Daughter Doesn't Weigh Enough

I gave my son sweet potatoes from the time he was six months old. You can try rice. I would also push bananas. They are really good for you and unlike other fruit have a few calories.

Mashed avacado (sp!) It got my daughter through the stomach flu when she wouldn't eat anything else.

My almost 18 month old daughter is almost 20 pounds. She eats and eats and eats. Sometimes there is nothing you can do. As long as she is thriving and developing don't worry. When she is hungry feed her, when she is thirsty let her drink whatever she wants. Don't worry-I think most Doctors just get worried and will tell you that they need more caleries, just don't get her used to a diet that later will cause major problems.
Good Luck!!!!

I have a cousin in Twin Falls who has grumbled about the lack of breastfeeding knowledge among nearby pediatricians and family practice doctors. I think she now sees a Dr. Johnson and has been pleased with his supportive and informed care. I have also heard nice things about Connie Wolcott (sp?) who is a CNM in Shoshone, I think. I bet she would have good suggestions for another practictioner, as would the moms at a local La Leche League meeting, if you were thinking about "breaking up" with your doctor.
Human milk is so easily digested is is classified as a clear liquid. Most anesthesiologists who stay current int their field say nursing babies and children can have mother's milk within just a few hours of a surgery, when all other food and drink is stopped about 12 hours beforehand. So this whole 32-ounces thing sounds like the recommendation of someone who is totally unfamiliar with the indications of a healthy baby getting exactly the right amount of mama's milk.
Personally, I got a lot of mileage out of Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears' books "The Family Nutrition Book" and "The Baby Book." Both have a lot of suggestions for foods with healthy fats. Avocado and hummus are big hits with toddlers at my house, and Mexican-style bean dips, too. Dairy products are high-allergy risk for babies under one year of age. Nothing is as perfect for your daughter as your milk, so congratulations on giving her the gold standard of nutrition!
La Leche League also has an excellent book that may ease your mind called "My Child Won't Eat!" It's very current (like maybe a year old) and addresses weight gain and nutrition issues for babies and toddlers. You could find it online, or even borrow it for free (along with the Sears' books) from your local LLL group.
When I'm visiting family in your area, I always look for excuses to go to "A Taste of Thai" over by the mall. Seriously one of my favorite restaurants in the world, that place. Yummmm. The owner is a guy named Nat and he can adjust spices to keep things mild and appealing--sweet curry sauces made with cocnut milk poured over rice are high-calorie and delicious, and probably tender enough for your baby to taste. Tofu dishes are also nice for your toddlers because you can squash it up so it's not a choking hazard, but it takes on whatever flavor of the sauce it's in.
Best of luck-- I suspect your daughter is just right and you are responsive to her needs in spite of whatever confusing advice you may receive, so good work. She is lucky to have you!

I have really small kids too. My second daughter only gained ounces between appointments. My suggestion to you in addition to adding high calorie foods is to include a stage two infant formula. You may also want to pump and see how much breast milk you are producing, at nine months your body may be slowing down. Don't worry to much about it. It will pass, all kids grow at their own pace. I still look at my oldest two daughters and think that they are too skinny. Some kids are just that way. It is so hard though, stay strong. You would know instinctvly if there was really something wrong with your baby.

You say your daughter is small - but how small, exactly?? My youngest will be 3 in December - she weighs about 22 pounds. She has been below the charts for about a year. I mean her weight percentile is so low, they can't chart it anymore. Know what my her doc suggested? Feed her when she's hungry. No special diets, no "give her all the fat foods you can find" - just feed her.

Most peds are concerned that babies maintain their percentile in weight and height. IS your DD active and otherwise healthy? If so, tell the doc these things and explain that you and your hubby are small, too. Sometimes you have to say it a few times. I'm 5'1" and my main squeese is 5'8" - so big isn't really happening in my family. My oldest is almost 8 - she's only broken in the the 40+ pound area within the last several months.

My suggestion would be to feed her when she's hungry and don't stress yourself otherwise. But, whatever you decide to do, good luck. Having the doc say stuff about your kid's size is super hard.

Every child is different, the big question is, is she thriving? On track in her other areas of development?
Kids this young should NEVER be given cow dairy products, they can't digest it. Other high allergy foods such as eggs should be avoided as well, until past age two. That will reduce the possibity of a life long sensitivity. At this age she shouldn't be drinking much water, breatmilk or formula are still the primary diet and liquid, water is not providing any nutrients.
You seem to be confusing nutrients with carbs, items such as spaghetti made from highly refined flour aren't nutrient dense. They aren't bad for her really but like the water aren't giving her much. How about bananas, cream of wheat, super thin slices of zuchinni or other veggies, a bit of shredded carrot, the great toddler staple- Cheerios? There is a wonderful little book, If You Love Me Don't Feed Me Junk, that is packed with ideas. At this age she is just starting on solids, and doesn't yet have a full range of taste, avoid stuff that is overly salty or sweet. Plain baked sweet potato is great. For baby food check out the wonderful selection of organic baby foods.

just a plug for breastfeeding--- that is the superior food to everything else for your baby. if she isn't gaining enough, feed her more of what is best-- breastmilk. you can pump and just give her the fat once it separates. sleeping through the night has nothing to do with them being hungry--research this online, there is tons of info out there for you. additionally, a word of caution about solids in bottles-- this is not recommended by the APA. good luck! she'll be hitting a growth spurt soon, so the weight gain will go up!

