# Need nutritional advice for underweight one-year-old...



## Mama K (Jun 7, 2004)

Some background information:

My daughter weighed 7 lb 14 oz when she was born and did quite nicely on my breastmilk for the longest time. You can see her height/weight stats here for the past year. As you can see, she stayed at the top of the charts for the longest time. However, she was very reluctant to start solids and never really began eating them until she was 9 months old or so. I think the only reason she started them THEN was because I became pregnant and I think my milk supply started decreasing. Even then, she only ate just a full spoonfuls of food a day (no teeth until just this month -- now she has ONE tooth). It wasn't until she was about 10 1/2 months old that she started eating three times a day (and still nursing).
Katie just turned a year old last week. My milk supply is WAAYYY down (I am 18 weeks pregnant) and she has been self-weaning. She really only nurses once or twice a day now. We have been supplementing with full-fat cow milk for a few weeks now, and she really seems to enjoy it. Katie still has only one tooth. She eats oatmeal mixed with apple juice for breakfast, cheese, crackers, and milk for a snack, steamed veggies/some kind of fruit/beans/bread/cheese/whatever we're eating (something along those lines) for lunch and dinner. We feed her every time she is hungry and she eats until she is full.
Well, we just had her one-year checkup yesterday, and her new pediatrician is a jerk. (We will be looking for another one.) He made me feel like I am an AWFUL mother because she is dropping in percentiles. She is now 50th percentile for height (29 inches) and only 10th percentile for weight (18 pounds, 1 oz). She has only gained 4 oz in the last 3 months. I know she's light and really needs to gain a bit, but she certainly doesn't look skinny or sickly, and in fact, she's quite healthy! I asked her ped for suggestions, and don't feel that he gave very good advice. He told me that we need to LIMIT her to 3 meals a day, no snacks. When we eat, she eats, and what we eat, she eats. ??? Won't her little tummy empty quickly and be HUNGRY? How in the world is she supposed to gain weight? He also said to stop giving her milk and start giving her PediaSure. Feeling really frustrated...

What do YOU suggest? We eat meat and dairy, but remember that she only has one little tooth. Please help!

Thanks!


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## juicylucy (May 20, 2002)

ugh, drop your doctor, quick! She is gaining weight, that is what is important. Weight gain usually slows down a lot after 6 months, when they start getting more mobile. His advice to feed her 3 times a day is ridiculous IMO...why limit what she eats when he is concerned about her wight gain? Unfortunately, lots of doctors these days are pretty clueless about nutrition and weight gain, and rely too heavily on those (silly) growth charts.

It sounds like you are doing fine with her nutritionally... maybe sneak some flaxseed oil in there? Or does she like avocado? That is great nutrition, and full of good fat.


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## juicylucy (May 20, 2002)

and BTW, your daughter is beautiful


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## Destinye (Aug 27, 2003)

Not sure I would be too worried either. My DD has *lost* weight since 6 months when weighed 27 lbs and now is 24 lbs at 15 mo, but I think they gain and lose weight at different weights so am not worried, I am sure if I went to a regular MD (I see an ND) they would be worried as she has dropped but it just makes sense to me and I think breastfed babies do grow differently. If your DD is fine and healthy I would not be worried.


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## Mama K (Jun 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *juicylucy*
and BTW, your daughter is beautiful









Thank you























And thanks for the advice, ladies!


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## hlkm2e (Aug 24, 2004)

I've got a little one too, dd is 17lbs, 29in, and 17mos. My ped. gave the opposite advice. She said feed her three meals, plus let her graze all day. Good stuff, like avacado, cereals, cheese, yogurt (if you do dairy), and have her milk whenever she wants. No juice, empty calories and makes them full. I think her grazing has made her a better eater, no pressure on her, and she can eat as she feels hunger. The more she eats, the more she eats. It's like her snacking made her eat more. I second adding flaxseed to her food, too. Oh, and my dd loves smoothies and you can add anything to those.


