Pediatrician wants me to switch to formula

Noreen - posted on 12/31/2010

I can sympathize with you! I was in that exact same boat 4 years ago.

Let me tell you a little about my 4yr old son, Noah and EBF. He was born at 36wks at 7lbs 9oz (a huge baby for a 36wker). By the time he was 4months he was around 13lbs. Not too bad. We went in for a 6mo checkup and he was only 14lbs. My ped told me that it was time to give him formula and that he should be fed rice cereal 3x a day. I left that appointment feeling so defeated. I was pretty into breastfeeding and didn't really want to give formula, but decided that I would give Noah 1 bottle of formula a day. We went home and I made a bottle crying the whole time. Sat down on the couch and attempted to give it to him feeling like I lost and had no other choice. He took 2 hard swallows and started crying. So I threw the bottle down and swore I would fight for our breastfeeding relationship. I took frenugreek, pumped, ate oatmeal and drank lots of water thinking it was my supply. We had to go back to the doctor in 3wks for a weight check. 3wks later he had gained 1.5lbs! The doctor was impressed and said, "I am glad you've switched, now your son is thriving" I looked at her and said, "NO, this is ALL bm! I never switched" She wanted me to make another appointment 4wks later for another weight check. Noah was now 15lbs 9oz. Then next month, he only gained an ounce. And that is how it went. By 8months he got RSV and lost some weight going back to 15lbs. We struggled with his respiratory system through out the winter. By 10months I was exhausted, sick of doctors telling me my breastmilk wasn't good enough so I threw the towel in blaming my milk supply thinking there was something wrong with me. I nursed him and then followed up with a 4ounce bottle of high caloried formula from 10months-12months and completely giving up on breastfeeding at a year. HE chuncked out alright though! At 10months, he was barely 16lbs, by a year, he was 20lbs! He went from the 3rd precentile at 10mo to the 30th by a year!

Now, at 4 years 8months old and not getting high caloried formula, he only weighs 35lbs and is back in the 5th precentile. He is taller then most children his age, but really skinny. He eats ALL the time! This kid will eat literally 2-3 breakfasts and have several snacks through out the day and still eat lunch and dinner! He is small boned too. This is how he is supposed to be! Tall and very skinny.

I have found that there is nothing wrong with my milk. I am still nursing my 15month old girl who has never had a bottle or a drop of formula. She has always been in the 90-97th precentiles for both weight and height. And I was told by the exact doctor that she was too fat at 4months and I shouldn't feed her as much. She has thinned out a lot since walking/running though. But what I am trying to say, is that you are doing a wonderful job with nursing! If you want to continue, then keep on nurisng him! This is YOUR choice! Don't let doctors who think they are god's bully you!

Jessica - posted on 12/31/2010

If your son is on the 3rd percentile, that means he's heavier than 3 in every hundred babies his age. There are, what, 4 million babies in the US each year? So that's 3/100 x 4 mill = 120,000 babies the same weight or smaller than your son. Does your ped think they are all starving?! Or does he just not understand statistics :/
Many health professionals don't even know how to use those charts properly. The only reason for concern would be if your son has dropped percentiles in a big way (my babe fluctuates between the 10th and 25th percentile lines, and the health nurse and ped aren't worried at all, so it would have to be bigger than that). If he's happy, looks healthy and rounded, is weeing and pooping like he should, why stress about a number on a chart? I would certainly get a second opinion before doing something as drastic as changing to formula.
Also, you might like to check out 'baby-led solids' - offering finger food from 6 months, with the idea that when babies are in control of their own food intake (rather than having mush spooned in) they will associate food with fun new tastes and textures, rather than unpleasant and stressful times.
Good luck!

Theresa - posted on 12/26/2010

that seems way hgher than 25th percentile...mb u should switch drs.....

Alicia - posted on 12/23/2010

Hi Brianna,

Here's a little tidbit of information that not even your pediatrician may know. The growth chart used in American is based on a study done in the 1970's in an Ohio town, on FORMULA fed only babies! I'm sure your son is fine! Maybe work to increase your milk supply and make it "less skim milky". Our medical approach is fueled by money a big cycle of money. Keep breastfeeding!

