Baby Led Weaning

Argh, we're struggling again at the moment - I know what's new?! J lost a pound while he was in hospital and is back down to 17lb 13oz at 17 months. Back on the 0.4th centile having hovered between the 0.4th and 2nd for a couple of months. I know it's not much difference, but he is feeling very light and boney again I just don't know how to get more in him. He has his Infatrini (high calorie formula) but he doesn't even drink that much of that, he is prescribed 600ml a day but never manages that. Today he managed:

Breakfast:
A handful of dry cheerios
A whole weetabix with Infatrini
Infatrini in a cup

More Infatrini in cup mid morning
Played with some toast and butter

Lunch:
1/4 small pork pie mostly eaten
red pepper sucked not eaten
1/2 fruit scone with butter - enjoyed but I picked a lot up off the floor at the end
More Infatrini in his cup - this finished one bottle of 200ml over the morning

Tea:
cheese omelette - played with, picked out some cheese to eat
peas - 5 ish
ignored the mash (threw the fork on the floor)
1/2 a yoghurt

Bedtime - Infatrini in bottle - maybe 100ml

I don't know how else to increase his calories - I'm giving him fatty foods as much as poss. His diet seems incredibly unhealthy to me but I'm more bothered about the calories than fruit and veg. He just needs to eat more of it/drink more Infatrini but he just isn't that bothered. What else do I do? I'm doing everything the dietician advised and it works to some extent till he gets ill again, which he does regularly!

I've no ideas on how to increase his intake, but if it's any comfort my friend's DD had primary lactose intolerance AND caught every cold that was going - and they almost always turned into chest infections, there were hospitalisations and long term ABs and lots and lots of worry. And she was always a dot of a child, it was really difficult for my friend to deal with everyone's comments on her size. She's still on the small side at just-turned-4 but she is absolutely thriving and she is power packed. Oh my word, she is power packed. She never saves any energy for growth! I don't know how her parents keep up with her.
So hang in there, it's hard as hell while you're having to deal with his health problems and push and push and push so many different doctors for so many answers, all the while getting on with the rest of 'ordinary' family, but you'll get through it, he'll get through it and then normality will seem like the most amazing thing on earth xxx

My cousin's consultant/dietician advised giving her a mild laxative. She's not at all constipated, but the Dr said she doesn't eat because she doesn't feel hungry. The laxative will empty her out and give her a chance to feel hungry. The family haven't followed the advice so far, but may have to try something new soon - she's only gained 1 gram in 8 months.

Sorry, I know that probably won't help and sounds utterly counter-intuitive.

{{{bdm}}}

What does he like to eat? I'd be tempted to give him that, deep fried. Ahem. Not helpful, sorry.
It sounds like a catch 22. He needs the high fat milk, but it fills him up too much to eat anything.
Eggs for breakfast with toast and plenty of butter. With the milk to follow.
Snack of nuts/nut butter with the milk or a yoghurt. Maybe cheese or an avocado.
Lunch? Pasta with plenty of olive oil and cheese.
Dinner: whatever you're having, with extra butter/oil.
It sounds tough. ((((Hugs))))

That must be so difficult for you but it sounds like you're doing a great job.

I haven't any words of advice from personal experience but I read a fantastic book called 'My Child Won't Eat' by Carlos Gonzalez. It might not be too helpful on the increasing food intake strategies, but it might be reassuring as he gives many examples of real mothers having similar issues. I found the section on interpreting growth charts really helpful, as comments at weighing from HVs can be confidence destroying!
He's a firm advocate of BLW too, which is why I bought it!

Can you fit in offering an afternoon snack between lunch and tea?

Does he like dried fruit? (not just raisins etc but fruit rolls/Humzinger/fruit strings sort of thing) They're pretty calorific.

Thank you for the ideas and reassurance. Unfortunately he isn't keen on carbohydrates these days - even toast and bread just have the butter sucked off then chucked. He also doesn't eat pasta or rice. He just loves cheese, so he has cheese most meals! He had boiled egg for breakfast today (sucked the yolk off the soldiers). I must try him again with nut butters - he liked cashew butter but haven't bought any recently so thank you for that reminder. He tends not to wake in the afternoon till 3:30/4 and if he eats then eats even less tea, so the afternoon snack is hard again. He will suck on a dried apricot. I've never tried those fruit roll type things, I'll add them to the shopping list! I'll look out for that book LBM, sounds interesting! Stew and dumplings tonight, so we'll see how that goes - I don't hold out much hope! Toad in the hole tomorrow should be more successful - he does like sausage

That's interesting about the laxative MtM. He was a bit constipated when we were in hospital. I need to ask Nursery to write down dirty nappies for me, as I didn't see any obvious ones on Thursday and he didn't poo with me yesterday or so far today. He isn't straining, but I guess that maybe if he pooed every day that might make him hungrier, I hadn't thought about that before. He eats so little fruit and veg it wouldn't be surprising if he were constipated! I've got D's lactulose so could try him with a bit and see if it helps. Thank you, something else to ponder