Any ideas on how to get my baby to gain weight?

Maria - posted on 03/20/2013

This is normal! A baby who is active and having plenty of wet and dirty diapers is a healthy baby. Over the course of a year, my son stayed in the 90th percentile for height but travelled slowly from the 90th percentile for weight to the 3rd! At 12 months he weights 20.5 pounds. He is destined to be tall and thin like his father and his sister. This is a GOOD thing. Heavier does not equal healthier.

Karthikakesav - posted on 11/29/2012

Hi ..i am k...my daughter is also breast feed from birth and still going good with it...I am still on process of weaning her too formula...I tried all the brand and finally is liked hipp ..first I tried giving her with some cereals added to her milk...I tried adding cerelac cereals because it is bit sweet compared too other cereals in market...then try with latex nipple it really works...most important trying too give her daily in one feed for some days...it will work for sure...let ur daughter to play with the bottle or sipper..Let her explore it...I am sure it will work...don't give up...Booz I was in the same state as ur now...hold on to ur hops...keep trying..all the best

Katrina - posted on 02/03/2009

my 9 month old was roll at 5months crawling at 6month standing at 7 month and just about walking.
he started eating at 3months old and now he has 6meals a day and 4 bottle a day and he really litte still

Terhi - posted on 02/03/2009

I'm sorry if I made people think that I'm somekind of breastfeeding enthusiastic.. I didn't breastfeed my first child, she was bottlefed with formula from 2 weeks old to 1 year old, then we started giving regular milk. She grew very well, she is now 3,5 years old and healthy.

I just wanted to tell how different things are here, for example the vitamin D is given also to formula-fed babies and older children as well. And solids are recommended here to give from 6 months, although we started giving solids to our first daughter when she was 4 months old.

Our nurse was not worried at all even though my 1 year old has not gained weight. She just is so active now, started crawling when she was 8 months and walking at the age of 10 months. And she eats very well, 5 meals a day as recommended here in Finland.

Katrina - posted on 02/03/2009

whats up with the breastfeeding???? why cont mothers formula feed there baby most mothers cont breastfeed there babys anyway i cont breastfeed my baby and hes healthy
hes alittle under weight but i cont do anything about it

Katrina - posted on 02/02/2009

maybe you need to stop breastfeeding because your baby mite not be getting what she need from it.

maybe some mothers can not breastfeed because i cont that why i had to put im on bottle milk

Terhi - posted on 02/02/2009

It is so interesting to read your writings from another side of the world.. I live in Finland and here it depends much about nurse, how they react to childs weight. Mainly they still trust, that healthy babies eat as much as they need, and grow in their own style. My firstborn was tall, but skinny baby, and second girl has been heavier, 10kg at the age of 8, 10 and 12 months! She hasn't gained nearly any weight in 4 months, but I know there's no need to worry. At least she has grown taller, and she is very active, healthy and happy girl.

We here in Finland are adviced to breastfeed until the age of 6 months. Then we start giving solids. (Bottlefed babies get solids earlier, 4-5 months old) Milk comes along in the age of 12 months, although yoghurt and such sour milk products can be given for 10 months old babies. Someone said something about vitamin D. We in Finland give vitamin D every day for every child under the age of three, drops or tablets. (Actually in my family we all take D-vitamin daily, because summertime here in Finland is so short, and we don't get it from the sun. but all adults don't take them.)

I'm curious to learn more about your ways! Because we all know, that babies have grown big and healthy in every country, even though the nourishment recommendations vary. :)

Katrina - posted on 02/02/2009

hey my baby is 9 months and hes only 9kg thats not good but i give im formula and 6 meals a day is i dont know they he not putting on weight

Maureen - posted on 02/02/2009

Oops, I meant to say no formula and no milk...

Maureen - posted on 02/02/2009

I wouldn't worry, My daughter was 8lbs, 2oz at birth and by 6 months she was 16 lbs 5oz. Now she is 10 months and is about 16lbs 8oz. I exclusively breastfed until 6 months, she is still breastfed, no milk and she eats 3 solid meals a day. She is a very active girl, rolling at 3 months, commando crawling at 6 months, pulling herself up to stand at 7 months...she does not stop moving. She was around the 60th percentile at 6 months and now she is around the 10th. I am not concerned because she is full after a meal. A healthy baby won't starve themselves. She has good output, she only nurses for about 3 mins/side now but has always been very efficient at nursing so I'm not concerned she isn't getting enough milk. I have also read that breastfed babies will gain more in the first 6 months of the first year and then slow down the last 6 months of their first year.  I hope that helps!

Amanda - posted on 02/02/2009

I wouldn't worry about his size too much, my daughter has always been very petite and only around 1%tile for weight but eats well and is completely healthy. my pediatrician did tell me that when she started solid foods she wouldn't gain as much weight as she has been. I was going to say add a tblsp. of cereal to the bottle (our pediatrician ok'd that so she could get more calories) but saw you breastfeed. my best advice would be not to worry, especially if he is active and healthy!

Jandy - posted on 02/02/2009

My son has always been between the 5th and 25th percentile for weight. His doctor has never been concerned. It freaked me out for quite a while and I tried everything to get him to gain weight. Nothing worked. He's just meant to be skinny. He's a healthy 2 1/2 yr old. However, I had the most success with adding butter to EVERYTHING I gave him. I melt it and mix it in whatever he is eating.

Raychel - posted on 02/02/2009

Have you tried a little cereal in the milk just half a teaspoon or so to start

Lizette - posted on 02/02/2009

Is your pediatrician concerned? Its normal for babies to lose a bit of weight esp when they are eatting more solids along with their diet. He sounds pretty healthy to me. He's almost 4 months short of his 1 yr birthday, have you asked your pediatrician if you could begin weening breastmilk and incorporating whole milk to his diet. I started on whole milk around 9 months of age along with the breastfeeding with my daughter ( now 3). It was not on purpose, she was weening herself off the breast and refused a bottle. So I put the whole milk in her sippy cup.

Heather - posted on 02/02/2009

Thanks Kacy!  I'll give it a try tonight.  My husband has wanted to give formula instead of breastmilk before bed which I've been against, but I didn't consider giving just a little.

Kacy - posted on 02/02/2009

Hello. My baby is slightly under the "ideal" weight also. I have been told that adding a little formula to his diet will help in that department. I feel very strongly about breast feeding, but I recently decided to give him 2 oz of formula before breast feeding, at his last meal before bed. This way he is only getting 2 oz of formula a day. It should help him to gain weight and also provide some of the important vitamins that they cannot get from our breast milk (such as vitamin D).

Heather - posted on 02/02/2009

I should probably add that he's breastfed (no formula) and is going great with solids, getting three meals a day.  I breastfeed 6-8 times a day too.