https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 05:33:03 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963984 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 19:04:58 +0000 Maysprout 1963984@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If he doesn't finish the bottle id try smaller milk portions more frequently. My older lo is tiny and she eats small meals many times a day. I've tried getting her to eat larger meals and it just doesn't work. Avocados are a big hit with my girls and nice and fatty. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963945 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 17:17:22 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 1963945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does he like yogurt? DS loves yogurt and we give him Greek yogurt with lots of fat in it </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963928 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 17:03:32 +0000 ScarletBegonia 1963928@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks again so much to all of you for your advice!! I take it on board about his maybe needing more milk - my doctor definitely doesn't seem to think so. I am a bit reluctant to have his caretaker keep making him up bottles of formula, as we already waste SO much of it. But I will ask her to start offering before naps, he definitely eats more when he's sleepy. Of course after posting this yesterday he ate like a horse all day! I've written down all your suggestions and will implement them. I gave him cheese cubes for the first time yesterday and not only did he love them, he also fed them to himself which is super rare! I'll make sure to keep offering them.<br /> Thanks again for the advice :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963882 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 15:23:13 +0000 jedeve 1963882@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree about the bottle before naps. My LO always nurses so much better when he is sleepy!</p> <p>You can swirl some coconut oil in to oatmeal or applesauce too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963702 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 09:50:10 +0000 MrsHoneyC 1963702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son was in the zero - 3rd percentile between months 3-7 I didn't see any big difference until just two months ago when we were discharged from our pediatrician because my son is now in the 10th percentile. I think switching to a thickened formula helped, the fact that he wasn't projectile vomiting every feed helped but I found that just simply eating solids was the biggest factor that helped him bulk up. It can be incredibly frustrating. Our dr. Told us all kids are built differently and this is just his normal, he's just a small kid. I think once I gave myself permission to relax about him being little things got a bit better. Best of luck on your journey of weight gain with your LO </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963699 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 09:45:42 +0000 Chuckles 1963699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had the same thought as @anagram: in that he'd have to really be getting a lot of BM at each feed to get enough ounces each day. I know output is different when pumping versus nursing, but have you tried pumping at around the time of a nursing session just to estimate ounces? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963695 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 09:42:13 +0000 Chuckles 1963695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scarletbegonia: one other thought (we've had a lot of feeding and weight issues so I've thought about all this stuff *a lot* :happy: )... Is he emptying both breasts when he nurses? Have you tried giving a bottle of pumped breastmilk instead of formula?<br /> Just trying to brainstorm based on our experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963685 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 09:25:19 +0000 winniebee 1963685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Have you tried giving his bottles before his naps? My son was a very distracted drinker but would always take a bottle before nap or bed when sleepy. I think at that point my son took 4-5 bottles a day ranging from 4-6 oz for a total of around 25 oz of formula a day plus 3 meals </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963676 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 09:01:53 +0000 ShootingStar 1963676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ScarletBegonia: oh I missed that he was only 8m, I thought I read 10! At 8m I agree with others, definitely more milk/formula. At that age we had just switched from EBF to EFF and he was eating 8oz 4x/day - 7, 11, 4, 7. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963616 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 02:22:52 +0000 brownie 1963616@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son was officially failure to thrive (drop from 50% to 0.5% by 7 months). After 10 months old he started gaining over a pound a month. What we did: nursing like crazy so we co slept and I didn't refuse him, adding fats to his diet in the form of oils, giving him lots of food options from meat (fatty) to carbs, and a lot of hoping. It can be tough to do. After 12 months we added a high calorie drink (pediasure for allergic kids). That helped a lot for him.</p> <p>I agree that more milk in some form should help as it is going to be calorically dense which is really what you want. So sunflower seed butter is slightly more calorically dense than peanut butter. You want every bite to count.</p> <p>Good luck and don't stress out yet. Even a failure to thrive diagnosis isn't the end of the world. My son is a small but healthy 3.5 year old and has found a curve above the 10%. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963604 Sat, 29 Nov 2014 00:51:59 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 1963604@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree milk should be a bit higher, but it's hard I tell when you are bfing. If try doing formula more often? I've got lots of tips on fortifying foods, but I think the milk would be the biggest right now... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963585 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 23:55:40 +0000 Anagram 1963585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was an EPer and at 8 months, my daughter was getting 28-30 oz a day of breast milk plus 1-2 meals of purees a day. And she was about 30% for weight and 80% for height at that point. </p> <p>She was also still having 2 over night feeds at that age<br /> because she's always been a terrible sleeper. :happy:</p> <p>Eta: I listen the oz because I think 24-30 oz in 24 hours is the standard so if your LO is drinking 6-8 of formula then he'd need to be drinking 6-8 oz for each of the 3 breast feeds. Snd I had a pretty great supply but I definitely was not producing 8 oz at the afternoon and evening pumps by 8 months. </p> <p>Ate you feeding him from both breasts at all 3 feeds and are they nice long feeds? