High calorie foods and ideas to fatten up my baby?
Dochas
member
Daniel is on the small side (so are his Dad and I) and our ped is watching his weight. He hasn't lost, but he is slow to gain. She feels that he is fine, but if he's still low next month she is going to order some bloodwork just to be sure. Naturally, I don't want them to have to draw blood. I BF and asked outright if I should supplement with formula - happily she doesn't want that. Instead she thinks it's best if we try to get his weight up with solids.
He's loving purees - lots of different fruits and many vegetables. I usually make his food but I also bought some jars to try him with meat. Last night he loved a turkey/potatoe puree. So I think the meat will help. And we can start yogurt so I can mix that with fruit puree. I'm going to get some pastina too. Any other ideas that might plump him up just a bit? He is getting 3 meals a day now. I'm going to start him on bits of regular food but right now he doesn't really like the texture. I just gave him some ground beef and he seemed to really like the taste but gagged swallowing it. So I will stick with pureeing things and slowly introduce table foods.
Thanks for any help. I'm not worried, but I am if you know what I mean. 
ETA: I also give him cereal in the morning with his fruit. I am going to up the amounts slowly to be sure he's getting all he can.
Re: High calorie foods and ideas to fatten up my baby?
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That could be good. He might not like the texture of the cottage cheese but I could make it smoother or mix it with something. Beans are a great idea, too. Do you mash them up?
What is 6% yogurt? I'm so used to buying lowfat I didn't know that existed! Is it greek yogurt? Avocado is the one thing he hasn't like so far but I'll try mix it with something else. And I will add some butter too. He didn't like white potatoes so now that I can use butter and milk I will try again. He took a little bite of my toast the other day but spit it out. lol. I wish I had this problem.
We were doing 2 and last month she said to try and get him to do 3. In the last few days he's really been "into" the 3 meals! Until then he really didn't want more than 2. He's also been looking for a little more when he finishes (thank heaven for bananas - a real "fastfood" lol). So maybe we'll be turning the corner now. Was everything ok with D's bloodwork? The ped's been watching this for a couple of months now so I think we can avoid it totally if he gains a little better. We're only going next month for a weight/height check so I think if she was going to do it no matter what she would have ordered it this month.
I think we'll be splitting this meal!
LOL. We did too - I portioned hers out, then doped ours up with more spicy taco sauce and cheese. We eat it with tortilla chips (like a dip), tomatoes, mild jalepenos, sour cream and cheese quesadillas. It's like a 10 minute dinner and not too unhealthy.
I think you should post this on kellymom too to get other breastfeeding moms' opinions.
Fruits and veggies aren't going to up his weight BUT - they are TOTALLY FINE to be all you are feeding him now. A lot of people don't even start solids at all until 6 months old - you're only a little bit beyond that. But more than any solids you give him - your breastmilk is the fattiest thing he's going to get - way fattier and more important than upping his solids right now.
I think everything you are doing is fine. I don't think you need to do any more or try to rush him into foods he's not ready for. If anything - I'd say see if you can get him to nurse one extra time each day - or nurse a bit longer at each session throughout the day. The longer he nurses - the fattier the milk he's getting.
In general though, trying to trick a baby into eating more is never a good idea. They are perfect at regulating their own food intake - and letting them lead the way is always the best idea. So while it's great to offer more food or bigger portions - when he's done - let him be done. Unless his weight really falls off (and I'm not getting a sense that's the case) - I think you guys are fine.
"When it comes to sleeping, whatever your baby does is normal. If one thing has damaged parents enjoyment of their babies, it's rigid expectations about how and when the baby should sleep." ~ James McKenna, Ph.D., Mother Baby Behavioral Sleep Center, University of Notre Dame
Thanks! We've done all we can as far as the breastfeeding goes. There's no way to make him stay on there when he's "finished"! We're definitely not forcing him into anything. Just looking to add higher calorie foods to the good fruits and veggies he's getting. He loves eating "real" food. I want to prevent a blood draw and if yogurt and cheese can help, then he'll be sampling those often.
I just got back from the Doctor today, and as usual, next month we go back for a weight check. He is 15lbs 8oz at 11 months. We (Mom and Dad) were both tiny kids. I know what you mean about the quote, unquote worry. You look at your healthy, healthy eating small child and can't seem to understand.
I breastfed until he was 6 months, but could no longer bear the mental anguish and the urging of my pediatrician to put him on formula. I wish I hadn't stopped, but what's done is done.
Tomorrow, we are going to hit the grocery store and I am going to try pediasure, avocados, whole milk yogurt and any carbs he may eat. I don't want to give him pure junk, as some suggest for low weight infants and toddlers. My doctor did tell me to cut way back on the foods. She only wants me to give him foods twice a day and really push the concentrated formula until he's drinking between 24-30oz a day. Her point being that this is where he will get the most calories. Good Luck to you and me too, I know it's rough.