looking for help to help my 3yr old gain weight

jamiesillimandunn
jamiesillimandunn Posts: 270 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
So here I am on MFP myself to lose weight but on the other hand I have three young daughters ages 5.3.2 all very healthy and just cute as can be but my 3yr old little girl , has struggled since born to gain the amount of weight her pediatrician would like her to gain , going back and forth with the label of "failure to thrive" and being a mom , that sentence just breaks my heart. I do all I can to keep them fed well , eat healthy etc. I have sought out nutritionists advice as well as the pediatricians advice and I'm just extremely baffled and lost as to what they suggest I do... which is feed her chicken nuggets , hotdogs etc. Etc. And none have suggested a calorie intake on her part .I feel IF I fed HER that I to would have to feed my other children the same way and In turn be setting up ALL my children for other weight and health issues , so for me that is NOT the option. I already span out her meals to about four or five a day (small) with nuts good fats, cheese full fat milk, and even buy the high calorie shakes for kids ....so I'm here in hopes yall can give me some advice on what I need the opposite of , healthy HIGH calorie food. She fills up fast so I'm thinking something small like a bar, or cookie I can make at home or even shakes you may have stumbled upon during your journeys.
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Replies

  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
    That is a good idea, keep cookies - some high calorie, some regular for the other children. Perhaps buy those "booster" meal replacement shakes. There are some regular ones, and some higher calorie ones. I guess its about finding something all the children can enjoy but find an alternative that has more calories in it....if calories are what she needs.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    I had this issue with my older child, who was very thin and sickly until about age 6 or 7. I put him on whole milk and my other children who were normal weight (one was a little plump) on 1%. He eventually grew out of the thin stage, and became a normal size kid. I'd also give him carnation instant breakfast made with whole milk with his breakfast, which was the only meal he ate well at. He also liked scrambled eggs, which I would make with real butter.
  • diamonddaveperry
    diamonddaveperry Posts: 23 Member
    what they suggest I do... which is feed her chicken nuggets , hotdogs etc.

    Wow. I can't believe any respectable doctor or nutritionist would recommend feeding any child hot dogs and chicken nuggets*. I think you need a new doctor or nutritionist. I'm neither, but I would have to think that if she's meeting developmental goals for her age, what does her weight matter? Some kids are just skinny.

    Anyway, I'd get a better opinion from another group of professionals. And you're right, it seems like a daily calorie minimum, in addition to some healthy meal plans would be a part of what they recommend.

    *not judging...my kids eat hot dogs and chicken nuggets sometimes ;)
  • MyLovesMyLife
    MyLovesMyLife Posts: 424 Member
    Kids are resilient. My 3 yo is tiny too never given the label failure to thrive but in the bottom 13% for her age and probably worst now since time has passed and she still weighs the same. Mostly she just eats breakfast and picks at the other meals so we give her waffles with nutella a big spoon on 3 waffles. Not the best but calorie dense. When we pick up fast food she does love her chicken nuggets and I don't feel bad about it bc at least she's eating. She still loves her fruits and veggies but not many calories there.
    One thing you might add is v8 juice with the 1 serving of fruits and veggies. In our house that my daughters "special" drink. She has it all the time to help with calories and healthy foods intake. Her ped recommended it.
  • jamiesillimandunn
    jamiesillimandunn Posts: 270 Member
    Thanks for the responses some of those I do ...so I'm glad to see I'm going the right route, she is still whole everything , but good idea on regular for the other two and higher cal for just the one !! She now gets pediasure but I did just pick up the carnation tonight so I will be putting that in her milk as well. Glad I'm not alone , I tell ya those dr.s really through you under the bus with this stuff I have never felt so helpless in a situation .
  • sherrirb
    sherrirb Posts: 1,649 Member
    I have a friend who's first daughter was as you describe your 3 year old. They went back and forth since she was about a year old between the pediatrician, specialists, nutritionists, etc. They labeled her also as "failure to thrive".

    They ran blood tests and poked and prodded that poor child.

    You know what.... she's just PETIT! My friend decided that she wasn't going to listen to what the doctors say. Her daughter eats healthy and she eats junk when everyone is allowed. They don't treat her any different than anyone else in the family.

