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"FTT" on my BF 18MO

4K views 70 replies 41 participants last post by  My*Scorpio 
#1 ·
Feeling lazy, so copy/pasting an email to my midwive, also a LC

We went to the (pediatrician) today for Jake's 18 month appointment and he
weighs 21 pounds exactly and was 30-some inches (whatever the 30th percentile is
for height).

Of course, I always stand really close to the doctor when he's scribbling and,
even though Jake was meeting all of his milestones on time or early, and had no
signs of malnutrition, and obviously he eats like a horse... the doctor still
wrote "FTT" on his chart. Even though Jake's weight gain follows a totally
perfect artistically beautiful CURVE... an upward curve, no less... he has
"dropped in percentile" at every visit (from 50th at birth, to 30th, to 20th, to
15th, to Less Than 5th). His height and head circumference are right on track...
his weight is gaining steadily... just not according to THAT growth chart (I'm
not sure which one they have). I'm sure he'd gain more weight if I put him in
front of a TV all day, but that's just not going to happen.

I was sent along the way with a huge bag of drinks for diabetic people and
Pediasure... and told to make him drink one a day... (I drank one in the parking
lot, and it reminded me of the time I was dared to swallow cat de-wormer).

(EDITED OUT further amusing proof of our pediatrician's lack of medical knowledge)

ANYWAY... tell me about dietary changes for more weight gain, because in six
months, this doctor wants to "SEE FAT ROLLS". And I'd love nothing more than a valid excuse to say "no, no, no fast food, no Gerber toddler food, no white rice, no white bread, no sugar, no cake, no brownies, no chips, no capri sun, no no no no no..." (I have one of those families)

(EDITED OUT more useless chatter)

-S

DH thinks the FTT diagnosis is total BS... thoughts?? My 18 month old is happy, smiling, joyful, active, beautiful, eats well, and has even met some of the 2y milestones.
Of course, if he's not fat, he's obviously not thriving, right?
 
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#2 ·
I'd find a new doctor ASAP. I don't think your baby necessarily needs to gain weight, but that doctor could make trouble for you (ie: call CPS for "malnourishing your child" or "ignoring doctor's orders") if you return in 6m and the baby hasn't grown according to the dr's whims and you also haven't followed the doctor's nutritional advice.
 
#4 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by alegna View Post
Find a new ped.

-Angela
I'm DYING to. The closest one with a brain is 3.5 hours away.

Here are the parts I edited out:

Quote:
My husband thinks the guy is an [uav], and after today I'm inclined to believe
him...
ME: If I'm not having this baby in the hospital, how soon do I need to come in
for a checkup?
DR: Oh, right away! So we can make sure everything is okay. And the dangerous
thing about having a baby at home is that they don't have Vitamin K, so we have
to give the short or they'll BLEED. (I wish you could have seen how funny he
looked saying this, with his hands on his head like a 2 year old)
ME: Um, we have the Vitamin K thing taken care of.

He also asked how potty training was going
And that, oh, we needed to start cracking down on the discipline now, before the terrible 2s
and

Quote:
And if you know any good pediatricians in the area (that don't ask me what
religion I am and "what Christianity has to do with not vaccinating" at every
visit), please share! If I really have to, I will drive to Atlanta to see Dr.
[edited] (who's also an IBCLC!), but holy cow, that's 3 hours!

 
#5 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnymw View Post
ANYWAY... tell me about dietary changes for more weight gain, because in six
months, this doctor wants to "SEE FAT ROLLS". And I'd love nothing more than a valid excuse to say "no, no, no fast food, no Gerber toddler food, no white rice, no white bread, no sugar, no cake, no brownies, no chips, no capri sun, no no no no no..." (I have one of those families)

(
Run away as fast as you can!!! A doctor that wants to see fat rolls on a 2 year old is doing so to ensure he has a patient for life. My DD is 23 months old, and stark naked weighs 24 pounds. She's very slim and tall. She doesn't eat any of what people think as "normal" toddler food. She eats what we eat, but she also only eats however much she wants at one sitting. If your son is meeting milestones and eats a variety of foods and is healthy, then you are doing nothing wrong. I just wouldn't make another appt. Healthy kids don't need checkups.
 
#7 ·
He sounds a lot like my son, also 18 months and weighs aroudn 22-23 lbs (I haven't taken him for a WBC in a while...) His percentages also have dropped since birth (8lbs 7oz) but are consistent and he is gaining weight and is super healthy and active. Also meeting all milestones on time or ahead. Not a "fat roll" on his body, never has been! Although they've never hassled me about his weight, I am nervous to take him in again. He's just a tall, skinny kid. His dad was the same way.

