If you have talked to me at any time during the past month, then I have little doubt I didn't talk to you about Cooper's eating and weight. When we went to the doctor for his 6 month check up, he had not even gained two pounds in two months and was only in the 25th percentile for his weight (40th for height). The pediatrician wasn't concerned at all (Cooper doesn't exactly look underfed), but I started obsessing! He hadn't been nursing very well for a few days before that, and it was clear he was headed for another nursing strike. I had decided I wasn't going to battle out another strike and would start giving him formula. I started giving him bottles that were half formula/half pumped breastmilk. Well, long story short, I am lucky if I can get Cooper to take a 6 oz bottle-most of the time he drinks about 4 oz. He also isn't eating a whole lot of baby food or oatmeal cereal. So, the more moms I talked to, the more I obsessed about how little he was eating. I kept thinking that maybe he wasn't eating as much because of all the changes in his diet that took place in a short period of time. After a month of no improvement though, I was ready to panic! I gave in and called the doctor's office. The nurse said as long as he's gaining weight and happy, no worries-he'll eat as much as he wants/needs. I took him the next day for his flu shot and asked them to weigh him. He had gained weight, and the nurse reiterated the "no worries-he's fine" conversation I had with another nurse the day before.
Anyway, I say all that to say this: I know a typical day of eating for Cooper might look like it's not enough, but it's all I can get in him, and I wanted to document this so when he's consuming our entire refrigerator's contents on a daily basis as a teenager I can look back and laugh at myself for being upset now about him not eating enough! I'm still a little self conscious about it though, so for Karl's sake and sanity, don't leave a comment telling me it looks like he's not getting enough to eat or anything along those lines. The nurse said he's fine, so he's fine (so why am I still obsessing?!).
Breakfast:
bottle (4 oz of formula, 2 oz of breastmilk)
2 T oatmeal cereal (mixed with leftover milk from bottle or new pumped breastmilk)
1/2 jar of Stage 1 Fruit
Lunch:
bottle (same as earlier)
1/2 jar of Stage 1 Fruit
1/2 jar of Stage 1 Vegetable
(I stir any leftover milk from his bottle into the baby food to help make sure he gets enough liquids)
Snack:
bottle (same)
Dinner:
bottle (same)
2 T oatmeal or rice cereal (mixed with leftover milk from bottle or new pumped breastmilk)
1/2-1 jar of Stage 1 Vegetable (sometimes 1/2 of 2 jars of different foods)
*I do combine the prepared oatmeal or rice cereal with whatever baby food he's eating so we're not sitting there forever.
Middle of the Night Feeding around 4:00 a.m. (He nurses for this feeding)
Cooper seems to love the fruits and tolerates a couple of the vegetables while hating the other vegetables. It's really funny because if he likes it, that mouth opens up wide so fast and he makes "mmmm" sounds, but if he doesn't like it, as soon as the food hits his taste buds, he closes he eyes, purses his lips, and shakes his head. He also tries to grab the spoon from me to keep it from getting close to his mouth again. Hilarious!
Here is my guess on how he would rank the foods from his most favorite to least favorite:
1. Bananas
2. Apples
3. Pears
4. Peaches
5. Sweet Potatoes
6. Carrots
7. Green Beans
8. Squash
9. Peas (hates peas just like his mama)
Even though he doesn't eat as much as he's "supposed to", there are times when I just can't get the food to him fast enough. That's when he resorts to drastic measures...
like eating his fingers...
or his foot...
or even both feet...
No comments:
Post a Comment