Yesterday I took Bella to her 9 month well baby visit. I was so excited to see how big she's gotten, because lately I've been paranoid at all the comments on how teeny tiny she is. I know she is small, but I thought for sure she's grown lately. She eats a ton!
I was wrong...she's still teeny tiny. In fact, my appointment took 1 1/2 hours because they were so concerned with her lack of weight gain since her 6 month appointment. She was in the 50% for height, 25% for head circumference & off the charts for weight at only 14 lbs. 4 oz. They suggested switching to formula, which is not an easy solution since she's intolerant of milk & soy. They didn't really give me a whole lot of other ideas, other than just keep feeding her. She has 3 weeks to gain, or they're going to do testing for absorption deficiencies. I don't think she has any problem like this, so I hope she can gain quickly!
I was talking with my friends & we came up with some ideas. I love getting ideas from friends, because they all have real life experiences. These are a few things that I learned from my expert friends! Many medical doctors suggest formula after 6 months, but most people who nurse continue until up to 2 years, they just don't do it in public. The mother's diet can affects the baby's size & there are definitely some things I can do to help, even with her allergies. I thought I was doing a good things by replacing oil in bread with apple sauce, and eating a low-fat diet. Wrong! Not while nursing. Here's a new plan:
- Drink more water (at least 3 big hospital mugs a day)
-Eat a healthy fat, like avocado, olive oil, nuts w/ each meal
-Add more protein to Bella's diet
-Regularly feed good fat to Bella, like avocado
-No night time feeding, so she's more hungry in the morning
I feel much better about this plan. There's nothing wrong with formula, but I'm really enjoying nursing this time, and I just don't think switching is the answer. Let's hope this works!
MORE SUGGESTIONS & IDEAS WELCOME!
2 comments:
Good luck Laura! It's a tough one.
I think switching to formula is a ridiculous suggestion and your doctor needs to calm down. You've gotten some excellent suggestions from your friends which I totally agree with.
With Jenny I fed her sunbutter (like peanut butter, but made from sunflower seeds) and poured a little extra olive oil on foods that is was appropriate to have olive oil on. I also made green smoothies and added tofu for protein and flax seed oil for fat and healthy Omega 3s.
Remember: if she has enough energy to crawl around the room and is a happy little girl then she is eating enough. Some kids are just little.
You say she eats a ton. Vitamins from vegetables are wonderful, but kids really need fat and protein. So focus on feeding her those things, and she'll get the calories she needs.
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