Food issues again...

[alison]

I plan to ask dd's pediatrician at her 9-month check up, but thought you all would be a good sounding board in the meantime.

Dd has never been a big fan of eating, and I'm pretty certain she isn't getting enough to eat. She's almost 17 pounds (16 pounds 14 oz). She'll be 9 months old on June 1.

She eats one container/jar of baby food (usually fruit) for breakfast, and then drinks 4oz of formula.

Then it's one 6 oz bottle of formula for snack

Then some more baby food (veggies) some juice, and if she's willing, at most, 4 oz of formula

Then she might drink 2-3 oz of formula in the late afternoon

dinner is some sort of jar of meat purée, 3-4 oz of formula.

She's up once at night and drinks 4 oz of formula.

And that is all she eats in a 24-hour period. I might be able to squeeze in some puffs here and there, but she's definitely rarely interested in eating. I offer her 6 oz of formula each time I offer her a bottle (aside from her night feeding), but she rarely drinks half.

She's going to wither away. Either that, or she's going to be in size 2 diapers forever.

She's much less interested in her bottle, and very disinterested in formula. My parents took her to restaurants, and said that she was very curious about the clam chowder my dad was eating. They gave her some, and she nearly at half a bowl.

??? Any suggestions? TIA

[DCJenn]

Some kids hate baby food- mine did. It's pretty flavorless stuff. If I added butter or cheese to it, he'd eat it but generally he much preferred regular food blended up.

Jenn

[migirl]

She might be more interested in what *you're* eating, I'd try mashing/dicing whatever you happen to be eating and give that a try. Some kids are just ready to move right to table foods!

[HouseofWool]

If she isn't interested in the jarred stuff, try mashed up table food. With all of the issues she has had, maybe a chunkier texture is what she is looking for. Honestly, once they start moving around, there seem to be periods where they don't eat at all. Then, a week or 2 later, they can't eat enough. It will balance out. She will NOT wither away. You are doing a great job!

[Pollyanna]

I would try other foods as well. Sounds like she is just not s fan of some of the jar foods. In terms of jar foods our kiddos were pretty particular about type and brand. They all liked Gerber but none of the other brands. It was kind of funny because how much difference could there be in pureed pears, etc.? But there was seriously a preference. My dear friend once took her daughter to the pediatrician complaining of he lack of eating. The pediatrician asked what she was feeding her and she listed the baby food, etc. The pediatrician followed with, "well, gross, would you eat that stuff? Your baby just happens to have a better palate than most, give that baby some good food." LOL! Clearly your little one just has a more discriminating palate. Good luck!

[alison]

I actually like pureed pears! I think it's much better than applesauce. I'll keep on introducing new stuff with new textures. I'm just a little concerned that she's not getting the nutrients she need.

Dd has always been nuts. By now, it's impossible to find clothes for her that actually stay on her other than onesies and pajamas... She's got the length of a one year old, and the waist of a 3-6 month old. I can't get any pants to stay on her, even stretch pants. I'm taking a few things home with me on our visit, so my mom can put in new waistbands.... She looks like a bobble head.

I know you're not supposed to introduce dairy for some time, but she seems to really like things with egg and milk, and doesn't seem to have any negative/allergic reactions. Is it ok to give her stuff like clam chowder, which has shellfish in it????

well, your parents did and she didn't have a problem, so I'd say she's good. You can start with yogurt at 7 months, I believe - and remember the other "rules" are guidelines. I'd assume babies in Japan eat shellfish a whole lot sooner than American babies do. I'd try mac 'n cheese. You can make it w/whole grain noodles, real cheese (I'm not suggesting the blue box here), and add some squash or sweet potato puree for added vitamin boost. I think a 9 month old is ready for that (I know cheese is usually around 7 months, too).

[alison]

That sounds yummy, Jenn!

[alison]

Thanks -- I'll just give her what I'm eating. Not that what I eat is always nutritious, though...

I wonder sometimes how much babies are supposed to eat. Dd seems happy and energetic. She sleeps well at night, and wakes up only once around 4 am for a bottle. What's a normal amount? Or do you just go by whatever the baby's growth curve is?

