4 months

I can't believe Brooke is already 4 months old! Time flies.... So, she had her 4 month doctor's visit and here are the stats: Head circumference = 40cm (25%), Height = 24.25in (50%), Weight= 10lb 13 oz(5%). This is how her doctor put it "she is doing great in every capacity except she is just skimming the bottom of the weight charts". I have still been exclusively breastfeeding. He did give us the okay to start rice cereal in addition to her feedings, so that would be a few more calories. He said that since her developmental skills are exceeding most of her peers and she is still an acceptable height that there is nothing to worry about. I told him that there hasn't been any changes to her spit up (he still wants me to continue the prevacid). I have however encountered a problem with pumping enough milk for her at daycare. I can't keep up. He said I could use formula for the milk I am unable to pump, but that shouldn't increase her weight any faster. So, today she got her first bottle of formula. Ms. Myrtle, her new caregiver, said she took it well and didn't have any spit up issues. This is a huge relief for me because I was getting up at all hours of the night and pumping throughout the day just to have enough for daycare. It wasn't as big of an issue once she started the new daycare and I am only leaving her there for half days, but I was giving her 3oz bottles and her doctor wants me to increase that to 4oz/bottle. We now need to watch for any changes, increasing spit up, continued no/decreased weight gain, or slowing of developmental skills, because then the next step is to take her to a gastroenterologist and have further testing done. I looked up information about failure to thrive because I am worried about my baby's weight. I know that she is meeting and exceeding most milestones and she is growing, but I just want to make sure I am doing everything possible for my baby and that there isn't something her doctor is withholding from me or something we should be doing now. From what I could find, there is no true definition, instead there are several variations. Some say that just a decrease in weight or no weight change for 3 consecutive months for babies <1yr. Most seem to agree that the previous statement in addition to slow height growth or developmental delays equals failure to thrive as well as a general "not well" apperance. The treatment would just be further tests to figure out why she is not growing/gaining weight. It kinda makes me feel like a failure in a way because my baby is not gaining weight. I know that she doesn't have failure to thrive because anyone that looks at her can tell you she is very alert, interested in her surroundings, and generally a happy baby. I still can't help feeling a bad because for her whole life, I have been the only one feeding her. I do hope that now we are starting cereal and increasing the amount in her bottles that she will gain some weight. Her doctor said that I can come in as often as I like for weight checks and I will probably start doing that every couple of weeks, just to keep monitoring. Ms. Myrtle also is fully on board about helping feed her cereal in the morning and letting me know when she is ready for more milk per feeding. I feel very comfortable with the new daycare providers at the church. Whenever I call and when I pick her up, they are able to tell me excatly what she did that day, played, how well she ate, if she spit up, how gassy she was...all that stuff a mom wants to know. I was wondering (and Ms. Myrtle agrees) if she has been starting to teeth. She is drooling all the time and is sucking on her hands and/or a toy most of the time. Lately she has been starting to focus more on her right side of her mouth. There are no teeth yet, but maybe in the near future one will pop out. As far as the rest of her doctor's visit, she had to get immunizations and she did great, just as before. No adverse reactions and no fever. She also hasn't gotten sick at daycare (knock on wood). I hope that now she is at the church daycare and there are fewer kids and caregivers that she won't have as many opportunities to get sick. So, for now we are just going to think fat! I am going to continue to nurse her as often as possible while I am with her and pump as much as I can, but not stress out about it. I think that there maybe several factors as to why I am not able to pump as much, probably most being stress (from changing jobs, daycare, everyday life), being sick myself, and pumping is just not as efficient as baby. I just want what is best for my baby and I have thought all along that if I have to start feeding her formula then that means I have failed, but I have just come to the realization that I can't do everything and there are times that I will need to supplement and it is better to just give her formula rather than stress and lose sleep over it, which will decrease my supply even more. I need to be healthy for her as well as keeping her healthy. We did give her first taste of cereal last night. We captured a video, which is cute, but I need Ryan's help to upload it. She, of course, got more on her and around her than in her. It was funny because the little bit that she did swallow, when it hit the back of her tongue she made this sour face. Ms. Myrtle said she did the same thing this morning when she gave her some at daycare. I was worried that the cereal would fill her stomach up and she would start refusing a feeding, but I haven't noticed any changes yet. I just pray that I am doing everything right and giving Brooke what's best for her. I want my baby to gain some weight. Think fat!! Isn't it kinda funny that the media promotes skinny as healthy, but for infants skinny means unhealthy.