Zacharey had his 7th month weigh in on the 19th of February. Only he was technically 7.5 months, it was the earliest they could get us in for a weight check. He also needed a check up to see how his lungs were doing.
We finally get called in, almost 30 minutes after our scheduled appointment time, and to my horror we are with nurse formula. If it weren't for the fact that we really needed his lungs checked I would have turned around and walked out the door. No check. Nothing.
But no. So I bite my tongue so hard I can nearly taste blood. Suck up my own personal feelings and apprehensions and follow her into the office of doom. I was very short with her, almost rude. I answered every question I could with short one or two word answers.
She leaves the room to go get the scale. The 'other scale' the one that he is not weighed on. Thus meaning, it is not an accurate measurement. I asked if it were possible to have the scale that he is normally weighed on. With an eye roll she said it was being used.
Okay.
I undress the bean down to the diaper and wait for her to get the scale ready. She made a comment on all the self inflicted scratches on Zacharey's legs, back and belly. (he has a thing for grabbing exposed skin, my skin is included in this). I told her that he has a thing for skin and we make an effort to always have clothing on him.
Zacharey was weighed. 15lbs 5oz. Shit. No gain. Nothing. Naturally it has to be nurse formula when we have no gain. I am not sure what I was expecting. Zacharey had been really sick. He was throwing up almost every feed. Yet, when weighed at the hospital he was 7.74kg (17lbs .5oz). Yes, it was fully clothed. So let's say an oz for the diaper- maybe two it is cloth. 2oz for the diaper, an ounce per booty, an oz for his jeans, an oz for the diaper shirt, an oz for the socks, and oz for the sweater. Brings us to 8oz. Which would put his weight roughly at 16lbs 10.5oz. Could the hospital scale be off by a whole lb? Yes. It really could. I guess I was just expecting SOME weight gain.
Off to the measurements now.
Head? 43cm (16.9 inches) no change. Fuck!
Length? 68cm (26.8 inches) He shrunk? Impossible! Babies don't shrink! (last month he was 27.6 inches long)
Don't say anything, bite tongue. Grit teeth.
Well, I said, he was really sick. She just looks at me. I told her we needed a check up for his lungs. I know full well she is not qualified to do it. She does it anyways.
She said he sounds clear. I can hear him rattling without a stethoscope.
She asked if I was allowing him to have real food yet.
Yep.
She asked how he liked real food.
He hates it.
She said that the Doc will be calling me with feeding instructions
I dress him and leave the office.
The Doc did eventually call, she said she was very concerned with his 'serious weight loss."
I explained to her that he didn't lose weight. He just didn't gain anything. I said I think the most likely explanation was his recent illness. She agreed but then went on to say that she was very concerned about his lack of growth and his very slow weight gain (over the course of his life). That even though her own children were long and skinny, and always in the 5-10th percentile for weight, that Zacharey's second drop in percentile was very concerning for her and that she would really like to refer him to a pediatrician for testing. Just to rule out any serious illness that would cause slow to no weight gain. She said that she knows I am a competent parent, and that perhaps she is just a fussy old doctor. But she she would feel more comfortable having a second look and some testing. I agreed to the referral and and admitted that I am becoming increasingly neurotic about his weight, but stated that developmentally he is well above where he should be. (He just learned to pull himself up and walk around things. AT 7.5 MONTHS?!) I explained that I would love for him to gain better, to beef up, to not have to work so hard for every oz of gain. I explained that I just don't think that Zacharey will ever beef, regardless of what he is being fed. That formula has less calories than breast milk, less fat. That he eats well and frequently gorges himself.
I asked what chart he was being looked at, a formula fed chart or a breast fed chart. She admitted it was a formula fed chart, but that it doesn't make a difference in the long run as all babies even out. WHAT?! It makes a HUGE difference! Yes, Zacharey is small, YES he hasn't had great weight gains. But how can you compare him to much bigger over fed formula babies?!?! No wonder he never fared well. How was he supposed to?
In the mean time? I get all butt hurt over friend's status updates over how well their breastfed babies are gaining, how chubby and chunky they are and I force feed Zacharey bottles of pumped milk after feeds. 1-1.5 oz and he hates it (hates the bottle, hates begin forced to drink more after he is all full and sloshy.) He hates a bottle being shoved in his face so much that he is now refusing a sucky. Which means bedtime just became hell.
Nurse, force feed pump. Nurse, force feed pump. Nurse, force feed, pump.
I completely understand this. Elizabeth was in the 10 percentile and was barely gaining. At 6 she weights less then her almost 4 year old sister. She was my first child and I was concerned, but I luckily had a doc who just booked more appropriate to watch her closer. She still likes to see her more then a normal 6 year old. I am sure he will gain. I never forced Elizabeth, just fed was more often and never let her be completely stuffed. Now I let her eat as much as she wants and still rarely does she gain. Your his mom you will know if something is really wrong, you make choices for him.
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