Underweight twins

[twinthing]

Hi All,

I am really frustrated at the moment. My twins are almost 10 months they were 5 wks premature. The Dr has really worried me about their weight. They are 6.5kg and 7.3kg (not even on the growth charts).

I am having a real problem feeding them. They are still on jars and i try to introduce home cooked things like pasta and rice but they gag and don't really eat. They are now on formula milk, but they barely drink 4/5 ozs 3 times a day. I wanted to know what kind of high calorie foods I could try to introduce to help them grow. Is there anything available to increase their apetite? or any products i could add to their meals to boost the calorie content of the food? I give them yogurts now, can i introduce cream and cheese?

They seem like happy little girls other then the growth issue, responsive and alert- but the professionals have a real way of freaking me out about the development of the girls!
(My 3 yr old is also underweight, but at least she is on the growth chart).

Any ideas will be most welcome...I'm desperate!!

Hi - I'm also a Mum of very underweight twins born 7 weeks early. My smallest is also off the scale which has been a constant worry. That said, they are happy little ladies and don't seem bothered - I am starting to accept the fact they are just small and stop trying to compare them to other babies.

I've never been able to get more than 4oz of milk into them at a feed so the doctor prescribed a formula called Infatrini. It has almost twice the calories and fat as normal formula and has really helped them to grow - perhaps you could ask your GP about this?

Mine are just 6 months and at the first stage of weaning so I can't suggest foods, hopefully someone else can help there.

My advice would be to try and stop worrying. Charts are all very well for singleton babies born at term but your ladies are special! As long as the are healthy and putting on some weight I'd try not to get too obsessed over it.

Sorry you're worrying, I'm sure they're just fine though. The Infantrini sounds good, and my tip is give them lots of Philadelphia, worked a treat with mine. Fromage Frais is good too.

are you petite too? It may be partly their genes. Def introduce cheese and lots of food made with full fat milk such as rice pudding. 10 months is still very young, they may still like their food very runny. Have you tried finger foods? Sometimes babies gag with lumps on a spoon because they are not expecting them, but are better with finger food.

What about bananas and avocado? Both fairly high calorie foods and also very nutritious. My children didn't like pasta or rice until they had molars (I think it was the texture), but what about sweet potato and other root veg?

Are you and their dad smaller than average? If so, then your children may be perfectly at their correct weight, especially if they are meeting the other developmental standards.

Do you give them the opportunity to self-feed - wihtout you hovering? However messy it is, and however little seems to end up inside them, it is a very good way to encourage LOs to eat.