12 month old nursing almost exclusively, doc threatening FTT - Page 2

[smeep]

Oh, and on the note of anemia, "milking" (or squeezing) the finger when obtaining a sample can lead to falsely low results (which I think may have been a factor with my DS's borderline low results at 12 mos). I just recently read this (I'm doing some big time research on iron in breastfed babies, you wouldn't BELIEVE what I've found! stuff I've never seen pointed out anywhere that really makes me question everything) and, thinking back, I can't recall a single time where they DIDN'T milk his finger for it.

[myorianna]

I agree with what everyone else has chimed in with. I just wanted to add that if you were really paranoid (which you shouldn't be), my lactation consultant used to weigh my DD before and after a nursing session to make me feel more confident that I was providing her enough milk by myself. It could be an easy option to satisfy your pediatrician if it took you a while to find and switch to another one- its an accepted method to tell how much your LO is consuming. Those scales are much less expensive than a pump

[sky_and_lavender]

Just wanted to say I'm another mama with a babe who was about 17lbs at a year. (She was actually a little less.) She nurses a ton but does eat. And she was on the low-normal side of normal, iron-wise. But like your baby, my daughter is active, bright, has many words and signs. She's not kept pace with her own curve. But the ped wasn't concerned because clearly she's thriving.

So, just another confirmation that you are likely fine--it's just the ped who's misinformed.

I wish you the best!

[Pandme]

Wow, I didn't know that about anemia and "milking". Fortunately they didn't do that (she bled easily) and got a great number, 12.5. Floravital works!

Another two pooper day. One big, one smaller. And lots of heavy dipes....sposies too. I managed to get her several tastes of yogurt and buttery mashed potato, but when she is done, she is done. I gave her cheese to play with and she definitely put it in her mouth but withdrew it a few moments later. She clearly knows what to do with it but isn't ready to take a bite herself yet.

Her new thing is slapping me high fives while giggling madly as well.

[Bellabaz]

17 lbs doesn't sound unhealthy to me. Obviously I don't know her curve. But your ped sounds more like he is following his personal agenda then the actuality of your lo's health. Keep doing what you are doing if she is developing fine in other areas too. Keep offering solids too and letting her explore tastes and textures. Good luck with that ped!

[Pandme]

Originally Posted by Bellabaz

17 lbs doesn't sound unhealthy to me. Obviously I don't know her curve. But your ped sounds more like he is following his personal agenda then the actuality of your lo's health. Keep doing what you are doing if she is developing fine in other areas too. Keep offering solids too and letting her explore tastes and textures. Good luck with that ped!

Thank you. She does not look unhealthy or act unhealthy at all. I am not going back to him. I should have known he was trouble when he told me it's VERY important to do WBV because of the charts. Charts tell you when there is a major growth problem , don't ya know. I am SO glad he wasn't seeing my son, we would have had this same issue.

[PatioGardener]

How does her curve look on the WHO growth chart?
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/stand...irls_p_0_2.pdf

If she is falling off the curve on the WHO chart, I would look into it myself. These charts are built on breastfed babies' typical growth. I would look into it by nursing more! and by offering nutrient dense solids like avocado and sweet potato and meat if you eat meat. If I needed to I would see an IBCLC, and get proper weights on a good scale, a week or two apart.

As for pumping your milk!?! He is sadly ignorant about breastfeeding! Hang in there, Mama, and keep nursing your gorgeous babe

[Pandme]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener

How does her curve look on the WHO growth chart?
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/stand...irls_p_0_2.pdf

If she is falling off the curve on the WHO chart, I would look into it myself. These charts are built on breastfed babies' typical growth. I would look into it by nursing more! and by offering nutrient dense solids like avocado and sweet potato and meat if you eat meat. If I needed to I would see an IBCLC, and get proper weights on a good scale, a week or two apart.

