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Boohoo, at my baby's 6mth check up she had lost about 300g since 5mths and not grown at all in height. The nurse said to start her on solids so I gave her rice cereal with BM which she ate for about three days but now has one little spoonful then turns her head, bats her hands and cry.
I'm frantic because I'm scared she won't grow. I'm trying to offer her more breastfeeds but then she doesn't seem that interested either.
She's otherwise very alert, happy and healthy looking.
HELP!!!
Oh dear, that must be very stressful.
I strongly suggest you call the ABA and or get on to a lactation consultant for some breastfeeding advice. Maybe there's a supply issue - they can at least rule that out. And I don't think it's always as simple as just introducing solids, to be effective it needs to be high-calorie stuff like meat. Not sure that's going to work too well if she's not interested in eating.
Has your DD been sick at all? Anything else going on?
Anyway, definitely get a second opinion, if not from an LC then a paed or someone.
All the best :hug:
Hi Hammi
Has your baby become more active over the past couple of weeks? This is a common cause of weight loss. I would not worry too much about it but you need to keep an eye on it.
Thank you for your thoughts.
Marcellus, the nurse who weighed her was mildly concerned and said to start on solids (then said she wasn't sure if the scale was on 0kg last time!!). My GP was a little more concerned as 6.4kg is light for a 6mth old and said we must monitor her. Then I went to my TCM doctor and he said she's healthy but I'm weak so my BM isn't nourishing enough.
I also called the ABA and the consultant suggested more breastfeeds. My supply is quite abundant so I don't think that's it.
Alan, my baby did recently start rolling and is definitely more mobile than last month. I hope that's it!
and rice cereal tastes like wet cardboard anyway!
Hammi, I would seriously question your TCM's expertise on breastfeeding. Research has shown that even nutritionally compromised mothers make excellent quality milk for their babies - it's highly unlikely there's anything wrong with yours.
I wouldn't worry about her weight per se, but look at all the other signs of health too. How many wet & dirty nappies? That's the best indication of how much milk she's getting, for instance. An increase in mobility will certainly make a difference also. And maybe the scales were wrong!Well yeah, in that case I'd just keep an eye on things, especially if she seems otherwise healthy.
Hammi, weight loss can be a sign that your baby isn't getting enough milk, it could be just a difference in the scales, or it could just be her being extra active as Alan suggested. The first thing is to make sure she is drinking enough milk. What is her milk intake like - how many feeds is she having (breastmilk or formula), and how many wet nappies in 24 hours?
If there is no other problem, solids can sometimes help increase weight, although breastmilk is pretty good for that also. But rice cereal and fruit/vege purees are not foods that are going to help with weight gain. In fact they will replace milk and can actually slow weight gains or cause a weight loss. The foods your baby needs for weight gain and growth are dairy foods and meat. I would suggest reading through the baby led solids threads here and trying some ideas for meat that she can eat herself - like pasta bolognaise, or steak to suck on, or meat scraped into something else. You could also try cheese and yoghurt. If she needs the food, she will eat some when it's put in front of her to eat. If she just plays with it, let her do it, it's part of the learning experience and a sign that she's not ready for eating solids just yet.
All the best hun.