weight issues

Several months ago, at Aarons well-baby check up, our doctor expressed "concern" about his weight. I guess his lack of weight is more accurate. Aaron weighed 17 pounds at a year and is not on the doctor's growth chart. I wasn't worried, he looks healthy and well proportioned, he has energy and is VERY active and smart. The doctor, however, "just wanted to make sure we caught any problems early" and referred us to the Primary Children's Nutrition Clinic (Also known as the Fundamentals of Nutrition Clinic or FUN. Then he wrote three of the worst words a parent can see on the referral slip- FAILURE TO THRIVE.

I called my friend who had to take her son to the same clinic and she told me about power packing. Power packing is when you make every bite your child eats as calorie rich as possible. This means whip cream and butter get added to everything and ice cream becomes the snack of choice. But not just any ice cream will do. It needs to be the ice cream with the highest fat content and it is ok to add crushed up candy bars and chocolate syrup and whip cream to bump up the calories.

I have to admit I became a bit obsessed with getting Aaron to eat. I felt like I was spending my whole day feeding him. I would follow him around with food, give him crackers every time he got strapped into his car seat, sing, dance, and give him crayons and paper at the table to distract him into eating more. I also nursed him several times a day. I think I was making us both a little bit crazy and while he did gain 1 pound, he would only eat a few ounces at a time.

This is the program we were told to try when we went to the Primary Children's Hospital FUN clinic. I needed to write it down again so I could stay on track.

1.We need to feed him 3 meals and 2 snacks a day (Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, snack before bed)

2. He needs to eat at the same place as much as possible.

3. No eating between meal (The whole point is to use his biological hunger to drive his eating. I need to let him get hungry and thirsty so he can recognize hunger and eat more at a time. )

4. I am not supposed to let him wander around with food. (This has been hard because he is finding food in the pantry and helping himself, this is the complete opposite of his behavior a few weeks ago)

5. He needs to eat with the family as much as possible. He now gets his snack when Jason gets home from school so they can eat together.

6. I need to give him water, milk or pediasure after he eats so he doesn't fill up on liquid.

7. I need to give him foods he can eat himself. This completely ends the power struggle over food.

We have been doing this for 2 1/2 weeks and the difference is amazing. Aaron is eating a lot more and I am much less frustrating. He is gaining weight and I feel like we are finally establishing good eating habits.