inching up the charts

when we last talked about my little one's poor growth and failing to thrive, he had been declining on the growth chart over 5 months. i am so thankful for family who support led me to search out new doctors and answers to my questions. each doctor brought us along our path to the next, appointments opened up and the big questions were answered very quickly for us. poor feeding is what has been determined and we are working with a feeding team at the children's medical hospital. we have the support of a few doctors and i feel great about our plan moving forward.

while there are a few things that led to this, the main issues has been that my little one would rather be on the move. through the evening, he has always nursed very well, nursing every 2-3 hours. in talking with a doctor, he said that my little one is in a drowsy state of mind which is allowing for his good feedings. a light bulb went off and now, as soon as i hear the little one stirring from his nap, i run upstairs to nurse him. (prior, we were nursing before his naps) we are fortunate that my little one has taken to his solids and he gets 3 meals and 3 mini-meals a day that we mix in a 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and a high calorie formula in his food. we are focusing on high calorie foods (pumpkin, olives, hummus, pasta and potatoes) and foods rich in proteins, as well as variety and brain building foods.

my little one also has an intolerance to milk protein. my diet has also remained egg-free since christmas time and i am a little suspicious of egg seeing my daughter was allergic to egg through the age of 3 years. i have found this resource very helpful in ensuring i have eliminated my son's suspected allergens from the food that i eat, as allergens can be hidden within the ingredients. the document, how to read a label, if you suspect a food allergy or intolerance, i advise you to seek medical advice. allergic reactions can be life threatening) i have found that with my daughter and now my son's intolerance, that preparing and planning ahead are crucial. the great news is that there are so many resources on the internet. there are also wonderful blogs, dedicated to sharing their family's experience and recipes. the recipes are so so so helpful. thank you to everyone who shared their stories with me.

i am so grateful to the mothering boards and to those who respond and leave comments. mamas helping mamas, sharing their story and experiences. they really helped me to have prior knowledge when talking to the different doctors. they gave me hope and the feeling that i was not alone.

above all i encourage other mothers to listen to your inner voice. ask as many questions as you need to, seek out people to help your answer your concerns and questions and above all, ask your doctors what are ALL the options (something i learned with both my deliveries, a whole other story to tell one day. if you are going to be delivering, another critical thinking questions is to ask if the decision needs to be made right now or do you have some time to think about your decision) sometimes a doctor talks about only 1 option because in their mind they believe it is the best option. and while you can respect their opinion, i feel grateful to have learned to ask about all the options so that i can choose what is best for my family.

today, my little guy is back on the growth chart. he's in the 4th percentile on weight and he's reaching up to the 50th percentile on height. we are inching up the charts!

thank you all for your support and keeping us in your thoughts
with growing gratitude,
christine