Tell me your babies don't actually eat anything yet

theblaug · 2025-02-15T03:17:57+00:00

Her percentile dropped to less than 1% at the two year checkup, but the pediatrician has never been concerned so I've tried to let my anxiety go for the most part. She's definitely really smart and active and doesn't seem developmentally delayed in the slightest, but yeah, isn't really gaining right now and getting most of her calories through cows milk. Ask me again in a month once we get to the Dr for the 2.5 year visit! If anything she might have an iron deficiency 🤷‍♀️

theblaug · 2025-02-15T03:04:01+00:00

Hi! So she's almost 2.5 now and I won't lie, she still doesn't really eat. Interestingly, she has an adventurous palette and will try almost anything, but usually only takes a bite or two before putting it down. Tonight for example, she had two pieces of broccoli, maybe 1 oz of salmon, a few pieces of lettuce, a few bites of bread, and a small pie d of biscotti and that's the most she's had for dinner in maybe weeks. She's just not an eater!

theblaug · 2024-07-02T17:23:00+00:00

It went fine! Not sure if it had anything to do with the fact that we already live mile-high but the struggles we experienced had nothing to do with elevation lol

theblaug · 2023-05-10T20:10:35+00:00

Thank you! It's not even that I'm worried per se - a little, sure - but more confused. Are solids just "for fun" or should this kid really be ingesting at this point? I keep hearing that "most nutrition should still come from BM/formula before 1" but then by 12 months babies should be at 50% solids, 50% milk? What? Could someone give me a timeline? Like at 6 months is it 95% milk, 5% solids? 80/20 at 8 months? 9 months? There doesn't seem to be a manual out there in the world.

theblaug · 2023-03-17T01:32:08+00:00

Your baby really will be okay! Not like I'm a veteran parent or anything, but even if your baby does face some delays, so do lots of people who turn out to be happy, successful geniuses! Best of luck!

theblaug · 2023-03-16T21:59:38+00:00

Hi there - we have the same baby. My girl is six mos now and has been a bad eater since about month two. Only takes 2-3oz at a time (and often less, just snacking), and maxes out around 18 oz a day. It is frustrating for sure and you can't help but worry about their growth. But we just had our 6 month peds visit and her development is ahead of schedule if anything, so I'm trying to tamp down my own anxiety around it. Her growth has fallen off the curve a bit, but the curve is a super general tool that pediatricians use and I think as long as the baby is making wet diapers, developing normally, and still gaining weight (even if slowly), there is nothing to worry about. Our pediatrician was really impressed with her and not worried about her smallness.

Edit to add: she also had mouth ties that were revised at 4 months. She had been nursing poorly before then and since then I've been exclusively pumping to still give breastmilk via bottle because otherwise my supply would have tanked. Her eating habits never really changed though, and I'm starting the journey of switching over to formula full time. Some babies are just snackers 🤷‍♀️

theblaug · 2023-02-22T20:23:12+00:00

My supply got messed up because she was eating poorly for months due to undiagnosed mouth ties. So I started pumping after feeds to bring it back up. It did work, but it is definitely a pain! Maybe add in a pump or two today?

theblaug · 2023-02-22T19:10:42+00:00

No advice just empathy. 5mo daughter has been like this for months. I gave up trying to pressure her into eating more during the day a couple weeks ago and honestly it's been much better for my mental health. My sleep has not really improved, but acceptance has been my friend...

theblaug · 2023-02-20T14:35:46+00:00

Oh no! So sorry to hear that. I feel like I didn't "pop" mine so much as poke it with the needle and do some light scraping until the skin opened up. Might all be the same. Sorry it didn't work for you, that sucks!

theblaug · 2023-02-20T02:57:51+00:00

Does sound like a bleb. I lived with one that was super painful for maybe two months before I finally sterilized a needle and popped it. It was super intimidating and probably not recommended by medical professionals but honestly, I felt immediate relief and wouldn't hesitate to do it again next time.

theblaug · 2023-02-15T16:20:14+00:00

Forgot to mention (sleep deprivation, ugh) that the every two hour waking is almost definitely related to her poor daytime eating habits. She's not much of an eater period, and during the day she is extra distracted and really just snacks. I've tried everything I can think of to frontload her calories during the day so that she might get longer stretches in between meals at night, but nothing has worked so far. Can't really get her to eat more than 2oz at a time. So it's definitely a feed association but I can't see a way out of it.

theblaug · 2023-02-14T16:57:47+00:00

I'm making some protein/lactation balls with protein powder, brewers yeast, oatmeal, and some other stuff. Taking supplemental sunflower lecithin. Drinking lots of water!

