Daughter Doesn't Weigh Enough

I have a cousin in Twin Falls who has grumbled about the lack of breastfeeding knowledge among nearby pediatricians and family practice doctors. I think she now sees a Dr. Johnson and has been pleased with his supportive and informed care. I have also heard nice things about Connie Wolcott (sp?) who is a CNM in Shoshone, I think. I bet she would have good suggestions for another practictioner, as would the moms at a local La Leche League meeting, if you were thinking about "breaking up" with your doctor.
Human milk is so easily digested is is classified as a clear liquid. Most anesthesiologists who stay current int their field say nursing babies and children can have mother's milk within just a few hours of a surgery, when all other food and drink is stopped about 12 hours beforehand. So this whole 32-ounces thing sounds like the recommendation of someone who is totally unfamiliar with the indications of a healthy baby getting exactly the right amount of mama's milk.
Personally, I got a lot of mileage out of Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears' books "The Family Nutrition Book" and "The Baby Book." Both have a lot of suggestions for foods with healthy fats. Avocado and hummus are big hits with toddlers at my house, and Mexican-style bean dips, too. Dairy products are high-allergy risk for babies under one year of age. Nothing is as perfect for your daughter as your milk, so congratulations on giving her the gold standard of nutrition!
La Leche League also has an excellent book that may ease your mind called "My Child Won't Eat!" It's very current (like maybe a year old) and addresses weight gain and nutrition issues for babies and toddlers. You could find it online, or even borrow it for free (along with the Sears' books) from your local LLL group.
When I'm visiting family in your area, I always look for excuses to go to "A Taste of Thai" over by the mall. Seriously one of my favorite restaurants in the world, that place. Yummmm. The owner is a guy named Nat and he can adjust spices to keep things mild and appealing--sweet curry sauces made with cocnut milk poured over rice are high-calorie and delicious, and probably tender enough for your baby to taste. Tofu dishes are also nice for your toddlers because you can squash it up so it's not a choking hazard, but it takes on whatever flavor of the sauce it's in.
Best of luck-- I suspect your daughter is just right and you are responsive to her needs in spite of whatever confusing advice you may receive, so good work. She is lucky to have you!

1 mom found this helpful

If your daughter doubled her birth weight at 6 months then that is good. If you need more nurishment at night, cause she may be hungry, just put a little rice cereal in a night bottle and that should help her sleep at night. The reason I say rice cereal is because it is not so heavy on her stomach just starting out and if you only try one thing at a time, that will help you know if she is allergic to things. Mashed potatoes is a good filler because it has milk and butter/margarine in it. Most babies like the flavor, some don't like the texture. I didn't try oatmeal for a while, I did the rice cereal. You can put baby applesause in things to change the taste for you. As far as water, some doctors say don't give them water until after they are a year old. I say give them liquid (water, watered down apple juice, etc.) and she will be good. If she hurts alot or cries like she is hurting, it could be dehydration, but I never even thought to worry about that until they were older. It's a bit more than necessary I think. Always remember when dealing with children. ALL CHILDREN ARE DIFFERENT AND THEY DON'T EAT, DRINK, CRY, GROW THE SAME AS ANYBODY ELSE. She may have some of you and your husband's tendencies, but she will have her own more. Just watch her and see her reactions and tell the doctor how she is. I don't take children lightly, but I do think that doctors don't know everything about the needs of children either. Relax MOM your doing a good job with her by spending time with her, asking questions, and keeping an open mind to suggestions. I hope this helps. Kay

Hi M.,

When my kids were babies (youngest is 8) my pediatrician said to only give them formula or breast milk for liquids, no juices and water was not necessary, it was more important for them to consume enough breast milk / formula. My oldest was formula, the younger 2 were breastfed. So maybe try not offering water or juice and only give for liquid breast milk or formula. And since you both are small, I wouldn't worry so much about her being small! As long as she is getting enough to eat, she will grow at her own pace!

Just my humble opinion as a well seasoned mom to 3...18, 12 and 8

A.

I gave my son sweet potatoes from the time he was six months old. You can try rice. I would also push bananas. They are really good for you and unlike other fruit have a few calories.

