Isaac had his four month checkup today. He is 13 lbs. 6 oz., up 1 lb. 6 oz. from his last visit. He is still not gaining enough weight. Sob!
His doctor said, babies should gain 1/2 to 1 oz. per day at this age. So, in seven weeks from his last appointment, he should gain somewhere between 1 lb. 9 oz. and 3 lb. 2 oz. So, he has not gained enough to even meet the minimum "requirement." I thought he was really gaining fast!
She suggested adding even more formula to his diet. Usually we give him 4 or 8 oz. per day in addition to breastmilk. He still nurses every 2-3 hours plus I pump an extra 4 oz. bottle of breastmilk for him right before I go to bed, for the next day. Now she is saying to give him 12 oz. extra formula every day. I asked her about starting rice cereal but she said no, increase the calories through formula and not solid foods.
This is a totally new experience for me and honestly I feel like I don't know exactly what is right. I don't have a strong instinct here. Isaac is so healthy and so happy, he sleeps well and isn't fussy, he smiles and coos and plays and is very alert. I don't see any "warning signs" of anything at all. He doesn't strike me as a baby who is hungry and I feel like I am feeding him all the time. But, he is still underweight. He has fallen from the 60th percentile for weight to the 20th. I feel anxious about that.
I guess we will try to add in a little more formula and see if that makes any difference. If he is still "underweight" at his 6 month appointment, I am going to just say forget it and chalk it up as his normal pattern of growth.
2 days ago
4 comments:
Becky--I feel for you!! I feel like I have gone through that all of Mia's life. She started out at 50%, and at some point dropped to 25% and has pretty much stayed there. She has gone through periods of just NOT eating since she was about 1 year old, which caused me no end of worry. It took until the last few months for me to get over it, because she does keep growing, and like you said, shows no real signs of distress.
Mia was 10lbs 10oz at her 4 month check up. Some kids are just little. I say try the formula like you said, but if he's still "underweight" (and who is to say that, really?) at 6 months like you said, don't worry. Maybe he'll really chow down when it's time for cereal and baby food.
If I had your pediatrician she might have told me the same thing. But our doctor has a little boy just like Mia--little. So I guess that gave him a different perspective. That's what makes it so hard. You've got your instincts and then the opinion of the doctors which can be totally different for each one!
Hmmm... I would only add the formula if you think your supply is suffering. I think at this age babies are going to take what they need and want. If he's not acting hungry after nursing, I wouldn't worry. But I'm no professional. I'm sorry you're worried over this, it really sounds to me like he's doing well. Only three ounces off the minimum requirement is not bad!
Obviously I'm not a mom and so I don't have any practical advice but I just wanted to drop in and say that I admire you for taking your instincts and knowledge into account as well as the doctor's advice. I agree that in the amount of time I've gotten to spend with Ike he's seemed very healthy and happy.
It seems like those "recommendations" are one-size-fits-all, and not every baby is the same. Obviously the doctor's advice is important but maybe Ike is doing OK at his own pace. Look at how slender John is and was as a baby; he is fine even though his growth never kept up with the charts and recommendations.
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