It's been a while but I need osme help with Julian!

[Linzola1]

OK So it's been a little while since I have posted on here but I am in a tough spot with Julian. He is already 6 months, WOW how time flies!  

My first delimia is that he is falling off the growth curve. When they had me putting cereal in his bottle he was a chunker, but his reflux cured itself and now he is not doing so well. They took the cereal out of his bottle for 2 weeks and he lost 10oz and we put it back in and he gained, but he was not eating his solid foods and the PED wants him to eat them so she took it back out at his 6 month appt. I am afraid that he is ot gaining weight agian. He simply just feels lighter. Any advice on what I can do wothout putting the cereal back in or what the doctor will do if he indeed is not gaining. ( HE is soooo fussy when there is cereal in the bottle, I have to fight him to take his feeds, but when it is just formula its great!)

Second, Now that he is on his second foods he seems to enjoy them better with the new varities, but my PED wants me to feed him 3x a day and thats just not working out. I get lucky to get him to eat 2x a day. I give him a 4 oz jar of the gerber cereal ( Oatmeal pears and cinimmon or rice cereal and applesauce or someother premixed type) I would like to get a fruit put in for lunch but he wont take it and for sinner I get lucky for him to take half a meat and have a veggier or fruit. I need to get this straightned out! I am kicking myself in the butt for not getting him on a set schudle! I feel like all of this is my fault and it may have something to do with the weight loss so any help with how to get this straightned out would be greatly appriciatd.

And last ( sorry this is so long) Julian is so fussy at nap time and bed time. Agisn he is not on a set schudle so he fights sleep and soes it for an hour or 2. Is it possible that he has insominia? He also tuggs on his ears but at his last appt on the Monday before Christmas they were looking better than they have in a long time which leads me to think that maybe he found his ears? Maybe thats dumb???? I am so tired and just in need of HELP SOS Ladies!

Thanks Hope everyone is well and agian sorry it is so long!

[Linzola1]

I jsut posted a second thred that explains all of the problems I think at least

[JoyRenee]

mami made a great point. The proteins found in meat are way too hard for baby to digest at that age. And I like what tiredbuthappy said about finding another doctor.

One of my cousins had a baby boy a couple years ago. The doctor told her that he had to eat baby food and was really strict about some things. My cousin fed her baby boy until he was screaming for her to stop. She just stuffed him every single day. He was fussy, overweight, and had to start taking medication for stomach problems because of it. Not saying that is what you're doctor is doing but I hope that gives you a fresh perspective.

I know you're tired! *HUGS*

[tiredbuthappy]

i responded on the Maternal Child thread you started, but wanted to make sure you saw my response. I honestly feel he needs to be evaluated by another ped or get a referral to a specialist. not sure what kind of specialist though- maybe someone else can give insight. it is not normal for a baby to lose weight when consuming an appropriate amount of formula. plenty of babies make it all the way to 12 months on mostly formula and manage to gain weight healthily. you need to find out why his body isn't absorbing the calories in the formula and why he is losing weight. it is not normal.

i agree with what the others said- your ped is pushing too much solids which is most likely contributing to fussiness. once or twice a day is more than enough. good luck. i hope you find out what's going on.

[mami1323]

Yikes, I'm sorry, that is tough.  I would call the ped now before the holidays, you may not get to see someone in an emergency.  Better safe than sorry I say.

[Linzola1]

Thanks ladies. I am debating on since Julian has cronic ear infections if I should call the ped? I am so exhausted, he did not go to bed until midnight! AHHHHHHHh

[mami1323]

I think Joy hit the nail on the head with everything.  At 6 months my son was only eating solids 1 to 2 times a day.  Three times is way too much.  He also wasn't a fan of the fruits.  As far as meats, I was told not to feed Jayden meats until he was 9 months.  So all he really ate at 6 months was cereal in the morning and in the afternoon he would get string beans and squash.  Those were about the only foods he liked to eat.  The baby's main nutrition is the formula or breastmilk.  So I wouldn't be worried if your son isn't doing well with solids.  It's still all new to him.  By 9 months Jayden was eating more fruits and was very picky but now the boy eats just about anything and he's 13 months.  

The ear tugging, yes sign of infection.  Perhaps Julian is beginning to teethe.  A lot of times when they teethe they get ear infections and they even have trouble sleeping because they are in pain.  Jayden was also a very picky eater when he was teething, he actually barely gained weight during those times.  Check his gums, see if they are red or swollen.  Even if they aren't it doesn't mean things aren't happening in his mouth.  Jayden would go an entire week being fussy and whiney and then all of a sudden I would see the beginnings of teeth breaking through.  Until the teeth break through, the baby is very uncomfortable.

It's all a guessing game until these children can talk, so don't kick yourself if you're having difficulties.  I still misread my son's cues and feel bad when I realize what is up.  But we're only human.  Good luck.

[JoyRenee]

Ugh, sorry... last thing I promise. I forgot to address his fussiness around naptime/bedtime. Baby foods and cereals can be hard on a developing baby's tummy. They can make babies gassy and uncomfortable. So do a little test. Tomorrow don't feed him baby food before he goes to sleep. Notice if he is still fussy (could be because of his ears if infected as well). The food could be unsettling his little tummy if it isn't about his ears.

That's just my personal opinion and take. I'm sure many others have different experiences. All you can do is experiment. Your first baby is always the trial-and-error baby. You just have to keep trying new things to see what works. Don't kick yourself over this.

[JoyRenee]

Oh, and I want to add that when babies have ear infections or are sick, they don't want to eat or they may want to eat more. Just listen to his cues. I can tell you my experiences- I fed my babies on demand. Setting a schedule is hard with babies because one thing can mess up the entire schedule (like getting a shot).

Just take it one day at a time. Make certain big things happen around the same time every day. If you do a bath every day, make it around the same time (morning, afternoon, or evening). Feeding time may vary but make sure that you have a special activity after eating (like reading a book or watching a Baby Einstein). You can do it, Lindsey! And please, please don't feel guilty. We've all been there, trying to get routines for our babies and feeling like failures.

[JoyRenee]

First, don't set such high standards for yourself! Raising babies is hard, very hard. Especially if you're the main person caring for your child(ren). Don't feel guilty either. Every pediatrician will tell you something different.

For instance, our pediatrician is very young and on-top of the newest dietary information for babies and children. She told me, quite often, that I didn't need to feed my youngest daughter baby cereal or food. In fact, breastmilk or formula is fine all by itself until they turn a year old. It has all the nutrients and calories that they need.

So I did not feed my youngest baby food. Her first foods were table foods (crackers, soft cheese, etc.). My point isn't that you shouldn't do what you feel is best. Quite the contrary. I felt my daughter didn't need baby food, so I didn't give it to her.

Your doctor is telling you to feed him baby food, that he doesn't really need nutritient-wise, 3x a day. That's a LOT of food for a 6-month-old. Do you know how much he weighs? Is Julian more active (pulling himself up, scooting, crawling)? Babies will slim down the more active they become.

The ear tugging could be a sign of infection. Most clear up on their own. If he's tugging and happy, he's probably just playing. But if his inner ear is red and he's tugging and fussy, it's most likely an infection.