Jeannette - posted on 12/22/2010

Your baby sounds like my friends baby. He was just about the weight of your son and height at nine months. She was worried about what her ped. would say, but he didn't say to give formula.
At my son's year check up, my son had only went from 19.11 lbs to 19.14 lbs (from 9 months to a year) and my ped. told me to cut back on breastfeeding and give more whole milk/solids. Well, I didn't listen and I'm still breastfeeding and he only gets whole milk on the weekends and every so often during the week. I know he is healthy and I also know being a tiny baby runs in my family. Both my sisters kids (who were formula fed) were just about the same height and weight as Bryce at a year. Plus Bryce was eating 3 meals plus snacks starting at 9 months. He is a big eater. And like my husband says, we both are small, both about average height, but skinny.
Maybe you can try giving him eggs with cheese or mac and cheese with veggies. As long as your son is healthy and active, then I wouldn't give formula or juice. (I still haven't given Bryce juice yet. He is 13 months now.) I would try to get him more on an eating pattern, though. At least 2 meals a day, that way it is an easier transition when he turns a year. I still breastfeed Bryce 6 times a day, but it can be as low as twice a day and he eats 3 meals and snacks. And he is still tiny. Good luck.

Katie - posted on 12/22/2010

My daughter's 8 1/2 months old, and she's 27.5 inches, and 16 pounds. Last time we went to the dr after a hospital stay, she was only in the 10th percentile. When she went from the 50th to the 25th, the dr was concerned, but now when she went from the 25th to the 10th she wasn't concerned at all. Both hubby and I are small, and she's a good eater. I would tell the dr that she eats 3 solid meals a day and nurses 4-5 times a day. She's just prob going to be small. If he's getting enough wet/dirty diapers, then he's probably getting enough to eat. I looked on the WHO site for breastfed babies (The one at the dr's office is for formula fed babies, which a lot are overfed) and my daughter accordingly to that was in the 15th percentile. She's still small, but that was better than the 10th percentile.

Danielle - posted on 12/21/2010

the chart the pediatricians use is for formula fed babies. there isn't a chart with BF babies. I say just keep nursing him when he's hungry. My oldest son is 3 and he is very thin and in the low percentile. He nurses regularly, but my younger son is 9 months and he nurses less often but eats three very large meals every day. Each child different. Go with your gut. if you think he's eating enough to be full then just keep at it. You could always get a 2nd opinion from another doctor too.

Alyssa - posted on 12/21/2010

I think you need to find a new pediatrician or ignore their advice. You're the mother, you know best! Follow your natural instincts. Do NOT stop breastfeeding your child. That would be the worst thing you possibly could do. Also, you are absolutely correct, babies can thrive perfectly off breastmilk alone for the first year. There is no need for him to be having solids 3 times a day unless you feel he needs to and the breastmilk isn't enough anymore.
You're not a horrible mother, you're an awesome mother! I can't stand how society makes mothers feel like they are idiots and doctors are "all-knowing." My daughter fell off the charts completely and she's as healthy as can be. Also, there are two charts for growth, your doctor may be using the chart for formula fed infants. You can look up online the one for breastfed babies that is published by the World Health Organization.

Don't stop breastfeeding! As long as baby is continuing to thrive (even if slowly) and is healthy and you both enjoy the relationship, keep at it! Also, you could try giving him smoothies with avocado & banana & breastmilk. Avocado is super healthy and full of good fat! At 9 months, my daughter loved me making her little smoothies like that. She never started eating three regular meals a day till around 12-15 months.

YOUR THE MOM, YOU KNOW BEST :)

April - posted on 12/20/2010

yes the chart is based on FF babies. The WHO has a chart for breastfed babies. Your son sounds PERFECT!!! He knows what he wants! My son was the same way and didn't really start enjoying solids until he was 18 months old. He is 25 pounds and 34 inches tall :)

don't let your doctor bully you...he/she only had one class on breastfeeding in med school. You keep on following your mommy instinct...you are doing a great job!!

Brittany - posted on 12/20/2010

My daughter was the same at about 9-10 months... she was 17.5 lbs and 28.5 inches. We had been struggling with her weight since she was 3 months old and she suddenly stopped gainning. I only breastfed. I did start my daughter on table food early to see if that would help with weight gain, and it did a lot in fact. But she was still in the low percentiles. Right now at 13 months she is bettween the 15th and 20th.

