Friday, February 10, 2012

The Weight on my Mind

When Jacob was born almost 11 months ago to the day, he was 8lbs 13 oz. He was, to say the least, a nice size baby boy! I chose to breastfeed him and he latched like a champ. I was one lucky Mama.  It is not uncommon for babies to lose weight after birth as the mother is waiting for her milk to come in. Jacob lost  a little weight while in the hospital which was not a big deal because he gained it back and then some by his two week check up.

Jacob 2 weeks old


He continued to steadily gain weight until his six month appointment when he had gained only one ounce in two months.

Almost six months - picture courtesy of Moments Forever photography
check them out here



I was not too concerned because I knew he never complained of being hungry after feedings and he was still frequently waking up at night to nurse.  I also had not introduced solids yet because I am a firm believer that a baby's belly just isn't ready for that until they are six months old. The doctor gave me an appointment to have a weight check in a month.

A month went by and I was confident he had gained weight. I had introduced solids into his diet and nursed him more frequently; I did just what the doctor advised. So when he gained 4 oz, I was excited, but the doc was not as impressed. :(

We had to come back in another month. I was so discouraged. I didn't understand why my little boy was not gaining enough weight to satisfy the doctor. I began to increase his solid intake and make my own baby food.  I decided not go back a month later because I was afraid of the scale. I decided if I had  more time until his nine month check up he would definintly put on some pounds and the doc would get off my back.

Jacob's nine month check up rolled around and to my dismay he only gained a pound. He hadn't even doubled his birth weight yet. The doc was not pleased so he referred me to a specialist at a Children's Hospital.  Up until yesterday I was very apprehensive about going to the specialist because I really didn't think anything was developmentally wrong with my son. He is a happy baby and loved to eat.

9 month old Happy boy, who would think there is anything wrong?



Yesterday I went to the specialist at the feeding clinic. I saw a pediatrician, occupational therapist, and a dietitian. They could not detect anything visibly wrong with him either. They watched me feed him and saw that he has no issues with eating. I was advised to put him on a high fat diet. The pedi ordered some blood work to make sure everything on the inside was functioning properly, and a scan of his belly. We are going back to the specialist in a month. Until then I will follow their instructions and keep praying my little man puts on some weight so this nightmare can be over.


I  feel like his failure to put on the right amount of weight is my fault, at times because breast milk is his primary source of nutrition and I am usually the one who chooses what he eats for solids. I was hoping for a positive outcome at the specialist office. Now, I am more worried than I was before. 

I will keep you posted on what happens with Jacob, but for now please pray for him to gain weight and for this all to be over.  

Have any of you had similar issues with your children or know someone who has? Please share them with us. 

Cheers,

Katey



6 comments:

  1. Hi Katie! First of all, he is so precious! LOVE his big, blue, expressive eyes! Please do not blame yourself. You are not a failure. As moms we do tend to be a bit hard on ourselves, albeit unnecessarily. You have provided him with love and food, AND breast milk! For breastfeeding alone you deserve a gold star. It is NOT as beautiful and easy as the ads in "Parenting" make it look. It's hard. It's messy. It's frustrating. And worth it. Keep your chin up and know you've done your part. Leave the rest up to the medical professionals and The Powers That Be. You, Jacob, and your family will be in my heart. Keep us posted. ~Kerri Lee

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  2. Hey Kerri Lee, thank you so much for your words of encouragement! I really appreciate them more than you know! Thanks for taking the time to read my post!! I will keep definitly keep you posted! Katey

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  3. Hi Katey,

    Jacob is so beautiful! He looks like the other kiddos, too. How is he doing?

    When Gwen was born - only a week early - she was just over five pounds and lost a few ounces once she came home. She didn't latch on well and I thought I wasn't making enough milk and she didn't gain very much weight. I felt like I was on my pediatrician's naughty mommy list because she kept suggesting I supplement and wrote "poor growth" on Gwen's chart. Gwen was thriving and healthy though, so we just kept nursing. Only when she kept spitting up a few months later did I add a bit of organic rice cereal to her bottles of expressed breakstmilk to hopefully keep it down (which, in retrospect, was probably unnecessary), but other than that I stood my ground. She has remained in the 5th (or slightly higher at times) percentile for her weight - it's just her pattern, long and lean.

    Yes, doctors are there for when you need them, and somtimes something is wrong, but sometimes your child is an individual and doesn't alighn with the charts. Josiah is the same way - long and lean - but now that we know this is Gwen's pattern it wasn't as much of a concern the second time around.

    Hope this helps!

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    1. Thank you! Besides his weight issues he doesn't crawl, try to stand up on things, or go from laying to sitting position. i am unsure if he is lazy or delayed... oh well! I told the doctor Ariana was tall and skinny ( and still is) she is going to be 8 years old and weight like 45lbs. I think it may be genetic. It drives me crazy because they are all over parents whether their child isn't gaining enough or gaining too much! So crazy! Anyways we are on a high fat diet for now and I am not giving into having a scan of his belly, because I think its not necessary!
      Thanks for reading our blog and checking up on us! We both love your blog so much! :) Katey xo

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  4. I know a mama (I met her through Nichole Nelson) who ended up getting physical therapy for her daughter because she wasn't crawling or walking. I don't know if she would have learned to do it just fine on her own without it, but she's glad she sought help after not knowing what to do. Check her out, maybe her story will help; here's one of her posts that addresses her daughter's issues: http://twentysixcats.com/blog/2010/08/27/savannah-update/.

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    1. Karla!! Thank you so much! I am so glad to have read savannah's story! I contacted Ashley and she was great at answering some of my questions! :) Its so funny how he gets around on the floor just not by crawling..Please keep praying for Jacob! xo

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