxiety awhile back, mostly because of a misguided ped. We have a new ped now.

The one good thing the old ped said was to offer high calorie foods, but NOT to do any pushing. He said anything you do to try to increase eating only results in power struggles and less eating. Don't comment when she eats, don't comment when she doesn't eat.

One thing that did not work for us was being told to offer high calorie foods. Dd wants what she wants and I can offer all the avacado in the world, if she doesn't want it, she won't eat it. She'll hold out for rice cakes. I think her body knows what it needs, and did not need the "calorie dense" foods the ped recommended. If a nutritionist told me the answer was pediasure, I'd say the visit was worthless because Dd will take nothing but water or herb tea from a cup - she will only drink things she sees me drinks, and has no interest in any milk-like substance other than mine.

Dd was always happy and active. Over the past several months she has eaten more and more overall. Some days she doesn't eat much. Other days she eats a lot.

Best of all, she has a great relationship with food. She loves new foods, she enjoys mealtimes and snack times. She loves to drink water out of an open cup, tea out of teacup, and to nurse. She is enthusiastic about what she likes but if she's had enough of some rarely offered treat (like oranges), she'll leave what she doesn't want and not gorge. And when her body tells her to eat great globs of almond butter, she does.

She is thin. Like me. I think those weight charts are nonesense.