not putting on enough weight

[Scally]

My LO was born just above the 25th centile and has now dropped to below the 9th. Three weeks ago I went and she had dropped so they recommended to increase her solid feeds to 3 a day, which we did, I had her weighed today she's only put on 3oz in 3 weeks. They are now saying to add puddings to each meal- custard, rice pudding etc. Is there any other way I can increase her calories etc without going to down the sugar route?
At the moment she has half a fruit pot with porridge for breakfast (usually the only puree we do) and a few cheerios to munch.
Lunch is crackerbread with cheese spread, baby snacks (biscotti, sweetcorn rings etc)
Dinner- a bit of whatever we are having (eg lasagne, mash etc) or scrambled egg, cheese, toast etc

We try to have cheese with every meal either cheese spread or grated cheese, she has had avocado on toast etc as I heard that was high in fat.

I breastfeed every 3 hours in the day and at least once a night, sometimes twice.
She put on weight well until 4 months, so surely if there is something wrong with her she wouldn't have put weight on at first?
They said her weight needs to be up significantly in 2 weeks otherwise i'll have to take her to the doctors.
She is active, very active, always lunging for things, sitting, trying to crawl, likes standing/trying to walk whilst us holding her so i'm not worried about her meeting her milestones and she's very alert.

Is anyone in the same boat? any recommendations for food? do I give her custard etc just to get the calories into her? could it be there is something wrong with her? Anyone had a baby who was like this at the same age, did they start putting on? when? how?

Sorry for the long winded post I am so worried, but trying not to be

 

[Sproglet]

Sounds like she's just a slow gainer.

I'd try giving more dairy than sugary things eg yoghurt for pudding. You could also make your own rice pudding using full fat milk and no sugar. for custard, use bird's custard powder with full fat milk and don't add sugar when making it up.

I'd probably cut out the baby snacks, I looked at the biscotti for Robyn and they're also full of sugar and stuff and doesn't seem to be much nutrition in them, better off giving the high fat stuff like yoghurt.

 

[CandyDay]

I had this with my LO too. She now at 18 months went up to the 9th percentile when she was at 2nd at 15 months.
I did not go the sugar route that is such bad advice.
I added olive oil to her baby food...one teaspoon in almost every thing that she ate. Olive oil is high in healthy fats. You can also add avocado to everything as well. My LO did not like the taste of it on its on so I mixed a Tbs in everything that she ate including her meats/vegetable foods.
Also look for yogurt with the highest fat content. I found IOGO to be the highest that was around here. You can also offer cottage cheese. Sour cream is good to mix in with food as well.
I had to see a pediatrician due to her wieght. Had to get bloodwork done and see a dietician. Her blood work was normal and most of the dieticians advice I ignored. As she told me when my LO was a year to only BF her 5 times a day and none at night. I didn't like that idea at all. So I never did that. I did add snacks to her day which I hadn't been giving her enough of.

Breakfast 8am
Snack 10am
Lunch 12pm
Snack 3pm
Dinner 5pm
Snack 7 pm.

Snack were usually cottage cheese and fruit and veggies. Things that were quick to get ready.
If your LO is old enough you can also offer pediasure or if your LO doesn't like the taste on its own make your own smoothies and use it to replace milk.
You could make your own almond milk and use that in any baking or as a milk replacement. It's easy to make
4 cups water
1 cup almonds
3 dates
Soak almonds overnight. Blend all in a blender. A use a cheese cloth bag to strain.

My LO was and is very active. Because of her meeting all milestones and generally being happy I didn't worry too much. There is a under 3% curve for a reason....some babies have to be there or it wouldn't exist. Mine stayed in the 2% curve until 15 months. Then she went up and I believe her going up had nothing to do with anything I did. But that she could feed herself and ask for food when she was hungry.

 

[Bambi1985]

Try not to worry about her weight too much, some babies are just meant to be small! DD2 was born 8lb12oz - 91st centile- but after around 3-4 months was on the 25th centile, one time she only put on 3oz in 5 weeks. My HV said as long as she's happy, active and meeting milestones then she's absoloutly fine.

