So last week we learned that DS actually lost some weight after his 9 months appointment. Now we're trying to figure out what to feed him to get him to gain some weight - the pedi gave some suggestions, but I wanted to see what all of you were doing. Plus, I feel like I'm feeding him ALL the time, and he never seems to want to eat much. I'm still nursing, but here's kind of what we're doing right now.
6:00 - at least 6 oz whole milk in sippy
7:00 - breakfast, usually oatmeal with fruit, 1-2 oz WM
8:30 - nap, nurse
10:30 - snack, usually whole wheat toast with cream cheese, 1-2 oz WM
12:30 - puffs, while I grab some lunch
Lunch is sometimes before his nap, sometimes after, depending on how hungry he seems. I feel like the toast fills him up so he usually doesn't want to eat much until after his nap.
1:30 - nap, nurse
2:30 - lunch, veggie, fruit, 1-2 oz WM
4:30 - sippy of milk, 4-5 oz
6:00 - dinner, veggies and milk
7:30 - bed and nurse
I also sub in yogurt with fruit for a snack sometimes in there, or it's part of his lunch. I guess I'm not really sure what else to do. Feeding him takes 30 minutes, especially if it's finger foods, so he's eating all the time. But I guess that's what it takes to get him to gain some weight? A lot of the time he doesn't even seem that hungry.
Anyway, I'm rambling. Anyone in the same boat? What does your underweight LO eat?
Re: feeding schedule if your LO needs to gain weight?
My kid is super skinny, too, but the pedi says that's just him so she's not worried. And your kid eats way more than my picky boy.
Maybe do a yogurt every day.. the kind with the higher fat contents. We try to do one every night for supper since it also fills him up more for the overnight.
My DD is little and eats all the time but she is on her curve so my pedi is not worried. At nine months she had not really gained anything from 6 months but was back on track at 12. I would ditch the puffs and give him a high protein bean such as edamame, I also would add a lean protein to his lunch. My DD loves pretty much all types of beans and they make great finger foods. You can put hummas or avocado on sandwiches. My pedi said to look at whole foods she believes they carry Tuna in olive oil, if not, add olive oil to tuna that was packed in water. She also suggested I incorporate unsweeted almond milk at a time when she would normally have water with a meal.
DS is almost 2 so I don't know if this will help. But his is in the 4th percentile for weight (up from 2%).
Anyhow, we do three meals and two snacks a day. I always make sure to add fat to whatever he eats (butter, sour cream, hummus, olive oil, peanut butter, cheese). We also have done carnation instant breakfast with his milk which I also sometimes add a little cream as well. He drinks milk with all his meals and water at snacktime and throughout the day. We also give him dessert a couple of night a week. We do this sort of randomly so he can't anticipate eat and decide not to eat his dinner.
I feel like LO eats all the time he generally eats 3 meals a day and 3 snacks. Our schedule is similar - 8:00 Breakfast, 10:00 Snack,12:00 Lunch then nap,3:30 Snack,5:30/6:00 Dinner, 8:00 Snack. Other than dinner I cater to foods LO likes, dinner he gets what is made for the family.
He had lots of weight problems (mostly due to reflux) but seems to even out for the moment (at about 19/20 months). Personally between 9 months and 12 months babies get really busy so the weight loss would not be unfathomable. When do you go in for a weight check? Just keep up all the work eating all day
Have you tried avacado? My LO can eat a whole one.
Can you nurse him immediately upon waking up from his naps, perhaps even while still drowsy? DD likes to have some milk when she wakes up.
And, as others said - more high fat foods. Yogurt, cheese, avocado, homemade hummus, roast your veggies w/ lots of olive oil, etc.
I'm actually working at weaning right now, so I'm trying to get him to drink more WM, which is what the pedi wanted. Maybe I could start offering a sippy when he wakes. Right now he's nursing to sleep, then having a snack when he wakes.
Edamame is a great idea! I think we have some in the freezer, actually.