As for pumping your milk!?! He is sadly ignorant about breastfeeding! Hang in there, Mama, and keep nursing your gorgeous babe

I don't know, really. Using the WHO charts is confusing to me, converting the pounds, etc. She was 16 pounds, 4 oz. at 9 months (different scale), 16 pounds 10 oz. at 10 months (doc's scale) and 16 pound 14 ounces at 12 months (doc's scale). She gained only 4 oz. from 10-12 months (after starting mobility). I imagine she'd fall off a bit of any curve.

eta: All I know is I could not possibly nurse any more. She's off and on all day and night for food and comfort. Today she's had 4 significantly heavy sposies and a big poop as well so far. I always have milk coming out and feel letdowns. She threw up randomly yesterday for the first time ever (has a lot of post-nasal drip from a cold she's getting over) and it was such a large quantity of milk I was impressed. I cannot figure out how I could possibly make the nursing more or better. And as for the solids, whatever tastes she gets are very rich foods. She doesn't tolerate anything else. that's why i feel so defensive. I don't know what else to do. NOTHING about the nursing is different....the only thing taht changed at all was she became mobile. We also did a week vacation in Florida two weeks ago and we all probably lost a bit of weight because so much was going on during the week and we were running around all day. I did nurse constantly but it was over 100 degrees some days and her dipes felt lighter even though she did poop every day.

[boobs4milk]

my oldezt was 15lbs 14 oz @ 1, after being 7lb 1 oz at birth (she was my biggest at birth, smallest at 1) and she's now 6'2" and 185lbs. she was formula fed, too, so we know how much and what kind she was getting. she was just skinny. she was about 18 lbs @ 2 and about 22lbs @3. millie is bigger @ 1 than she was @ 3!!! all kids are different. dd1 ate TONS of solids and it still didn't help her gain. breastmilk is usually more calorie dense than the solids unless you bulk them up with butter or cream or oil.

ftt has more aspects than just low weight, too. if she's meeting milestones, she's not ftt.

[boobs4milk]

i just wanted to come back and say that millie eats LOADS of solids, too, and she only gained about 6 oz between 10 and 12 mos. so i don't think adding solids and taking away bmilk is the way to go.

[smeep]

Originally Posted by boobs4milk

i just wanted to come back and say that millie eats LOADS of solids, too, and she only gained about 6 oz between 10 and 12 mos. so i don't think adding solids and taking away bmilk is the way to go.

True. Breastmilk generally has WAY more calories than most solids.

[Pandme]

Thanks again, guys. You all rule.

She did eat mashed potatoes and alfredo sauce at lunch today (she's a sauce girl) so I'm trying to get the calories in even if the amount is small!

My son ate loads of solids too and it just made no difference to his weight gain. It was always the same no matter what.....slow.

He was 19 pounds 10oz. at 9 months and 20 pounds 6 ounces at a year. So he slowed down too, though there was also a tummy bug in there somewhere.

I thought there was more to FTT than weight as well.

[smeep]

Well, if your son also slowed down and is otherwise healthy, happy, growing, hitting milestones, etc., then obviously that's just how YOUR children grow. Seriously. Don't worry about it.

[onyxravnos]

like the others said if she is healthy and active she is fine. ds one ate almost nothing but BM until a year and a half and that's FINE.
i suggest finding another ped

[kriket]

Originally Posted by myorianna

I just wanted to add that if you were really paranoid (which you shouldn't be), my lactation consultant used to weigh my DD before and after a nursing session to make me feel more confident that I was providing her enough milk by myself. It could be an easy option to satisfy your pediatrician if it took you a while to find and switch to another one- its an accepted method to tell how much your LO is consuming. Those scales are much less expensive than a pump

This is all I really wanted to add. Tell him if he is that concerned, find a way to rent you one of those fancy scales, and weigh her before and after she eats.

I also call shenanigans. EPing is the quick road to cranky mom and baby. Then probably a dwindling supply, and less milk for a baby who doesn't like solids yet. But then the DR can get you on formula, cow milk or even better, pediasure.

[Pandme]

Originally Posted by kriket

I also call shenanigans. EPing is the quick road to cranky mom and baby. Then probably a dwindling supply, and less milk for a baby who doesn't like solids yet. But then the DR can get you on formula, cow milk or even better, pediasure.

This is it exactly. He doesn't know or care that what you described is exactly what would happen. In fact, he encourages weaning at 12 months and gets annoyed with moms who are still BFing 18 month olds.