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963580 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 23:46:36 +0000 wonderstruck 1963580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ScarletBegonia: Does he get offered formula/BM before or after the solids. I'd try to make it before so that he'll hopefully start drinking more - his 2-3 nursing sessions combined with such a small amount of formula doesn't sound like very much to me. I know it's really tough when they're so busy and just not as interested in eating! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963572 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 23:24:20 +0000 ScarletBegonia 1963572@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Chuckles: hmm, thats interesting - you might be right! I was thinking that if he was hungry for milk, he would be gulping down the formula - his caretaker always offers a bottle between his morning and afternoon nap, and when he wakes up from his afternoon nap - he rarely finishes either of them and sometimes refuses the afternoon one outright. He gets both sides when he wakes up, when I get home from work and before bed. The only time I could really add a feeding would be overnight, I guess, and I suppose it might come to that. I *think* my supply is okay, but who knows!? TMI, but it still squirts out if he pulls off in the middle of a feed...i took that as a good sign. Anyway, definitely something to think about, thanks :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963567 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 23:16:03 +0000 Chuckles 1963567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hope this isn't controversial, but at 8 months babies should still be getting most of their calories from breastmilk or formula, even if solids are going well. 3 nursing sessions a day seems low. What do other people think? Is it possible that your milk supply is lower than you think? My LO had trouble gaining because he wasn't a big nurser so my supply dropped. He's also not food/hunger driven so for awhile we didn't know he wasn't getting enough calories just from nursing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963554 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:57:50 +0000 ScarletBegonia 1963554@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: Yep I'm starting that now. All oils all day long! Haven't done eggs with him yet, I might start on that as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963552 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:56:16 +0000 ScarletBegonia 1963552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the advice! In terms of food he has oats and stewed fruit for breakfast, and then for lunch and dinner he has either pouches or homemade food with meat, a green veg, a starchy veg, and pasta or rice. Usually fruit and finger foods as snacks during the day. I've started mixing olive oil into his purees, and I'm going to start giving him avocado as snack whenever I can. Not sure how much he gets in BM as its always straight from the tap, but formula he gets through probably 6-8oz a day...he's not a huge fan and its usually a struggle. I was wrong in my original post, he actually usually has 3 BF (morning, after work and bedtime) a day and 1 or 2 FF a day. </p> <p>Thanks again for all the advice, I really appreciate it. I'm not sure I have it in me to start feeding him MOTN, but I'll do it if nothing else works :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963547 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:49:26 +0000 ShootingStar 1963547@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How about adding healthy fats to his purees? Like aocado or olive oil. You could also cook things in butter. Does he like scrambled eggs? I'd mix up eggs with formula (with extra powder) and cook them in lots butter with cheese and avocado. You could also do English muffins or whole grain pancakes with butter or mashed avocado. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963545 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:43:19 +0000 Chuckles 1963545@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@scarletbegonia: what kinds of purees and solids does your LO eat? Try for higher calorie foods like full fat Greek yogurt. If he likes fruits and veggies, you can mix in a little cereal and coconut oil to add good fat and calories. How many ounces per day does your LO eat in BM and formula? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963538 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:34:00 +0000 blackbird 1963538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think a lot of people add formula to breastmilk to fatten it up and add some calories. A friend of mine used to mix yogurt and banana with it to make a "milkshake". E was 25th percentile for the longest time and jumped up to 60% percentile recently. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963525 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:25:31 +0000 catomd00 1963525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you try feeding him in the MOTN? Maybe of he's sleepy he will be more likely to eat? Or, can you add breastmilk or formula to his purées for extra calories ?</p> <p>Obviously your doc knows best and you should rule out any underlying medical conditions, but I would try not to be overly concerned yet, considering he seems To be happy, thriving and on the chart. FWIW, As a baby And most oft<br /> Childhood, I was never on the growth chart and FTT was never a term that was used and I have always been perfectly healthy! Every baby is different. Hope all his tests come back great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963523 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:23:19 +0000 Chuckles 1963523@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Regular formula is 20 calories per ounce but you can mix it with a little extra powder so that it's 24 calories per ounce. There's also info on calories in breastmilk on the Kelly Mom site with some ideas for bulking up using BM.http://kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/change-milkfat/<br /> Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/borderline-failure-to-thrive#post-1963519 Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:14:28 +0000 ScarletBegonia 1963519@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son is 8.5 months and has been a slow gainer since about 3.5 months...he's had periods of no gains, and periods of slight gains. He was in the 50th %ile when born, dropped to about the 30th at 4 months, 25th at 6 months, and is now in the 10th. At every visit my doctor said not to worry, he was finding his curve and would stabilise, but at the latest visit this morning, he hadn't gained much at all since 6 months and she was all of a sudden very worried. We need to go in for blood tests on Tuesday for thyroid and a few other things. She said she wouldn't diagnose him as failure to thrive yet, but by 10 months if his weight was still stalled she would. </p> <p>Has anyone dealt with this before, and did things get better? What tips do you have on bulking babies up? He's on purees and chunky foods, isn't great at self feeding, and still gets 4 milk feeds a day (2 formula, 2 BF). He's crawling, pulling up, super active, STTN. Pretty much he's the best baby, super chilled and easygoing, but just doesn't seem very driven by hunger so its hard to force feed him. </p> <p>Any advice? </p>