Listen to your doctor but also follow your gut. I guess I would say rome was not built in a day. Work up to the other foods. like oatmeal, mash them first or put in a grinder so they are more refined if she is picky about tecture. Then work up to the lumps and bumps. Also try adding brown sugar or molassas. Apple sauce was in everything I gave my kids that age. I used a mini-Cuisiart and ground up luch meats and mixed them in apple sauce, mashed sweet and white potatoes and avacado. My children were dairy free so we also used Rice milk to water things down and mix up. Avacdo has a lot of good fats. Just going to put this in the back of your mind to be aware of: if this issue does not look like it is clearing up and you see diarriah, constipation on into the 12th month, then you might watch for food intolerances. It takes babies a lot to get used to foods but my son was "picky" turns out he is intolerant to a lot of things. stick with what he likes and only that and he eats a ton. but if he has things he should't have, he looses weight and stuff. Oh, and he went to "real" food about 9 months. He really didnt care for the baby foods. So I mostly gave him chopped up soft things like the french toast you mentioned. Also, try the Applegate Farsm chicken hot dogs. My kids have loved them since they were babies...look at Vitamin Cottage...chop up in cubes, of course until she has teeth.

My 10 month old is also under weight. We feed him a lot of avacado that have some extra fat. It is soft and he loves he taste. Also remember they will grow and for now it is eaiser to carry the car seat.

Are you sure he said 32 oz of clear liquids? Because that seems about the right for breastmilk/formula? I suggest you double check with him.

I'm not really sure what you can give a 9-month old that you're not already trying. I know when my son was 12-months old and on the smaller side, his doctor recommended giving him a Carnation Instant Breakfast in addition to his regular meals (it's the full calories and vitamins of a full meal) so he'd get the calories, but not necessarily have to "eat" them. You could check and see if he would have any problems with giving your 9-month old regular cows milk. I had a few friends who switched their children from formula to cows milk at 9-months because they were underweight.

I know it wasn't much help, but just some ideas to bring up with the doctor.

I mix fruit & veggies in my sons cereal... Especially the ones he won't eat separately. Good Luck

honestly I wouldn't worry about what the dr says. If your baby is happy and has energy, then she will grow at her own rate. I would be careful about just feeding her empty calories...it may have calories, but what nutritional value is that gong to give her?? Also, giving her that much water sounds crazy and perhaps filling her up on non calorie liquid - I understand they will get their water through the milk and formula.

I have a friend who had a similar situation and her dr wanted their son to eat meat - at nine months old! CRAZY!! If you are still breastfeeding and she eats the normal food for a nine month old, then I wouldn't worry too much!!

Also, if she is still waking up in the middle of the night, she may just be waking up out of habit, and not necessarily because she's hungry. Try not feeding her one or two of the times she wakes up. Or even try and let her soothe herself back to sleep. Just a suggestion, I know every baby is different and has different needs.

I have two boys that never had weight problems but I started feeding them regular food when they were about 8 months old and they were completely done with baby food by around ten months so I can give you some ideas...cheese; cut it in little tiny squares and babies love it...yogurt; get the Yo-Baby or even the Yo-Baby with the cereal in it. Other less expensive yogurts are fine but just make sure they're full fat and don't have any artificial sweeteners in them. My boys loved cut up turkey or chicken. Rice is good and if you cook it in chicken broth instead of water there's more calories. Mashed sweet potatoes or squash. They loved peas and corn (not baby food) and it was good practice for their little fingers. I'm not too sure about the liquids, I didn't give my boys anything besides water or milk for a long time. I'm probably overly concerned about sugar so I limit they're juice intake to almost nothing. I hope these ideas help. Good luck!

You could do 10 oz. of whole milk with one serving of Carnation Instant Breakfast. It has 10 oz. more calories than formula. Check with your doctor first. At 10 months, we were told our son needed to be getting a minimum of 24 oz. of fluid a day. It's based on weight, not age. I can't remember what he weighed, but think 4 month old size for that figure. Breast milk counted in on that figure, too. Yo Baby makes whole milk yogurt, which should be fine. We were told we could do fermented dairy. We started the C-I-B at 11 months. We added butter to everything. Pirate Booty is great because they like to eat it, but not very filling so it stimulates them to eat more. Also high in fat. Cheese if it's okay. We found whole milk string cheese that was a big hit. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but our son would eat butter straight, as well. It was easier than adding it to food since he didn't like it. You can make macaroni and cheese with extra whole milk and extra butter and cook it down until it's not runny. If she's gagging on food, does she have reflux? That can be a sign, which will contribute to lack of weight gain. This is all I remember right off. Let me know if you need more suggestions. We've been through almost two years now of trying to gain weight, so I can look up more of what we were told if you need more. GL! I hope she gains well. A thought, did the doctor mention why he's concerned? Is it percentile, or plateauing in weight?