Should she be getting a balanced diet of meat, fruit, and veggies?

I find that I give her lots of prunes and pears, because she gets constipated. She doesn't sleep well when she's constipated, and if she doesn't get one or the other at least once/day, then she won't poop at all during the day. Any suggestions on how to make sure she eats a diverse enough diet but can keep regular?

Normally before 1 year the bulk of the calories / dietary needs are met by formula or breastmilk, and the addition of food is really for learning rather than to satiate them. M seems to have different plans, so I would try to keep her diet as balanced as possible. For my kids, pretty much any fruit (other than bananas or applesauce) works the same as prunes. Fruit can be a great finger food, or you can try that mesh thing again. Nothing says you have to stop the prunes themselves, though.

[alison]

Normally before 1 year the bulk of the calories / dietary needs are met by formula or breastmilk, and the addition of food is really for learning rather than to satiate them. M seems to have different plans, so I would try to keep her diet as balanced as possible. For my kids, pretty much any fruit (other than bananas or applesauce) works the same as prunes. Fruit can be a great finger food, or you can try that mesh thing again. Nothing says you have to stop the prunes themselves, though.

I use the mesh thing for strawberries. She seems to really like it! Of course, since she's so disinterested in food, she spends most of the time trying to teeth on the ring (for holding it)....
Jenn, you said it much better than I managed regarding a balanced diet, but obviously understood what I was getting at. I was wondering how important it is to hit all the food groups, basically, when all dd wants to do is play and drink 7Up (I have dh to thank for introducing that to her -- sigh).

You can put anything else in the mesh thing. Mango, cantaloupe, give 'em all a try. My kids LOVE almost any fruit. You can try a chunkier lentil mash, pasta with sauce spiked with sweet potato or squash puree and some ground beef -- use whole grain pasta. My kids were never really into the spoon-fed stuff (although I never really pushed it -- it seemed more hassle than it was worth). I would ask the ped about a higher calorie / nutrition dense formula or pediasure type thing. And I'd skip the 7UP -- if she keeps getting it when she asks for it, she'll hold out for it and there is NOTHING redeeming in it. You could try the V8Fusion drinks, or the Odwalla stuff (really pricey).

[alison]

Dh and I are wusses. I hate that he offered her 7Up and that she took to it like a fish to water... Ug. It has no redeeming qualities, other than being sugary. She gets maybe a small gulp here and there out of a cup, but not much. If I let her, she would definitely drink it over anything and everything else.

*hangs head in shame*

[Vishenka69]

Alison's food threads first make me grateful for a baby that will eat anything but then make me wonder if she's eating too much. She's 13 weeks and has been in size 2 diapers for a while and pretty much has the same food intake (although all in the form of either breastmilk or formula) as her 9 month old. People constantly ask if she's 5 or 6 months old and are shocked when I say she's only 3. The peds office doesn't seem to be concerned but her multiple folds are getting chafed. She literally looks like a Buddha (minus long ears). I feed on demand, which usually means every 2-3 hours. Should I put her on a tighter schedule and try stretching her to at least 3 hours between feedings?

Sorry for the hijack.

[HouseofWool]

Alison's food threads first make me grateful for a baby that will eat anything but then make me wonder if she's eating too much. She's 13 weeks and has been in size 2 diapers for a while and pretty much has the same food intake (although all in the form of either breastmilk or formula) as her 9 month old. People constantly ask if she's 5 or 6 months old and are shocked when I say she's only 3. The peds office doesn't seem to be concerned but her multiple folds are getting chafed. She literally looks like a Buddha (minus long ears). I feed on demand, which usually means every 2-3 hours. Should I put her on a tighter schedule and try stretching her to at least 3 hours between feedings?

Sorry for the hijack.

I wouldn't worry about your DD just yet. Sophie is a big baby too, especially considering she started so tiny! Keeping her folds dry can be tricky. When she is a bit older and is doing more than just laying there like a cute blob, she will expend more calories. My guess is that you are lucky enough to have a high fat content in your milk. I do, my sister doesn't. *shrug*