For those with 9 month poor eaters

Up until 2 week ago I had I would say not bad eaters.They were taking 6-7oz each 4x per day. Plus 2x solids I would say 6-8 oz each. Then suddenly one they both "decided" eat less or refuse bottle at all. I took them to ped and DS is falling off his chart in weight ,DD is fine but both are not gaining much weight.
So now ped is referring us to ped nutritionist which supposed to analyze their intake amount.
Short story long
1. if they don't take formula do you substitute with solids or just skip and hoping that when during next feeding their will eat more.
2.If any of you seen nutrisionist , what should I expect during the visit and how this visit be different that seeing regularl ped?

 

Our ped always told us the formula was more important than solids. I'd cut one meal out and replace it w/ formula. At least until you can meet with the nutritionist. No experience with one there. Hang in there!

 

Do they seem too busy for bottles? Teething? Have you tried sippies? As far as the food choices, are you doing full-fat yogurt?

Right around that time my kids became very distracted when it came to bottles, and I started supplementing it with sippies.

 

I don't know about a nutritionist, but I definitely would focus on calorie intake, and most solids they can eat at that age are relatively low in fat and calories. I would try to focus on getting them more formula because contrary to popular belief it has more calories.

However, I also agree with Becky. The whole milk yogurt is great--one of the solids my boys love the most. I mix the yogurt with fruit and rice or oatmeal cereal into a smoothie like mix. It's a balanced meal and one of the highest calorie meals they can eat at a young age.

 

QUOTE(sullivanre @ May 13 2009, 08:42 PM) [snapback]1312772[/snapback]
I don't know about a nutritionist, but I definitely would focus on calorie intake, and most solids they can eat at that age are relatively low in fat and calories. I would try to focus on getting them more formula because contrary to popular belief it has more calories.

However, I also agree with Becky. The whole milk yogurt is great--one of the solids my boys love the most. I mix the yogurt with fruit and rice or oatmeal cereal into a smoothie like mix. It's a balanced meal and one of the highest calorie meals they can eat at a young age.


Thank you for responses.
In regards of sippies- they don't really know what to do with them. They would flip over and play with the bottom part. I don't really know how to teach them to drink from sippy cups.
In regards of yogurt, DS seems to be having sensitive stomach because he vomits when he eats that. I Simply don't know how to make them eat more. It sucks. I feel like I am bad mother and don't know how to feed my babies.

 

QUOTE(beendbee @ May 13 2009, 11:33 PM) [snapback]1312921[/snapback]
I feel like I am bad mother and don't know how to feed my babies.

Don't feel bad at all. Feeding babies is hard. I think getting them to sleep and eat is the hardest part, as you can see by the 250,000 posts on sleeping and eating on this forum.

I think I can add three more pieces of advice that might be helpful. First, many of these things you just have to do over and over again before they start to click. One of my boys wouldn't swallow solids for 2 months. I was ready to give up. So with the sippies you can keep trying; maybe try a different type of cup. I had to try 4 brands before my boys found one they actually liked and would eat out of. Second, I would try not to think of going to the nutritionist as a "failure" but as some extra help. I bet you will get a lot of ideas. And third just try to relax, raising kids is hard and the fact that you are being proactive and getting help shows that you are a good mommy. Keep your head up!!

 

I agree to try to focus more on the formula than on the solids right now. To get my kids to use the sippy's I first removed the valve so the liquid was free flowing. Then I'd gently tip it up at their mouth, over and over, and let them get a swallow or two. Once they figured out the formula was coming from it, they'd clamp their lips over it and start to suck like a bottle. Then I could put the valve back in and they'd learn to suck a little harder.

Another thing you can try is to buy straw cups instead of sippy cups, my ds hated sippy's but loved using the sport straw cups!

 

QUOTE(sullivanre @ May 13 2009, 10:41 PM) [snapback]1312927[/snapback]
Don't feel bad at all. Feeding babies is hard. I think getting them to sleep and eat is the hardest part, as you can see by the 250,000 posts on sleeping and eating on this forum.

I think I can add three more pieces of advice that might be helpful. First, many of these things you just have to do over and over again before they start to click. One of my boys wouldn't swallow solids for 2 months. I was ready to give up. So with the sippies you can keep trying; maybe try a different type of cup. I had to try 4 brands before my boys found one they actually liked and would eat out of. Second, I would try not to think of going to the nutritionist as a "failure" but as some extra help. I bet you will get a lot of ideas. And third just try to relax, raising kids is hard and the fact that you are being proactive and getting help shows that you are a good mommy. Keep your head up!!