Hi M.
Have you tried avocado? It's high in fat (good fat) and my 10 month old loves it!!!! I just smash it up and give it to her with her lunch or dinner. Hope this helps :-) And that does seem like a lot of liquid to get in, in a day. My daughter drinks her bottles (about 15-20 oz a day) but only about 2 oz of water a day. Her pediatrician said as long as she has a few wet diapers a day, she is good.
Hope this helps!

As far as the clear liquids, did you know that breastmilk is considered a clear liquid? If she is nursing allot she is getting plenty of liquids and also excellent nutrition. Have you tried feeding her egg yolks? Feed her just the yolk as the whites can be hard to digest. One good way to do that is to hard boil the eggs and then separate out the yolk chop it up and let her finger feed herself. You can also feed her yogurt made with whole milk, Yo Baby is a great brand. She can digest the protein in yogurt even though she is not old enough for straight whole milk yet. If your daughter seems to eat her fill and is healthy and has energy don't worry too much about the weight chart, it is based on babies fed formula rather than breastmilk and formula babies tend to be chubbier.

Hi M.,
Avacodo is an excellent first food for babies that is high in fat, but very good for us. Some suggest to mash it and mix it with a little breast milk. However, my daughter actually preferred it without the milk. We also added a little olive oil to her food to give her an extra boost of fat. A little background, my 23 mo. old daughter's weight has been at 5% for her age for the past year and she has several food allergies. At first the doctor was concerned, so I was trying a number of things to help her gain weight. She's a great eater and very active. Finally, the doctor said that this is most likely her body type and that she would probably be tall and skinny (although she didn't get that from me!).

Best wishes! J.

Hi M., My daughter is 11 months and was born with a cleft lip and palate. We have constantly battled with her gaining weight. The one thing that may be hard to do and may not be an option but I would suggest giving her formula. We have visited with the Children's Hospital feeding clinic and that's what the recommended to us. I was not able to breastfeed my daughter but I did pump but they said there is no way to know how many calories are in breast milk so we had to move to formula. With formula you can change the formula to water ratio to get more calories per ounce. It may be something you want to ask you doctor about. I would also recommend adding the rice cereal all her foods, including the stage 2 foods.

My niece is 2.5 yrs old and still in 18 mon clothes. She is healthy and active, but the doctors are always after my sister to feed her higher calorie foods. My sister is barely 5ft and her hubby is like 5'3", so their kiddo is small.....duh!!
I would not be too concerned, if you daughter is healthy and active then let things be. We as Americans tend to think that bigger is better and end with obese kids. I would almost guarantee you that if you went to a clinic that dealt more with hispanic kids (or other races that tend to be smaller people) you would not get any grief at all about your daughter's size.

Feed her healthy food when she is hungry and you will help her learn how to maintain a healthy diet throughout her life.

I would see if she likes coconut and avocados ... yum yum and high in calories from good fats ... good luck!

I know you probably really trust your Dr, but it never hurts to get a second opinion if you feel she is fine. Your instinct in that she is fine is a positive. My daughter weighed only 5.5lbs when she was born, she was always as a baby in the 5 percentile. Even now at almost 7 she is 43lbs. She is petite, but has always been super healthy. She eats well, has TONS of energy, smart and other then it bothering her to be smaller then others in her class is fine now. She finally hit 25 percentile in her height and 10 in her weight. My son was the opposite and he is in the 75 to 98 percentile on things, at four he weighs what his big sis does. All children are different.

I worried, freaked out but I had both Drs we saw telling me not to overload her with fat to try and get her to gain, that as long as her chart is progressing, as long as she was eating, not being stagnant in her weight and not losing, that she was healthy.
Have you thought about giving her forumla at night? It has higher calories then breast milk and stays with them longer.
My daughter didn't stop getting up to feed until she was almost 11 mos old, so I think it depends on the child completely.
I would think about not just trying to fatten her up, but giving her things like yogurt that isn't low fat, maybe scrambled eggs that are scrambled with whole milk, the things you eat is great as exposing her to flavor and spices is going to help her not be so picky. Mashed potatoes are fine however just carbo loaded and kind of a filler not really very nutritional.
She does not need that much water!! It will just fill her up and not give her any nutrution. She should be getting all the fluids she needs from you in breastfeeding or from formula. I didn't even give my kids either one alternatives in fluids like water or juice until after the year mark. Unless you are somewhere and it is super hot she doesn't need that much water intake daily if she is nursing accordingly. If you go to a bottle with your breast milk and even try formula in a bottle you can see visually how much she is getting daily.

