Weighing in on Weight

I always knew Zoe was going to be a small baby,  her size has never been a surprise to me.  I was a small baby, in fact smaller than her.   Zach and I are not huge people, so then why is her size such a huge concern?

I've really grown aggravated with the percentile charts.  At Zoe's two month doctors appointment she had gained the appropriate amount of weight, yet the doctor commented on how thin she looked.  Stating that most babies are chubby.   Well she's not most babies!!  Genetically I don't think this girl is ever going to be big.  But do I think she is healthy...YES!

Fortunately at the most recent, 4 month visit, the doctor took mine and my husbands size into consideration.  She also commented on how active Zoe is for her age, which can also affect weight gain.   She informed me that babies gain the most weight during the first six months of life because that is when they are the most sedentary, which Zoe has never really been.  As my father-in-law likes to point out Zoe's arms are always moving.

However despite Zoe seeming to be a perfectly healthy active baby who is gaining weight at her own pace, and growing up rather than out the doctor wants me to work on fattening her up. So that she doesn't fall off the percentile charts.  First of all in this generation of obese children why are they trying to fatten up a perfectly healthy baby!!  And Zoe is the not the first baby that I've heard doctors say this about.  My cousin has also be told the same thing about her daughter.  I also have several co-workers who told me that doctors said the same thing to them, and their children are still small but perfectly healthy.

At the doctors office the other day my doctor suggested that I start feeding Zoe rice cereal in two weeks.  But not only did she want me to start feeding her rice cereal she wanted me to add BUTTER to the cereal to fatten her up.  I mentioned to the doctor my allergy concern because my husband has a lot of food allergies, and I also mentioned that I have never been fully convinced that Zoe doesn't have a dairy intolerance.   Instead of butter she suggested olive oil.  After talking this over with several people, and my husband we both decided we were definitely not comfortable with feeding solids at this point, and especially not butter. I don't want to start clogging her arteries with butter already.  In addition, all the current allergy research strongly suggest not to feed solids until 6 months, and to breastfeed until that time if you are concerned at all about allergies.  Which we are!  So now I'm in a dilemma go ahead and feed my daughter cereal with BUTTER, and risk her having allergies or wait until six months and potentially avoid the allergy concern.  ( I say potentially, I know nothing is guaranteed)

Further more, this is what I find really funny...I was reading over the packet of information that my doctor gave me about feeding solids, and it discussed teaching healthy habits now; don't force your child to eat if they are no longer hungry.   It also said that a 4 to 6 month old baby should be eating/drinking anywhere from four to seven times a day.  Zoe gets four, 5oz bottles at day care plus she eats from me once in the morning and anywhere from two to three times in the evening, so a total of eight times a day.  Zoe is content with six meals a day. However, I have been waking up my good sleeper and adding other meals in just to give her more calories.  I am feeding her without her asking/wanting to already.   I am fine with waking her up a few extra times.  I understand that she is small, and that 12 hours is a long time for her to go without eating.  But my little girl sure does love sleep.  She will let you know when she is tired, and hates to be kept up past her bed time.  She also hates being woken up, but I wake her to make sure she has a few extra calories.

I do a lot of things for Zoe's health.  Breastfeeding is definitely not easy, and trying to keep up a pumped supply is even harder.  Pumps are not as efficient as babies. I feel fortunate to be working at a middle school this year, because of all the planning time I actually get.  If it wasn't for the planning time I don't know how I would be able to keep this up. I miss working at the elementary school, but I would not have had this luxury there. I had little or no planning time last year, and from talking to my old coworkers it sounds as though there is even less this year. I am glad that my doctor at least understand the importance of breastfeeding, and isn't trying to talk me into formula feeding like so many others.   The way I see it formula is a food based product because most formulas are either dairy based or soy based.  Two of the most common food allergies in this country are dairy and soy.   I'm just not ready to introduce those to Zoe's diet yet.  I'd rather let her body build up a tolerance (hopefully)  to those substances through the natural milk that my bodies creates specifically for HER.  And hopefully once her digestion has matured her body will handle them on her own.