We May Have Something Here….
It has been a couple weeks and we are back to the doctor to get Quinn weighed and see if anything I have been doing is helping him.
We walked in and checked in. As I sat looking at him in his car seat I kept having a debate in my head. going back and forth…. “He looks like he is gaining weight…. Yes he is. his cheeks are chubbier, his legs look a little more fatty…. or is it just me. I thing I am just imagining it. Hopeful for the gain so I am making it up in my head… no… he is fatter….” after about 5 mins of this I came to the point where I said to myself. “Stop it! He is what he is!” We were put into the incredibles room this time so the other kids were glued to the movie and I could also get distracted with that one.
The nurse came in and looked up his chart. We got him undressed and ready to weigh. We put him on the scale and…… 12lb 10oz!!!!!!! He gained 12oz in 2 weeks!!!!! YAY!!!!! I audibly said “YES!! That’s what we like to see!” I was so excited I couldn’t keep it in. I knew this ment that all the not exercising, eating more and changing of the nursing techniques was working. We had avoided the formula!!!
The nurse left and the doctor came in. He opened up the chart and he said “WOW!! 12oz in 2 weeks is awesome! What did you do?” I explained to him all the changes I have made and how it has been hard, especially with 3 other kids to care for, but I really feel like it has been worth trying out and making it happen.
He added the weight to the growth chart so we could see how it has changed and it was still below the ok zone. So we know the fight isn’t over but it is so nice to see some progress after 4 months of no growth at all.
The doctor told me that since he is gaining weight we can start him on avocado to give him some added healthy fats to keep increasing the weight. We also are keeping the appointment with the G.I. specialist to be sure there isn’t anything else we can do for him to help him to grow better.
I wanted to be sure to say a HUGE thank you for all the prayers and thoughts. We have truly felt them in our lives and I have felt the support the spirit has been in our lives. While we aren’t out of the woods yet, I know prayer works and helps everyday. I know it only gets more powerful as everyone joins their prayers together.
That’s great Melissa! I found myself saying “Stop it! He is what he is!” with my own son. He had the opposite problem… he was 33lbs at 8 months. But all is well, now and I hope your little man keeps gaining 🙂
Thanks Sarah! I hope so too.
What a blessing. He is such a sweet sweet baby! Praying for that new addition to his diet and for your Mommy heart!
Hi, I was directed here by someone’s post on Facebook. I’m amazed at your story, because I have BEEN THERE too! I want to hopefully give you a word of encouragement. My 2nd son stopped gaining at about 4 months, and this continued until he was 6 months old- that’s when he started actually losing ounces! We couldn’t figure out why. He was breastfed exclusively, but my supply was fine. I nursed him every 2 hours around the clock during the day & evenings…he just wouldn’t drink much, no matter what I tried. He slept 12 hours at night, and waking him to nurse did not work- he’d go right back to sleep at my breast, and not eat anything! I knew I had a good supply; I’ve always produced well. My first son, also exclusively breastfed, had been in the high 90th percentiles and was 20 lbs at 6 months. And here was my 2nd son, barely 13 lbs at 6 months old- and losing ounces. His doctor told me I HAD to start supplementing with formula. I was devastated, because I believed in exclusive breastfeeding for at least a year, and had seen the benefits in my older son…I KNEW I had the supply, but my baby just did not seem to enjoy drinking. He had no health issues. He was, in fact, pretty happy and vibrant. I told the Dr. we were going to try avocado first. He dismissed us from his practice and called DCF to report us. Yes, he did. A terrifying, extremely stressful experience. Thanks be to God, the DCF officer who came to our house that night- despite coming to the door in an aggressive way- completely took our side after she talked with us and saw how vibrant our baby boy was. She said the Dr. had not mentioned our plan to try avocado first, in his report. Only that we refused to give formula (which I didn’t refuse…just told him I wanted to give avocado a try first, and we’d consider formula if that didn’t work). She said she could tell we were trying to solve the problem. She said, “he’s obviously underweight, but he’s not failing to thrive- I can tell that by watching him coo and interact with y’all and with me!” So we had an advocate in the DCF officer, which I can only attribute to God’s loving intervention. We had to find a new doctor and report weekly for weight checks, to assure he was gaining. His new doctor was all for the avocado supplementation in lieu of formula. And I’m happy to tell you that it worked wonderfully! He had avocado twice daily, if I remember correctly. He loved it and gobbled it up. I still nursed him every 2 hours when he was awake (he never, ever asked to nurse in all our months (19 total) of nursing). He started gaining! I can’t remember how much he put on each week, but he steadily gained every week from that point on, and the DCF case was closed within a couple of months, with us vindicated. We continued avocado, eventually mixing it with baby foods for variety. He was 18 1/2 lbs on his 1st birthday. Still skinny, but at least he was on the weight charts now. We kept him on avocado until he was around 18 months, just as a boost for his weight. He eventually stopped liking it, but he didn’t need it anymore. Today he’s 5 1/2 years old and is still thin and tall for his age, but healthy. I hope my story encourages you. Avocado worked wonders for us (and lots of prayer!) in the same situation. I hope things continue going well for you!
Cam,
Thank you SO much for your story and your words of encouragement. I can totally relate with the feelings when you are told your supply isn’t helping your baby grow. Especially with a happy and interactive kid despite the weight issues. Quinn has always been a joy! I always said I couldn’t have asked for a better tempermented baby. I can’t believe your Dr. called DCF! That seems so over the top! Thank heavens you got someone willing to listen to your story and hear you out. A blessing indeed!
I am praying our story will continue well like yours. again thank you for sharing it. I am grateful to know others stories end happily. It gives me hope mine will too.