OMG, that's me in a nutshell! I went to the Dr. the other day because my son had an ear infection and, I know I should have just stayed quiet, but she told me his weight (16 lbs 4 oz) and I made a comment that he hadn't gained much since last appointment. He was 15 lbs 9 oz at his 6 mo appointment. Right now, he is in the 3%. There is a breastfed baby chart by the WHO and when I figured out his weight in Kg, he is just above the 15% on that chart. I am not too worried about him because he still looks healthy and he is moving around so much (he crawled at 5 months and is now trying to walk already, which she said could be causing his dip.) I also breastfeed and he eats a ton of solids, so the dr. told me to suppliment with one 2 oz bottle or cup of formula each meal to give him a few extra calories. I was very reluctant to do this, but my husband thought it was for the better, but right away I noticed a negative change in him. His BMs became very hard and I noticed my breasts felt very empty (I normally can get a full bottle out after my son finishes his fill), so I cut him down to just 1 cup with lunch. I go in next week for his actual 9 month, so hopefully he's gained a little.

Personally, I wouldn't go that direction again uless the dr. was VERY insistent. I've just been trying to stuff his face and will probably start pumping again and trying to get him to take the bottled breast milk with meals in a cup rather than the formula. You could get the human milk fortifier (it's the thing they give nursing mothers with babies who aren't getting enough milk...they hang it around you neck and place the end next to your nipple so the baby latches and takes in both your nipple and the tube) but it is VERY, VERY expensive ($125/mo).

The dr. I work for also suggested getting him tested for RTA (renal tubuar acidosis), which requires a urinalysis and blood draw, but she said it's easily fixed if he does have it, but one of the symptoms is low weight gain all of the sudden. She said to make sure the results aren't borderline and if they are, have the test repeated because the treatment tastes bad, but it helps quickly! I'm going to talk to the dr. next week if he is still not gaining. She also said to put butter on his veggies and toast and add oil to things to boost calories.

On a side note, I've been told by the Le Leche League that our kids should not need anything except breast milk and that includes water and juice, but I still give him 4 oz of watered down juice each day as something different from a cup and he loves it! I figure it can give a few extra calories too (I guess breast milk is considered a clear liquid too according to the LLL) so that may be where he gets 32 oz...he may mean breast milk too. Anyway, good luck and let me know what happens with your kiddo.

S., mom of almost 9 month old

You are fine. I have an 18 month old girl who has gained 1 pound since 9 months old. She became very active with crawling, and then walking just before a year old. She is built completely different from our older daughter who is 3. She continues to get taller and lengthens out...losing the baby fat, which is normal. Our doctor told us the same thing about a higher fat diet for her too...but it didn't change anything. She weighs the same and is very happy and healthy!

I think you should ask to see a dietician. They can help you identify good foods to try. Also, as far as the clear liquids, I can't imagine he'd want her drinking 32 oz. of clear liquids a day when she's not gaining enough weight. She should be drinking breast milk or formula for the majority of her intake if he's worried about her weight gain.

Have you tried avocados? They are full of really healthy fats.

Who says your daughter doesn't weigh enough? Is she acting happy and healthy? My very healthy 4 year old only gained about a pound and a half between six and nine months. He ate every two hours around the clock until he was two. Babies do not need any other form of nutrition during their first year to be healthy other than breast milk or formula--everything else is just practice. If your daughter is gagging on the foods the doctor recommended don't you think she is telling you something? You say you are both small, so why wouldn't your daughter be? If she is acting happy and healthy in every other way then this is probably just her pattern. If she is spitting up a lot and acting hungry that's one thing, but it sounds like your daughter is just fine. She also doesn't need 32 ounces of clear liquid a day---she needs formula or breast milk. Don't know who your doctor is, but frankly I'd find a new one.
J.

Try supplementing her formula. Water is good, but no calories. Try a milk based formula for extra feedings instead of food. Also, rice in Stage 2 foods for dinner tends to fill up my 1 yr old's belly very well. Oatmeal may be to binding at this age.

If you're nursing, I'm suprised that your doctor advised you to give your daughter that much clear liquid as well. Breast milk has a high water content so that much water is going to take up room in her belly that she could be using for other food. Like breast milk. I know this because my children are all little. My ten month old is still wearing 3-6 month clothes! Another high calorie food that you could try is avocado. My daughter loves it. You can mash it up or give it to her in very small pieces. It mashes very easily in their mouth. Avocado is very good for your baby's brain development too. How often are you nursing and giving solid foods? I am still nursing my daughter four times a day. She eats three meals a day and snacks in between too. She is not taking in extra water, I will offer the sippy cup with juice in it at meal times though. She only drinks a little bit from it. Not even half a sippy a day. She sleeps through the night very well even though she's small. I would really try cutting back on the empty calories. If you're not sure about your doctor's advice you can always get a second opinion too. Good luck.