Your child is doing just fine as long as he's eating, he's fine. He should at the very least stick to his percentile and not drop.

Solids aren't always necessary until a year. But some children aren't getting enough calories from Breastmilk alone and need it. My daughter was one of them. She eats a lot and definitely needs it.

Tamara - posted on 12/20/2010

Boy I wonder what your pediatrician would have said aboutmy Allicksia. She was 16lbs when she was 9 months. My doc wasnt worried bcuz she was meeting all her milestones. she was active and still is. When she went for her 1 year check up, she barely scraped 20lbs & I was worried. Her doc said she was absolutely fine. Kudos to you for breastfeeding. I still do. Plus you really cant force them to take what they don't want. My daughter didnt take a bottle until she was 1. She ate from bowls though, but not a lot so I breastfed alot. Just keep up the good job & probably you can get some second opinion from another doctor. Just a suggestion. When I'm in doubt, I always seeka second opninion.

Dora - posted on 12/20/2010

While breast feeding my son was always in the 25th percentile for his weight. His weight just never went up. I know he was getting plenty to eat because he had plenty of wet diapers. I have heard as long as your child height and weight stay on the same track then there is nothing to be concerned about. My cousins son was always in the 5th percentile for his weight and she breast fed for 2yrs. As far as eating solids some babies don't start solids until a little later and some will start early on in life. It depends on the baby. Do what you think is best. Go with your gut instinct.

Mary - posted on 12/20/2010

My first daughter was just 18 lbs when she was 12 months, then just 19 lbs when she was 15 months. Everything is ok as long as he is having good poop and pee diapers (pee- 6-8 in a 24 hr period- poo at least once every 10-14 days), he is hitting all his milestones, and he is happy. You are doing a wonderful job

Christie - posted on 12/20/2010

You are right on all counts: traditionally weight to height charts etc are outdated and based on averages of formula fed infants. And yes, food is for fun until they are 1 (at least!). It's just practice-eating until they are ready to wean and can be very hit and miss for a long time. Basically in a nutshell if your son isn't LOSING weight, and is healthy, happy, alert and meeting developmental milestones then there is nothing for you to be concerned about. I'd tell my doctor to take a running jump if they suggesting feeding artificial milk to a healthy breastfed infant! That's a disgrace. You know best, and providing your son is healthy and as I mentioned not losing weight then you are doing the best thing in the world for him breastfeeding. Good on you!

ASHLEY - posted on 12/19/2010

If you want to get him eating more solids try giving him whatever you are eating. My son never took to baby food always pushed it away until we began giving him stuff off our plate. He also prefered to feed himself.

Wendy - posted on 12/19/2010

i agree get a new dr.any doc thats more worried about the chart than the nutrition hes getting needs to be checked.if hes not starving and losing tremendous weight than ur fine.try letting him feed himself...table foods. see if that catches his interest.baby food is nothin but regular food pureed.

Fiona - posted on 12/19/2010

Change pediatricians!
The charts are definitely for formula fed babies.
You're doing brilliantly so keep up the good work!
Some babies just don't 'fit' into the chart. If you feel that he's healthy etc then trust your instincts.

Tanya - posted on 12/19/2010

I've heard of plenty of one year old babies who are 17 pounds, and the average 1 year old is 20 pounds, so I can't see how your son would be in the 6th percentile at that size.

I would look for a new pediatrician if I were you. So far as solids go, different babies have different time frames. If you want to increase your son's intake, then maybe try some soft finger foods. Some babies want more independence and will take more on their own than spoon-fed.

Allison - posted on 12/19/2010

I'm with the other ladies. We had to switch Pedi's 3 TIMES before we found one that really listened and respected our decisions and research. They all give different advice...so they can't all be right all the time, right?



Just a couple of anecdotal stories...

My friend's daughter fell off the bottom of the chart at 3-4 months, but she wasn't nursing enough (just a really good sleeper!!!) - so she just focused on getting her to wake up and nurse more and she started gaining weight. No formula needed :) But she was ALWAYS barely on the "chart" but meeting all milestones, and now is a thriving 3 year old!!! Her mom is SUPER tall and skinny.



