Skinny Baby

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As Emily noted, he did poo yesterday. Little blighter sometimes won’t poo for 10 days at a time (which is apparently perfectly normal for fully breastfed babies), and then does 3 in 24 hours. Since lunchtime yesterday, he’s done 5.

Should have weighed him before lunch.

Today it’s eight weeks since he has put on any significant amount of weight. In eight weeks he’s gone from 4.97kg up to 5.16kg, and now back down to 5.05kg.

In the picture above, he’s wearing a disposable nappy, as I was caught short at the clinic today. It’s a Huggies, newborn size.

The same size that he was put in at the hospital.

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The tabs are about an inch further apart than they were, but the fact that it still fits is a little creepy. As are his ribs, and bony spine.

On the advice of the clinic nurse, I rang the paed, and am seeing her again on monday.

In the meantime, we are going up to Pearl Beach for the weekend, and hopefully I can chill out a little.

8 thoughts on “Skinny Baby”

  1. Hi Lara,
    I didn`t know that you were ill during pregnancy.
    May I ask you what kind of illnes.
    Because my homoeopath always asked me while doing anamnesis for my 3 children if something happened while pregnancy…I think you gonna have to watch all the story from the beginning (means: Zero till now) and ALL of it, from all sides. Not only Inigo and his weight. What was while pregnancy, birth, after brith, …what is with your health, your nutrition, …everything. Not only feeding and poo and weight and always the question “why does he have still this weight”- think integrated!
    I am sorry if I am too annoying, but I at the time i make such astonishing experiences with homoeopathy, especially with my children. and some things are so clear, but you need a real experienced homoeopath to ask you the rigth question you never thought about.
    If there is something which was oppressed- it will come through on other place.
    Think about it, maybe something comes to your mind?
    I found a lot in my life- and so it is all clear to have the things I have now… pooo, long story 😉
    Best wishes as always from Germany and I still believe you it makes you ill to have worrys all the time! Eva

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  2. We’ve both squinted at this photo – although it is a worry that his weight is so stubbornly stable, he looks relaxed and seems to have good muscle tone. It’s a real mystery, but we look forward to its solution.

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  3. I suggest you dress that gorgeous baby in a wet woolie jumper for the next time he is weighed. I think this bare weight measurement is freaking you out too much. Is there anyone telling you that he is doing just fine? Is he bright, alert and astonishing you with his new tricks?

    Phoebe’s weight gain dropped dramatically at 6 months when I was encouraged to start feeding her solids. She couldn’t work it out until she was 9 months old and now at 18 months old she insists on feeding herself but lives on yogurt, cereal and crackers in addition to far too many breastfeeds for me to admit to each day.

    I was so concerned that Phoebe had dropped towards the 10% range but the health nurse and I finally accepted that she was just being normal for her. She is otherwise exceeding milestones and is generally a very happy child (until bedtime….what a friggin drama).

    As women I think we are predisposed to feeling a failure unless our children are perfect. I think sometimes we forget that they are perfect anyway. Whether they are a healthy or have health challenges, kids are just the way they are irrespective of how well we attend to their needs.

    The child protection act demonstrates that we have plenty of parents in society that dont have their children’s best interest in mind. You and Mark are beautiful parents and Inigo is an especially lucky boy.

    Accepting help from your family and friends also makes Inigo a very fortunate boy. Positive relationships with grandparents is a major blessing for a child. A child being cared for by parents supported by others is what every child deserves but not all children recieve.

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  4. He IS skinny. i’ve felt those ribs and run my fingers over that spine, and there’s no getting around it. And a baby that doesn’t gain weight IS not an easy baby to have. But, I have seen (and heard) him scream and fight against sleep and that MUST be using a lot of energy.

    I also see him as a responsive, alert, bright, beautiful and lovable boy. He connects visually, and he smiles (a smile to break a million hearts!) and while he is so alert and bright, I refuse to buy into helping you worry about him.

    Hamish was SO similar. I worried and fretted and listened to Clinic Sisters and family members who all told me that I should be doing (or trying) things differently. At the end of the day, he was just a skinny baby. A long, skinny, crying, non-sleeping baby who has grown into a long, skinny, anxious, non-crying, sleeping 10 yo boy.

    Also, the answers will come, but the best thing that you can be for that boy is calm and rested.

    Not in a forced way, but in a reassured way. I hope this made sense and that I haven’t added to the feeling that you should be doing anything other than what you already are. You are a wonderful WONDERFUL mother…

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  5. Hey Lara –

    I think you are doing absolutely fantastic. I realised that it was a year ago that you and Mark were kind enough to let P and I crash at your house before I made the trip down to Geelong. At the time you had just found out you were pregnant, and a bit ill in the morning. I think you are doing a fantastic job, and although your boy is a bit scrawny, he looks like he has no problem with his physical development. Perhaps you just have a wiry son!

    Think of you and your familly,
    Love and hugs from Meg and Pierre (and The Man, even though he hasn’t met you yet, when he does he’ll give you a hug too!)

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