Author Topic: Should I start him on solids??  (Read 1011 times)

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Offline Courtney L

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Should I start him on solids??
« on: December 11, 2009, 21:26:51 pm »
Hello! My LO is 4 months and 3 weeks and will be 5 months on the 28th.   :) He is BF except for the last feed (DF) where he gets a bottle of formula. He takes bottles very well, his grandparents sit for us once a week and he gets EBM in those bottles. He is on 4 hour easy depending! He sleeps well at night with usually only 1 NW to eat and if he wakes before then has been easy to resettle.  2 weeks ago he had his 4month shots, got a little cold and I thing started teething (really red cheeks, nawing on hands, more upset than normal). Since then he has gained barely any weight. He was little to begin with, 6lbs when we got home, but at the end of November was 12lbs 12.5oz. I went and weighed him today and he is only 12lbs 16.25oz. Only up 3.75 in two weeks. Why would this be? He seems happy and healthy. He has 4 wet diapers a day ( I've got him in size 2's as they hold up better at night) When I had him in 1's, I would have to change him at 11pm and 3pm or he would be soaked. He has BM once a week and has been like that for 3 months. He doesn't strain when having them and they are not hard. I don't really know what else to add. He holds his head up very well and has for a long time, he is wobbly when in his bumbo chair, but he is small framed! I'm just worried about the weight I guess, I have been weighing him every weeks since he was born as my doctor kept telling me he wasn't thriving.  :-[ Now when he has poor weight gain I freak out. Maybe I should try for every 2 weeks?  :-\
~Courtney~



Offline anna*

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Re: Should I start him on solids??
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2009, 23:01:14 pm »
(((hugs))) hun. It must be very stressful for you. But if anything is going to help him to gain weight at this age, it is milk. The few spoonfuls of rice and veggies he would start on if he was weaning, will have just negligible amounts of calories in them, until he is a lot older and eating more fats, meats, dairy etc. It sounds like he is healthy and alert and meeting all his milestones? Did the Dr suggest weaning?





Offline Courtney L

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Re: Should I start him on solids??
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2009, 04:08:30 am »
No, the DR did not suggest weaning, she was constantly telling me to supplement (Big fan of formula my Dr.) even though the Health Nurses said he was doing fine, just on a low curve. Would there be another reason for poor weight gain? He seems happy to me, naps, doesn't eat for as long but I assume he's just better at it. He is very alert and is meeting his milestones. I do plan to continue to BF, I would like to at least get to 6 months. I've had a few people tell me that it might help.
~Courtney~



Offline anna*

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Re: Should I start him on solids??
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2009, 07:59:16 am »
(((hugs))) good for you for sticking to your commitment to BF - bugs me so much when Drs are pushing formula. Although, at this age if you were desperate to give him more I would prefer formula top ups to early weaning, I think? It's a personal preference I guess.

I'd suggest taking some steps to optimise your milk supply, so as to make sure he is getting as much milk as possible at every feed (although you're right the short feeds are almost certainly that he is getting more efficient). Things I can immediately think of are a Fenugreek supplement, a bowl of oatmeal every day, pumping after feeding to stimulate supply. Also feeding him immediately when he wakes from his naps, in a dark quiet room, so that he is still drowsy and undistracted and likely to feed for as long as possible.

You could do this for 2-3 weeks and if you're still unhappy with his weight gain, review your decision then? He's still gaining weight - they do go through patches where they grow fast, then it slows down, then speeds up again - the important thing is to look at the rate of his growth over a longer period, look at months together rather than individual weeks.

what do you think?





Offline Courtney L

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Re: Should I start him on solids??
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2009, 15:42:41 pm »
I do want to see how far I can go , I do feed him when he wakes up from naps and in his room but I guess i'll try with the lamp off and see if I can keep him interested! I'm pretty sure my supply is o.k, I can usually pump at least an ounce after he feeds. I guess he's only got a month and a half before he is 6 months, I will see how things go this month and go from there I guess. Thanks Anna!
~Courtney~