Slow Weight Gain

Chances are it is okay or at least easily correctable. Be sure to tell the doctor what you have stated in your question. Now, my advice is: remember, you could have 12 babies and all 12 could be different and grow at different rates. My 2nd daughter was a premie who the doctors did not think would survive. She is now an adult with a 9 yr old of her own. The gas and colic could be caused by the milk and perhaps he will need to be put on soy or another formula. There are many variables in children and please do not compare yours in any way. Remember, genetics plays an important role and one child may look like you or your husbad (or a combination of the two of you), but the other child might remember a great grandparent. That is part of the fun of raising more than one child. Good luck with both!

It sounds like it could be GERD or gastroesophogeal reflux disease. Here is some info about GERD and breastfed babies...http://www.lalecheleague.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVFebMar03p12...

If has colic you may want to consider www.miracleblanket.com

Best of luck!

www.youravon.com/ckinstle
C.

I have always heard 4-6 months is normal, so you're still in the "normal" range. :)

Re: spitting up--my daughter also had GERD and had a dairy sensitivity with it. The combination of medication (we ended up using liquid Tagamet) + me avoiding dairy (she was exclusively breastfed) made a big difference.

It was not lactose intolerance, it was casein sensitivity which is a bigger pain to deal with, casein is used in all sorts of processed foods, but I got used to checking for it and avoiding it after a couple of weeks. It takes 1-2 weeks for them to get all the casein out of their digestive system so it may take a while to see results, but if the medication alone isn't enough you may want to give it a try.

[btw, my pediatrician's "helpful" advice was to stop nursing and start feeding the rice-thickened formula, instead of trying to eliminate dairy. Uh, gee, thanks but no thanks. so if you get the same advice and you want to keep nursing it may be worthwhile to give elimination a shot. Soy, wheat, corn, eggs, and peanuts are also common foods for infants to be sensitive to.]

J.,
I would talk to your pediatrition. But, keep in mind that the weight charts they have are made for formula fed babies. Breastfed (especially exclusively breastfed) babies gain at a slightly different rate. I believe that if he's drinking breast milk on demand, then he's getting the nutrition he needs. Also, do you still nurse him at night at all? Maybe a feeding or two at night is still in order. Good Luck, M.

Nah. Nothing to worry about. My son took til NINE months old to double his birthweight. Talk to the doc. But the never want you to give them cereal or anything this month but I bet it would be fine.

Hi J.,
My son was slow to gain weight in the beginning, but my pediatrician told us that as long as he doubled his weight by six months, then he is doing just fine. My boy was 8 pounds, 10 ounces when he was born and at his six-month check-up he was 17 pounds, 8 ounces. Right on schedule. I would think your little man is chugging along and has two more months to double his birth weight. If you are terribly concerned, call your pediatrician. They are there to reassure you when you have a concern about your kiddo.