[accountclosed2]

There is much more to FTT, especially at that age. Even with a tiny one like DD (4 weeks onwards), it took months before they actually put FTT (with a ?) on a piece of paper. One dr threatened to do it though, some of them use it to bully parents.

There is a definition, even if I don't remember it (and DD NEVER fitted into it). It does talk about output, weight gain, development, strength and possibly more. If weight is the only issue, the medical def. is Slow Weight Gain, , and that is usually ok, a lot of babies just gain slowly!

I would just offer her food, if you stress about it, she's more likely to not want it! Just play with food. It took quite a while before DD was eating much solids, she was probably about 16-18 months old by then. And she could, and wanted to, feed herself from 6 months, she just didn't actually swallow that much of it until later.

And weight gain slowing down when they get more mobile, I thought that was the norm, most babies I've known have done that. Growth at 8m+ is very often in stops and starts - all of a sudden she might gain quite a lot!

Also, head circumference is most important, length comes next, weight is just the easiest indicator that something might possibly be wrong - any idiot can weigh and chart a baby (sorry that is for people like your ped, like our first ped and our first nurse).

[Maela]

This thread is making me feel better. I'm also from the same DDC as you. DS just had his one year appt a few days ago. he was 17lbs9oz. He was born at almost 8lbs, but by 3 months was a skinny baby. He was happy though and meeting milestones and still is. He's just skinny. He also is not interested in solids much. Every now and then he'll eat a "meal," but usually it's just a few bites here and there. Except cheerios. But yeah, he's mostly just nursing.

Like you, I can not get him to eat or nurse more than he already does. How do you force a baby to eat more? Even offering the breast more often didn't make him nurse anymore than he usually did. He knows when he's not hungry and he won't eat if he's not hungry. The dr is always telling me I need to feed him more more more. How??!!

I'm going off on my own little rant here.

ETA: Here is a recent picture in which he looks especially chunky (for him). Hopefully, he will continue to fill out.

[2boyzmama]

You've mentioned several times that your son was also small. Sounds like simple heredity to me! If your son was small like your daughter, and he DID eat solid foods, then I would have absolutely zero concern about your daughter.

Keep offering food to her. Experiment with different tastes and textures (she may have a preference for bland foods, or perhaps strong flavored foods. She may not like purees and may prefer chunkier food) If you don't already, have her sit with the family in a chair during meal time, even if she just plays with a plastic spoon and doesn't actually eat anything. She will begin to get into the social aspect of eating, and seeing everyone else eat may entice her to try some.

FTT is a very vague term with no true medical definition. Seriously, if you google it you will find many different definitions. If she is growing in head circ, length, and is meeting milestones, then she is definitely NOT FTT. She may be low weight, perhaps even a constitutional growth delay, but not FTT.

How's your son doing now? How's his growth? Is there a family history of being small?

My middle son is very small for his age, 3.5 years, 26lbs, 36in. We had him tested for a growth hormone deficiency, and the tests uncovered delayed calcification of the bones, which is called constitutional growth delay. His bone age is between 18-24 months, which matches his height/weight. An Endocrinologist monitors his growth, but we've ruled out anything serious or treatable. He is *skinny*, there's no denying it, but knowing that there's no cause for concern has helped us all relax more about his growth.

[accountclosed2]

I just charted your DD on the WHO charts.

With the weights you provided:

9 months: 16 pounds 4 oz = 7.37 kg - on the 15th percentile
10 months: 16 pounds 10 oz = 7.54 kg - on the 15th percentile
12 months: 16 pounds 14 oz = 7.69 oz - just below 15th percentile (less than 100 grams below)

Honestly, this "dip" is so tiny it may just be a case of your DD having a full bladder/bowel at the time, versus just having eliminated the earlier time.

However, it is totally normally that children drop a bit on the charts, at various times (different times from child to child, so not necessarily following the percentile!) once the child gets more mobile, around 8 months - 2 years. Usually, according to the dr we saw (very mainstream), they catch up over time, and she recommended that we weigh DD in about 1-3 months if WE were worried (she wasn't).

DD was tiny all along, below 3rd percentile for most of her first year. Her "dip" happened around 18-20 months (by which time she was up close to the 15th percentile) , she even lost a little bit of weight. She gained it back and is now in the middle between 15th and 50th percentile.