32 oz of clear liquid?? That does seem a little outrageous, since she's getting breastmilk. My only suggestion is, if you bottle your breastmilk, try putting 1/4 cup of rice cereal in a 6 or 7 oz bottle. My little guy loved it and it would fill him up like no other. Especially b4 bed. Hope this helps...and dont let your ped freak you out. A lot of them seem to do that.

Her iron levels should have been checked at this appointment-were they? The reason I ask is that with two of my children they have become quite anemic at 9 months and this has been a large contributor to their weight gain at the time. My youngest son (now 22mo) had actually dropped from 17lbs at 6 months down to 16lbs at nine months. He went from 60th percentile when he was 4 months old to being 2nd percentile at 9 months which was a HUGE change! Although it took a number of weeks, we corrected his iron levels, upped his (good) fat intake, and it made a big difference.

At nine months a baby is old enough to be on all table foods (not jarred "baby" food), except of course the honey, eggs, peanuts and any other foods that your family may have an allergy history with. Just make sure of course that they are cooked well and diced appropriately. Like many have suggested, cheese and yogurt (dairy is fine, just not straight milk as the proteins will not digest the same way as processed dairy) are a great way to go, and someone else just mentioned avacado which is great too.

Just keep working on it one day at a time-it's pretty common at this point in time for her to drop a bit as she's likely becoming more active, but if you keep introducing new foods to her she'll get past the gagging point, learn to like them, and be getting plenty of calories.

The same situation came up for us at my older daughter 9 month appointment. I don't remember all of what our ped. suggested, but I do remember her telling us to put butter on bread and other foods basically feed her all of the stuff that we're not supposed to eat as adults. We also gave her the occasional pediasure as well as whole milk yogurt made by YO Baby. My little one didn't really gain much weight even after we made changes to her diet, but at 4 years old, she is finally 50 percentile for both wieght and height.

Not to say it is working well of us (becasue my 9 1/2 mo. old is 15lbs. and classified as a failure to thrive) but we are doing yogurt and cheese, sour cream, and oils added to EVERYTHING. If she's not ready for chunkie foods, try adding sour cream and flax or olive oil to ger foods to add some GOOD fats! Please, stay away from Kraft Singles as they are not cheese, but a "cheese product". We do shreaded real cheese for a snack with some applesauce. We add sour cream to her apple sauce too! Try baking some potato fries in olive oil, and cut them into finger foods. Maybe if she feeds it to herself, she'll be able to palate it better!

Maybe we could swap Ped. advice and see if we can get this problem fixed for both of our Oct. babies!

My oldest was preterm and very petite until around age 3. WIC gave me grief about her weight but she was healthy and in my case I had complete support from my doctor on the issue. I have a 14 month old now who wakes at night to nurse and it may be out of hunger OR a need to feel close. Your daughter may or may not actually be hungry when she wakes but if she is that doesn't mean she isn't getting enough to eat during the day. It sounds like you already have her on a wide variety of food and drink during the day. I would continue what you are already doing. You might try breastfeeding a little more often. There is lots of "good" fat in your milk.
Really sounds like you are already doing a great job!!!

I definitely would try avocado and hummus, my 9 month old loves both. Also hard-boiled egg yolk (some docs say hold off on egg white til 1 year of age as it is a potential allergen, but most agree that egg yolk is okay). You can try mashing it with some breastmilk.
Also, remember that babies will often spit out foods the first few times they are offered. It may take 10 or 12 times before your daughter accepts a new food, so keep offering her mashed potatoes and oatmeal, she may end up loving them.
And if she is breastfeeding regularly, she is getting plenty of fluid and shouldn't need an additional 32 oz. of clear liquid. Keep giving her water with her solid foods and keep breastfeeding if you can, it really is the best thing for her. It sounds like you are doing a good job here, try not to worry too much, if she is happy, energetic and not losing weight you're doing it right.

Echoing what many others have already said: my daughter is small as well. Cruising along in the 3-5%. just under 15lbs at 9 months, but because she is not DROPPING in the percentiles, the dr was not concerned. Did your daughter drop in percentile?

I agree with the others that you may be getting her TOTAL liquid intake (breastmilk and everything else) confused with water/juice intake. 10-15 oz of clear liquid sounds like too much. That would just be filling her up with empty calories. It seems to me that it should be more like 2-3 oz with the rest being breastmilk (25-30 oz). my daughter drinks at most 1 oz of water, getting the rest from nursing.

There is nothing wrong with a lean, healthy and happy baby. keep on nursing her! maybe load her up closer to her bedtime. two nursing sessions closer together and some solids in the hours before she goes to bed. That may help her to sleep a little better.

