# Active baby w/ very slow weight gain??



## Klynne (Jan 1, 2007)

It's silly to worry, I know, but some times it seems I can't help it. A little background first: My pediatrician that follows us up is/was all about getting me to start solids early, give dd cereal, giving iron supplement, vacc, meat







:... the list goes on. I don't feel like I have a lot to gain from seeing her, so i just go there for the appointments to weigh dd and that's it.
Last time I was there (dd was 7 mo) She told me that if i continued to mostly bf dd it would affect her weight in a negative way. Dd isn't very interested in solids though she does eat them. I offer her them two times a day. Usually in the morning and around dinner time, though at times she also gets a taste of whatever around lunch time. She nurses 7 or so times a day, we co sleeps so she also nurses in the night.

We have been traveling the last 5 weeks but for the last 2 months dd has hardly gained. To be exact an average of .53 ounces per week. I feel like this is way too little and am a bit stressed.

I understand that i should look at her development and not her weight, but it's sooooo hard! She's active as a bee crawling and standing and chatting away in her own lingo. She has bowl movements once or twice a day, and around 4 wet (paper) diapers/day.

All this just to ask you moms about your experiences with slow weight gain. I guess I'm looking for red flags or reassurance







Thanks!


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## WNB (Apr 29, 2006)

I'm in the same boat -- little bit of worry, but only if I think about the growth chart, not the baby. She's active -- verbal & motor -- happy, feeds on demand, and has put on a whopping 20 ounces in three months. Skin tone is good, plenty of wet diapers (7-8, I'd say, some really soaked too), plenty of nursing, and offering her solids when we eat (and usually nursing before or after "solid" meals.) Poopy diapers changed schedule to about two "poop days" a week.

She's just not a big, roly-poly baby I guess.


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## silverkts (Jan 2, 2007)

I wouldn't worry, although I know it's difficult. My DD stopped gaining at 4months. She went from the 75th percentile to btw 10 and 20. Born at 7lbs15oz, at 10months she is 16lbs12oz. She is also incredibly active, pretty much only breastfed as she is only starting to show a real interest in foods, had plenty of wet/dirty diapers, and looks otherwise picture perfect health-wise. For months I stressed about it, went to LC's to check latch and get advice, constantly offered solids, pumped before nursing to increase hindmilk, but nothing seemed to help. You just have to trust your mommy instinct, and if it says she's fine, she is


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## lifescholar (Nov 26, 2006)

My son was a very big baby (still is!), so people thought I was NUTS when I started worrying about his weight gain...

At 6 months, he was already over 23 lbs. But, he started crawling, and the next time I had him weighed, he had only gained 1 oz. in 2 weeks.

In the first 6 months, he gained just under 15 lbs.

In the second 6 months, he gained less than 4 lbs. That's a HUGE difference.

Right now, at 20 months, he's only about 7 lbs. more than he was at 6 months!! In fact, I think he has LOST weight recently.

He's super active, and always has been. He eats really well (although sadly isn't nursing anymore), and his development is awesome.

It's so hard not to worry about these things, but like PP said, trust your instincts.


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## cmoma (Aug 3, 2006)

I have a 12m old little girl who is very active and very small. She weighs around 14 lbs 5oz (at her last check up 2 weeks ago) She was in the 10th percentile till 4 m when she dropped off the chart. I was and still am nursing her. It has been a long 8m or so. We were sent for a few tests to rule out the biggies (cystic fibrosis, uti, and anemia) but all came back good. The pedi is very pro bf'ing and wanted me to continue nursing we didn't start solids till 6.5 months and I just pushed the nursings and solids she slowly started to gain and the around 7 months (Sept) she lost a little so he sent us to see a specialist he was concerned about malabsorption. Well the ran more tests and all came back fine. All along I felt she was fine, instincts are a mothers gift, listen to yourself. We were then sent to a nutritionist to get soem ideas on how to increase her cal intake and see how much she is taking in cal wise. Sorry this is getting long. She is thriving and tho still considered FTT I do not think of her that way She is small and still not on the chart but she is doing so well. Walked at 9 months! I've got too stop here the little one needs the boob
/


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

My dd didn't gain at all from 8 or 9 months until 22 months









She's fine.