My son was EBF and also wasn't interested in solids until about 7 months, and definitely not eating "3 meals" until well AFTER one year old. And he was a FAT and TALL baby - even went OVER 100%tile for a while. I was totally shocked, because in the beginning the dr's and in-laws kept telling me that he should have formula to gain more weight, and that formula-fed babies are the chunky ones :) At 3 years old he's pretty fit and lean.



So like the other's said, kids just come in ALL different shapes and sizes - just like there are 95%tile kids, and 5%tile, there are those over and under the "chart" who are healthy too :) Good luck, and if you can I would suggest searching around for a new Pedi who is more knowledgable and will be a better partner to help you care for your child, rather than an adversary. They are hard to find, but SOOO worth it! Good luck!

Teri - posted on 12/19/2010

Most moms who hget pressure from pedi's to supplement or switch go to the WHO (world heath organization) growth charts as they incorporatemore breastfeeding stats than the US versions. you may wan tto start there and see if your son has a failure to thrive or if it's just a US construct. in most cases, bf is definitely the way to go -- so I'd look at other options to increase his calorie intake with solid foods (avocado, cheese, hi fat yogurt, etc.) and let him feed himself (regardless of the mess)

Teri

Missy - posted on 12/19/2010

Hang in there! He probably is refusing solids because he is nice and full from you! He prefers it straight from the tap, good for him! LOL My oldest daughter who is 7 now was like your son, so slim, you could see her ribs as a baby, and loved to nurse and was always at the bottom of the chart for weight.The dr would mention I could always give her a bottle after bf because she was a little slim. HA! She wanted nothing to do with that! And believe me I tried because I wanted a break now and then so I wouldn't have to rush home to feed her but she refused bf in bottles forever it seemed. (the dr wanted a bottle of formula after) and of course she really didn't want that. I called my daughter the lean mean nursing machine! I just told her that the other day when she was watching our new daughter who is now 13 mo (and still bf) stretch and you could see her ribs too she said "look she is skinny, we should buy her some skinny jeans", LOL She is now in 2nd grade and does work on a 4th grade level at school and of "normal" weight. Sounds little your little sweetie pie is just like his daddy, which is normal for him. My 13 mo old has always and still is at the bottom of the chart for weight too and I am still bf but she wolfs down her solids like crazy, The 7 yr old was not a big eater with solids until your sons age and even then it was really gradual. Our pediatrician asked if she was just like her sister in development and I said yes. Do make sure they are using the bf growth chart as you mentioned. The only "should" about the 3 x a day solid is that most babies are doing that but it yours is different and that is okay. You are doing everything right. He loves mom and "your" meals! My advice would be to keep doing exactly what you are doing, but since you are concerned, or rather the dr is making you concerned, you could go to where he was born, or even the nearest hospital and make an appt with a lactation consultant and meet with her and discuss all of this. That would make you feel better because I can tell you are concerned. You know the LC's are the pros and will guide you appropriately.Dr's know all babies are different but they err on the side of caution. Also, if your son is at the sixth percentile in weight, look at it this way, out of a 100 babies there are still 5 lighter than him! Hope this helps and keep us posted!!! YOU ARE A GOOD MOM. No doubt.

Kathy - posted on 12/18/2010

Somebody has to be in the 6th percentile. My understanding is that the concern comes about if a baby suddenly drops rapidly in percentile, doesn't put on any weight or loses weight. If he's always been in the lower ranges, then you may just have a skinny kid (my son is 45% for weight and ~ 90% for height, long and skinny, just like his daddy).

Milestones, energy, general health.... Perhaps see another ped for a second opinion.

Besides, they are supposed to be off the bottle at a year, why force him to accept one now when you will just need to wean him from it sooner or later.

Re: food, I know there are a lot of different thoughts on this. We started our son on solids at about 5 months. He still took about 24-36 ounces of BM a day (I worked and pumped) so I had a general idea of what he consumed as well as probably an additional 100-200 calories a day in food. But as a kid who never is still, he needed it all!

ps - most current charts are based on a sample of both formula and breast-milk fed babies.