I had the same thing happen to me a couple of weeks ago at my daughter's 9mo checkup!! I switched to formula and I can already see a difference. Also, she is going to bed earlier and not waking up during the night anymore. Looking back, I realize she was waking up because she was so hungry. I don't know how you feel about formula, but it may help to add some to her diet. Mine has always eaten solids like a pig so I knew the problem wasn't there! You can try YoBabys whole fat yogurt. Good Luck!

If your daughter doubled her birth weight at 6 months then that is good. If you need more nurishment at night, cause she may be hungry, just put a little rice cereal in a night bottle and that should help her sleep at night. The reason I say rice cereal is because it is not so heavy on her stomach just starting out and if you only try one thing at a time, that will help you know if she is allergic to things. Mashed potatoes is a good filler because it has milk and butter/margarine in it. Most babies like the flavor, some don't like the texture. I didn't try oatmeal for a while, I did the rice cereal. You can put baby applesause in things to change the taste for you. As far as water, some doctors say don't give them water until after they are a year old. I say give them liquid (water, watered down apple juice, etc.) and she will be good. If she hurts alot or cries like she is hurting, it could be dehydration, but I never even thought to worry about that until they were older. It's a bit more than necessary I think. Always remember when dealing with children. ALL CHILDREN ARE DIFFERENT AND THEY DON'T EAT, DRINK, CRY, GROW THE SAME AS ANYBODY ELSE. She may have some of you and your husband's tendencies, but she will have her own more. Just watch her and see her reactions and tell the doctor how she is. I don't take children lightly, but I do think that doctors don't know everything about the needs of children either. Relax MOM your doing a good job with her by spending time with her, asking questions, and keeping an open mind to suggestions. I hope this helps. Kay

Hello!
I am going through the same thing with my son who is almost 10 months old. He weighed in at 5% on the chart. The problem is my son eats all day and is very active and burns it off, his dad is the exact same way! Our dr. is not overly concerned as his overall health is excellent. Some of the foods we have found our son loves and is more nourishing than most are: Yogurt, Pancakes with butter and syrup, Kraft Cheese Singles, Pasta Salad, Gerber Toddler Snacks (in yellow packages in the baby aisle: they dissolve quickly and are fun for him b/c he can pick them up), lots of fresh fruit, and of course Mac and Cheese! Another thing we have done that seems to work pretty well is we put out small portions of his snacks (Cheerios, Gerber snacks, etc.) that are safe finger foods and not messy on our coffee table. This way he can snack throughout the day when he is hungry. I think it has helped both of us! Double check on the fluids, that seems a little high for clear liquids, but it could be. Hope this helps a little! I know that I provide what my son needs and he is happy and healthy and that is all I can ask for!
PS- Was she sick at all before the checkup? I know my son lost a pound in a week over a slight cold, so it could also be attributed to a bug she had.

I wouldn't try formula, if you are nursing and it is going well stick with it. Nursing is one of the healthiest things you can do for your child. The weights on charts are based off of formula fed babies so of course they are going to be a tad higher than a breastfed baby. Also breast milk does digets a lot faster so if she wakes up hungry its not because you are starving her, its because its digested and she may be a little hungry, but if she starts eating more table foods I am sure that some of that will stick with her through the night. The cereal at night is a good option to as little last hurrah before bed. Keep nursing, feed her what she wants to eat, as long as she gained weight and didn't loose it I am sure she is perfectly fine!!!! plus she is getting a lot more mobile and energetic so of course the weight gain is going to plateau.

One thing suggested to me was Great Harvest Bread. It is high in calories, but low in fat.It has good fiber content. They are small specialty bread stores, so check to see if there is one in your area.

32 oz. of clear liguid sounds like a lot to me too. That's 4 8 oz. bottles of juice and water. I've never fed my babies that much liquid. They would be so full of liquid they wouldn't be hungry. Strange!

The other thing to look at... is she more mobile now? Crawling, walking? When my babies started to crawl and walk they didn't put on as much weight. I guess it depends on how low in weight.

Good Luck. I'm sure you'll get great suggestions!

Hi I realize you have many, many responses so I will try to make it short. Add olive oil and butter to EVERYTHING. Give her more pasta. Juice is good 4oz. as it has extra calories. You can find a food list online but, guess what, cookies are okay and those puff things and I truley think that the Dr. meant breast milk at 32 oz. You should call and clarify because my Dr. Said no water was necessary, except in summer, while breastfeeding. Then follow the foods that the other moms advised. Also the Dr. may be okay with her at least maintaining weight at this point. I think they are more concerned with her dropping weight but if you can maintain it for a while they may be happy. Did they ask you to come in and weigh every two weeks to make sure? I'm sure that they will let you do that if you call in beforehand and it isn't a medical visit so your insurance won't get billed. Good luck, it is frustrating.

