He gained 1 pound in 4 months, and grew .75 inches. The doctor was disappointed in the weight gain, although he DID gain which is a positive -- and she was glad of the height gain. Average, she said, is only 5/8 inches change, so he grew more than average.
She talked to us again about eating more, and more calorie-dense things. Adding egg to plain pasta, for example, and to milkshakes. I think I said before that it's hard for me to add the typical weight-gain things to his diet, because he doesn't LIKE creamy sauces, cheese, eggs, avocado or mayonnaise. But the doctor countered with, "Feed him what he LIKES." I feel like I have been doing that, and that he HAS been eating more. But we have to go one step further. She also told us, "more snacks." Oreos and Goldfish, she said. Carbs, carbs, carbs. Sausage with breakfast. NOT fruit. It's entirely backwards from everything else you read, everywhere, about how to feed kids healthily.
This morning he had a waffle with peanut butter and syrup. He knows HE has to do some of this work and just EAT MORE. One thing we've told him is that he needs to eat faster (stop chattering and eat!), so he can get more food down before his brain figures out that it's full. It seems a shame to tell a kid not to talk so much at the dinner table. :( That will be a difficult healthy-medium to find. But again, it's a complete mindshift from everything I know -- I, myself, have been trying to learn to slow down to get those "I'm full" clues.
Today I put fruit juice in his water bottle (in his school, all the kids are supposed have water for their snacktime). Rebel! But it's got calories, and calories are what we need.
So we have more work to do. After this tooth falls out, more taco nights. More hamburgers. Not that I mind! (Anything to avoid daily hormone shots for years and years, if we can avoid that.)
5 comments:
I know what you mean about doing what is counter-intuitive. It seems REALLY weird.
I remeber the lady at the grocery who saw me( Jamie and Connor in the cart) picking up a gallon of whole milk and she lectured, YES LECTURED, me abut how I should read up the Pediatric diet guidleine sthat kids should be on 2%milk after age 2...lille did she know my doc had ordered me to gve the kids whole milk and fankly would love it if I could get them to put half and half on their cereal and in milkshakes, etc...
anywy, J, as you know is still crazy skinny, but he has muscles that are astounding and he is strong and healthy and smart. So, hang in there! The good news is AJ will probably never struggle with weight issues in his life.
Oh, last thought - One thing we did was to make those no-bake cookies...if AJ likes them, they are high-calorie and you can use half and half instead of milk. Then, Jamie would eat them after school with whole milk!! Take THAT, dumb grocery store lady!
Kudos Mom!!
Uh, sorry - was still editing and stupidly posted as I got up tp walk away from computer. I promise I am actually literate.
Oh, I love your comment, MB. Thank you! I cannot even find, sometimes, whole CHOCOLATE milk, which is my only hope of milk for him (except in recipes). Will have to investigate the no-bake cookies. xoxo
I've debated adding this story in the comments of these posts, but for what it's worth, my cousin had the growth hormone shots when she was younger and they were not only effective for her (she was projected 4'9" and ended up a solid and very proud 5'1") they are nothing she talks about as being remotely traumatic or terrible or really anything worth mentioning at all. I remember it being sort of a big deal when it first started- my aunt and uncle got lessons on giving shots, and they talked about it with all of us because they were a bit apprehensive about the whole thing, but my uncle was very small in statute and it had always bothered him, so he felt more strongly about it than my aunt did.
Anyway, absolutely and of course do everything for AJ that you can without the shots, etc., but I wanted to let you know that my 22-year-old cousin is very grateful for them and really just doesn't see them as having been a big deal at all
Good luck with those milk shakes!
LL, I GREATLY appreciate you sharing that. I am very glad to hear that perspective. Even our doc gives off this impression that it's the worst-case scenario and NEEDLES and scary. (To AJ.) I find that.... off-putting. I mean, yes, I'm glad she doesn't prescribe them willy-nilly, but geez. What if it comes to that?
Anyway, thanks.
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