Help me fatten my skinny vegetarian baby
cndmexbaby
member
Going to the pedi always stresses me out because of LO's weight. She was 7 lbs 2 oz at birth, full term. She lost 3/4 lb when breastfeeding didn't go well the first few days. She was jaundice. Then she was fine, gaining one pound a month which my pedi said was the minimum goal.
At 6 months when we started solids, she didn't gain much weight the next month. I took her in at 7 months to check up on her weight. At her 9 month appointment today, she gained only 1 pound these last two months. (But she has been crawling, pulling up and cruising since 7 months)
She is still really struggling with constipation from solid which complicates things.
She is in the 3rd percentile for weight right now. This makes me feel like crap. She is breastfed and started waking at 6 months several times a night. I nurse her when she does wake up.
We are vegetarians and are going to start her on tofu this weekend. I want her to gain weight so she is not OFF the charts. (Below 5percentile) The doctor didn't stress too much but said we should offer foods that help her grow.
Oh....and the Doctor also said she is AHEAD developmentally. She is happy and active.
Please help me fatten her up a bit! Thanks!
Re: Help me fatten my skinny vegetarian baby
Try fatty foods like avocado.
What are you feeding her now in terms of solids?
Do you have any objections to supplementing with formula at all?
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I will buy some avocado. That was my first food as a baby and I still love it.
We have been very hesitant with solids because of the constipation. She gets stage 1 and 2 purees. Puffs and mum mums and we have started a little finger food. But no matter what we do, she gets constipated. I feel like that kind of means she is not ready for solids. Oh and she gets a LOT of prunes.
We have soy formula. I tried it in a sippy and she did not like it. I would prefer not using formula unless her weight is actually a health problem. I feel more that she is a naturally skinny baby but it stresses me out.
She may be naturally skinny. If she is growing consistently on her own curve. I'll tell you DD didn't gain weight for 4 weeks and only gained 2 lbs in between her 6 and 9 month appointment. But she has stayed steady in the 50% since 2 months old. So if she is growing on a curve, even if it is her own curve and the doc isn't worried, it should be ok. I'm really no help with a veg diet though.
It is a great idea for a baby. I am well researched on this topic. Most people I know are vegetarians and so are their babies. We are a healthy lot.
I will try the avocado, thanks.
Hmm. That is interesting. We haven't really started on her normal food like this so I hadn't thought about it. Solids have been a huge challenge because of the constipation. Although she does love to eat!
I haven't tried avocado for a few weeks. I did it as a finger food last time and it was a huge mess and she didn't eat anything. But I will spoon feed it to her. I think I will definitely start there. I think it is easy to digest too. Although it doesn't seem to matter what it is, she gets constipated.
We won't do dairy but pasta is fine, thanks! We did give her some spaghetti the other day. Black beans are a huge staple in our house too. I guess I am still stuck on the puree train!
Beans are great finger food as well. For constipation you can always cut up prunes and let her eat them like finger foods. Or buy unflavored gelatin and subsitute the water with prune juice, let it get all jiggly in the fridge, and then cut it into jell-o "sticks". Joy absolutely loves prunes and it keeps her very regular.
I will admit I am not well researched on the topic, so maybe I shouldn't have an opinion. I think I mean vegan though and not vegetarian. I didn't mean to be condescending. I'm sorry I came off that way. I'm sure you are doing what is best for you and her.
Well she is growing but at 6 months she was 5th percentile and 9 months she is 3rd percentile. Before that she was in the 10 percentile. Pedi said it is normal for babies not to gain much weight when they start solids but then they catch up. I think she is not catching up because of the constipation issue.
I think a lot of meat eating families don't start meat this young. Although my pedi is a meat pusher.
I agree with PPs about tahini, yogurt, and avocado. If she doesn't like avocado plain, try mixing it with banana. That is one of my DD's favorites! Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is a great super healthy fat to give baby, and it has tons of other health benefits. I will cook my DD's brown rice in it, and she loves it! There are tons of things you can do with olive oil, too. I make a pesto with spinach, peas, garlic (yes garlic), and lots of olive oil and put it on quinoa macaroni pasta, and my DD loves that too! Keep in mind that olive oil loses most of its nutrients when heated, so say if you roast her veggies in it, be sure to stir a bit more in before you serve it to her.
Since you are vegetarian, you should also be sure that she is getting protien. I saw that you are giving her tofu soon. You should also give her a lot of egg yolk (assuming you're not vegan). Egg yolks will have the protein AND fat that she needs! Good luck fattening her up!
P.S. Here is an article about the health benefits of coconut oil for baby:
https://blog.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/the-benefits-of-coconut-oil-for-baby/Hmm, I wonder if she would like that. I love hummus but it is an aquired taste to most! So you put it on toast? We tried toast a few days ago and DH freaked cause she kind of choked for a second.
What percentile is your baby?
