DD struggling to gain weight...

[Becks169]

Hello I’m new...after any advice / similar experiences really...
I’m very worried about my little girls weight gain - have flagged with HV who suggested we see doctor who referred to paediatrician. She has had some blood tests & we’re awaiting results & some scans to check internal organs?! Meanwhile I just feel like she’s wasting away before my eyes & am fretting!
She was always small - born at 5lb but now at nearly 13 months she’s not even 15lb! She was EBF til 1 year & now breastfeeds first thing in morning & last at night (& if she wakes for a night feed)...she gained well initially. At 6 months I started BLW - she enjoyed doing it but gagged & puked a lot - persevered til about 10 months when really noticed the weight gain slow down...she dropped 2 centilles so fell off the bottom of chart...so resorted to purées (still give finger foods also). Recently she’s been constipated which we are treating & had the usual colds / bugs since starting nursery when I returned to work. She has very little cows milk & water from sippy cup & is getting better at it but would never take to a bottle! I’m just worried about her - she feels like skin & bones! She is generally happy, easy going & a real little character! Sorry this is so long - any ideas or positive stories?! Thanks x

My ds is small for his age despite being born at an average weight, he was a great gainer when on breastmilk and formula but once he hit about 14 months and moved on to cows milk and food the weight gain slowed drastically. He was always a fussy eater from weaning at 6 months which we know now is down to autism (sensory issues) and he's seen hv, gp, paediatrics etc and all we've been advised to do is feed him what he likes. He is 4.5yrs old and only weighs 30lbs so twice your daughters weight but 3 years older! He is not all that tall so doesn't look skin and bones but very slender. If there is something she does like (petit filous, strawberry milkshakes) that is calorific give her them on a regular basis. You can also get peadisure (sp?) which is a weigh gaining powder you mix up at home and give to them.

Thank you 😊 she does like petit filous & that’s a good idea to try milk shakes! With her she enjoys eating/exploring food but gags on the slightest thing - even mashed potato / thick purées! It’s mad! Thanks though

My DS was very underweight as a baby because he had a heart condition that he eventually required surgery to correct. The dietician advised us to add double cream (which is very high in calories) to his food, so yoghurts, porridge, puddings, mashed potato etc. Could be worth a try?

Have you seen a SALT regarding her gagging?

Also it’s worth seeking a Dietitian referral for advice on extra fat/calories (cream in yogurt etc)

We give small meals to my son every few hours and that’s helped him gain weight (he was under the charts too for a long time). In also worry less about variety and healthiness, and just focus on getting food in to him! I also have been advised to use Abidec vitamin supplements so definitely get those if you haven’t already.

Thank you both...it’s reassuring for some reason to know I’m not alone with this. The blood tests & scans should discover / rule out any physical condition contributing to this & we also have a dietician referral but were warned it’s a long wait.
I will definitely try to sneak in extra calories in the mean time & what is a SALT?! (Sorry)

A friend of mine has a daughter that used to gag a lot on food. She discovered that she had enormous tonsils that were stopping her wanting to eat.

Our youngest DD is just 2 and she has always been tiny too. She was 5lb at birth and 15lb at 1. We tried giving her oatly cream with her porridge each day. Also suggested to us was to give a small tea spoon of olive oil with her purée. She is still tiny at 2 but very healthy.

Salt is speech and languages therapist OP. My DS is 4 and 30lbs, he was the worst eater until probably 2.5 when he went to nursery full time and then it all clicked into place for him.
He was yoghurt obsessed (still is), at 13 months he ate probably the same as your DC and weighed around the same. He was still in 6-9 month clothes.
Now aged 4 he doesn’t stop, he eats like a horse but doesn’t put on huge amounts of weight. His jeans are all too big for him (3-4) but the size below are too short!
But he is like me, I’ve eaten like a horse all through life and apart from pregnancy never got above 9 stone and been a size 8.

Your DC might just be little Op!

Add cream, cheese, butter and coconut milk to whatever she eats/ drinks