Is this the correct place for this question? I love this forum but am not a regular user. I've searched other threads and got some helpful information but figure it won't hurt to post my own, specific question and story.
DS is almost 16 months old. He is about 19 lbs. He went from being at 50 percent on the weight charts at 6 months to barely hanging onto the charts. Our ped is very relaxed and wasnt' too concerned until he went a few months with only a few oz gained between 12 months and 15 months. Now she would like us to come in for a weight check next month. She has always been very supportive of breastfeeding.
We started solids around 6.5 months, when he seemed ready for them. We started off trying homemade purees, but DS did not want to be spoonfed. We then tried a baby led weaning approach after borrowing the BLW book from a recommending friend, but quickly modified it as DS was choking (not gagging, but choking, or getting food stuck at the back of his throat for hours). We actually pulled back on the solids for a while.
Within a few months, DS was able to pick up foods much more easily, and started eating things like avocado and cheese pretty well. But he still resisted being spoonfed (fair enough, we didn't push it). The problem is, he never really started eating any of those things in earnest. At best, he'd have a quarter of an avocado in one sitting, and that was on a very good day.
In the months since starting solids, we have kept a food journal of what he eats and when, and we try hard to pay attention to things like how he slept the night before, whether he is sick or teething (which he is, always) and so on. We haven't really noticed any patterns that could help us figure out what might be wrong. Some days he'll even decide it's okay to be spoonfed, other days, not so much.
For a while, we had some luck with letting him self feed with those little organic pouches, but he will take a few slugs and then start playing with them.
As far as our breastfeeding relationship goes, DS was a great nurser, and I always had a good supply (even an oversupply at one point). He has never nightweaned and still nurses a few times a night (sometimes every two hours, sometimes goes four hours between, it depends).
I got my period back at 4 months PP, and started experiencing supply dips at that time. I nursed through them as DS seemed to be dealing welll and just nursing more to make up for it. However, now I'm wondering if this is when / how the problems with his weight started. All along, my ped was very reassuring, telling us that it's very normal for breastfeeding babies to drop down in the charts. Of course, now she is concerned because of how far he's fallen.
She's assessed him and doesn't think there is anything MAJOR to worry about. She's discussed maybe a nutritionist or a feeding / speech therapist (though he probably has three dozen words and doesn't seem to have any oral / motor problems). But what would a nutrtionist tell me? I know what to do in terms of giving him high fat foods, he just won't EAT it. And I've tried just about every food and "milkshake" combo out there.
Our pediatrician mentioned that some children are just nursing fiends and will nurse to the point of not being particularly hungry, but she said that nursing alone is not enough for him at this age. However, she said she does not recommend taking nursing AWAY from him at this point, just that we need to try to emphasize solids more.
I think we'll check into any GI problems, as I have long suspected my little one might have had an undiagnosed acid reflux (and am sort of kicking myself for not being more aggressive in testing earlier, b/c we are leery of overmedicating, etc).
I also have heard that maybe there could be some sensory issues at play, but I'm not sure how to know that for sure without seeing the feeding therapist (even if I do decide to go this route, they're all so backed up it will be two months before we can get in with them).
I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE any tips, strategies, reassurances, and maybe insights that been there, done that parents have to offer.
I am not completely opposed to limiting or delaying nursing if it is really going to help DS get into solids, but I'm extremely worried that this will backfire and I will eliminate at least the one thing that he will reliably put into his tummy. I also, obviously, treasure and love the nursing relationship (even if it is kind of killing me overnight).
I'm so sorry for the epic novel and hope someone can help.
Cheers.
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