She's not gaining enough weigh

My little Danielle who was growth restricted and weighed 2lbs1oz at birth hasn't been gaining enough weight over the past month. She's 12 1/2 lbs now and 8 months old. She hates eating from the bottle and fights every minute of most days. Usually all we can get into her is 3.5 - 4oz a feeding and she gets 5 bottles a day plus 3 meals of solids. I've always worried about her weigh even though she was growing on a steady curve but know the pedi is worried too and we're going to see a GI specialist. She's behind developmentally but social and active. She's been through so much already with tests and surgeries. I hate to see her go through more but if we didn't force her to eat she waste away I'm sure. I'm so sad that we work so hard to feed her and it's still not enough.

Has anyone been through anything similar? What can I expect from the appointment?

 

:hug99: Hope it goes well

 

:hug99: I'm sorry your baby is giving you so much to worry about!

When you say that she's lagging developmentally, is that for corrected or actual age? How early were your babies? Have you been involved with Early Intervention at all?

Also, did they ever determine the cause of her IUGR? (For my DS, it was a lousy placenta, too small and 1/3 of it clotted off, yikes!) I wonder if there's any link between whatever caused her IUGR and what's going on now.

Anyway, I hope the GI can ease some of your worries and/or find ways to help her enjoy food more. Keep us posted!

 

:hug99: I'm sorry. :hug99: I wish you didn't have to worry about this, and your little girl didn't have to go through testing and all. We did go to a GI specialist, and they did some tests to rule out any inside issues. Though my ds had reflux, has your dd ever been diagnosed with reflux?

I hope the GI can help out your little girl. I also agree with pp about EI, that could help if you feel she is developmentally behind, or at least tell you she's okay and ease does worries. :hug99:

 

So sorry to hear your going through all of this. If I knew how to use the quote thing I would but like pp's asked at how many weeks was she born? Does she have reflux?

I am a little nurotic (sp) when it comes to the boys weights, I have a baby scale at home and weigh them every week and if they don't gain one week I get upset but usally over a month or so things start to pick up but if you said your pedi is worried too then I guess its more then just a slow month.

What type of formula do you use? We use Similac Neosure for extra calories, we have just started adding some regular Similac advance in (about 80% neosure) and the weight gain was at a stand still at first but now has picked up but for that reason I am hesitant to put them on regular formula

My boys hated the bottle and cried through everyone before the reflux got diagnosed

I also just wanted to say that my nephew was pretty tiny growing up (2p 12oz at birth) and my sister's doctor told her to add some protein powder to his baby food, it seemed to do the trick for him, not that he got huge or anything just his weight gain started to pick up.

good luck

Erica

 

I don't have a lot of advice except I am glad you are seeing a GI consultant. Poor baby. :hug99:

 

My babies both had reflux, and it was a big struggle getting them to take their bottles before meds. I hope that they get it figured out. :hug99:

 

:hug99: Good luck with the GI appointment. -Leighann

 

I'm assuming you have her on a high calorie formula already. I'm so sorry you have to deal with this. I know my twin dd Avielle also hated to eat. She wasn't preemie...and she did gain weight....but feedings were H-E-L-L.... My sister was always horrified at how I literally had to force the bottle to get her to eat at all. She wouldn't let me put a spoon in her mouth until 8 months, so that wasn't an option either. It's difficult when you are behind on weight and developmentally ahead of where a normal 12 pounder would be. They burn through so many calories when they are developmentally past 4 months...so it's like she has an extra challenge...burning through the same kind of calories a 15-17 pounder would be going through, yet sitting at 12 pounds.... I hope they come up with a good answer for you. Eventually Avielle got over it... she eats great now...she's still a lightweight compared to her siblings, but not b/c she doesn't eat.

 

My ds has had a lot of weight gain problems. He finally got on meds for reflux, though I never would have guessed he had it...he never fussed and didn't seem to spit up an inordinate amount. But once he got those meds his weight really picked up. He's just now on the chart for weight at 10 months. I know what is feels like to constantly stress over that. If these meds hadn't worked we would have seen a GI specialist as well. I hope the issues resolve themselves (as my ped. said they often do by one year of age) and you can stop worrying. Please let us know how it goes. :hug99:

reyna

 

I should add that she gets EBM with Neosure mixed for 28 cal. She used to spit up a lot several months ago which we thought was reflux but now she only does a few times a week. I didn't know babies could have reflux and not spit up all the time. Hopefully it's as simple as that and some meds will help.

Thanks for the support

 

QUOTE(Buttercup1 @ Feb 23 2008, 10:57 PM) [snapback]637882[/snapback]
I should add that she gets EBM with Neosure mixed for 28 cal. She used to spit up a lot several months ago which we thought was reflux but now she only does a few times a week. I didn't know babies could have reflux and not spit up all the time. Hopefully it's as simple as that and some meds will help.

Thanks for the support



My ds wasn't a big spitter, but he had reflux. I've also heard of "silent reflux", but I'm not sure what that is exactly. I'm hoping it is an easy fix for your little one. Keep us updated. :hug99:

 

Carlie didn't spit at all but has AR...so it could definetly be that. I knew she had b/c she had an acid smell on her breath and she would cry and fight the bottle. Meds have helped tremendouslly!

April

 

My girlfriend her son would fight the bottle -- turned out to be an allergy to milk. He had red cheeks. Even when they changed formula he was a slow grower always in the lowest percentile. One thing the Pedi did mention was that her and her husband were smaller framed people and might have accounted for him being smaller as well. Take in all the advice you can but trust your mommy instinct as well.

Hope you find some answers. Tell us how it goes for you ok ?

 

Sophie only weighs 21lb 10 at the moment and she is nearly 2. My health visitor told me not to worry to much about her weight as she was following the curve she is on perfectly. They did moniter her weight at the hospital when they were little as she gained very slowly but they said that she was absolutley fine and she is just going to be little. I hope everything goes ok wit her appointment. Keep us updated x

 

I was going to say my DD was 3 lb 8 oz at birth and at 7 mos was 12 lb 12 oz and the pedi wasn't worried in the least - she's petite (god I hope it carries over into adult life) but as long as she's growing on her own curve the pedi is happy

also - have you changed from a slow flow to fast flow nipple lately? my kids fought the bottle when the nipple was too slow for them...switching up helped tremendously! they did gag a bit the first day or two but they eventually got it and feeding became so much easier...now at nearly 2 she's maybe 21 lbs (hasn't been weighed since before Christmas) and she was 19 lbs at 19 mos old....

while they may want to rule out reflux a small baby may not be a sign of anything but....a small baby...

 

My donor baby was 4 lbs at birth and at 6 months she is 11 lbs ( other baby is 15 lbs.) but she was diagnosed with reflux and has been on zantac since 3 months and also on high calorie Enfamil. She has had cereal in her bottle since 3 months too for the reflux. They aren't too concerned because she does gain and it seems to be getting better since the meds. My pedi did send us for an upper gi just to make sure everything was ok though. We had to fast for 4 hrs and then she had to drink chalky barium and they did xray scans of her. Everything was ok apparently and it wasn't a terrible procedure. Maybe that is what they will do for you for a gi consult.