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August 2014 Moms
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Those with tiny babies...

kimberlybethhkimberlybethh member
in August 2014 Moms

What are you doing to help your LOs gain weight? At our four month check, DS was in the zero percentile for his weight. He has MSPI so he is on Alimentum. The pedi suggested putting a tsp of oatmeal per oz. in all his bottles and an extra half scoop of formula. I have been doing both of these but they don’t seem to be helping since he spits up half of what he eats. I have considered waking him up to do a feeding in the middle of the night but hate to mess with his sleep if I don’t have to. We have to switch him to Elecare in a month if he doesn’t gain any weight. I really want to avoid that if possible since its $50 a can and it smells even worse than the formula he is currently on. Any other suggestions?

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Re: Those with tiny babies...

  • blondee4685blondee4685 member
    Why do you think he is spitting up half his food? That's not good. Maybe feed smaller amount more often and burp often so he doesn't spit up. He needs those extra calories :)
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  • dogperson11dogperson11 member
    My daughter (4 months 2 days ago) is 11th percentile for weight. She drops % every appointment (started at 20, then 14, now 11). She's gained less then 2 lbs in 2 months. We go in for her 4 month appt in 2 weeks and I'm afraid that they'll suggest we supplement (we EBF). If they suggest it I'm prepared to give some pushback. She's happy, healthy, developing and meeting milestones. She's just petite.
    Married November 2009
    Clara, August 2014 
    Baby Boy due October 2017
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  • lookame3639lookame3639 member
    DS had the same issue when he was on allamentum. He ate but then would vomit just about everything. We switched back andforth between the 2 varieties (i believe Similac and Enfamil both had a version of it). Anyway i tried cereal in his bottle but it didn'thelp. He started holding tthings down when he started actual solids. I didn't have any luck with weight gain until then either.

    things you could attempt that i didnt.
    -new bottles (dr browns or colic bottles)
    -frequent burps throught feeds, smaller amounts more frequent feeds.

    Does he act like he just never feels well? DS never smiled as a baby. He wasn't fussy and didn't have colic but he just never really smiled or seemed happy. Almost like he never felt good. The way his presented was bloody stools though. He also didn't grow out of it until about 5 years old, up until then if he drank milk or ate dairy then he'd fall on the floor crying and holding his stomach.
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  • *Merry**Merry* member
    With DD1 she was in the 45-50 percentile at birth... By 2months she was in the "less the 3" percentile. We did not have to change anything but did have to go to the pediatrician monthly fur weight checks. After 2m she was always in the less then 3 percentile (once off the chart on but once did make it to the 5th). Our Pediatrician was never concerned and said "as long as she is following her own curve she is fine... Someone has to be in the 99th and someone has to be in the 1". He never pushed her to eat more or start solids early as she was always one who would only eat what she wanted and it was a hopeless battle to increase ounces or anything. She is now almost 4yrs old, still on the skinny side but perfectly happy and healthy. She still only ears small meals when she is ready (don't bother trying to get her to eat dinner if she's not hungry... It'll just lead to frustration)...but she also eats anything! (Sushi, every vegetable, fish, shrimp... Anything but fresh tomatoes
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  • *Merry**Merry* member
    Oh and dd was only 16lbs at 1yr yet DS is 14.5lbs at 4.5 months right now. Every child is different
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  • mmsweeney1mmsweeney1 member
    How big was he when he was born? Is it possible all the concern is overblown? I don't mean to dismiss your struggles at all, but my LO is also not even on the percentiles chart for weight. Our doctor isn't concerned because she is gaining within recommended amounts, which is half to one ounce each day. She's on the low side at 0.6 ounce per day. Dr says she's following her own growth curve. Just like @dogperson11‌ I haven't supplemented because she's happy, healthy, and learning.

    first son stillborn 7/20/13 at 39 weeks due to Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy
    It's a girl! Baby Anna was born August 3, 2014!

     
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  • kimberlybethhkimberlybethh member

    Thanks for the suggestions! I have tried both the Similac and Enfamil versions of the formula and haven't seen much of a difference. I will try burping him more often and maybe switch bottles and/or trying to feed smaller amounts more often. He is a super happy baby and smiles all the time. He has a great affect so I wasn't concerned about him being small until the doctor started talking about failure to thrive and possibly switching formula.  

