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Underweight baby

Emma - posted on 12/19/2008 ( 13 moms have responded )

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Hello ladies! My son just had his 9 month check-up and his doctor told us he was underweight. Not enough to panic about, but enough that we need to work on fattening him up. She recommended doing things like mixing olive oil into his baby food. The problem is that lately, I have been having a hard time getting him to eat. He will let me spoon in a couple of bites and then he's done. It used to be that I could not shovel the food in fast enough for him, so it is not that he doesn't like it. I think it is because he has a bunch of teeth all coming in at once, because he still nurses fine and will take bottles readily. So my question is, other than adding cereal, what other things could I mix into bottles to thicken up breast milk and/or formula that will help him put on some weight. Thanks!!!

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13 Comments

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Abby - posted on 01/01/2009

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Wow i took my daughter in for her 9 mo on 12-29 and I was told the same thing. My peditrition told us to add calories to her diet (extra scoop of formula) to her bottles (butter on her food)....finger food if he eats it. )++ when i feed her she does the same thing eats 1 or 2 bites and pushes it away i think it is a sighn of indepenence and maybe teething

Stephanie - posted on 01/01/2009

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I agree with pp. The cookbooks by Annabel Karmel is awesome. I also make my on baby food and they seem to prefer it. My son is almost 10 months and is only 19lbs.

Bonnie - posted on 01/01/2009

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How many times are you nursing a day? When Nevin started giving up the spoon, it was because she wanted to feed herself. I'm an RN and I'll give you some idea's we share with our mom's who have babies in the lower %tiles. By 9 months, table food table food table food. Cheese is great!
You can try liverwurst (high fat & protein) bits on bread & break into little pieces that he can pick up. Make a piece of sauteed chicken (pound for tenderness, flour & slowly cook in unsalted butter) Steam sweet potatoes and add butter to mash with formula. I would suggest making your own food and use additives that are high in fat and protein. Annabel Karmel Cookbooks for newborns and tots. Both my kids never had jar food & they are wonderful eaters.

Lori - posted on 12/31/2008

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Hey Emma! My 9 month old is a little squirt, too! He weighs about 18 pounds. He was initially exclusively breast-fed until the doctor started getting concerned about his slow weight gain. He weighed 8 lbs., 4 ozs. at birth. I saw someone suggested the grow chart for breastfed babies; great resource. I didn't find it until after I had started supplementing with formula. Even after I did that, his weight gain didn't increase as dramatically as I expected. Like your son, he eats well for a time and then seems like he gets more picky. Other than being low on the growth percentiles, he seems to be a healthy kid; meeting milestones on time and looks healthy, fat thighs, cheeks, etc. He is happy and content nearly all of the time. SO, I try not to worry! I do keep close watch on his weight in coordination with his doctor, and she doesn't seem to be worried, just watchful.

Casandra - posted on 12/30/2008

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try finger foods, my baby has never been underweight (born at 8 1/2 lbs one week early and currently at 23lbs at his 9mos check up) but he did taper off a bit when he started getting his last set of teeth (got 4 at once and is working on two more), he stopped taking baby food and formula as much as he used to but loves the Graduates which he can hold and chew on and its a bit tougher than teethers, gives him instant gratification and his weight started back up again. also try, for lack of a better word, 'shoveling' the baby food into his mouth, teething makes my baby not want food at all unless he can chew on the spoon which we also let him do so he'll take the food.

Christine - posted on 12/24/2008

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My daughter weighted 13.5lb at 9 month. Her pediatrician didn't concern at all. As long as she is reaching all the developmental milestones, and she is happy and active, she is fine. Some baby are just smaller. Are there any reason that the doctor is concerned about your son's health?
As for feeding, maybe you can give him something new. My baby sometimes gets bored of her food, even though she loved them before. And I'll switch her to something else. Did you try string cheese? Give her some whole milk cheese as finger food can add some calories. When you get an OK from your doctor, you can also feed her cottage cheese, whole milk yogurt and egg yolk. These are more compact food with more calories.

Kate - posted on 12/24/2008

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Are you mixing anything in with his cereal and are you feeding him other solids? I mix in fruit with my daughter's cereal and she loves it now (she hates it plain and refused to eat it). My daughter (born 3/29/08) has 8 teeth and loves to feed herself things she can "chew" like pasta, grilled cheese, cheerios, cooked/diced veggies. Also have you tried giving him some yogurt? I usually feed Emma yogurt with fruit every other day at one feeding.

Kristen - posted on 12/20/2008

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Emma, my son just went through the same thing... I didn't know if he wasn't eating because of a flu bug that went through our house or what, but then I came to the conclusion that it had to be his teeth. His fourth tooth just broke through yesterday (his 9 month birthday). He is eating fine again. I wouldn't worry about it unless he stops nursing or taking a bottle. Also, you have to take into account his height and stature. Is it possible that he is just a little peanut?

Becky - posted on 12/20/2008

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My daughter is 9 months and is only 13 1/2 lbs. (keep in mind she was born 10 weeks early). My dr. is not concerned about her weight at all. As long as your little boy is still gaining weight and not losing it and as long as he keeps developing (rolling over, sitting, dragging-crawling) then I wouldn't worry about it too much. Some kids are just smaller children.

Shekella - posted on 12/20/2008

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Yeah my daughter is the same way but her ped didn't suggest anything because he said she doesn't look all that thin to him.

Jeanette - posted on 12/19/2008

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at my son's 8 month check up he had fell off the growth scale so my dr suggested it might be time to stop nursing and go completely to formula. He has started to gain weight now so I am hoping that is enough and he will continue to gain. He also has not really wanted to eat his baby food lately, he has decided he needs to feed himself so I am trying to make him food he can eat with his fingers as he has not mastered the spoon yet. Glad I'm not alone, Keegan has a cousin that is almost 4 months younger that is bigger than him. People are shocked when i tell them he is almost 9 months old

Christy - posted on 12/19/2008

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one thing I can suggest is giving him the Enfamil Formula AR it has the added Rice in it my daughter had problems with gaining weight and that seemed to help her do you mind me asking are you nursing at all or just bottle fed because nursing babies do tend to be leaner
my daughter is also 9 months and I nursed she is just now starting to eat food I had a difficult time getting her to eat anything she seems a bit lean to me but I dont worry yet :) keep me updated would love to know how it works out for you

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