Re: Desperately Need some encouragement
I totally understand after your rough start why you are nervous about her weight. But 15%ile is not "rather small," it jsut means she's bigger than 15% of other babies her age. Anything from 1-99%ile is in the normal range. Even if your baby were 5%ile, I'd be telling you not to be concerned (unless he were 95%ile last month- big drops are what doctors look out for). And it is an important detail that she is 50%ile when you look at charts for babies of the same ethnicity.
Relax. Your baby is fine. I think you are absolutely right about #4 up there.
But the good news is that you are the one that can change that. Step one is stop trying to get her to eat every hour. Nursing every hour is not a typical pattern for a baby this age, so it's not surprising or concerning that she refuses to nurse every hour. Watch her, see when she indicates she is hungry. Feed her then. Step two, stop comparing her to other babies. She's not other babies, she's your baby, and as long as she's happy, healthy, and meeting milestones, she's perfect just the way she is.
It is totally normal for her to not be more interested in solid foods at the moment. And if you are concerned about her weight (which you shouldn't be at this point) it's better for her to nurse than to eat solids, as the nutritional value of milk goes far beyond anything she can get from solid foods. Until one year, her primary source of nutrition should be breast milk. A few spoonfuls of food a couple times a day is not an abnormal pattern for an 8 month old.
It's also possible she just doesn't like eating from a spoon. Many babies don't. Have you tried giving her finger foods she can pick up and feed herself? Some babies prefer to eat that way and it is complementary to breastfeeding because they can regulate their own intake, like they do when they are nursing.
Last edited by @llli*still.here; January 29th, 2013 at 12:33 PM.
Reason: misunderstood details
“We are not put on earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are there always for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you.”
--Anonymous