Sorry I replied with formula before reading all of the post. Oops! But this! Hummus! We are not vegetarian's, however DS loves hummus! I put it on veggies, crackers, or often i put some on those little flatbread and make him a little hummus sandwich. It's my "lazy" way of getting him protein for lunch and not making meat, etc.
Homemade...hmm. I'll have to find a recipe! I would have never thought of hummus. Thanks!
Do you tear up the pita into little pieces? I am worried about choking. We already have one scare although she wasn't supposed to be eating what she choked on.
When should I offer it? I breastfeed every 3 hours, even at night.
Do you mash up the beans? Can they be canned beans?
I loved jell-o as a kid but DH says no to gelatin unless I can find some kosher stuff.
She does get prunes daily, almost. But not as a finger food. I thought prunes were gross - turns out I love them myself!
Most babies start on meat between 6-9 months. Your pedi is pushing it because the iron in meat is very good for babies, essential to growth. If you're BF'ing only your baby might not be getting enough iron, are you doing baby cereal which is fortified with iron?
You can offer formula after nursing to see if she is still hungry, this will also help with iron.
That is ok. She will be vegan though, at least for the first couple of years. Cheese really isn't that good for you, at all. Too bad I LOVE IT!!
The longest living people are vegetarians and vegans. National Geographic did an article about that. I really don't want to live till I am 105 though so maybe I should start eating some burgers.
I have to admit I am a little nervous about feeding some of this food, only because of the choking issue. Your baby is getting some great food!!
Thanks for the link about the coconut oil. I will definitely try that!
DH and I will have to discuss egg. Pedi says egg white but no egg yolk though.
Yes. She gets water in a sippy every day.
No problem. I appreciate everyone's help. Does the hummus have to be homemade? Is there something in store bought that is not good for babies?
Oh yeah she loves her mum mums and can chew our fingers into minced meat. I will try some toast strips with hummus! Thanks!
PS Do you cut the crust off the toast?
Yep I am sure. These last two appointments she has said egg white only. Hmm.
Weird. We were told the exact opposite.
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You don't understand the appeal of Benedict Cumberbatch / think he's fug / don't know who he is? WATCH SHERLOCK. Until you do, your negative opinion of him will not be taken seriously.
You're welcome! Since she's not doing dairy, there is a lot you can do with coconut milk, too! Smoothies, etc. Which suggestion concerns you about choking? The macaroni? I just saw that your DD isn't quite 9 months yet, so you may save that one for later, but my little one has no problem with it. I just make sure to boil it long enough so that it is soft, and she mashes it up really well!
Make sure you research the egg thing before you give her eggs - I think you may have heard your pedi wrong. Everything I have read says to exclude the whites for the first year because the components that cause allergic reactions are in the whites.
P.S. Don't listen to PPs about the vegetarian thing. As long as you make sure that she gets all of the proper nutrients, it is a very healthy lifestyle. I am not vegan, but try to make 80% of my diet vegan. I am a huge fan of the book Eat to LIve. If you haven't read it, try it.
P.P.S. Sorry for my LONG posts!
You have that backwards
Yes but I have also seen a lot of posters say their pedi said no meat until after 12 months.
My baby had blown drawn for iron today. I am quite sure it will be fine but we will see. There is iron in meat but you can find it many other places as well.
There are certain meats that are not good for babies under 12 mos (Mostly shellfish and other sea creatures) but for the most part babies can have chicken, beef, pork and other land animal meat by 9-10 months.
Have you checked out wholesomebabyfood.com?
Unable to even.
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You don't understand the appeal of Benedict Cumberbatch / think he's fug / don't know who he is? WATCH SHERLOCK. Until you do, your negative opinion of him will not be taken seriously.
I haven't read every response so apologies if this has been mentioned before - have you considered taking LO to a nutritionist? They often have better dietary information than pedis.
Unable to even.
********************
You don't understand the appeal of Benedict Cumberbatch / think he's fug / don't know who he is? WATCH SHERLOCK. Until you do, your negative opinion of him will not be taken seriously.
I asked DH and he said egg whites too. I better email the pediatrician.
I guess since we haven't ventured into "real" food yet, it just makes me nervous. I cannot imagine her eating it. I am going to try though!
I called DH and he is also sure the doctor said egg white. I remember thinking, what the heck do you make out of egg white? So maybe she has it backwards.
I am not vegan either. I want to be, but I am weak. I love cheese. And it is hard to cook and bake without eggs. We do get free range vegetarian fed eggs though.
Oh my goodness - I read "Eat to Live" several years ago while teaching abroad. That book CHANGED my life. I felt so amazing on that diet. Too bad I didn't stick with it. Thanks for the encouraging regarding a vegetarian diet. It is a lot more accepted than when I was a kid! I have never eaten meat and never will. (At least not on purpose, thanks to a banana eggroll dessert I ordered at a Mexican restaurant that had pork eggrolls under ice cream and chocolate sauce - BIG OOPS on their part!)