Have you tries avacados? My son is 5 months old and that is one of his favorite foods, I make all his foods myself including rice cereal. The doctor probably meant liquid like bm or formula. I would also stop giving her water completely unless she is dehydrated. She should be getting all the liquid she needs from your bm.

Mashed avacado (sp!) It got my daughter through the stomach flu when she wouldn't eat anything else.

We had the same issue with my daughter (and still do), and some of the suggestions we got were, avocados, putting coconut oil toast, whole fat milk and pretty much no juice at all, and as snack give her multigrain cheerios. the cheen't high calprie, but our doctor recommended using them because the have way more vitamins and iron than any other cereal or cracke. when they are so small, you really have to make each bite count. my dughter just turned 2 and barely cracked 20lbs, so she is still very small, but she is gaining weight at a good rate now and her doctor is happy.

I am normally very respectful of baby doctors, but this one seems off-the-mark. The amount of food/drink your daughter consumes sounds fine to me. One of my daughters ate no food until age one, and nobody was worried about her at all.

Give it a little time, make sure that she's not losing weight, and make sure she seems happy and energetic. Really, what more could you want?

I had a problem with my daughter not weighing enough. The doctor thought I wasn't feedind her enough, when infact she wouldn't quit eating.She would get in the fridge when she was one and sit and eat cubes of butter, and still not put on a pound. I think it was just because she was just really active. I don't think she knew how to sit still. As long as she was a wake she had to be moving, didn't matter how she just had to be moving. We used to have to sit her on our lap and hold her still to get her to sleep at night, because she couldn't hold still long enough other wise. She stayed underweight for years, just let her be and keep doing what your doing I'm sure it will be fine. Dr.'s seem to think all babies have to be the same, if they don't fit in their imagage of what a child that age should be there is something wrong. I don't believe that one bit. I'm sure all will be fine, if she is getting sick from it then yes be concerned but if she is happy and thriving don't worry bout it.

Hi I realize you have many, many responses so I will try to make it short. Add olive oil and butter to EVERYTHING. Give her more pasta. Juice is good 4oz. as it has extra calories. You can find a food list online but, guess what, cookies are okay and those puff things and I truley think that the Dr. meant breast milk at 32 oz. You should call and clarify because my Dr. Said no water was necessary, except in summer, while breastfeeding. Then follow the foods that the other moms advised. Also the Dr. may be okay with her at least maintaining weight at this point. I think they are more concerned with her dropping weight but if you can maintain it for a while they may be happy. Did they ask you to come in and weigh every two weeks to make sure? I'm sure that they will let you do that if you call in beforehand and it isn't a medical visit so your insurance won't get billed. Good luck, it is frustrating.

M., the bottom line is this: your baby should triple her birth weight by her first birthday. If she was 6 pounds at birth than you're shooting for 18 pounds; if she was 5 pounds you're shooting for just 15 pounds; if she was 7 pounds you're looking toward 21 pounds.

Remember, too, as babies grow and learn to crawl/walk they begin to use up more calories and slow down in the weight gaining arena.

Even more important that pounds weighed is steady progress in development. Some babies stock up on fat and weight while others just get taller and skinny. So, is she growing? Is she hitting the other landmarks average for her age group?

Before getting carried away with the doctor's "fears" remember that breastfed babies do NOT closely follow the growth charts which were created by following the growth patterns of formula fed babies. Seek out the counsel of a certified nutritionist or registered dietician (same thing different name) to find out what your body and baby need.

I wouldn't try formula, if you are nursing and it is going well stick with it. Nursing is one of the healthiest things you can do for your child. The weights on charts are based off of formula fed babies so of course they are going to be a tad higher than a breastfed baby. Also breast milk does digets a lot faster so if she wakes up hungry its not because you are starving her, its because its digested and she may be a little hungry, but if she starts eating more table foods I am sure that some of that will stick with her through the night. The cereal at night is a good option to as little last hurrah before bed. Keep nursing, feed her what she wants to eat, as long as she gained weight and didn't loose it I am sure she is perfectly fine!!!! plus she is getting a lot more mobile and energetic so of course the weight gain is going to plateau.