That might sound like a stupid question, but I am sorry have to ask. When mixing yogurt with cereal, do you just add oatmeal flakes to yogurt, or first mix oatmeal with water(I would think pretty thick consistence) and then add yogurt.

 

QUOTE(beendbee @ May 14 2009, 12:56 AM) [snapback]1312953[/snapback]
That might sound like a stupid question, but I am sorry have to ask. When mixing yogurt with cereal, do you just add oatmeal flakes to yogurt, or first mix oatmeal with water(I would think pretty thick consistence) and then add yogurt.

Just add a little oatmeal (dry) to thicken it a bit. What kind of solids are they eating? Are they on finger foods yet? When we were having weight issues, we added butter to EVERYTHING. That wasn't until 11 months though b/c we weren't on finger foods until later. You can also add butter to sweet potato puree or really any veggie ones.

I can't believe I didn't mention this is my first post, but around 9 months we started adding more powdered formula to the mix. It added more calories to their bottles. Instead of adding one scoop for every 2oz water, we added 2. It didn't really make a lot of sense to me at the time, but the ped suggested it and it worked. They didn't drink any more of the liquid than usual, but the calories of what they did drink was doubled.

 

Man, you are in the same exact position I am with Nate! He actively refuses the bottle, swatting it away with his hands and crying if you try to force him. Some days he'll get close to 20 oz of formula/breastmilk, some days it's more like 10-15 oz. Neither of my guys have ever even been on the growth chart, so I'm very concerned about them catching up in weight. I went to the ped, and he told me not to worry.

Yes, formula is more important than solids, but mostly because it has more calories than most baby foods, it is a good source of liquid, and it has calcium. My ped told me if he won't take the bottle, don't force him. Work with him on a sippy cup (with water or 1/2 and 1/2 juice and water) to get liquids, give him whole milk yogurt for calcium, and spike his veggies with margarine for calories. He didn't even recommend vitamins.

I would definitely talk to a nutritionist though. You will get lots of good ideas and reassurance. But my ped says that 9 month-olds go through a phase of not wanting to eat sometimes. It could be because Nate is teething, but it could just be that he's being a butt-head.

I do use Neosure for extra calories, and I also make Nate's rice cereal with extra breastmilk so it's more calorie-dense (and a little runnier). I mix whole milk yogurt with pureed bananas (delicious!) or some other fruit and give it to both of them at breakfast. If Nate is very fussy and won't take a bottle that day, we feed him extra yogurt/fruit after trying the bottle.

Good luck and please tell us what the nutritionist says!

 

My boys were early walkers and just plain too busy to eat. They dropped off their curve at the 9 and 12 month checks and then began to bounce back at 15 ending up the same place on the curve that they'd started by 24 months. My situation was slightly different in that they were breastfed but I started offering more often and they'd take smaller quantities and snack all day. The doctor wasn't thrilled with my approach saying that they needed to learn to eat with the family but at least they were eating and if you added it all up, I'd bet that it ended up being significantly more than if I'd insisted on a meal schedule. I also worked on making their solids more calorie dense with added fats and cut back a bit on the cereal since it seemed to tank their appetites. Once I knew they'd stabilized at the 15-month check, I went ahead and pushed for regular meal & snack times and they adapted fine.

 

Do they like avocado? That's packed with good fats. So an idea is instead of giving them the jarred baby foods all the time, or the low calorie baby foods why don't you mash up some avocado and banana together (our twins favorites) and it's nutritional and fattening. And I would focus on the formula intake. We always offer a bottle first and then an hour later we do solids.

 

I too have this problem. Ds is too busy for his bottle, but the podee seems to work well with him. Dd on the other hand, we had to see a GI specialist. We had to up her calories with her formula b/c she was taking very little. It seems to be working ok. I also mix her and his formula in the rice cereal with a fruit or veg. It's very frustrating. I'm glad you are seeing a nutritionist about it. That should be very helpful.

 

QUOTE(dezmitch @ May 14 2009, 10:05 AM) [snapback]1313392[/snapback]
Do they like avocado? That's packed with good fats. So an idea is instead of giving them the jarred baby foods all the time, or the low calorie baby foods why don't you mash up some avocado and banana together (our twins favorites) and it's nutritional and fattening. And I would focus on the formula intake. We always offer a bottle first and then an hour later we do solids.