    She is now 5 years old. They have a set of 2 year old twins that are almost as big as her now. Her 4 year old brother passed her in size a year ago. She is not malnourished, she is just small. That is how God created her. And let me tell you, that girl is thriving just fine! Cute and smart to boot!

    Unless your daughter is malnourished, perhaps she is just going to be petit as well. People come in all sizes and shapes, tall and Short, wide and thin. If she is active and otherwise healthy and she shows normal mental capacities for her age, then I don't see anything wrong.

    These are just things to consider.
  • chriscolh
    chriscolh Posts: 127 Member
    I know your pain. My boys have always been in the lower end of the weight percentile charts (think 10% or less!) and I constantly got flack from my pediatricians to help them gain weight. My favorite pediatrician was the one who said "Do they poop regularly? Do they pee regularly? Are they active and healthy?" The answer was always yes. Then he told me "Then don't worry about it."

    That being said, my 9 year old did get to a point where he really did need to put some weight on. (Wish I could give him 10 pounds off my hips!) We worked really hard to "power-pack" his food. We did things like drizzling olive oil over his pasta before we put sauce on it. We would mix cream into his milk. And cheese. Cheese on everything! I make a homemade caramel sauce for him to dip his apples into. He loves pistachios, so I would buy them bag after bag. We tried force feeding him once, and it ended with us all being in tears - so don't do that! It is so hard to find high calorie, healthy snacks that he will eat. That sweet boy - his favorite things are steamed shrimp and watermelon. How can a kid gain weight on that???? We just had to be sneaky with the fats.

    I know your problem. It is so hard to feed a child who just doesn't have an appetite. I wish you lots of patience :-)
  • jamiesillimandunn
    jamiesillimandunn Posts: 270 Member
    thank you all this all helps, I have been a wreck over this for a couple yrs. Back and forth ...one visit she is fine then she grows an inch or two and they are ready to start treatments and diagnosis and whatever ...they have tested her for all kinds of stuff and I finally put and end to it . She just couldn't take the amount of blood work they were asking for ...WHICH was A LOT . they found nothing wrong with her thyroid or anything . Being she is the middle child I honestly began wondering if I wasn't doing enough for her , but that just goes to show you how far into this I have gotten myself . Overall she is an athletic kid loves to play , run dance, and is very smart so other than her weight she is right where I believe she should be .
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    At my daughter's last check-up, I was told if she didn't put on a good amount of weight, they would want to put her on something to help her gain. Not gonna happen! She is perfectly healthy. The only complaint they have is that she's underweight for her age. So what? I have one child who is a little bigger than average, one who is tall for his age, one who has finally grown to average, and my little girl who they say is too small. All children are different. That's just the way it is. You know what you are feeding your child and you know if she is getting all the nutrients she needs. You would know if her weight was adversely affecting her because she would sit around and sleep instead of running around and playing. Try not to stress over it too much. :)

    Edited because I forgot to add my suggestions! Anyway, pb&j sandwiches are great for kids. Or substitute honey for the jelly. You can add cheese to a lot of foods. You can buy chocolate or strawberry powder with little to no sugar in it to add to milk. Just a few suggestions off the top of my head.
  • rayvynn5374
    rayvynn5374 Posts: 272 Member
    What are her favorite foods? If she like mac and cheese sneak baby food squished squash or similar colors into it. Spaghetti well red will hide almost anything. Add a few extra calories that way to just her portions. Don't fall into hot dogs and chicken nuggets. Don't cater to just her favorites. Is she more high energy than her siblings? She may need a few more calories than them. Good luck and hey I hear kids LOVE chocolate milk.
  • shapefitter
    shapefitter Posts: 900 Member
    It is common knowledge, as any mother will tell you, is that they don't eat at that age...my mother was desperate, and fed me sweets and buiscuits, so by the time I was five and a half, I had lost all my milk teeth. Then, my grandmother took over my diet, and by the time I was eight, I was the fattest kid at school. It was only, when my grandmother past away, at age thirteen, that I finally became a healthy size. Unfortunately, because I had spent the early years, overweight and obese (I was size 44 at age nine), I realized that I had to work twice as hard to keep the weight off, and so I have until now. If only my mother hadn't panicked...
  • carla113
    carla113 Posts: 27 Member
    My kids are young too (6 & 4), and though both are very healthy and at average weights for their age now, they were both on the small side for a long time. Some things that I've done in the past to help them get additional calories (when they were ready to eat):