Crystal - posted on 12/18/2010

As an encouraging note, all three of my children have been in the low percentile of weight, always between the 6-10 range. They all have been extremely healthy, two of which strictly breastfed for the first 7 months, and one who had no interest in food for almost the entire first year. They were growing, were healthy (great energy, immune system, and development). I have always been on WIC and they have always given me grief about my childrens' sizes/weight because of what is "regular" but when they look at the child and their development, it is completely different. Every child is different, and yours may just be petite. Go by how they are developing and if they are healthy, then don't give up on breastfeeding! It is so much better!!! And they will eat when they are ready! You're doing great!

Melanie - posted on 12/18/2010

I really wouldn't worry too much about the "6th percentile"...our daughter was always low on the chart and not even on the chart for weight when she turned 2. We were not worried because she has always been thin, but always healthy and a good eater, etc. I put her on whole milk at 9 months during the day and nursed her morning and before bed plus she was on 3 meals a day at that point. Right now my second daughter is also slight and has decided she doesn't like a bottle but I've got her drinking water with a sippy cup at mealtimes so I may try her on whole milk sometime soon too...she's almost 9 months. I wouldn't go for formula at this stage and don't worry about the "charts" if your baby is otherwise healthy.

Ashley - posted on 12/18/2010

No offense to doctors or anything but it seems like most doctors just don't know crap about breastfeeding.. (or just don't agree with it, Idk.) My friend's doctor told her she's not making enough milk and needs to supplement with formula because she can only pump an ounce and a half. Bullcrap!

You're doing FINE! 6th percentile just means that there are more babies that weigh more than him than there are babies that weigh less. It doesn't mean he's "too skinny" and that 50th percentile is where you want him to be.

Rachel - posted on 12/18/2010

Ahh what did we ever do in the days before charts, pharmaceutical companies and doctors to tell us that we are healthy?

Heather - posted on 12/18/2010

Don't worry follow your Mommy in stinks. I had to take my 7 mon old Daughter to a specialist yesterday because she is loosing weight. We do Breast and formula but that is my choice. What I really want to say though is that the Doc himself told me that if there is a baby in the 95 percentile then there has to be one in the 5 percentile. Babies as well as adults come in all different shapes and sizes. So sounds like you are good to me!

Melissa - posted on 12/18/2010

I heard of mixing a little formula in with baby food to give more nutrients especially with cereal. Don't stress about the bottle, you're doing the right thing and best thing by breastfeeding. I've heard it can be a little difficult though to get them to eat solids the older they get.....keep doing what you're doing.

Ivy - posted on 12/18/2010

My doctor didn't try to force me to switch my daughter to formula, but my midwife and health visitors did. My daughter's weight fluctuated between the 1 and 5 percentile until 13 months. After that I haven't taken her to get weighed and I haven't done it at home as I know she is healthy.



If your son is happy, has good color and he isn't crying from hunger than he is fine. Not every baby is the same. Some doctors think in generalities instead of looking at each individual baby.



Everyone promotes breastfeeding, but then we all know that those growth charts aren't quite accurate because the majority of the population use formula. If you are eating a healthy varied diet then your son will get that through your milk. He is also having veggies and fruit which is also good.



You could try to give him yogurt and try to offer other proteins (meats, beans, etc). If he doesn't eat them, at least you are offer it. I started my daughter on solids at 4 months old because I was getting so much pressure to do so as she was so underweight. Although, I knew she was fine as she is really active and eats like a bird. I'm happy with the way she was then and now. I breastfed my daughter for 16 and half months. She stopped because she was teething and has not continued since. The doctor said I could give her formula, but as long as I was giving her a varied diet, then she would be fine. Just in case, I give her organic formula in her breakfast porridge in the morning when she has it. My doctor said that she can have it till she is two as an alternative to cow's milk as cow's milk only has calcium in it unless it is fortified with other vitamins.



Follow what you think is best as your son, he already knows what he wants and what he doesn't want. If you both are happy to breastfeed till whatever, that is his and your decision.