I also have a tiny little girl (17 months old) and she was also slow to put on the pounds and will still occassionaly wake up in the middle of the night to nurse. Some things that we found really helpful if your doctor approves are yo baby yogurts (made with whole milk), cheese, chicken, parts of hard boiled eggs (I'm having a brain block right now, but I'm pretty sure its the yolk they can have before one year, and the egg whites after a year), you can also make pretty good scrambled egg yolks with breastmilk, also avacados are full of good for you fats, and then even making her fruit and yogurt smoothies. Good luck and keep trying lots of things. Your daughter will find what she likes and she will grow when she is ready.

I had a problem with my daughter not weighing enough. The doctor thought I wasn't feedind her enough, when infact she wouldn't quit eating.She would get in the fridge when she was one and sit and eat cubes of butter, and still not put on a pound. I think it was just because she was just really active. I don't think she knew how to sit still. As long as she was a wake she had to be moving, didn't matter how she just had to be moving. We used to have to sit her on our lap and hold her still to get her to sleep at night, because she couldn't hold still long enough other wise. She stayed underweight for years, just let her be and keep doing what your doing I'm sure it will be fine. Dr.'s seem to think all babies have to be the same, if they don't fit in their imagage of what a child that age should be there is something wrong. I don't believe that one bit. I'm sure all will be fine, if she is getting sick from it then yes be concerned but if she is happy and thriving don't worry bout it.

I am normally very respectful of baby doctors, but this one seems off-the-mark. The amount of food/drink your daughter consumes sounds fine to me. One of my daughters ate no food until age one, and nobody was worried about her at all.

Give it a little time, make sure that she's not losing weight, and make sure she seems happy and energetic. Really, what more could you want?

It is my understanding that 9-month-olds need 32 ounces of breastmilk (or formula) per day, and only 4 ounces of water or juice. In fact, if she is having more than that she might be filling up on fluid. Super Baby Food is a great book that would have lots of ideas for you. My daughter loves mashed up avocados, which are high in good fat. You can also add ground flaxseed to her cereal.

Good luck!

J.

Her water intake does seem a little high--it's 2-3 times what my doctor suggested my daughter drink at that stage. I would recommend avocodo, as well as banana. Oatmeal cereal (like rice cereal, but with whole oats--check happy baby & healthy times brands--and french toast and mini bagels are great. Are you making sure that she stays on your breast long enough to get the fatty milk? The longer she breastfeeds (10-15 mins, normally), the more of the rich hindmilk she'll get. You may also want to consider adding probiotics to her food (Baby Jarrow or Soloray brand, which has one specifically for infants). It may help her to better digest the food that she's getting so she gets more of the nutrients. Otherwise, I would suggest cutting down on water and increasing the breastmilk, cereals and richer foods like avocado--try mixing the avocado/oatmeal/banana/potatoes with breastmilk to "water it down" and make it easier for her to eat. Good luck!

We had the same issue with my daughter (and still do), and some of the suggestions we got were, avocados, putting coconut oil toast, whole fat milk and pretty much no juice at all, and as snack give her multigrain cheerios. the cheen't high calprie, but our doctor recommended using them because the have way more vitamins and iron than any other cereal or cracke. when they are so small, you really have to make each bite count. my dughter just turned 2 and barely cracked 20lbs, so she is still very small, but she is gaining weight at a good rate now and her doctor is happy.

23 ounces of clear liquids? Is he counting breastmilk in that number? I've never heard anyone recommend that much liquid IN ADDITION to milk for a 9 month old. He is probably wanting you to make sure she gets 32 ounces of mostly milk with some water or juice. My daughter gained very little weight between 6 and 9 months (only 2 pounds) and she dropped off the bottom of the weight charts. Our peditrician was not too concerned because she was otherwise healthy and both me and my husband are small people also. He said that is a time when genetics starts to take over.
You also might look into food allergies. That can cause problems with weight gain and the hunger that makes her wake up 2 or 3 times a night to eat (one of my nieces had that problem and needed milk in the middle of the night as a 2 and 3 year old). Its not really normal for a 9 month old, even a breastfed one, to still need to eat 2 or 3 times at night.
Hope thats helpful... and hope you figure it out!

Have you tries avacados? My son is 5 months old and that is one of his favorite foods, I make all his foods myself including rice cereal. The doctor probably meant liquid like bm or formula. I would also stop giving her water completely unless she is dehydrated. She should be getting all the liquid she needs from your bm.

If you're nursing, I'm suprised that your doctor advised you to give your daughter that much clear liquid as well. Breast milk has a high water content so that much water is going to take up room in her belly that she could be using for other food. Like breast milk. I know this because my children are all little. My ten month old is still wearing 3-6 month clothes! Another high calorie food that you could try is avocado. My daughter loves it. You can mash it up or give it to her in very small pieces. It mashes very easily in their mouth. Avocado is very good for your baby's brain development too. How often are you nursing and giving solid foods? I am still nursing my daughter four times a day. She eats three meals a day and snacks in between too. She is not taking in extra water, I will offer the sippy cup with juice in it at meal times though. She only drinks a little bit from it. Not even half a sippy a day. She sleeps through the night very well even though she's small. I would really try cutting back on the empty calories. If you're not sure about your doctor's advice you can always get a second opinion too. Good luck.