-Angela


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## Klynne (Jan 1, 2007)

Thank you so much for all your replies and experiences, it helps to know others who are in the same boat. Dh and I feel that she is fine. If the gp feels some tests are in order i guess it won't hurt. My mother in law is scared she has low iron because we are not giving dd fortified cereals







I tried to tell her bm iron was not very high in bm but very well absorbed, and the fact that she also eat solids that naturally have iron in them.... So I'm thinking about having that tested just to put her at ease that dd isn't anemic.


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## NeKisha (May 21, 2004)

i was just about to post on the very same topic until i came across yours.

my son was also labeled failure to thrive at 4 months old. he was 8 lb 8 oz at 2 months and gained essentially nothing till 4 months, just one ounce. he is 7 months old and as of yesterday weighed 14 lbs one ounce. the doctor is still fairly concerned. he was also only 24 1/2 in long.

how long were some of your babies mamas?

he is trying to crawl, rolls at will, sits up fairly good. he has a good appetite, but just doesnt seem to put on the weight. im convinced that he must have a high metabolism. he had bf jaundice till almost 3 months old, so he had a low appetite....the whole supply and demand thing became hard because without his wanting to eat, my supply was low.

i refused to do what the ped wanted, which was to hospitalize my son for 3 days. put him on a feeding tube and run what he called 'very invasive procedures'. i instead left his office and drove straight to the hospital, borrowed a hospital grade breast pump and pumped after every feeding to get up my supply. i drank nursing mothers tea and feenugreek tea by the gallon everyday. we started solids at 5 months, just to help him continue to gain.

he still isnt a great nurser. he doesnt nurse for more than 10 minutes. never has. he likes to nurse/eat often, but not for very long. if i force him, he throws it up. i am learning to follow his cues. the lactation consultants i saw were angels and very supportive. i also got a second opinion on ...........

uke i have to interupt myself and say my ds did, indeedm just throw up.







i fed him too much baby food. i think im just trying to make him gain, but its not working by overfeeding him. im always saying just one more bite...so new resolve ! i must take it slower, i feel pretty guilty right about now.

so off to clean the little guy off better. he was fussing but noew hes happy as a clam! lol

i know he is ok in my heart. ive had a lot of problems with peds/fp who dont advocate bf and suggest that i am causing more harm than good to my son. the latest thing ped has said was that i MUST supplement with FORMULA in order to keep him from getting rickets.

i am currently changing peds







: again


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NeKisha* 
uke i have to interupt myself and say my ds did, indeedm just throw up.







i fed him too much baby food. i think im just trying to make him gain, but its not working by overfeeding him. im always saying just one more bite...so new resolve ! i must take it slower, i feel pretty guilty right about now.

I wouldn't push solids at all. Most solids are going to have fewer calories by volume than your milk will, so they're just filling his tummy. Less bang for the buck so to speak.

-Angela


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## NeKisha (May 21, 2004)

i want to be clear that i dont really force him to eat. often times i am feeding him as long as his mouth is opening for more. i guess i just need to stop at a small amount, and not let him decide. plus, i cannot encourage him to nurse for long, only less than 10 minutes at a time. sometimes he doesnt want to nurse and i know he is hungry.

if i go to feed him food, as soon as he sees the container he starts to fuss and will even cry if i dont start offering it to him fast enough. so, that being said, he wants to eat solids almost a little too m uch for his own good, sometimes.

if i could get him to nurse more, i certainly would. you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make them drink.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NeKisha* 
i want to be clear that i dont really force him to eat. often times i am feeding him as long as his mouth is opening for more. i guess i just need to stop at a small amount, and not let him decide. plus, i cannot encourage him to nurse for long, only less than 10 minutes at a time. sometimes he doesnt want to nurse and i know he is hungry.

if i go to feed him food, as soon as he sees the container he starts to fuss and will even cry if i dont start offering it to him fast enough. so, that being said, he wants to eat solids almost a little too m uch for his own good, sometimes.

if i could get him to nurse more, i certainly would. you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make them drink.

It's actually better to not spoon feed at all. Just let him self feed soft chunks. Then he can eat just the right amount.

-Angela


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## NeKisha (May 21, 2004)

im sorry, but i dont see how my 7 month old could self feed. he cant even sit up unassisted very long, let alone push food to the back of his throat very well. so much gets pushed out. i know he hasnt mastered any kind of chewing ability. i think it is dangerous to suggest that that is all i should be doing to feed him, besides bf, i know he would choke.

i think every baby hits milestones at different times. perhaps your child was able to self feed at 7 mnths, but neither of my boys were/are even close.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NeKisha* 
im sorry, but i dont see how my 7 month old could self feed. he cant even sit up unassisted very long, let alone push food to the back of his throat very well. so much gets pushed out. i know he hasnt mastered any kind of chewing ability. i think it is dangerous to suggest that that is all i should be doing to feed him, besides bf, i know he would choke.

i think every baby hits milestones at different times. perhaps your child was able to self feed at 7 mnths, but neither of my boys were/are even close.