It sounds like your LO is perfectly healthy and happy. How frustrating that must be to see the doctor diagnose a "problem" where there is none.

I hope you can find another doctor who will be more understanding...
 
#9 ·
Your doctor would LOOOOOOVE to see my 7 1/2 year old. She fluctuates between 45 and 49lbs.
CLEARLY not on the growth charts for her age. And if you look at her in shorts, her knees are knobby and about the size of her thighs and her elbows are bigger than her biceps. BUT she keeps up with and outruns the kids her age, is happy, VERY bright, and extremely active. She fights with her sister like crazy, and basically runs everyone she knows into the ground with her energy. Obviously not a malnutritioned child. RUN, dont' walk, from this doctor and find someone who will support your lifestyle, your food choices, your parenting style, and tell you your child is beautiful no matter his size. He's clearly healthy and active and meeting milestones. Don't sweat his weight.
 
#11 ·
I don't get the "fat rolls" part!


Really... I mean, I had the FAT kid (DS was 30lbs by 5 mos EBF), but at 18mos all his "fat rolls" were completely gone. It seems that most of the fat drops off once they are running around (DS started walking about a year and was moving pretty well at 18 mos). He may have still had a little chub, but there were certainly no rolls.

My DD was pretty skinny. Still is. And even our (at the time) ultra-hyper-sensitive ped thought she was fine. DD NEVER had a roll. No one ever suggested supplementing.

I'm with other posters. Time to get a new Doc ~ a GP, even some Chiropractors could qualify if you aren't vaxing.

If you HAVE to stay, I would ask him the methodology of the chart he's using. Many of them are created by and based on Formula-fed children. So, most BF babies AREN'T going to rate and thus look like they need supplements (hmmmm... amazing how that works, isn't it???


Good luck mama! Trust your instincts ~ and it sounds like you have an AWESOME DH.
 
#12 ·
: DD2 is 18m old and between 20-21lbs, DD1 weighed the exact same at this age as well. Today DD1 is a 5y who on a good day *might* weigh 33lbs, she is average height, not short at all, just very thin. The child eats like a horse! That child eats more then many adults, seriously, and that sad thing is that DD2 eats far more now at 18m then DD1 did at her age. I can't wait to see how much she will eat as she grows up.


I have many words about your pedi but they would violate the UA.
A chart is just that, a chart, there are children at the top and at the bottom, some not on at all. Look at adults, is everyone the same size? Nope, why are children any different. your DS sounds happy, healthy, and the perfect size for him. BTW, my pedi doesn't bat an eye at DD2's weight, and DD2 has only gained 4 lbs in the last year.
 
#14 ·
my 27 month old is 25 lbs. right now. he is coming down from teh percentages due to not nursing any more and he doesnt eat the unhealthy food like you listed in teh first post (that your dc doesnt eat either).

keep offering healthy foods and find a family dr.

Pedisure has a lot of stuff in it that can be avoided by either buying organic or making your own and providing just as much nutrition, if not more.

I have a special needs kid and I do understand the importance of medical intervention when its needed (he's had 6 surgeries). One also needs to be careful, though, when pediatricians (esp.) are overzealous.

good luck!
 
#15 ·
Sometimes short stature and slow weight-gain can be caused by a food intolerance. My daughter is also 18 months old, and we're pretty sure she has a gluten intolerance, possibly celiac disease. She weighs around 20 lbs and has always gained slowly. of course it could be normal too.
 
#16 ·
my little one is about the same size... he is consistantly in the 25th or so for height but he only weighed 22 lbs at his last well baby visit (21 months). our ped did express a little bit of concern, and we had a weight check visit where i described his diet and activity levels. pediasure was mentioned, but we decided instead to focus on calorie rich foods like avocados, extra butter on good bread, whole wheat pasta with tons of butter and peas, homemade naturally sweetened ice creams and his weight picked up a tiny bit but not much. then i asked my mom what i was like at that age, and she said that i never had fat rolls (my son never did either, even as an infant he looked like a miniature little man) and that i was a skinny little thing until puberty. then my wonderfully organized mother went into her file cabinet and pulled out my growth charts from when i was a baby and i brought a copy to the ped and what do you know, my son and i are almost identical in terms of growth! the ped and she is not concerned anymore as long as he keeps growing at his own rate... not all little ones have fat rolls, some healthy toddlers and babies are just naturally lean.
 