Try supplementing her formula. Water is good, but no calories. Try a milk based formula for extra feedings instead of food. Also, rice in Stage 2 foods for dinner tends to fill up my 1 yr old's belly very well. Oatmeal may be to binding at this age.

Who says your daughter doesn't weigh enough? Is she acting happy and healthy? My very healthy 4 year old only gained about a pound and a half between six and nine months. He ate every two hours around the clock until he was two. Babies do not need any other form of nutrition during their first year to be healthy other than breast milk or formula--everything else is just practice. If your daughter is gagging on the foods the doctor recommended don't you think she is telling you something? You say you are both small, so why wouldn't your daughter be? If she is acting happy and healthy in every other way then this is probably just her pattern. If she is spitting up a lot and acting hungry that's one thing, but it sounds like your daughter is just fine. She also doesn't need 32 ounces of clear liquid a day---she needs formula or breast milk. Don't know who your doctor is, but frankly I'd find a new one.
J.

Have you tried avocados? They are full of really healthy fats.

I think you should ask to see a dietician. They can help you identify good foods to try. Also, as far as the clear liquids, I can't imagine he'd want her drinking 32 oz. of clear liquids a day when she's not gaining enough weight. She should be drinking breast milk or formula for the majority of her intake if he's worried about her weight gain.

You are fine. I have an 18 month old girl who has gained 1 pound since 9 months old. She became very active with crawling, and then walking just before a year old. She is built completely different from our older daughter who is 3. She continues to get taller and lengthens out...losing the baby fat, which is normal. Our doctor told us the same thing about a higher fat diet for her too...but it didn't change anything. She weighs the same and is very happy and healthy!

OMG, that's me in a nutshell! I went to the Dr. the other day because my son had an ear infection and, I know I should have just stayed quiet, but she told me his weight (16 lbs 4 oz) and I made a comment that he hadn't gained much since last appointment. He was 15 lbs 9 oz at his 6 mo appointment. Right now, he is in the 3%. There is a breastfed baby chart by the WHO and when I figured out his weight in Kg, he is just above the 15% on that chart. I am not too worried about him because he still looks healthy and he is moving around so much (he crawled at 5 months and is now trying to walk already, which she said could be causing his dip.) I also breastfeed and he eats a ton of solids, so the dr. told me to suppliment with one 2 oz bottle or cup of formula each meal to give him a few extra calories. I was very reluctant to do this, but my husband thought it was for the better, but right away I noticed a negative change in him. His BMs became very hard and I noticed my breasts felt very empty (I normally can get a full bottle out after my son finishes his fill), so I cut him down to just 1 cup with lunch. I go in next week for his actual 9 month, so hopefully he's gained a little.

Personally, I wouldn't go that direction again uless the dr. was VERY insistent. I've just been trying to stuff his face and will probably start pumping again and trying to get him to take the bottled breast milk with meals in a cup rather than the formula. You could get the human milk fortifier (it's the thing they give nursing mothers with babies who aren't getting enough milk...they hang it around you neck and place the end next to your nipple so the baby latches and takes in both your nipple and the tube) but it is VERY, VERY expensive ($125/mo).

The dr. I work for also suggested getting him tested for RTA (renal tubuar acidosis), which requires a urinalysis and blood draw, but she said it's easily fixed if he does have it, but one of the symptoms is low weight gain all of the sudden. She said to make sure the results aren't borderline and if they are, have the test repeated because the treatment tastes bad, but it helps quickly! I'm going to talk to the dr. next week if he is still not gaining. She also said to put butter on his veggies and toast and add oil to things to boost calories.

On a side note, I've been told by the Le Leche League that our kids should not need anything except breast milk and that includes water and juice, but I still give him 4 oz of watered down juice each day as something different from a cup and he loves it! I figure it can give a few extra calories too (I guess breast milk is considered a clear liquid too according to the LLL) so that may be where he gets 32 oz...he may mean breast milk too. Anyway, good luck and let me know what happens with your kiddo.

S., mom of almost 9 month old

Hi M.,

When my kids were babies (youngest is 8) my pediatrician said to only give them formula or breast milk for liquids, no juices and water was not necessary, it was more important for them to consume enough breast milk / formula. My oldest was formula, the younger 2 were breastfed. So maybe try not offering water or juice and only give for liquid breast milk or formula. And since you both are small, I wouldn't worry so much about her being small! As long as she is getting enough to eat, she will grow at her own pace!