Hello!
I am going through the same thing with my son who is almost 10 months old. He weighed in at 5% on the chart. The problem is my son eats all day and is very active and burns it off, his dad is the exact same way! Our dr. is not overly concerned as his overall health is excellent. Some of the foods we have found our son loves and is more nourishing than most are: Yogurt, Pancakes with butter and syrup, Kraft Cheese Singles, Pasta Salad, Gerber Toddler Snacks (in yellow packages in the baby aisle: they dissolve quickly and are fun for him b/c he can pick them up), lots of fresh fruit, and of course Mac and Cheese! Another thing we have done that seems to work pretty well is we put out small portions of his snacks (Cheerios, Gerber snacks, etc.) that are safe finger foods and not messy on our coffee table. This way he can snack throughout the day when he is hungry. I think it has helped both of us! Double check on the fluids, that seems a little high for clear liquids, but it could be. Hope this helps a little! I know that I provide what my son needs and he is happy and healthy and that is all I can ask for!
PS- Was she sick at all before the checkup? I know my son lost a pound in a week over a slight cold, so it could also be attributed to a bug she had.

hello I know when my sister and I were little we had the same issue and my sister's little girl does too. I think some kids are just on the small side and as long as they eat enough that is ok. My niece has always been a hyper kid too so anything she eats gets burned off quickly LOL=) and I would try giving some formula too it also helps a little with weight gain and sometimes breast milk does not carry everything that it once did a few months ago. so as long as you feed her she will be ok and it is impossible to make them eat stuff they dont like because that can make eating a chore and so they dont want to=(

I have really small kids too. My second daughter only gained ounces between appointments. My suggestion to you in addition to adding high calorie foods is to include a stage two infant formula. You may also want to pump and see how much breast milk you are producing, at nine months your body may be slowing down. Don't worry to much about it. It will pass, all kids grow at their own pace. I still look at my oldest two daughters and think that they are too skinny. Some kids are just that way. It is so hard though, stay strong. You would know instinctvly if there was really something wrong with your baby.

My oldest was preterm and very petite until around age 3. WIC gave me grief about her weight but she was healthy and in my case I had complete support from my doctor on the issue. I have a 14 month old now who wakes at night to nurse and it may be out of hunger OR a need to feel close. Your daughter may or may not actually be hungry when she wakes but if she is that doesn't mean she isn't getting enough to eat during the day. It sounds like you already have her on a wide variety of food and drink during the day. I would continue what you are already doing. You might try breastfeeding a little more often. There is lots of "good" fat in your milk.
Really sounds like you are already doing a great job!!!

Not to say it is working well of us (becasue my 9 1/2 mo. old is 15lbs. and classified as a failure to thrive) but we are doing yogurt and cheese, sour cream, and oils added to EVERYTHING. If she's not ready for chunkie foods, try adding sour cream and flax or olive oil to ger foods to add some GOOD fats! Please, stay away from Kraft Singles as they are not cheese, but a "cheese product". We do shreaded real cheese for a snack with some applesauce. We add sour cream to her apple sauce too! Try baking some potato fries in olive oil, and cut them into finger foods. Maybe if she feeds it to herself, she'll be able to palate it better!

Maybe we could swap Ped. advice and see if we can get this problem fixed for both of our Oct. babies!

The same situation came up for us at my older daughter 9 month appointment. I don't remember all of what our ped. suggested, but I do remember her telling us to put butter on bread and other foods basically feed her all of the stuff that we're not supposed to eat as adults. We also gave her the occasional pediasure as well as whole milk yogurt made by YO Baby. My little one didn't really gain much weight even after we made changes to her diet, but at 4 years old, she is finally 50 percentile for both wieght and height.

Her iron levels should have been checked at this appointment-were they? The reason I ask is that with two of my children they have become quite anemic at 9 months and this has been a large contributor to their weight gain at the time. My youngest son (now 22mo) had actually dropped from 17lbs at 6 months down to 16lbs at nine months. He went from 60th percentile when he was 4 months old to being 2nd percentile at 9 months which was a HUGE change! Although it took a number of weeks, we corrected his iron levels, upped his (good) fat intake, and it made a big difference.

At nine months a baby is old enough to be on all table foods (not jarred "baby" food), except of course the honey, eggs, peanuts and any other foods that your family may have an allergy history with. Just make sure of course that they are cooked well and diced appropriately. Like many have suggested, cheese and yogurt (dairy is fine, just not straight milk as the proteins will not digest the same way as processed dairy) are a great way to go, and someone else just mentioned avacado which is great too.

Just keep working on it one day at a time-it's pretty common at this point in time for her to drop a bit as she's likely becoming more active, but if you keep introducing new foods to her she'll get past the gagging point, learn to like them, and be getting plenty of calories.