#17 ·
Thanks for all the replies
I guess I can

FTR, I'm not crazy about the ingredients in Pediasure (ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING DS's MILK PROTEIN ALLERGY... I mean, DUH), just like I'm not crazy about the ingredients in formula... but there is, of course, a time and a place for both. If you've gotta do it, you've gotta do it.

FWIW, I don't think we do. So I thought it was a little ridiculous of him to suggest it


And I can't find BF-specific charts for over 12 months, but I do know that he was 10th percentile at 12 months at the ped's, but it says 30-40th percentile on the BF charts for 12 months! What a difference!
 
#22 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by 2shy2post View Post
See, now THAT would really worry me. Ped is reccomending something he's allergic to???


(Or did I misunderstand something there???)
Nope. Ped didn't process the "He has goat's milk because cow's milk makes him sick" part. I would have said something but didn't even NOTICE the milk content in it until after I got home.

I do think he'll start gaining more now... colostrum just came in
and he's nursing 4-5x a day instead of just once.

And I am totally not above using this as an excuse for the family, to say no to anything they try to give him... "But the pediatrician said..."
All those things listed in my OP? Yeah, they give him those. You know, all that "just a little taste" stuff.


Here's my plan. Most of these are already in place IN OUR HOME... now to make them widespread... (FTR, the apple juice thing is b/c apple juice gives him diarrhea also) (and the babywearing thing... he's been extra clingy lately, I've just been extra touched-out)

Quote:
A) Cut out the white/yellow rices in exchange for brown rice
B) Cut out any white pastas/breads he gets still, and replace with Whole Grain
C) Cut out junk food. No chips. No chocolate. No brownies. No super-processed microwave foods.
D) Cut out junk drinks. This includes any non-100% fruit juice, all capri-sun type drinks, all "just sips" of sweet tea, coke, coffee, even milk (allergy, anyone? diarrhea = dehydration and weight loss!). This means that, if he gets apple juice, it will be less than 1 cup a day, and by 1 cup, I mean diluted with 1 part juice and 3 parts water.
E) Keep a food log. So we know how much he's getting, and of what. And can objectively sit down and say "Oh, he needs more grains and less fruits" or whatever.
F) Wear him more often. Infants who are severe failure to thrive often make quick, miraculous turn-arounds when they get more close contact with their providers. Maybe it'll work for toddlers, too. And maybe he won't run off as many calories, too.
G) Nurse more. Now that I have colostrum it's not as painful and I have something more to give. I just need to remember to offer more. F and G are going to go hand-in-hand so I can just nurse hands-free when I need to.
 
#23 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by althara View Post
I thought failure to thrive was three months with zero weight gain? Or is the metric different for toddlers?
I'd love to know.

Ped told me he was very concerned b/c DS's percentiles were dropping... and supposedly dropping over 3 percentile "lines" is also FTT. He's still gaining... he was 19lbs 5oz or so at 12 months, now he's 21lbs even at 18 months. He just started out HUGE.

This seems to be a normal pattern for breastfed babies... which don't exactly exist in this town (okay, okay, okay... I know 3 breastfeeding mothers, but all have already weaned or are planning on weaning SOON, and they all have itty bitty infants).
 
#24 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by PassionateWriter View Post
my 27 month old is 25 lbs. right now. he is coming down from teh percentages due to not nursing any more and he doesnt eat the unhealthy food like you listed in teh first post (that your dc doesnt eat either).

keep offering healthy foods and find a family dr.

Pedisure has a lot of stuff in it that can be avoided by either buying organic or making your own and providing just as much nutrition, if not more.

I have a special needs kid and I do understand the importance of medical intervention when its needed (he's had 6 surgeries). One also needs to be careful, though, when pediatricians (esp.) are overzealous.

good luck!
I just want to clarify, are you saying that Pediasure is never necessary or that just sometimes it can be avoided by other means? Because organic food and making my own high calorie drinks did not work for my dd because she refused to eat/drink them. I can agree that pediasure sometimes can be avoided by using homemade items, but IME some children it cannot be avoided and Pediasure is necessary.
 
#25 ·
This is in no way to support what the doctor is saying but if you wanted to give him some healthy fatty foods you could make him "shakes" with coconut milk (there are some really good organic ones available) & fruit,..., and they are full of healthy fat. Avacados are another great option, as are nuts!

Trust yourself above all else, and consider the fact that you may need to change peds!
 
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