Just my humble opinion as a well seasoned mom to 3...18, 12 and 8

A.

hello I know when my sister and I were little we had the same issue and my sister's little girl does too. I think some kids are just on the small side and as long as they eat enough that is ok. My niece has always been a hyper kid too so anything she eats gets burned off quickly LOL=) and I would try giving some formula too it also helps a little with weight gain and sometimes breast milk does not carry everything that it once did a few months ago. so as long as you feed her she will be ok and it is impossible to make them eat stuff they dont like because that can make eating a chore and so they dont want to=(

M., the bottom line is this: your baby should triple her birth weight by her first birthday. If she was 6 pounds at birth than you're shooting for 18 pounds; if she was 5 pounds you're shooting for just 15 pounds; if she was 7 pounds you're looking toward 21 pounds.

Remember, too, as babies grow and learn to crawl/walk they begin to use up more calories and slow down in the weight gaining arena.

Even more important that pounds weighed is steady progress in development. Some babies stock up on fat and weight while others just get taller and skinny. So, is she growing? Is she hitting the other landmarks average for her age group?

Before getting carried away with the doctor's "fears" remember that breastfed babies do NOT closely follow the growth charts which were created by following the growth patterns of formula fed babies. Seek out the counsel of a certified nutritionist or registered dietician (same thing different name) to find out what your body and baby need.

M.,

Sounds like your doctor, unfortunately like many others, knows very little about breastfeeding and breastfed babies. There are actually two issues that your doctor brought up. One is your daughter being undernourised. The second is her becoming dehydrated.

First, as far as her being undernourished...
Breastfed babies do not gain weight steadily the same way formula fed babies do. They lay on a different type of fat, which their body is more easily able to turn into energy, and they tend to gain more in the first 6 months, and then slow down compared to formula fed babies. Unfortunately, most weight charts are based on formula fed babies, which means that breastfed babies show up as having "problems" when there really is no problem. It sounds like your gut is telling you that your daughter is fine, and as the mother of two breastfed babies, I would tend to agree. Her demeanor and physical activity is a much better indicator of whether she is getting enough to eat. You already said that she is happy and energetic. You mentioned that you and your husband are both on the small side. You are right that the end of her first year is when her "genetic programming" will start kicking in and babies will start showing their genetic tendency towards being smaller or larger people. Also, has she recently learned a new activity or hit a new milestone? When babies start crawling, cruising or walking it is very common for them to slow weight gaining, hold steady, or even loose weight. They are burning more calories with their physical exertion, and they may also become less interested in nursing or eating. My first daughter didn't gain anything for 6 months, but she grew 5 inches. She was obviously healthy and happy, so we didn't worry. It sounds like your daughter is just growing at her own rate. If you are concerned, rather than pushing solids which she is not ready for, try offering to nurse more often. Your breastmilk has the perfect ratio of fat-protein-carbohydrates for your daughter, and it is also packed with immune factors to keep her healthy. As far as her waking to nurse, ummmm yes, that is because she's hungry, which is why she is waking up, nursing and then going back to sleep. Despite what Ferber and the parents of formula fed babies will tell you, this is normal and healthy for breastfed babies. Keep nursing her if she needs it.

As for her not drinking enough and getting dehydrated...
There is no set amount of "clear liquid" that a baby should be taking in. There is a recommended TOTAL amount of liquid that they should be getting, but there is a range of normal there, just like everything about our bodies. There is no way to measure her total liquid intake since she is breastfeeding, AND THAT IS OKAY. Recommending that you pump her full of clear liquids is completely counterproductive to recommending that you feed her more. A baby whose belly is full of water is not hungry for food or breastmilk!! At nine months of age, your daughter should be getting the majority of her calories and liquid from breastmilk. Until the end of the year, water and solid foods are only a supplement to the nutrition she is getting from breastmilk. Here are signs of dehydration:
• More than six hours without a wet diaper
• Urine that looks darker in his diaper and smells stronger than usual
• Lethargy
• A dry, parched mouth and lips
• No tears while crying
• Saggy skin. If you gently pinch it, it doesn't spring back.
Signs that your baby may be seriously dehydrated:
• Sunken eyes
• Hands and feet that feel cold and look splotchy
• Excessive sleepiness or fussiness
• Sunken fontanels (the soft spots on your baby's head)
• Saggy skin. If you gently pinch it, it doesn't spring back.

It sounds to me like your daughter is perfectly fine. If she is gagging and spitting out foods, then she is not ready for them yet. You and your husband are doing exactly what you should, which is introduce her to the same healthy foods you are eating as she shows interest and ability. Until the beginning of the second year, solid foods are just an experiment for babies. They are about playing and learning, not about nutrition. Their nutrition comes from breastmilk. If her doctor's fear is causing you concern, I would seriously consider finding a doctor who is more knowledgeable about breastfed babies. No matter what, it sounds like your daughter is growing at her own rate, and you can trust your gut and her body!

Best of luck,
S.