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Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
18 mo old won't eat/isn't growing
(Had to make a new account for some reason??)
Anyway, my 18 mo old just had his 18 mo wellness check and the pedi is concerned about his weight. He's never been big but he's down to the 5th percentile (from 50th). We are still nursing and the pedi said I can do that for as long as I want but that LO is filling up on breastmilk and water (he loves it). From the 15thmo appt to the 18th he gres an half an inch and gained 10 ounces. Pedi says no more water and to give him pediasure. Now it's almost like LO understood him completely and has gone on a hunger strike this w/e. He will ONLY nurse. Ugh. Pedi has us coming back to see him in two months to check his growth. It's stressing me out!
Anyone else deal with this or know someone who has? I don't want to wean but I need this kid to eat! Suggestions?
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Re: 18 mo old won't eat/isn't growing
there is no concern with my LO's weight but with eating enough food rich in iron. She was BF until 15months and continues to Love even cows milk which doesn't provide enough iron. One way I get my LO to eat the food I want her to eat is letting her dip things and snacks that let her show her independence. I let her dip some of her fruit in yogurt (loves yogurt) to get her to eat the fruit. Probably not the best idea but I let her dip her steak in ketchup. This morning she wouldn't eat her eggs...gave her a dap of ketchup to dip them in and she gobbled them up. I try to put her snacks (usually cut up fruit, raisins, cheerios) in munchin cup with a lid. The cup has small opening that she sticks her hand in and she really likes just having the cup feeding herself.
I wouldn't wean...see if you can experiment with different ways to get your LO to eat. I don't like my LO eating her meals away from the table but if I have to to get her to eat food I will.
We had a similar issue with DS when he was younger (I think around 7 or 8 months old). He hadn't gained much weight and had fallen to the 1% from the 50%.
Avocado, cheese, and meat really helped him to gain weight and get back on track with growing. By his 9 month visit he was back to the 10% and at his 12 month visit he was back to the 50%.
Make every solid LO eats count- no empty calories. Pick foods that are rich in protein and healthy fats.
Good luck!
We have ds on pediasure too. We had to slowly introduce it to get him to drink it. He was on BM until 14 months and then toddler formula after that. We slowly mixed pediasure with the toddler formula at around 16 months until he accepted it (and only in a different straw cup). Pediasure is a VERY strong flavor, so you literally could smell the difference from even half an ounce. Ds is VERY picky about food, but we were able to get him to accept it after a while. Ds has always been small, but has gained well and has made it from off the charts to 10th-20th for weight, and I do believe pediasure has helped with this. Plus, after 18 months, other kids slow down a lot which gave him more of a chance to start catching up.
As far as solids go, I also try to use calorie rich but healthy foods. We do lots of high-fat yogurts, cheeses, avocado (when he'll eat it), bananas, fortified crackers with cream cheese, pretzels loaded with hummus, dried fruits, and nuts and seeds. That's about all ds will really eat these days anyway. We've never had luck with veggies or meats except for fish sticks and rarely chicken tenders.
My DS had some allergy issues when he was about 6 months old. He is still "under the curve" for weight. At his 18 month appointment, his pedi also suggested pediasure- though we half it with WCM because he tends to chug it & vomit if it is too thick. I almost never give him water or juice.
DS's pedi wasn't too concerned. She said a lot of kids at his age are "too busy" to eat a lot. We try to give him a variety of foods and feed him small meals throughout the day, but WCM and Pediasure are still his biggest source of calories. I'd let the kid nurse if he wants to nurse!