I mashed avocado and banana today and they seemed to like it. If this will add weight to them I am willing to feed them daily.
I am still having hard time with formula. I skipped morning cereal after they had their formula DD 4 oz, DS 5 oz hoping they will take their formula at 1130 better-no luck- DD took 3.5, DS 4 oz. So seems to me like it really does not matter if they solids or not, they still take same amount of formula.
I am so stressed over this whole feeding stuff. I am loosing my one appetite(actually that is good since I need to loose few more pounds)..
Can't wait to see nutritionist.

QUOTE(debfitz @ May 14 2009, 04:00 PM) [snapback]1314052[/snapback]
I too have this problem. Ds is too busy for his bottle, but the podee seems to work well with him. Dd on the other hand, we had to see a GI specialist. We had to up her calories with her formula b/c she was taking very little. It seems to be working ok. I also mix her and his formula in the rice cereal with a fruit or veg. It's very frustrating. I'm glad you are seeing a nutritionist about it. That should be very helpful.


Forgive my ignorance-what is podee?

 

QUOTE(beendbee @ May 13 2009, 10:33 PM) [snapback]1312921[/snapback]
Thank you for responses.
In regards of sippies- they don't really know what to do with them. They would flip over and play with the bottom part. I don't really know how to teach them to drink from sippy cups.
In regards of yogurt, DS seems to be having sensitive stomach because he vomits when he eats that. I Simply don't know how to make them eat more. It sucks. I feel like I am bad mother and don't know how to feed my babies.

My little guys are now almost a year old and they only eat oatmeal cereal, Cherrios, and their formula. It's been a trying time for us. Anytime we try something new their bellies hurt, won't sleep through the night, then their bums break out. I make sure they get their formula first. They actually do 5 bottles a day at about 5 oz. each. We go to see our Dr. at the end of the month about allergies. Anyways, just want you to know there are other people out there struggling with this same issue. I hope the nutritionist can help you figure out what to do.

 

QUOTE(pamallhoney @ May 14 2009, 04:51 PM) [snapback]1314111[/snapback]
My little guys are now almost a year old and they only eat oatmeal cereal, Cherrios, and their formula. It's been a trying time for us. Anytime we try something new their bellies hurt, won't sleep through the night, then their bums break out. I make sure they get their formula first. They actually do 5 bottles a day at about 5 oz. each. We go to see our Dr. at the end of the month about allergies. Anyways, just want you to know there are other people out there struggling with this same issue. I hope the nutritionist can help you figure out what to do.


Would you mind sharing your feeding schedule? I am having hard time thinking where to put 5 bottle since they are on 4 bottles for at least a month?
Thank you.

 

I would just say like the others that the formula should be more important than solids right now... we didn't even start the first bit of food until they were almost 8 months old...

I agree that the avocados are great nutrition and high calories/fat so that's a good one. For cereals we did a mix of millet, barley & oats - I cooked them. And I just added whatever vege puree I made to that.

hopefully you get them sorted out to getting in the high calorie nutrition of the formula or other nutritious foods soon.

 

QUOTE(beendbee @ May 14 2009, 05:33 AM) [snapback]1312921[/snapback]
Thank you for responses.
In regards of sippies- they don't really know what to do with them. They would flip over and play with the bottom part. I don't really know how to teach them to drink from sippy cups.
In regards of yogurt, DS seems to be having sensitive stomach because he vomits when he eats that. I Simply don't know how to make them eat more. It sucks. I feel like I am bad mother and don't know how to feed my babies.


Regarding the yogurt, have you tried mixing it in with fruit puree? My DD used to gag and sometimes be sick when we gave her yogurt, at 9 months, so I stopped giving it to her and instead mixed in, say, half a yogurt in with her fruit puree. It worked a treat. Now she eats 2 yogurts a day on their own! Here, in Spain, they make yogurts for babies that have all the vitamins that formula has so they are ideal.

As for the sippies, try starting with water then move on to milk. They´ll pick it up quite quickly.

Both my LOs have long gone off formula and their pedi recommended yogurts instead. Mine are 11.5 months old & Im lucky if they drink 3oz in a day. I give mine 6oz of formula each thickened with baby cereal for dinner (fed with a spoon) and that works well. In your shoes, I´d look for alternatives to formula and would up their solid intake as they may well be bored of just drinking. Mine went through exactly the same thing about a month or so ago. GL!

reason for edit: to add more info