 

[MrsPear]

It sounds like you're feeding all the right things already

As a PP said, you could try some full fat yoghurt instead of the custard. There's no reason you have to go down the sugar route if you don't want to.

I don't think you need to panic at all. Joni was born just below 75th centile and is now just below the 9th. The health visitors were quite rude to me and made me feel like I wasn't feeding her right, but I can see you're giving lots of high fat and varied diet like I was and it's just one of those things that some babies are slow gainers.

Try not to be scared of seeing a doctor- I think some HV sell it like a "threat" (I know mine did), but in any case if your baby is gaining slowly it's worth seeing a specialist to check it out and it doesn't hurt to be reassured by a medical professional. In the end I was referred to see the growth and nutrition doctor at the hospital, and she discharged us straight away (even though Joni had lost 3oz when we went, and that was after 4 weeks without being weighed). She said that as she is alert, hitting milestones, I'm not huge and nor is OH (5'3" and 5'9") and she is a happy baby etc, it is just something known as "catch down". Basically same as "catch up" but the other way around, just happens when they have had a lot of nutrition in the womb or were overdue etc, so they seemed on a bigger centile than what their natural curve is going to be.

My HV was also adamant that I should be reducing milk feeds significantly from 6 months- but the doctor said to me, don't reduce any breastfeeds until it happens naturally and always feed on demand, but just "make sure you don't give so much milk she can't fit any solids in". But Joni was 8.5 months when she said that, so as you are not yet as far on with weaning, it would be even less of a concern for you. I personally want to breast feed on demand still as it is also a comfort thing for Joni. So I declined reducing the feeds and it was not mentioned again.

Examples of foods I give are (just in case it gives you any ideas for meals but it looks like what you give is similar anyway)-

Porridge with cream
Weetabix with full fat milk
Mash potato with cream (basically anything with cream added lol)
Chickpea curry (with cream haha)
salmon & broccoli fishcakes (dipped in plain yoghurt)
Babybel (Not the low fat ones obviously!)
Bananas
Macaroni Cheese
Cheesy omlette
Pitta bread pizzas

 

[Scally]

Thank you so much for replying and for your help ladies! I now have a lovely long shopping list! I will fatten this baby up!!!!!

 

[minties]

I went through the exact same thing with Sophie. Gained so well until about 4 months. She was still gaining slow at 6 months, but since starting solids she has gone up almost to her old centile. She went from 7.46kg to 8.1kg in 3 weeks which is great.

She has a lot of things with olive oil on or in them, and lots of dairy. She doesn't like cheese much but will tollerate it once a day.

I am doing BLW so I'll spread toast with olive oil or avocado.

It wasn't just her weight but her length also went static, she's gaining more length again now.

 

[Dandini]

Im in the same boat. I try everything to fatten my baby up but everytime I go and get her weighed shes either stayed the same or gone up/down a little. Its so stressful cos as im breastfeeding they think I have something to do with it. She eats non stop solids throughout the day and 4 good milk feeds. Shes active like your little one and has been since 4 months old. She went from the 25th centile and now bounces between 2nd and 9th.

No advice im afraid but I know what your going through! Hugs! X

 

[Scally]

Thank you Minties- I really hope that's what happens to us, that she'll start putting it back on until she is back to her old centile.

Dandini- i'm so nervous when I go to get her weighed, but have very high hopes as I think she has fattened up etc and shes eaten so much and then to see such little amounts is so disheartening I feel like crying!
I am also breastfeeding Poppy, and feeling so much pressure from everyone to give her formula as "I will know how much she is having" but I so wanted to breastfeed until she is 1. Thank u for the hugs, right back at u xx

 

[summer rain]

Bear in mind that on the new growth charts to keep up with their centile after 6 months they only need to gain slightly more than 1oz a week, so 1oz a week isn't drastically low. I no longer worry about this type of thing as all of mine have dropped centile in the first year regardless of what I do but as toddlers they all of a sudden gain much better and end up much bigger than average. It isn't expected for them to stay bang on the same centile throughout the first year and if HVs are properly trained they would be aware of this xx

 

[mrsbeano]

If your LO is anything like Quinn the level of activity between 4 and 6 months is hugely increased so she's just burning more off. I would try to offer more of the savoury instead of more sweet food as it will have more goodness in it rather than empty calories.

