Your best baby fattening techniques please. . .

[Marie in Oh]

We just got home from baby's well-check. It didn't go well. He has gained 17 ounces in 10 weeks and has dropped from the 75th to the 5th. Now, my kids are all generally very small, however, Dr. is not pleased but not freaked out yet. He wants to see him in 2 weeks. He is exclusively br@#st fed and only 4.5 months old, so I don't have alot to work with. He didn't say "supplement" yet, so I am wondering if you all know of ways to fatten him up? Can I eat and make my milk richer? Anything else? I am not freaked yet, but I am concerned. Thanks.

[Parrothead]

Do you want to try him on food or just give him more, possibly richer, milk?

[Jean in CA]

1.drinking more fluids? 8 glasses a day. My pediatrician said this was number one reason milk supply drops for busy moms... we don't drink enough. Drink water, juice, soups for lunch, etc.

 

2. Take fenugreek 2 capsules/3 times a day until you feel your supply increase. Sold at RiteAid, Whole Foods, GNC

 

3. Feed baby every 3 hours (during day time hours) Pump after evening feeding.

 

4. Supplement with formula for 1 week or so, while you try to increase your milk supply.

 

This just happened to me last month... we've had success in increasing baby's weight. Good luck!

[hornblower]

Dear Marie,

 

Unless you yourself are critically undernourished, you milk is probably not deficient in any way.

 

I would recommend you simply take a look at your diet, make sure you're eating enough, and consider taking a wild fish oil supplement. Probably more important is that you're drinking enough water.

 

For your baby, you need to do a 'babymoon' - that's kind of like a honeymoon :-)

 

If you've been scheduling feeds, stop & feed on demand.

If you can't stop scheduling, schedule them much closer together.

 

Get rid of your swings, baby bouncers etc or at the very least, put timers beside all of them & make sure baby isn't in them more than say 15-20 mins. Then take baby out & offer him the breast.

 

Feed before & after every nap, (even before changing diapers when he wakes).

 

The reason is that babies this age are highly, highly distractable and many will simply skip a meal or finish really quick just to see what's going on around them.

 

If he's feeding reasonably frequently, then I'd consider that he's not staying long enough to get the hind milk. This again is common in highly distractable infants of this age. You will need to go into a quiet, slightly darkened room for at least a few of the feedings & see whether he'll nurse longer. Your breastmilk increases in calories significantly as you go through a feed, so at the end even a couple mouthfulls are very important & could make the difference.

 

I'd also consider bringing this baby to bed at night & feeding then also. When boobs are available & in front of them, babies are more likely to remember 'oh yeah, I'd like some of that please!'

 

Best Wishes

 

hornblower, IBCLC :-)

[PCA]

Does he ever seem frustrated at the breast? Or fussy?

 

I exclusively breastfeed for 12 months. And I know if I am not getting alot of water, or eating alot, my milk can deplete a bit. And my babies can get fussy because there isnt enough milk. So I increase my water and my fatty foods....avacados, eggs..... And my milk always increases after that. You should be drinking at least 10 glasses of water a day.

 

Also, I let mine nurse whenever they want, as much as they want. They know when they are hungry or thirsty so I dont limit their nursing time.

[Tammyla]

http://www.lllusa.org/

 

La Leche League is a great (free) resource and support.

 

You may try feeding on one side to increase the hind-milk he gets at each feeding and offer to feed as often as he will nurse. Drink and eat well yourself.:grouphug:

[Marie in Oh]

Thanks for all the replies. A bit more info. . . I am not a scheduler-- he has always been fed on demand. He nurses about 6-8 times a day. I often wear him in a sling where he can nurse. He does sleep all night. I have lots of milk. I don't think it is supply. He has heavy, wet diapers several times a day.

 

I either think it is just genes or perhaps an allergy. He has exzema, so it is a real possiblitiy. I would not be concerned if this happened in the 2nd half of his 1st year-- it did to all my others to some degree. I have 2 kids in the

3rd percentile, 1 in the 10th, and 3 in the 20th. But it seems to be more sudden to be adjusting to his genetic make up. He is also not fussy at all. He is generally happy, content, etc. I do think he sleeps a bit more than average, but he is definitely awake and alert.

 

Thanks again for the suggestions. I guess I am wondering if I shold eliminate some of the high trigger foods for allergies, of if I should concentrate on me to make sure that I am eating and drinking well and getting enough rest. I wasn't sure if I could make my milk richer by improving my diet or not. I would like to hold off on solids for a few more months if possible.

