High Calorie Weaning? Anyone Else?

[Sam_Star]

Hi all!!

My Daughter Elin was born with 2 birth defects one of which was a heart defect.
As she is a "cardiac baby" i have been advised to wean from 17 weeks.
I have been weaning her since just after christmas and its been going pretty well! I have been giving her 1 meal a day of fruit or veg purree with a bit of baby rice. She loves it!
Well yesterday i spoke to her dietician for the first time since before christmas and she said that that i should have been giving her high calorie foods like putting butter in her mashed veg and things and that i am silly to have been so cautios with all this weaning and that Elin should be on more meals a day!
Well now im confused because isnt butter a no no??
Grrr any one else in my boat??

Thanks for reading, Samantha xxxx

 

[mommyof3co]

We didn't have to do it from the start but we had to add stuff to make Hayden's higher calorie because he was so small for awhile. We would cook all of his stuff in olive oil, since it's a healthier oil. But also added butter to some things, like potatoes. We were also told we could add canola oil to his rice milk (which has very little calories but all he could handle other than breastmilk, not sure if you could do it in formula/breastmilk, I would ask first). Avocado also has alot of fat so that's a good food you can give her, too

 

[Sam_Star]

Thank you! I have been racking my brain about this as i didnt really fancy blending burgers

 

[mommyof3co]

If she can eat table foods yet, or when she can pasta with diff sauces was an easy way for us. Making sauce with oil, lots of veggies, meat, cheese made it higher in calories too. I know I have a list somewhere that we were given with a bunch of high calorie foods, I'll post it when I can find it

 

[Lu28]

Thank you! I have been racking my brain about this as i didnt really fancy blending burgers

We haven't had to do this but if it's the salt you're worried about in the butter maybe get salt free butter instead

 

[Sam_Star]

Thanks mommyof 3 that would be helpful!!
Lu28 me and Dh were just sayiing about unsalted butter!!
I think im just a little nervous because when i was weaning my older 2 it was so simple compared to now!
She is worth it though!

 

[Tegans Mama]

Thank you! I have been racking my brain about this as i didnt really fancy blending burgers

We haven't had to do this but if it's the salt you're worried about in the butter maybe get salt free butter instead

Salt free butter is definitely the way forward
We give our LO full fat everything - butter not marg, cream, cheese. She has a lot of white bread, yogurt etc.
There isn't really MUCH you can specifically do, just don't go for the lower fat versions of anything.

 

[Aidedhoney]

Alex has a cardiac condition, he's post op and a wee toot weighing 14lbs at 6months.

I have been weaning for what feels like forever, have had a few appiontments with the diet doc, from about 5months i started doing the odd bit of high calorie weaning.

I started off by putting a wee bit grated cheese in his puree not every puree as dont want him not to eat it unless its got cheese in it ifykwim?
Now hes 6 months all his meals are mashed with unsalted butter, hes had toast/muffins with butter which he obviously cant eat yet but he loves licking the butter.

Alex is on 3 meals a day i would advise you to do what you feel comfortable with, must admit i havent seen a huge difference in his weight gain since doing this.

 

[Sam_Star]

Aidedhoney Elin still only weighs 13lb and is 5 months i think were kind of in the same boat!
What condition does Alex have if you dont mind me asking xx

 

[Aidedhoney]

Alex has Truncus Arteriousus (sp), he had his first op at 2weeks old.
Elin is just a wee toot as well by the sounds of things, when it was first suggested to do the high cal weaning i was a bit worried, as didnt want to clog his system up with fatty things ifykwim?
I just make sure that i dont give him anything half fat, its full fat cheese/butter/milk/yoghurts from about 5 and a half months i just went for it adding the cheese and butter also makes the bland puree taste a bit better. We have yet to have any meat/fish.

Alex has never been a huge milk drinker, most he takes is 6oz at bedtime, hence the early weaning they did try and get him up to high cal milk on discharge but i refused as when he got it before his op it made him yak and lose even more weight. Dunno about Elin but i have been told that Alex is following his own line at his own pace.

Now i just try and relax and take it as it comes used to worry all the time that Alex wasnt taking enough but as hes slowly gaining and seems very happy i am getting more relaxed

 

[Sam_Star]

Elin has the same condition and is much the same as Alex!
The most she has drank is 200mls and thats of Infatrini as thats the only thing she will drink now
I will start to add cheeses and things to her diet! Thanks for the advice hun!
I think we have spoken before via pm sorry for not remembering
How is little alex now?
Elin had her repair at 20 days and needs to have another op on the 1st of feb to open up her pulminary(sp) arteries but they arent sure if it will work and she may need another open heart.
All in all though she is a happy girl!!

 

[Aidedhoney]

Hey

No we havent spoke before.
It was Infitrini they had Alex on and it didnt agree with him at all.

Poor Elin, must be very scary the thought of more surgery so soon. Its amazing how brave they are. How are you coping with it all?

Have you been put in touch with any support groups?

Alex is doing great, he obviously has many a follow up appiontment, so far fingers crossed his heart seems to be ok, but i know that can change very quickly. Alex also has a leaky valve which may deteriote over time and need replacing i am hoping if it needs done it can be done at same time as his next heart surgery.
It seems that Alex's wires holding his chest closed have come undone, you can feel them move when he leans forward, its kinnda creepy. Have been in touch with his CLN who says its quite common and to mention it at next cardio appiontment. If its bothering him they will operate to close them again.

 

[Sam_Star]

I think i'm coping okay with it all just trying to be brave for Elin and my boys too - but i cant help crying sometimes you know?
I hope that Alex's valve can be replaced at his next surgery the thought of more surgery so soon is so scary!
I think i would panic if Elins wires were to come undone it seems quite bad! Hope everything goes okay at your next appointment xxx

I havent been in touch with any support groups to be honest i didnt know there were any xx

 

[Aidedhoney]

Yeah i know, its very hard sometimes to hold it all together.

Yeah there are a couple will send you some links in a PM later tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Sam_Star]

Thanks hun xxx