We do offer yoghurts if he's still hungry after dinner though.

I haven't had Quinn weighed for ages but he dropped and dropped for ages. I will be intrigued to see what he is when he has his one year appointment (not that they've been in touch!). I was always quite worried about his weight gain but they were never concerned and thankfully used their common sense and could see that he was alert, reaching milestones etc. He hasn't been very good at sitting still for a long time now.

Try not to worry too much is what I'm getting at! x

 

[Dandini]

Its so disheartening seeing the weight now. I used to get so excited but after xmas it just wasnt happening! Lillie is 10 month's on monday and only weighs 16lb 4oz. She lost 2 oz in a month so have to go again in 2 weeks time. What sucks is shes been so poorly as shes teething so wont have put any on in that time. One hv is fine saying nothing wrong shes a happy little girl and then others are like we really need her to put weight on come in every 2 weeks. If shes not gained any this time im giving up with hvs as shes the happiest baby in know and shes meeting milestones on time or early. I would like to bf for at least a year and im not being pressured into giving a happy baby formula just to make hvs happy!

Our babies are just petit little munchkins we should stop worrying and putting pressure on ourselves! Xx

 

[Scally]

Thank you mrsbeano, I would love to not have to get her weighed for a while, I'm sure she'll put on eventually, the fortnightly weigh ins just add more pressure, i'm hoping next time she will go up and then i can go when i want to.

Thank you Dandini- we do need to stop putting pressure on ourselves! I am so worried that if i stop going they will report me or something- i couldn't go until the third wk last time and I felt awful! The hv i see is lovely, and she is so pro breastfeeding telling me all the benefits of feeding to a year and beyond but i'm getting a lot of comments from family, and even my husband has mentioned upping her formula (she has one bottle a day at the moment of about 4-6oz).

 

[Dandini]

I dont think they can report you well I hope not! They're our babies and they arent being neglected so don't see why or how they could report you! Thankfully my family and husband are supportive probably cos im stubborn and wont listen to what they say but mainly cos they know lillies happy! Was your other daughter a slow gainer? You have to do what your happy with dont let anyone pressure you, your doing a great job with your active baby! X

 

[Wannabeam]

My LO was in the 27th percentile then dropped below 9th too. I add Olive oil or rapeseed oil to her meals and when I mince meat for her I don't take the fat off anymore. My family always tell me that as long as she's gaining and healthy then everything is OK. My doctor once tested for a urine infection as she thought that was why LO wasn't gaining weight fast, turns out she was fine just gained weight slower than the average baby.

 

[Wannabeam]

Just been reading everyone's replies and I have to say that I have been very worried about getting LO weighed as I constantly feel like I am being judged as a mother, so hubby said don't go for a while and it has made all the difference, I no longer worry all the time and I can see that LO is healthy and happy and growing. I am scared that she will be weighed soon at her yearly check up and I hope to God that she has gained OK, but with teething and a few colds these last few months I do wonder what she will weigh. I think it's great to be able to breastfeed for a year or more, I wish I could do that

 

[sevenofnine]

My LO is 1.33% on the charts.... yes 1st percentile! I worry all the time despite the fact that her pediatrician says she's doing wonderfully.

She's exclusively breastfed, was born 6lbs, 1oz at 40+4, and is now 10lbs, 15oz and will be 4 months old on the 6th!

 

[Scally]

Dandini- my other daughter was 91st centile for everything and head was 99th line! Cant believe how different they can be! I never had this worry with her!

Thank you wannabeam- if she gains in this two weeks i'm going to ask if i can not take her for a while, i'm sure that would take the pressure off hugely. With colds, teething etc they go off their food and make u worry more! I hope your one year check shows a great weight gain!

sevenofnine- bless your little girl, so cute! Glad your paediatrician is happy with how she's doing.

x