I know you probably really trust your Dr, but it never hurts to get a second opinion if you feel she is fine. Your instinct in that she is fine is a positive. My daughter weighed only 5.5lbs when she was born, she was always as a baby in the 5 percentile. Even now at almost 7 she is 43lbs. She is petite, but has always been super healthy. She eats well, has TONS of energy, smart and other then it bothering her to be smaller then others in her class is fine now. She finally hit 25 percentile in her height and 10 in her weight. My son was the opposite and he is in the 75 to 98 percentile on things, at four he weighs what his big sis does. All children are different.

I worried, freaked out but I had both Drs we saw telling me not to overload her with fat to try and get her to gain, that as long as her chart is progressing, as long as she was eating, not being stagnant in her weight and not losing, that she was healthy.
Have you thought about giving her forumla at night? It has higher calories then breast milk and stays with them longer.
My daughter didn't stop getting up to feed until she was almost 11 mos old, so I think it depends on the child completely.
I would think about not just trying to fatten her up, but giving her things like yogurt that isn't low fat, maybe scrambled eggs that are scrambled with whole milk, the things you eat is great as exposing her to flavor and spices is going to help her not be so picky. Mashed potatoes are fine however just carbo loaded and kind of a filler not really very nutritional.
She does not need that much water!! It will just fill her up and not give her any nutrution. She should be getting all the fluids she needs from you in breastfeeding or from formula. I didn't even give my kids either one alternatives in fluids like water or juice until after the year mark. Unless you are somewhere and it is super hot she doesn't need that much water intake daily if she is nursing accordingly. If you go to a bottle with your breast milk and even try formula in a bottle you can see visually how much she is getting daily.

I would see if she likes coconut and avocados ... yum yum and high in calories from good fats ... good luck!

My niece is 2.5 yrs old and still in 18 mon clothes. She is healthy and active, but the doctors are always after my sister to feed her higher calorie foods. My sister is barely 5ft and her hubby is like 5'3", so their kiddo is small.....duh!!
I would not be too concerned, if you daughter is healthy and active then let things be. We as Americans tend to think that bigger is better and end with obese kids. I would almost guarantee you that if you went to a clinic that dealt more with hispanic kids (or other races that tend to be smaller people) you would not get any grief at all about your daughter's size.

Feed her healthy food when she is hungry and you will help her learn how to maintain a healthy diet throughout her life.

Hi M., My daughter is 11 months and was born with a cleft lip and palate. We have constantly battled with her gaining weight. The one thing that may be hard to do and may not be an option but I would suggest giving her formula. We have visited with the Children's Hospital feeding clinic and that's what the recommended to us. I was not able to breastfeed my daughter but I did pump but they said there is no way to know how many calories are in breast milk so we had to move to formula. With formula you can change the formula to water ratio to get more calories per ounce. It may be something you want to ask you doctor about. I would also recommend adding the rice cereal all her foods, including the stage 2 foods.

Hi M.,
Avacodo is an excellent first food for babies that is high in fat, but very good for us. Some suggest to mash it and mix it with a little breast milk. However, my daughter actually preferred it without the milk. We also added a little olive oil to her food to give her an extra boost of fat. A little background, my 23 mo. old daughter's weight has been at 5% for her age for the past year and she has several food allergies. At first the doctor was concerned, so I was trying a number of things to help her gain weight. She's a great eater and very active. Finally, the doctor said that this is most likely her body type and that she would probably be tall and skinny (although she didn't get that from me!).

Best wishes! J.

Hi M.
Have you tried avocado? It's high in fat (good fat) and my 10 month old loves it!!!! I just smash it up and give it to her with her lunch or dinner. Hope this helps :-) And that does seem like a lot of liquid to get in, in a day. My daughter drinks her bottles (about 15-20 oz a day) but only about 2 oz of water a day. Her pediatrician said as long as she has a few wet diapers a day, she is good.
Hope this helps!

I have two boys that never had weight problems but I started feeding them regular food when they were about 8 months old and they were completely done with baby food by around ten months so I can give you some ideas...cheese; cut it in little tiny squares and babies love it...yogurt; get the Yo-Baby or even the Yo-Baby with the cereal in it. Other less expensive yogurts are fine but just make sure they're full fat and don't have any artificial sweeteners in them. My boys loved cut up turkey or chicken. Rice is good and if you cook it in chicken broth instead of water there's more calories. Mashed sweet potatoes or squash. They loved peas and corn (not baby food) and it was good practice for their little fingers. I'm not too sure about the liquids, I didn't give my boys anything besides water or milk for a long time. I'm probably overly concerned about sugar so I limit they're juice intake to almost nothing. I hope these ideas help. Good luck!

honestly I wouldn't worry about what the dr says. If your baby is happy and has energy, then she will grow at her own rate. I would be careful about just feeding her empty calories...it may have calories, but what nutritional value is that gong to give her?? Also, giving her that much water sounds crazy and perhaps filling her up on non calorie liquid - I understand they will get their water through the milk and formula.