[Veritaserum]

A couple of my babies dropped in the charts like that. However, since they were meeting developmental milestones, were healthy, and were proportional, neither my doctor nor I freaked out. Some babies are just small. :) Also, the growth charts are based on formula-fed babies, which tend to be chunkier than breastfed babies. It doesn't make sense to expect breastfed babies to conform to the same growth curves.

 

Make sure you're nursing him until he fully empties the breast. The foremilk (what comes out first) is thinner and higher in sugar to satiate him for the present. The hind milk (what comes out last) is thicker and higher in fat to help him grow.

 

I would make sure you are eating well and drinking enough water and I would nurse him as often as he will nurse. I would not do any supplements as that will decrease your supply and probably not help him (since nothing is easier for him to digest than breastmilk). :)

[The Governess]

Do you nurse on both sides at each feeding or just one side? If you're switching, you may want to try just nursing at one side per feeding so that baby gets more hindmilk. Once you think you've drained one side, let him keep nursing for a few more minutes and see if you can trigger another let-down of the "good stuff" :001_smile:. Or alternatively, you could pump 2 or 3 ounces from each side, and *then* let him nurse until he's completely drained both. If he's still hungry, you could offer him what you pumped in a bottle, but this way he's filling up on the richer stuff first.

[Tammyla]

You might try feeding him at night even if he is sleeping.

 

My little guy had eczema, 100% cotton jammies, towels, wash cloths and clothes helped along with no inks dyes or perfumes in our soap, laundry detergent etc. We even had to give up baby soap and lotion, but he showed lots of improvement.

 

Wishing you many Blessings~

 

Thanks for all the replies. A bit more info. . . I am not a scheduler-- he has always been fed on demand. He nurses about 6-8 times a day. I often wear him in a sling where he can nurse. He does sleep all night. I have lots of milk. I don't think it is supply. He has heavy, wet diapers several times a day.

 

I either think it is just genes or perhaps an allergy. He has exzema, so it is a real possiblitiy. I would not be concerned if this happened in the 2nd half of his 1st year-- it did to all my others to some degree. I have 2 kids in the

3rd percentile, 1 in the 10th, and 3 in the 20th. But it seems to be more sudden to be adjusting to his genetic make up. He is also not fussy at all. He is generally happy, content, etc. I do think he sleeps a bit more than average, but he is definitely awake and alert.

 

Thanks again for the suggestions. I guess I am wondering if I shold eliminate some of the high trigger foods for allergies, of if I should concentrate on me to make sure that I am eating and drinking well and getting enough rest. I wasn't sure if I could make my milk richer by improving my diet or not. I would like to hold off on solids for a few more months if possible.

[Jennifer in MI]

My last child was (and still is) tiny. My doc only freaked a little when she dropped off the chart.

 

Anyway, some of the things I read:

 

1. Increase the number of times/day you feed him. Set a timer if you have to. The best way to increase supply/get more milk into him is to have him nurse more often.

 

2. Try breast compressions. When he's nursing and you see him start to slow down his sucking, squeeze your breast from the armpit down to the nipple. You will be expressing milk into his mouth and encouraging him to eat more.

 

3. Keep him on the same breast for two - three feeds in a row. He'll get the higher fat hindmilk that way.

 

4. Bring him to bed with you. Oftentimes babies will wake more often if the milk supply is closer. I know it sounds like something you don't want - him waking more often to eat - but right now, you DO!!!

 

5. Don't supplement yet!! If you give him 4 ounces of formula, that will be 4 ounces he won't take from you. He won't be signaling your body to make that milk and eventually your supply will decrease.

 

Oh shoot - there's more, but my 3 yo is just waking from her nap. Gotta go!

[JenniferB]

With my 4th child I needed to take care of myself and my diet much more carefully to give him good rich milk. I posted on another thread that I followed a book called Nourshing Traditions. It's a very different kind of diet, and is difficult to implement, so I just did it until my baby was good on his own with solids and regular store bought milk.

 

I drank lots of kiefer, ate lots of yogurt, and took probiotic supplements to get lots of good bacteria into my system and also his. I also drank and ate full fat dairy, and lots of butter and coconut oil. Lots of whole grain breads, made from scratch and soaked, lots of things with dry beans and grains, etc. etc.

 

Just think about getting the most from every calorie you eat/drink. The most vitamins, good natural animal fats, enzymes, good bacterias, etc. etc.