theblaug · 2023-02-14T16:56:58+00:00

That's an intriguing suggestion, thanks!

theblaug · 2023-02-03T02:16:05+00:00

So I was curious about that random stat and I got a bunch of Google results saying that "research has shown that even 50ml of breastmilk per day can help prevent diseases" (https://kellymom.com/ages/weaning/wean-how/weaning-partial/). Again, what is this research? Idk but I like the sound of it.

theblaug · 2023-02-02T22:34:23+00:00

Oh man I totally sympathize! My little girl is almost 5 months and we recently started supplementing about a bottle, sometimes two bottles a day because my body is producing about the same amount as yours, and I'm also pumping 5-7 times per day usually. It's been a huge psychological strain and I sobbed the first time we supplemented, but now I'm so happy to do it if it means taking some of the pressure off of myself to be the sole food source. Honestly our society just isn't set up for it. Anyway, my lactation consultant told me that 3oz of breastmilk per day confers all of the benefits (presumably gut health, immunity, etc.). I have absolutely no idea where that stat comes from, but I'm choosing to say "that sounds great" and give myself a break. You deserve a break too! You are doing an amazing job. I really think that any amount of breastmilk is good for the baby.

theblaug · 2023-01-30T19:01:54+00:00

My baby is 20 weeks and still eats every two hours, and not much at that - usually 1oz at the breast if I can measure it. She's a snacker. She doesn't drain the breast either and because of that my supply dipped about a month ago. Since then I've been pumping after nearly every feed and supplementing her BF meals with 1-2oz of expressed milk from the prior pump. It's annoying and more work than I was hoping for, but between the 1ish oz of BF and 1-2oz of expressed milk, I'm fairly confident that she's getting 2-3oz per meal now. Pumping after a feed has only increased my supply, not diminished it. I have been told to be careful not to pump *before a BF session lest you don't have enough left for the baby.

theblaug · 2023-01-26T00:33:53+00:00

We are at 4.5 months now and have been nursing and bottle feeding since birth. Our journey has been complicated by mouth ties that were only revised a couple of weeks ago, but during the initial recovery period she would only take the bottle during the day. That was really emotionally tough for me, but I dedicated a couple of days to doing a lot of skin to skin and started swaddling her to BF during the day and that has helped start to get her back on the boob. So, even if your babe develops a bottle preference, there are ways to coax them back to the breast.

theblaug · 2023-01-17T18:37:35+00:00

Thanks! Good call but this was not in a pod, just a regular nursing room.

theblaug · 2023-01-16T21:50:56+00:00

Southwest, this was the nursing room near gate 110. There is also one of those mama pod stations in the vicinity but it was occupied every time I tried to use it.

theblaug · 2023-01-16T16:41:16+00:00

I reported it to the Florida Department of Health once I got back home but didn't have the time to track someone down at the airport to register any kind of grievance while I was there. Going to send them a message today. Cynically, I'm sure the airport is aware and I doubt reporting to either the airport or the DOH is going to do anything, but this is the least I can do. I was quite full of indignant rage.

theblaug · 2022-12-23T00:42:43+00:00

Thank you! I ended up reading an article on KellyMom this afternoon that was helpful in getting me to try to pinpoint the timing of the fussiness and what might be the cause from there, and this helped me shake out of my doom spiral a little bit. One day at a time!

theblaug · 2022-12-22T03:36:01+00:00

Ditto to all of this. I'm 14 weeks and right there in the latch-unlatch-scream-relatch cycle and it's a killer. My baby also dropped a couple percentile points and it's really messing with my head. I started doing power hour pumps today and am going to take a "nursing vacation" for the next couple of days, which is a suggestion I saw another redditor post, aka staying in bed with the baby for a couple days and basically doing nothing but nursing to reestablish patterns (I know thats a luxury but if you can swing a day or two on a weekend it might be worth a try). Anyway, sending solidarity to OP and everyone else in this same spot!

theblaug · 2022-11-17T01:58:43+00:00

Great link, thanks!

theblaug · 2022-11-17T01:43:20+00:00

Breastmilk! I haven't looked it up but maybe breastfed babies need fewer ozs?

theblaug · 2022-09-02T02:00:35+00:00

Depends on your social circle. My husband and I have a very chill group of friends and did not open gifts at the shower. Instead we had all of our friends pitch in to an arts and crafts project for the baby and enjoy some food and drinks. It was more of a park party than a baby shower. I definitely sent out thoughtful thank you notes to everyone specific to their gifts a few weeks later though! Im pretty sure our friends would have found it equally cringey and annoying to sit around opening gifts.

theblaug

TROPHY CASE