I forgot to say my daughter hated formula as a drink, so that is why I put it in her porridge. She hated drinking cow's milk only until recently though I try not to give it to her too much as I don't want her to rely on that. She also hated baby food that didn't taste like adult food. I made most of her meals at home, but had some organic baby food that tasted like adult food. If he doesn't eat much from the jars, it could be that he doesn't like baby food.

Lori - posted on 12/18/2010

Think everything is fine, and not time to worry. I am from Canada, and we have similar guidelines, but I know there are some differences to the US. I know here the charts are for formula fed babies. I have a 7 month old that is almost the same size. He is 28 3/4 inches and 16 lbs. My son also refuses food. I can not get a spoon into his mouth, some times I can put little pieces of banana in his mouth, but it does not add up to much. I have 2 older sons that were more into food and my middle one would only eat small pieces of food by 7 months. All babies grow and develop at their own pace. My doctor is not that concerned about my sons weight. He is growing at a steady pace. Instead of feeding him formula, try supplementing with breatmilk. I know you said he is refusing to take a bottle. There are a couple of choices you have. The Haberman Feeder is a bottle that works very similar to the breast. They have to work for it, it does not drip. The other is a supplemental feeder. Both are made by Medela. The supplemental feeder is a very small tube (and bottle) you attach to your breast without baby noticing the difference. It allows for him to get more food without having to work as hard at it. Hopefully taking in more calories than burning it off while eating. The only thing you can do is continue to offer foods and try the options I suggested. If he eats, then great, but do not beat yourself up about it. If provided food then baby/child will never let themself starve. They will eat when they are hungry.

I wish you lots of luck, and be patient.

Tameka - posted on 12/18/2010

Ah, I had this happen to me too. It hurts when they say this to you when you're so sure you're doing everying right. I was acused of starving, yep starving, my daughter simply because I couldn't get her to eat solids. She just wasn't interested at the 9 month mark and the only way I could off gotten her to eat them was force feed her and there was no way I was going to do that! Then I found out that the early childcare nurse was pro formula. This same woman kept telling me that it's great that I'm breastfeeding my daughter but I also should be giving her formula "just to keep her liking bottles" (?!?!?!). Also, my daughter was apparently "not fat enough" (in her words) even though she was in the 74 percentile. I'm approx. 120 lbs and hubby is around 145 lbs. There is no way we can make fat babies yet this woman was convinced we were harming her by not stuffing her with formula and solids!

We changed nurses and our new nurse now delights over our baby's chubby cheeks and can't offer enough praise about how she looks so "well fed" when I've never once given her formula!

You're not alone on this issue. If you're son is always bright and happy and is content with his current feedings I wouldn't change anything. My daughter is one in a few days and had only started taking an interest in solids about 4-5 weeks ago. Even then if it doesn't come off my plate it's not worth eating. Apparently Mummy's food tastes the best!

Laura Zoey - posted on 12/18/2010

At 9 months Eric would eat like three bites of baby food once a day. He ate maybe three times a day after a year, but really only a few bites each time. Around 1 1/2 years old he was eating three times a day and each meal was a decent amount of food.
Needless to say your son sounds quite normal, and being in the 6th percentile is nothing to worry about. Eric was in the 110th percentile from 2-6 months, then dropped to the. 90th for a few months and is now in the 75%. totally normal for him. He isn't obese just cuz he was big. And your son isn't malnourished just because he is thin.

I would look for a new dr if it were me.

Alyssa - posted on 12/18/2010

I nursed my twins for 12 months and at their 12 months appt my son was 17 lbs 12 ounces and 29 inches and my daughter was 15 lbs 12 ounces and 27.25 inches. My Pedi has NEVER said anything about switching to formula or more food. He looks at their growth curve and sees that they are gaining and growing like they should just at their own pace in their own category. You are doing just fine. Sometimes moms just need to ignore things like this even from the Doc. Now if he took a nose dive on his growth curve there is cause for concern but if his growth curve is doing just fine he is doing just fine.

Allie - posted on 12/18/2010

If the baby is gaining weight, he should be fine. My son was a tall skinny baby and still is, and he is almost 3. If he won't eat the baby food, try some of what your eating, in baby bite sizes so he won't choke. My doctor told me to this(my daughter is 9 months), she said that this helps them to like the food that we do. I know other mothers that say that their little ones won't even touch baby food, that they only eat what everyone else is eating(these are also BF moms too). The solid food is not there for nutrition, but for substance, to fill their little tummies up. I hope this helps. Good Luck!