 

My baby had a high fever at 35 days, and was in the hospital for 3 days with continual antibiotics, and this was so harsh and severe on his system, and virtually eliminated every good & bad bacteria from his body, so that is also why I focused so heavily on the good bacterias. He also started getting rashes right after the heavy antibiotic dosage. He had no rashes before this. Now, he's doing very well at 1.5 years, nice and chuncky, strong in every way, and his rashes are greatly decreased, though he still has some light rashes on his back, and under his neck, but they are much better than they were before.

 

I fed him only breast milk for about 6-9 months old, I can't remember, but I waited as long as I could, then I started him on rice cereal mixed with store bought formula, and then moved him into organic store bought baby food, then to table food which we eat, but mashed up. Now he eats everything we eat with no problem.

 

I hope you can pull through this.

Edited March 11, 2009 by JenniferB

[cjzimmer1]

My third was like this and only gained 10 ounces between her 2 and 4 month checkup. Her doctor couldn't find anything wrong and let it go. Once she started solids, I added powdered formula into all her foods just for the extra calories. Just when I was weaning her (at 13 months), I read something about zinc. At was at the doctor myself then and my doctor tested me and I was low. I have been on a maintenance dose ever since. However, with both of my babies since then, I have had to double my dose because my body seems to have a huge need for it when nursing and even my maintenance dose isn't enough. I haven't had a growth issue with either of the two since I started the zinc. I really think that made the difference for me.

 

If you can, get a blood test and see where you stand. However, I wouldn't start supplimenting without the blood test because too much zinc can interfere with your copper absorbtion.

[Reya]

We just got home from baby's well-check. It didn't go well. He has gained 17 ounces in 10 weeks and has dropped from the 75th to the 5th. Now, my kids are all generally very small, however, Dr. is not pleased but not freaked out yet. He wants to see him in 2 weeks. He is exclusively br@#st fed and only 4.5 months old, so I don't have alot to work with. He didn't say "supplement" yet, so I am wondering if you all know of ways to fatten him up? Can I eat and make my milk richer? Anything else? I am not freaked yet, but I am concerned. Thanks.

 

You can offer instead of waiting for him to ask, and you can make sure he entirely drains your breast to get the hind milk before switching.

 

When he DOES eat solids, you can add a tablespoon of butter to his veggies! We had to do that when out DS got old enough that he was solids age--most baby solids were just WAY too low fat for him.

[Reya]

Thanks for all the replies. A bit more info. . . I am not a scheduler-- he has always been fed on demand. He nurses about 6-8 times a day. I often wear him in a sling where he can nurse. He does sleep all night. I have lots of milk. I don't think it is supply. He has heavy, wet diapers several times a day.

 

I either think it is just genes or perhaps an allergy. He has exzema, so it is a real possiblitiy. I would not be concerned if this happened in the 2nd half of his 1st year-- it did to all my others to some degree. I have 2 kids in the

3rd percentile, 1 in the 10th, and 3 in the 20th. But it seems to be more sudden to be adjusting to his genetic make up. He is also not fussy at all. He is generally happy, content, etc. I do think he sleeps a bit more than average, but he is definitely awake and alert.

 

Thanks again for the suggestions. I guess I am wondering if I shold eliminate some of the high trigger foods for allergies, of if I should concentrate on me to make sure that I am eating and drinking well and getting enough rest. I wasn't sure if I could make my milk richer by improving my diet or not. I would like to hold off on solids for a few more months if possible.

 

How much does he poo?

 

You can start waking him u p in the night to feed, too.

[Rosie_0801]

3. Keep him on the same breast for two - three feeds in a row. He'll get the higher fat hindmilk that way.

 

 

:iagree: I have to do the same with mine too. I took him for his 6 week check yesterday and the doc accused him of being 8 months old. Exaggeration, but I'm clearly doing something right!

 

:)

Rosie

[melissel]

My last child was (and still is) tiny. My doc only freaked a little when she dropped off the chart.

 

Anyway, some of the things I read:

 

1. Increase the number of times/day you feed him. Set a timer if you have to. The best way to increase supply/get more milk into him is to have him nurse more often.

 

2. Try breast compressions. When he's nursing and you see him start to slow down his sucking, squeeze your breast from the armpit down to the nipple. You will be expressing milk into his mouth and encouraging him to eat more.

 

3. Keep him on the same breast for two - three feeds in a row. He'll get the higher fat hindmilk that way.

 

4. Bring him to bed with you. Oftentimes babies will wake more often if the milk supply is closer. I know it sounds like something you don't want - him waking more often to eat - but right now, you DO!!!