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## brijenn (Feb 12, 2005)

I have a wee one too. 17 lbs 13 oz and 30.25 inches at 15 months...

My gal has always been quite little though - born at 5 lbs 15 oz. She is healthy as can be and my Dr has actually tossed the growth charts aside when it comes to her growth. She was on the charts, around 10 %, until 7 or 8 months - then took a dip and has been off the charts since. When my Dr did check her growth, she said kids (particularly breastfed) do drop sometimes - they are just finding their right curve. The next few months will tell you more. If she picks up on another curve (starts riding along the 10th % one) then you know she was just finding a new groove. My Dr also stressed HEALTHY foods. My friends are always telling me she is small because I don't give her cookies and chips and juice and crap full of sugar. A healthy baby is not necessarily a plump baby. The foods you offer sound good. I always make sure that every cracker or piece of bread is smothered in almond butter or tahini for extra nutrients and fat. Smoothies are also a good idea. Personally, I would stay clear of Pediasure. I would definitely be looking for a new ped or even try a nutrition consultant. Many Dr's are a bit lacking when it comes to nutrition.

Good luck!


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## ishtarmaia (May 30, 2004)

I had the same experience with a ped. when my daughter was 2 and weighed 24 lbs. She was small, but very healthy and this dr. tried to make me feel like I had done her WRONG somehow.







: Whatever!!! She is 4, (5 in July) now and she weighs 35 lbs. She is totally normal and healthy. I agree with the other posters; let HER determine when she should eat and offer her healthy choices and then don't worry! And don't listen to dr.s, listen to your heart! You're the momma!


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## excitedtobeamom (Jan 26, 2004)

I am going through I similar dilema. My DD is 18.5 months and only 18lbs 11oz. She grew fine until around 12 months. She then went from the 10th% in weight to way under. She is very healthy though and all the doctors keep commenting how she doesn't look malnourshed. We let her eat all the time (a snack tray with fruits, vegeatbles, crackers, cheese, kidney beans, avacodos ect.) and we put butter, heavy whipping cream ect. in her oatmeal, pasta ect. She also doens't drink milk but she will drink Pedisure (I was very ify on this) and rice milk. We give her a half to a whole Pedisure once a day. She will eat anything but not more than a bite or two. Finally a week ago the doctor noticed that she wasn't on "the" curve but on her own curve (way below the normal one) so he is no longer worried. Thank god! I got him off my back. We had her tested for a bunch of things and they all came back negative. We also give her avocados, cheese, whole milk yogurt, ect. I do think your ped is giving you some bad advice but so did mine. They still think I should wean her to help her grow. Yeah right! Sadly my milk is way down at 20 weeks pregnant now. Go with your instincts. I have yet to find a kid who at 1 year will eat what the parents are eating. Good luck!


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## ishtarmaia (May 30, 2004)

Oh, yeah, I didn't mention that I was breastfeeding my DD at the time, too. That was something else the ped. didn't like. But she nursed until she was 34 months anyway! We LOVED nursing!


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## Slackermom (Jul 23, 2003)

I've been through something very similar. My DD was 6 lbs 12oz at birth, and was in the 95th percentile for height and the 50th for weight most of her first year.Then, at her one year check up, the dr noted that she'd dropped to the 70th for height and the 30th for weight. She referred me to a specialist because she was concerned. *I* wasn't concerned. My DH and I are both small people. It would have been very unusual for DD to stay in those high percentiles.

The pediatrician we saw was an idiot. Like others have said, I was made to feel that I was doing something wrong, and she seemed very unhappy with the fact that I was still breastfeeding. However, she realized that DD was still growing on a curve...just a lower curve. She still wanted to do all sorts of tests (which I refused).

Keep in mind, the growth charts that are currently in use are based, primarily, on growth patterns of formula-fed infants. The World Health Organization has suggested that they are not always an appropriate measure of the growth of breastfed babies.


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