If your child can't sit unassisted or self feed then they're simply not ready for solids yet.

-Angela


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## NeKisha (May 21, 2004)

that is an interesting opinion, but isnt starting solids dependant upon the child? would you suggest formula over solids to help a baby thrive if he/she is not doing well? blanket statements could convince mothers who just do as they are told, and not neccesarily what their heart tells them, to put their baby's health at risk...for the sake of one persons opinion when stated as fact. i believe using 'imo' would at least help new mothers not misunderstand your intentions....but that is just my opinion.


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## ed_tricia (Feb 12, 2007)

If a baby has to exert too much energy to self-feed, I think they might be burning more calories than they can consume & become frustrated. There is nothing wrong with spoon feeding a baby when the baby is ready. For some that may be at 6 mos. and for some not until 8 or 10 mos. or later. But I think it's important for the baby to help determine when they are ready. When a baby is ready, mom should not delay something baby needs because they don't want to give in.

I agree with PP-if the baby isn't ready to chew, it could become a choking hazard. My daughter has never liked the consistency of store-bought baby foods. We always made our own and then I could make it as chunky or thin as she liked. Plus I liked that we had more variety to choose from, no additives, and I could just steam extra of whatever veggies we were having b/c I don't add salt or sugar anyways. One note on making your own food-after researching the topic I learned that you shouldn't prepare your own carrots for young babies because they can be high in nitrates. I'm not sure if organic carrots would be safe, so that might be worth looking into.


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## ed_tricia (Feb 12, 2007)

I also have a very active, skinny baby. She has always looked and acted very healthy. I think in her case it is genetic-I am still only 5'1" and was about 100-105 lbs. before pregnancy (now about 110-115). I found a very helpful thread here:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ad.php?t=92716
There are parents with healthy, little babies and a few whose children do have health problems. It might help you feel reassured or know what to look for in case your child does need medical treatment.
Hope that helps!


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## NeKisha (May 21, 2004)

i agree that it is perfectly ok to feed a 6 mo or so baby pureed food. i waited with my first till he would stare at every bite that went into my mouth. he would gape his mouth wide open with each bite i took. i gave him some cereal and he was so eager! it gave me great pleasure to see him enjoy his first meal. i knew that he was ready, and by no means would i have refused him because he couldnt sit up on his own or feed himself. they have to start somewhere and i dont think spoon feeding is a bad first step.







:


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NeKisha* 
that is an interesting opinion, but isnt starting solids dependant upon the child? would you suggest formula over solids to help a baby thrive if he/she is not doing well? blanket statements could convince mothers who just do as they are told, and not neccesarily what their heart tells them, to put their baby's health at risk...for the sake of one persons opinion when stated as fact. i believe using 'imo' would at least help new mothers not misunderstand your intentions....but that is just my opinion.

Sure, solids is dependent on the child. It's dependent on the child being ready and what you're describing the child isn't ready. Check out these readiness charts:

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/so...lids-when.html

Quote:

Signs that indicate baby is developmentally ready for solids include:

* Baby can sit up well without support.
* Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
* Baby is ready and willing to chew.
* Baby is developing a "pincer" grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
* Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.
and http://www.llli.org/FAQ/solids.html

Quote:

You will know that he is really ready to start solids when:

* he is about six months old
* he can sit up without any support
* he continues to be hungry despite more frequent nursing which is unrelated to illness or teething
* he has lost the tongue-thrusting reflex and does not push solids out of his mouth
* he can pick up things with his finger and thumb (pincer grasp)

Babies who are ready for solids can usually feed themselves. Mothers often report that they knew their babies were ready when they picked up food from a plate, chewed it, swallowed it, and wanted more.
-Angela


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NeKisha* 
would you suggest formula over solids to help a baby thrive if he/she is not doing well?