 

5. Don't supplement yet!! If you give him 4 ounces of formula, that will be 4 ounces he won't take from you. He won't be signaling your body to make that milk and eventually your supply will decrease.

 

Oh shoot - there's more, but my 3 yo is just waking from her nap. Gotta go!

 

I second (probably third) all of this, particularly the multiple sessions on the same breast.

[HiddenJewel]

When you do starts solids, avocado is great.

[JenniferB]

I forgot to mention that when breast feeding I had the most success in the laying down position, and I would let the little guy feed as long as he could on one side, and if he was still hungry I would then switch to the other side, but not until he has fully fed on the one side. I think that's what others were saying, and that also worked for me to fatten up my little guy.

[Ellie]

Thanks for all the replies. A bit more info. . . I am not a scheduler-- he has always been fed on demand. He nurses about 6-8 times a day. I often wear him in a sling where he can nurse. He does sleep all night. I have lots of milk. I don't think it is supply. He has heavy, wet diapers several times a day.

 

I either think it is just genes or perhaps an allergy. He has exzema, so it is a real possiblitiy. I would not be concerned if this happened in the 2nd half of his 1st year-- it did to all my others to some degree. I have 2 kids in the

3rd percentile, 1 in the 10th, and 3 in the 20th. But it seems to be more sudden to be adjusting to his genetic make up. He is also not fussy at all. He is generally happy, content, etc. I do think he sleeps a bit more than average, but he is definitely awake and alert.

 

Thanks again for the suggestions. I guess I am wondering if I shold eliminate some of the high trigger foods for allergies, of if I should concentrate on me to make sure that I am eating and drinking well and getting enough rest. I wasn't sure if I could make my milk richer by improving my diet or not. I would like to hold off on solids for a few more months if possible.

You know, it just sounds to me as if he's just a little guy. You're doing all the "right" things. As long as he eats every hour and a half to three hours, he's fine. And as long as *you* are eating enough, he should be fine (excluding any other symptoms, which there don't appear to be). A friend had a problem with her baby's gaining weight because she would forget to eat.:001_huh: Anyway, I wouldn't worry about making your milk "richer," only that you get enough calories every day (and lots of liquids). That means about 1000 calories above what you normally eat.

 

ETA: Also, if he has eczema, you might try eliminating dairy from your diet first and see how that goes.

[Sara R]

I either think it is just genes or perhaps an allergy. He has exzema, so it is a real possiblitiy.

Thanks again for the suggestions. I guess I am wondering if I shold eliminate some of the high trigger foods for allergies, of if I should concentrate on me to make sure that I am eating and drinking well and getting enough rest. I wasn't sure if I could make my milk richer by improving my diet or not. I would like to hold off on solids for a few more months if possible.

 

Has he been tested for food allergies? My youngest had terrible eczema at that age. I went off of milk for an unrelated reason, and her skin cleared up dramatically. After that, I had her tested and she tested allergic to milk, egg, and wheat. When I eliminated those from my diet, her skin cleared up completely.

 

I wouldn't start an elimination diet without some kind of test to give you an idea of what is necessary, though. Kids can be allergic to all sorts of things (my dd was also allergic to flax seed oil! Who would expect that?!?), and if you are also dealing with a weight issue, you don't want to start eliminating foods unnecessarily. It could affect your milk supply and your nutrition (that happened to me). Some of the elimination diets start out with just rice and chicken, and that doesn't seem like it would be too good for your milk supply. But if you know what you are dealing with, you can just eliminate those (hopefully few) foods.

 

Past that, the advice about hind milk, frequent feedings, and so on is all good.

[dirty ethel rackham]

ETA: Also, if he has eczema, you might try eliminating dairy from your diet first and see how that goes.

 

One thing to note about eliminating dairy - it can take several weeks to notice a change. It can take that long to eliminate the possibly offending proteins.

[KidsHappen]

All of the suggestions here are good. I just wanted to second or third the exzema/dairy issues. My last dd had terrible exzema and any dairy product I consumed definitely affected her. She still has problems with dairy. I would eliminate dairy and increase other high calorie foods.