    1. Gogurt is a wonderful thing at our house. Though it does have a lot of sugar, it's still yogurt and at least not candy. It's something they have with every breakfast.
    2. Peanut butter. Put it on bread. Put it on apples. Give them a spoonful before bed. (If she has allergies, then this won't work.)
    3. Meat. My husband and I never shied away from giving our kids the good, solid foods we were eating. When we have things like steak, we make sure they eat those things too. Just cut them up in tiny bites. Also, when we have tacos, we made taco bowls for the kids, which included a mixture of the ground beef, refried beans and cheese. Very dense, protein rich meal.

    This may be helpful, and it may not, but I thought I'd give my two cents. Good luck!
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    You could try those drinks like Ensure or Fortisip. They're nutritious and high calories (they are used as pre-surgery food and sometimes are given to anorexics when refeeding) so one per day might make a world of difference. I doubt your other kids would be jealous especially if you framed it as a medical drink.
  • RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle
    RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle Posts: 1,349 Member
    My heart goes out to you. I know how truly stressful this can be. I also know that it's possible your pediatrician alarms you and you may feel desperate enough to come here for help instead of getting better medical advice.

    If you child is staying on track with weight gain according to their particular curve this is good news. Please ask for help from nurses, dietitians, and doctors instead of from here. If you think there is more going on, insist on metabolic or genetic testing and blood tests to rule out a deficiency.

    You know what to feed your children, and what you described is sound. It may only make you worry more or feel more confused to ask for help here. Hugs!
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
    My grandma said she was like this as a child. She drank buttermilk. Nuts are great high calorie foods, but I know they kill my appetite. I found a recipe for banana oat cookies on here. They have about 50 calories per tablespoon and are all natural. I add chocolate chips though. I think the thread was called "three ingredient cookies".

    My son loved salmon when he was little and still does. He also likes kippered herring and smoked oysters. Little kids often don't like meat that is chewy.
  • Arranna1212
    Arranna1212 Posts: 143 Member
    I'd try giving her chocolate milk maybe? It's suppose to be good for you, if you don't drink a ton of it. I don't know what I would give to a kid.. I haven't been blessed with any yet xD But that's what I'd try if you don't already. But like other people said, maybe she is just going to be petite and that's okay. There was a girl in my school that started hormone shots because she was small... They didn't seem to do anything until suddenly she started growing and she's 6 foot now and she regrets the shots. Pretty much, if your kid isn't starving and she is being fed healthy meals then she is okay.
  • TylerAvenger
    TylerAvenger Posts: 83
    Ask your pediatrician about Pediasure milk.
  • shapefitter
    shapefitter Posts: 900 Member
    Oh, and another thing. That stuff they calculate about how tall you'll be from how heavy you're at birth, is another gimmick. According to calculations, I should be 5'10 or more. I was a big baby, and still am lol, but turned out average for my height at 5'7. Just right for a female.
  • klyn7788
    klyn7788 Posts: 52 Member
    I'm sure they would've already tested for this, but I have a family member whose child had those same type of issue for many years. She was years later diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I would assume that's been looked at already and seems pretty run of the mill, but this was only a few years back. The family spent a long time and saw a lot of doctors before it was pinpointed because she didn't have any of the normal symptoms. (Other than her body not absorbing any nutrients.) Just a thought in case you haven't gone there yet.
  • jacksonfivemom
    jacksonfivemom Posts: 1
    My son was diagnosed failure to thrive and had underlying acid reflux issues. George's Aloe Vera was the only thing to help his acid reflex. He has always had trouble putting on weight, but he was able to gain once the acid reflux was taken care of. We supplement his meals with ViSalus shakes. They are superior to other shakes because they are non GMO, with less than 1 gram of sugar and are a complete form of nutrition. I use the shakes myself as meal replacement and have lost 68 pounds. You can also request a referral to the endocrinologist for your daughter. We took my son, and they did a bone scan in his wrist area to determine if his bone growth matched his chronological age. Listen to your gut instinct and don't feed her the garbage food just because it's high in calories - you could end up solving one problem while creating another, health wise. Best wishes!

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