Lauren - posted on 12/18/2010

You need a new doctor. There is no reason to stop nursing your child, and formula is a poor substitute for what is obviously awesome nutrition. Get a new doctor. That's insane.

Teresa - posted on 12/15/2010

You and your son sound perfectly fine the way things are. I'm sorry your ped has you doubting yourself now. Just nurse him as often as he wants and don't worry about the solids. My son wasn't even eating every day until he was around a year old. 3 actual meals a day came even later.

Amy - posted on 12/15/2010

No offense to docs, but that's ALWAYS what they say. You NEED formula. thbbt. At 9 months, just maybe add a few baby foods to try or something. I think it's silly to compare one child to another. the percentile thing drives me nuts. Solids are not necessary. If you didn't want to do them, maybe just add a multi vitamin to your diet so baby gets extra nutrients? Most docs are telling you info on what most people do or what their medical info says. norm weight for that age i thought was 16-19 pounds. how is he needing to gain weight?

Minnie - posted on 12/15/2010

I am a mother of two girls, one who is in the fifth percentile and the other the third percentile. They dropped quickly to those at about six months.



This is extremely normal for exclusively breastfed babies, and if you've got the genes for thin children...



It definitely can be worrying and frustrating when doctors aren't pleased with our children's weight gain. They're so used to seeing formula fed children. It's sad that everyone is expected to be an average person. Babies aren't allowed to be thin. How else do we get thin adults?



Look at his demeanor and his diaper output. Use your intuition there.

Briana - posted on 12/15/2010

Yes my son is hitting his milestones just fine and he's wetting 4-6 diapers a day. Thanks for the links ladies!

Celeste - posted on 12/15/2010

Is the only reason why the pedi wants you to supplement is because he's in the 6th percentile?? I'm not understanding what the pedi's issue is.

Is he getting plenty of diapers? Does he look overall healthy? Is he meeting milestones? If so, he's fine!

Also, breastmilk has MORE calories than most baby foods. Here's a chart comparing breastmilk to baby foods:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitami...

You are doing a great job! And you're 100% correct, the main source of nutrition right now IS breastmilk, which is exactly what you're doing. You are NOT a horrible mom, you're going by his cues.

BTW, my twin boys, one was OFF the weight chart and the other was on the 3rd percentile. Their pedi NEVER suggested supplementing with more solids or formula.

Besides, it may not even make any difference! My eldest daughter, I thought by giving her formula and solids that it would increase her weight gain. It didn't make one lick of difference. At 8, she's STILL tiny.

Couple of links I'm dropping off.
Average weight gain of a breastfed baby:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/gro...

"Look at the baby, not the scale"
http://drjaygordon.com/pediatricks/newbo...

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 12/15/2010

I agree with Jennifer. You're doing great. My daughter didn't start on 3 meals a day until she was over a year old. At 9 months she was barely eating any. When she did eat she ate table food. Avocados were her favorite (and still are) and they are high calorie. Keep nursing on demand. I'm not sure what the obsession is to always get 100%, but with growth charts you don't need to get 100%. As long as your baby is growing at his own rate, happy, meeting milestones and wetting diapers then try not to worry. I know that misinformed doctors can be very frustrating.

Jennifer - posted on 12/15/2010

i don't see a problem, honestly. if your husband is tall and thin and has a super fast metabolism (guys have all the luck), then your son is probably just going to take after dad in that way. there is nothing wrong with that.



as long as your little guy is happy, has energy, hitting milestones and wetting diapers i would absolutely not worry about his weight. from 6 months on, breastfed babies tend to be smaller than formula fed babes, and thats perfectly healthy. i say, keep doing what you're doing!

Lydia - posted on 12/15/2010

check out the WHO website for charts and they have a guideline for starting solids for breastfed babies.

http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards...

here an answer reg. when to start solids
http://www.who.int/features/qa/21/en/ind...

guidelines as pdf
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/paho/2003/a8562...

here another interesting article on the topic:
http://www.suite101.com/content/growth-c...