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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

Any tips on how to up the calorie content of 7month old dd's diet

24 replies

Dragonhart · 08/08/2007 16:02

7mo dd2 is still having problems with her weight and having just got back from weigh in, I am looking for some ways to up the calorie content of her food.

She tends to have pretty much what we have mashed up with finger foods where the food allows (which she tends to squash into her chair or crush with her cup rather than eat ). She does not eat a great deal though.

Any ideas would be great!

OP posts:

MrsBadger · 08/08/2007 16:09

easiest way is more bm or formula tbh...

WigWamBam · 08/08/2007 16:14

More milk.

It should be her main source of calories for quite some time yet - so not eating a great deal of food won't matter, as long as she's getting plenty of milk.

theUrbanDryad · 08/08/2007 18:23

DH - this is what i was going to say on the PN thread, is she still taking plenty of bm? also, is she happy in herself and plenty of wet/dirty nappies etc?

Theclosetpagan · 08/08/2007 18:25

Increase the milk supply. Is she especially low weight or is she just slowing down a bit?

Original poster

Dragonhart · 08/08/2007 18:47

She is 14lbs7 at 7 months. Between 2nd and 5th centile and has been for a while.

HV told me to drop a feed and try to give her more lunch. Does that sound ?

She is having 4 feeds a day (bf so not sure how much).

OP posts:

Original poster

Dragonhart · 08/08/2007 18:48

Oh and very happy except for the teeth!

OP posts:

Dropdeadfred · 08/08/2007 18:49

We had this when dd3 was younger. We were advised to use creamy sauces on top of veg and/or pasta, lots of cheese, butter in mash etc Full fat youghurts and buttery toast, rice pudding etc

slalomsuki · 08/08/2007 18:50

I had a prem baby who didn't gain weight quickly and I was advised to go on to powdered baby food......you know the stuff in boxes and make it up with milk(breast) rather than the water as it was advised. Also another very prem baby was on gold top and butter with everything from weaning stage and double cream added to milk in bottle

Dropdeadfred · 08/08/2007 18:51

Oh and if she is only 7 months then don't drop a feed just see if you can get her to eat first then take bm.

I actually increased the amount i fed dd3 not decreased.

Theclosetpagan · 08/08/2007 18:55

What centile has she been on before. Nothing wrong with being on between the 2nd and 5th centile - it's still within normal limits. She's 7 mon ths and how much food or milk she has is up to you - DOH say about a pint of milk a day once weaning (and this includes milk in her food as well).

Your HV isn't wrong necessarily but it depends on what you want to do with your DD weaning. If she's dropped through loads of centiles it might be she isn't eating enough cals - or it might just be because she's heading towards the centile line she's meant to be on. DS went from 91st centile to 25th over the first year and is fine.

BTW - teething might make her less likely to want to eat so extra bf might be all you need.

Original poster

Dragonhart · 08/08/2007 20:57

Thanks everyone! Started on the 9th and went down but staying pretty steady now. Down a little on the graph line but not too much.

So same milk feeds and cream/butter in everything! Is it fat calories that are better then?

OP posts:

MrsBadger · 08/08/2007 21:07

not better per se
but (eg) 10g fat has more calories in than 10g sugar or 10g starch
so for a tiny with a limited stomach capacity fat gives the most amount of calories in the smallest amount of food.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 08/08/2007 21:14

More milk.

Original poster

Dragonhart · 08/08/2007 21:18

When everyone says more milk do they mean that I should be giving more than 4 feeds a day?

I feed her when she wakes up at about 730-8am, at about 11-1130am, 3-4pm then beofre bed at about 630. What with breakfast, lunch and tea, would be hard to squeese in another feed.

OP posts:

lemonaid · 08/08/2007 21:23

Doesn't really sound like she has a problem. If she started on the 9th, dropped down to between 2nd and 5th and has stayed there fairly consistently then it sounds as though she's just small, not "underweight". I wouldn't be looking to change much from what you're already doing, TBH. What's her height on the centiles?

DS was on 5 feeds during the day and one at night through to about 9 months, though. I can't remember when they all were, mind (one of those things you expect to remember, so don't write down, and then you forget).

VeniVidiVickiQV · 08/08/2007 21:53

Up the feeds, or up the volume of milk in a feed. Her meals are not important at this age. Having milk is. It is more calorific than any solid you could give her atm.

Original poster

Dragonhart · 08/08/2007 22:33

Thanks everyone. It's really helped. Not worried so much about her weight but realise that if it dipped because of weaning then it would be pretty low.

Will try and get her to feed for longer too.

OP posts:

halogen · 09/08/2007 21:11

Four feeds a day doesn't sound like much for a 7 month old. Remember her stomach is still pretty tiny so she can't necessarily take more at one time. You might want to add another feed or two or alternatively some snacks - finger food or fruit mush with cream? But just because she's skinny, it doesn't necessarily mean she isn't healthy. Maybe she doesn't want any more calories? My daughter is fairly thin and if I give her extra-calorific meals, it just means she eats less of them.

Original poster

Dragonhart · 09/08/2007 21:42

Not really sure how I can add another feed in though. She is up for 12 hours and I am already feeding her about every 3-4 hours. She doesnt have a night feed as she sleeps through.

She is between the 50th and 75th centile for height but started on the 25th.

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katwith3kittens · 09/08/2007 23:52

I think you just have to go with her (assuming she is happy, which she seems to be) I just checked my book for DD who for comparison weighed 14.10 at 7 months. I was told to add butter (unsalted of course) or cream to her meals, but I didnt provide overly large portions, I just gave her more milk as she demanded it. Dont let yourself get too obsessed by it

pania · 10/08/2007 00:00

Most babies love avocado and it's very good for them (and chock full of healthy fat).

KristinaM · 10/08/2007 00:06

i am 40 something and i have food or drink more than every 3-4 hours ( well at least when i am awake) Give her more breast feeds if you want to get more calories in her

Original poster

Dragonhart · 10/08/2007 20:23

I hadnt thought about avocado. Will try that one as ds1 loves it.

Been adding cream in most things and she has suddenly really got the hang of it and is eating more.

Still taking full bf as well as the food so think she is getting lots.

Thanks again for all the advice, I am really finding it helpful xxx

OP posts:

callmeovercautious · 10/08/2007 20:31

If my DD is off her food (mainly finger foods) she will always eat some banana and avocado mashed together, she eats it from the spoon. That and yoghurt with fruit added always go down well.
I agree that if she started off on the 9th then she is not doing badly at all. My DD dropped down between 4 and 8m, then when she upped her solids (by herself) she bounced back up and is now a big above where she was at Birth.
Most exclusively BF babies do this, the charts are not designed for BF as the majority don't BF for the whole of the first year.

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