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  • Elaina22Elaina22 member
    My LO is in the 7th percentile, 16th at birth. I was worried the doctor would want me to supplement, but just like PP shared, she is growing, happy, and healthy. Our pediatrician was actually very reassuring and encouraging. I do however still feed her every time she wakes up MOTN if it has been 3 hours or more.
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  • kiley820kiley820 member
    DS is on Elecare and we had to concentrate his formula since he wasn't even on the growth charts at 2 months. We have since stopped as he has gained weight, still only 8th % but he is growing at his own pace so pediatrician & GI are happy with that. He also has severe MSPI & silent reflux.
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    Our first.. Baby BOY! EDD 8/20/14 :) 
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  • rstarrlemaitrerstarrlemaitre member
    Our little man is tiny too - 6 lb 3 oz at birth, and holding steady around the 4th or 5th percentile. He only gained 7 ounces though in the three weeks after his 4 month appointment, but based on how his clothing fits these days, I think he's had a spurt since then and shouldn't have fallen percentile-wise.

    I EBF and our pedi is not at all concerned, and very reassuring. That said, I do quasi-wake him to nurse around 4 or 5 am, because otherwise he would sleep a 12 hour stretch and I'm just not comfortable letting him go that long. Once we have solids firmly established, I'll give myself permission to let us both STTN :)
    image

    image    image
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  • RoccoBabyKRoccoBabyK member
    DD was 6lbs 7oz at birth and at her 4 month appt on the 16th she was 10lbs 6oz, so she's in the 0-5 percentile. She has always spit up a lot as well but her pediatrician has never shown much concern because she is following her curve, gaining, and meeting her milestones. She's happy and healthy!
                             imageimageimage
              Emma June 8/22/2014
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  • lookame3639lookame3639 member
    @loislayn‌ is correct about solids not helping nutritionally. The only reason it helped DS was because there was something in his stomach which helped sop up the allementum (idk if it made his belly hurt less, because it was thicker and not as liquidity, or just because there was something else in his tummy aside from the formula). It just allowed him to eat and keep it down which allowed him to start growing.
    IAmPregnant Ticker}
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  • kimberlybethhkimberlybethh member

    @mmsweeney1 he was 6lbs 12oz when he was born. He was actually a pound bigger than DD when she was born. The doctor says she is concerned since he is "falling off the growth curve". I do think doctors have a tendency to be alarmist though. She just made me feel like I wasn't taking care of him properly which was a pretty crappy feeling. I found somewhere besides my doctor's office that I can take him to get weighed. I'm going to do that a few times before our next appointment so I can get a better idea of where he is at. Thanks to all of you for the reassurance!

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  • kareik01kareik01 member

    DD is in the 6th percentile at 4 months, 8th percentile at 2 months. She's just breaking 12 pounds now at 4.5 months.  I was afraid at 4 months if she hadn't gone up that he'd advise me to start supplementing with formula. But he said he wasn't concerned and thinks she is just going to be petite.

    I agree with PPs, do the extra scoop of formula, but also do smaller feedings at a time and burp more often. I hope your LO picks up some weight soon :)

    image
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  • sharkmama39sharkmama39 member
    K is a tiny one too. She was born at 6lb 6oz and has always had a hard time keeping things down. She dropped to the 3rd percentile by her four month appointment but the dr said she wasn't concerned bc she is a happy baby that is hitting all of her milestones. After I left the appointment I wasn't too concerned but then Ks spit up hit an all time high so I started to worry. I emailed the pedi and she had me schedule a 5mo weight check which is now just a week away, I'm hoping it will give me some peace of mind. Since making that appointment we have changed how we feed her-smaller amounts but more frequently as well as stopping her every oz or so (or every few minutes when bfing) to burp her. She absolutely haaaaaates it when we do that but her spit up has dramatically reduced.
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  • kimberlybethhkimberlybethh member
    He was on medication for reflux for about 2 months. We decreased it and then weaned him off since the medication only stops them from being uncomfortable from spitting up and it didn't appear to bother him. I have tried different bottles, made smaller bottles and have been burping him more often. He hates the constant burping when he is eating but he hasn't spit up as much the last few days. I'm taking him to get weighed on Tuesday so fingers crossed that he is gaining!
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