If there was a serious supply problem - yes. And I have. Nutrition in the first year should come from breastmilk (or its substitute if it's not available)

-Angela


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## NeKisha (May 21, 2004)

i guess we will have a continuing difference of opinion, which is ok by me. i cant say i agree with much of what you say. every child's milestones are different, and not every child can be lumped into the readiness charts you displayed....





























: to all the mamas trying to help their underweight or ftt babies do well, whatever the means. stay with your heart and know that everything will be ok. do not focus on others opinions of what you should do...it is your baby after all


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NeKisha* 
if i could get him to nurse more, i certainly would. you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make them drink.

Just throwing this out there...but if you have a child not nursing much, pushing solids COULD make the baby wean prematurally. At this point what *I* would do is ELIMINATE ALL solids and encourage more nursing. Nursing, as I am sure you know, has more calories than almost any solid you could offer. I know you say the above but I'd be 100% focused on turning that around. Of course, as you say, it is your baby...but you asked opinions & that's mine. And I have to agree, if the child isn't sitting & is unable to feed themselves, spoonfeeding isn't a good idea. I am in 100% agreement that all babies are different & the baby should decide themselves when ready...yours is showing you they aren't though. I know it's not really what you wanna hear but it's BM she needs. Solids shouldn't really be filling the tummy at this age EVEN IF she was ready. I am just afraid your approach may make it worse. Good luck to you though!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *rmzbm* 
Just throwing this out there...but if you have a child not nursing much, pushing solids COULD make the baby wean prematurally. At this point what *I* would do is ELIMINATE ALL solids and encourage more nursing. Nursing, as I am sure you know, has more calories than almost any solid you could offer. I know you say the above but I'd be 100% focused on turning that around. Of course, as you say, it is your baby...but you asked opinions & that's mine. And I have to agree, if the child isn't sitting & is unable to feed themselves, spoonfeeding isn't a good idea. I am in 100% agreement that all babies are different & the baby should decide themselves when ready...yours is showing you they aren't though. I know it's not really what you wanna hear but it's BM she needs. Solids shouldn't really be filling the tummy at this age EVEN IF she was ready. I am just afraid your approach may make it worse. Good luck to you though!











-Angela


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## WNB (Apr 29, 2006)

Wanted to post back here, as I made an effort to figure out DD's length.

The nurse recorded her at 18" at birth.
She was 20.5" at the 2-week check.
Around 4 months, she was about 25" (that's when we decided the bucket seat wasn't going to do the trick for the plane trip at Thanksgiving, since it was rated for use only up to 26").
And a few days ago, around the 9 month mark, she was 27.5".

I also looked back at the Kellymom EBF growth charts, and even though it seems like her weight gain is slow, she is, in fact, holding pretty well along the same percentile she came in on (25th or so).

Nekisha, I wish you all the best as you struggle to help your little guy. Breastmilk is so calorie rich, and the nutrients in it are so bioavailable -- replacing it with solids just doesn't sound like a good way to help your guy grow, especially in light of the absence in your son of other generally accepted markers for "readiness" for solids. All the same, it's hard to trust your body and your son with nursing as the primary nutrition, since you have no way of knowing how much he's getting when he nurses. Nursing often for short bursts doesn't sound weird to me though -- that's what my little girl does too. The booby-buffet is always open for snacks here. I think I read somewhere that your babe may nurse frequently for short sessions if you have relatively low storage capacity. It's not that low capacity is a supply problem - it is just the way one's body is built, and that the babe figures this out and seeks the frequent nursing sessions needed to ensure that proper supply is set up and maintained.


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## blsilva (Jul 31, 2006)

My oldest son nursed like crazy, and gained like crazy.
My youngest also nursed like crazy, but barely gained at all after about 6 months. He pretty much fell off his "growth chart" at that age.
My ped told me not to worry- that a lot of breastfed babies do this because after 6 months, they seem to hit their true growth curve, whereas the first 6 months seem to be a bulking phase of sorts for some babies.
Ds2 was extremely active, so I have always thought that might have contributed.
I agree with the mamas who said to back off of the solids and nurse more, if you can. Solids in the first year are more for fun and practice than nutrition anyway. Your baby needs your breastmilk more than anything.


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## littlebudsmom (Mar 20, 2007)

my son was born at 7lbs 6oz. After the first 6 or 7 months he became a slow weight gainer. He wore a size 3 diaper (sorry, we didn't do cloth) for over a year. I've never been concerned about his development because he was developing great. He'll be 3 in September and he only weighs about 27 lbs (in think, he hates the scale).


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