Callum & feeding

[Guest guest]

Hi there Elaine

I'd just like to welcome you to the list (and add to your e-mail tally!

I too find it difficult to keep up with all the mail).

I'm in Scotland (bit closer than the US!) and my wee boy is Hamish (3yrs

8 mos). When I compare Callum and his weights, things don't look too

bad for Callum - as your doctor says it seems mild RSS. I do know

however how frustrating the poor eating can be. At 16 mos I would say

Hamish's eating was similar to Callum's, probably a bit less -

relatively quite a lot of milk, some Hipp foods, chocolate yes -

although no problems with finger foods or reflux. But, as Jodi says, if

it works.... So why not give him chocolate? Our dietician recommended

we do that though the dentist had a fit! But it's quite nutritious and

not as bad for their teeth as chewy or sucky sweets. At least it gets

him to associate food with pleasure. I forget, but can a 16 mo old feed

himself (even very messily) with a spoon? - cos you could try chocolate

pudding, yogurts. And I also think that if, as someone else here a

while back was advised, you withhold the milk for a while and try

offering food first, he might start associating the solid stuff with

satisfying his hunger.

However, don't despair. In my experience, the appetite does improve.

Callum seems to have one anyway, to be taking that much milk. Hamish

now says he's hungry when he is and some days does eat pretty well - for

example today he had a kid size bowl of pasta with a little corn oil for

breakfast (whatever you want, sweetheart!), some juice, 4 oz milk, a

slice of buttered bread and half a burger, a chicken burger and two

potato 'Smiles', half a muffin, 4 oz milk, a little apple, a little

orange, 5 Wee Willie Winkie (mini) sausages and 8 Alphabites, three

teaspoons of Hagendaas Belgian Chocolate ice cream, 8 oz milk (with

added fat - Calogen - recommended by dietician and prescribed by GP).

Quite a good day, I think. (Not much on the veggies, but he usually has

brocolli, and likes it, believe it or not!

One thing, maybe it's just me but I have always tried treat Hamish like

any other child. Maybe I went too far the other way, definitely not

babying him - but he went to toddlers when he toddled, two plus at two,

nursery at three etc. I suppose I was a bit touchy about things but

once he could sit on a chair (or kneel as was/is more appropriate) the

high chair bit stopped, etc. etc. I also took/take him to toddler

gymnastics (Jumping Jacks/Tumble Tots - that kind of thing), swimming,

walks, the play park (and I do push him to do things a little), as much

exercise as possible (1) to give him an appetite and (2) to help develop

his confidence/physical well being etc. I consider him to be slim and

obviously small and of low weight for his age but I would not say he is

skinny or has poor muscle tone. Don't know why I'm going on about this

sort of stuff - it's not directly related to anything you have said -

just something I feel strongly about. Sorry!

Um - is there a ish connection - just wondered, since your little

boy is called Callum?

Take care and good luck with the dietician (think I might start calling

it a 'nutritionist' because I have terrible trouble every time I try to

type dietisicm - see!

Barbara

Mum to Hamish (3yrs 8 mos, 24lbs 13 oz and approx 89 cm) - no treatments

as yet.

PS - if you think you can take the gab (just look at my e-mails!) maybe

you could give me your number - Joanne too. E-mail me privately for

this if you like.