[Barb_]

A couple of my babies dropped in the charts like that. However, since they were meeting developmental milestones, were healthy, and were proportional, neither my doctor nor I freaked out. Some babies are just small. :)

 

:iagree: And some babies are more active than others. I read Aubrey's post about leaving her calm, fat, and happy August baby on her bed for naps and laughed. I've not been able to leave Keira on our bed since she was 3 months old for fear she'd wiggle right off. I can't remember a time that she wasn't wiggling, rolling twisting, and moving, but she has really begun to slim down now that she's mastered the military crawl. She was 14lbs when I weighed her on her 5 month birthday, and here she is 3 weeks later weighing one oz less than that. But Keira is not and has never been a content and easy-going baby. She tends to be demanding, active, and fussy. I've had heavier babies, but they were generally happier to sit and play quietly. I had one that mastered sitting alone at 15 weeks and then never moved until she was 10 months old, LOL.

 

Barb

Edited March 12, 2009 by Barb F. PA in AZ

[bluecalmsea]

You might want to take a look at the pages here: http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/index.html Do you know if the growth chart your dr uses is one based on formula fed babies, or one based on breastfed ones? There's a difference. Here's more on that: http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/growthcharts.html I second (3rd? 4th?) the suggestion to look into food allergies. Try cutting all dairy out of your diet and see if the eczema improves. bluecalmsea

[Mom-ninja.]

Thanks for all the replies. A bit more info. . . I am not a scheduler-- he has always been fed on demand. He nurses about 6-8 times a day. I often wear him in a sling where he can nurse. He does sleep all night. I have lots of milk. I don't think it is supply. He has heavy, wet diapers several times a day.

 

I either think it is just genes or perhaps an allergy. He has exzema, so it is a real possiblitiy. I would not be concerned if this happened in the 2nd half of his 1st year-- it did to all my others to some degree. I have 2 kids in the

3rd percentile, 1 in the 10th, and 3 in the 20th. But it seems to be more sudden to be adjusting to his genetic make up. He is also not fussy at all. He is generally happy, content, etc. I do think he sleeps a bit more than average, but he is definitely awake and alert.

 

Thanks again for the suggestions. I guess I am wondering if I shold eliminate some of the high trigger foods for allergies, of if I should concentrate on me to make sure that I am eating and drinking well and getting enough rest. I wasn't sure if I could make my milk richer by improving my diet or not. I would like to hold off on solids for a few more months if possible.

 

you've gotten great responses. Consider his *overall* growth including milestones. Listen to your intuition as you know your baby best. If you have a feeling allergies may play a role, have him tested.

[Dobela]

You may also want to look at possible issues like reflux. My dd stopped gaining weight around that age. The dr freaked (she had also been a preemie so weight was a big deal). I finally asked for tests (after being told I didn't know what I was doing) and we discovered she was aspirating occassionally and had reflux - even though she had not had any of the typical symptoms like lots of spit up and/or coughing after nursing. She was just not nursing enough because she was trying to protect herself. Changing feeding positions to keep her more upright and treating the reflux corrected the problems and she gained weight fine after that.

[Margaret in GA]

My last child had the same issues you are describing. He was finally diagnosed with 'failure to thrive'... even though, like yours, he had several wet diapers a day (he was most definitely getting enough milk). Later we discovered that he was allergic to dairy. I'm sure the two are related.

 

We had to see a pediatric GI who instructed us to give him a mega bottle every night that had extra formula and rice cereal in it. He finally started gaining weight.

 

I really think you should eliminate dairy. It will take possibly 5 weeks to see a difference so stay with it.

 

Good luck!

Margaret

[Susan in TN]

1.drinking more fluids? 8 glasses a day. My pediatrician said this was number one reason milk supply drops for busy moms... we don't drink enough. Drink water, juice, soups for lunch, etc.

 

 

My babies have always been on the slim side - I've always *dreamed* of having a nice, fat baby. Never happened until this last one, my 6th. She's 2 months old and has gained 5 lbs. She's about 14.5 lbs now, and she weighs more than my 3rd child did at 1 year! The only thing that I've knowingly done differently is to make myself drink a whole glass of water every time I nurse her. Even at night (or maybe especially at night.)

 

I've always eliminated dairy while nursing, and none of my kids have had reflux or regular spitting up.

[Karen sn]

How much does he weigh?

[Marie in Oh]

How much does he weigh?

 

He was 12 lbs 12 oz yesterday. He is 4.5 months-- will be 5 months on the 30th of this month. At exactly two months (Dec 29th), he was 11 lbs 11 oz. So, that is 17 oz in 10 weeks. At least, babies should gain 4 oz a week, which means he should have at least gained 40 oz in those 10 weeks. He was 8 lbs 12 oz at birth.

 

Does that help at all?