I have a friend who had a similar situation and her dr wanted their son to eat meat - at nine months old! CRAZY!! If you are still breastfeeding and she eats the normal food for a nine month old, then I wouldn't worry too much!!

Also, if she is still waking up in the middle of the night, she may just be waking up out of habit, and not necessarily because she's hungry. Try not feeding her one or two of the times she wakes up. Or even try and let her soothe herself back to sleep. Just a suggestion, I know every baby is different and has different needs.

I mix fruit & veggies in my sons cereal... Especially the ones he won't eat separately. Good Luck

My 10 month old is also under weight. We feed him a lot of avacado that have some extra fat. It is soft and he loves he taste. Also remember they will grow and for now it is eaiser to carry the car seat.

Listen to your doctor but also follow your gut. I guess I would say rome was not built in a day. Work up to the other foods. like oatmeal, mash them first or put in a grinder so they are more refined if she is picky about tecture. Then work up to the lumps and bumps. Also try adding brown sugar or molassas. Apple sauce was in everything I gave my kids that age. I used a mini-Cuisiart and ground up luch meats and mixed them in apple sauce, mashed sweet and white potatoes and avacado. My children were dairy free so we also used Rice milk to water things down and mix up. Avacdo has a lot of good fats. Just going to put this in the back of your mind to be aware of: if this issue does not look like it is clearing up and you see diarriah, constipation on into the 12th month, then you might watch for food intolerances. It takes babies a lot to get used to foods but my son was "picky" turns out he is intolerant to a lot of things. stick with what he likes and only that and he eats a ton. but if he has things he should't have, he looses weight and stuff. Oh, and he went to "real" food about 9 months. He really didnt care for the baby foods. So I mostly gave him chopped up soft things like the french toast you mentioned. Also, try the Applegate Farsm chicken hot dogs. My kids have loved them since they were babies...look at Vitamin Cottage...chop up in cubes, of course until she has teeth.

My almost 18 month old daughter is almost 20 pounds. She eats and eats and eats. Sometimes there is nothing you can do. As long as she is thriving and developing don't worry. When she is hungry feed her, when she is thirsty let her drink whatever she wants. Don't worry-I think most Doctors just get worried and will tell you that they need more caleries, just don't get her used to a diet that later will cause major problems.
Good Luck!!!!

You say your daughter is small - but how small, exactly?? My youngest will be 3 in December - she weighs about 22 pounds. She has been below the charts for about a year. I mean her weight percentile is so low, they can't chart it anymore. Know what my her doc suggested? Feed her when she's hungry. No special diets, no "give her all the fat foods you can find" - just feed her.

Most peds are concerned that babies maintain their percentile in weight and height. IS your DD active and otherwise healthy? If so, tell the doc these things and explain that you and your hubby are small, too. Sometimes you have to say it a few times. I'm 5'1" and my main squeese is 5'8" - so big isn't really happening in my family. My oldest is almost 8 - she's only broken in the the 40+ pound area within the last several months.

My suggestion would be to feed her when she's hungry and don't stress yourself otherwise. But, whatever you decide to do, good luck. Having the doc say stuff about your kid's size is super hard.

I had the same thing happen to me a couple of weeks ago at my daughter's 9mo checkup!! I switched to formula and I can already see a difference. Also, she is going to bed earlier and not waking up during the night anymore. Looking back, I realize she was waking up because she was so hungry. I don't know how you feel about formula, but it may help to add some to her diet. Mine has always eaten solids like a pig so I knew the problem wasn't there! You can try YoBabys whole fat yogurt. Good Luck!

One thing suggested to me was Great Harvest Bread. It is high in calories, but low in fat.It has good fiber content. They are small specialty bread stores, so check to see if there is one in your area.

32 oz. of clear liguid sounds like a lot to me too. That's 4 8 oz. bottles of juice and water. I've never fed my babies that much liquid. They would be so full of liquid they wouldn't be hungry. Strange!

The other thing to look at... is she more mobile now? Crawling, walking? When my babies started to crawl and walk they didn't put on as much weight. I guess it depends on how low in weight.

Good Luck. I'm sure you'll get great suggestions!