Advice badly needed, Please help!

[barkley1]

Hi all, I'm usually just a lurker around here, but REALLY need some advice. DS had his 1 year appt today and he's dropped in his weight % from 50th % (6 months) to 35% (9 mths) to 8 % at 12 months. His height went 75, 95 back to 75%. Just to look at him, he looks like a really healthy boy - pretty hair, filled out face, walking already, even a roll of fat on his inner thighs!! I'm at a loss on this weight thing b/c I CANNOT get him to eat solids well.

here's our eating schedule....please tell me if I'm doing something major wrong!!

7 am bottle (usually drinks 5-6 oz)
8:30 breakfast - baby food fruit w/ oatmeal added in, plus fresh fruit in chunks for finger food, Cheerios, etc.
11 am bottle (usually only wants 4 oz)
12:30 lunch - baby yogurt w/ fruit in it, whole wheat bread pieces, fresh fruit
3:00 bottle - drinks 3-4 oz sometimes 5
5:30 or 6:00 - dinner - we were doing a babyfood jar w/ some kind of meat (ex. Sweet potatoes w/ turkey, or apple chicken dinner) but he refuses to be fed anymore. So, it's usually mainly fruit and tofu or pasta.
7:00 bottle (5-6 oz)

Mealtimes are a BATTLE. He refuses to be spoonfed, so to get a container of yogurt or the oatmeal and fruit in him is really tough. I've given him a spoon to try himself, but he just plays. I try giving him whatever we're eating, but he doesn't like it. He just wants tofu, blueberries and/or watermelon, and cheerios (or "puffs"...so NOT meal food )

What do I do? Ped said he'll eat if he's hungry. Um, no. tonight, he bawled crying in the highchair b/c I gave him avocado (used to like?), cheese tortellini (has tried and loved) and banana (one of his favs). When I finally gave him Cheerios, he quit crying and ate a bunch. I've tried waffles for breakfast, even with butter - he threw it on the floor.

HELP Do i give him what he wants even though it might not put weight on him, or only offer what we're eating (more variety) and assume he'll eat if hungry? Is he holding out for the bottle?? I'm so sad about him dropping down to the 8%.....

[Dr C]

Maybe he's just a skinny kid! Lots of kids slim down around 9-15 months of age when the get more mobile.
I've got one of those. He freaked me out at the same age when he was 75% for length and below the curve for weight. He's almost 4 now and still is skinny... but he's fine. Thank goodness for adjustable waist pants.
My inclination is to agree with your ped. He'll eat when he's hungry. Keep offering foods you like... along with a few you think he'll eat... but don't become a short order cook. The foods you list as his favorites (tofu, blueberries, cheerios) are actually pretty healthy choices and he could probably subsist on nothing but those for quite some time. You can sneak calories in by putting butter on things like pasta/bread, etc.
Neither of my kids liked to be spoonfed at that age, either. We do a LOT of finger food with 9 month old DD (including a rediculous amount of cheerios) and basically nothing that requires a spoon.
It would probably not be a bad idea to bring him in a month from now for a weight check.

[barkley1]

So I think he's just holding out for the ol' standbys. Do I give them to him after offering the variety, so I'm sure he's eating enough? Or, just offer lots of choices and if he doesn't eat it, then that's it. Won't he wake up in the middle of the night hungry? I hate for that to happen, b/c we're doing GREAT on the sleep (7:30 pm - 6:00 am) w/ no wakings.

[Hawkeyewife]

All 4 of mine are tall and skinny and by 12 months the first three were about 20 pounds regardless of birth weight (which has varied from 6lbs 1 oz to 9lbs, 4 oz). I don't do much baby food and breastfeed, but kids are pretty good at letting you know when they are hungry. Our almost 10 month old doesn't have a single tooth yet but basically eats whatever the big kids eat (with the exception of milk, peanut butter and honey) and at dinner eats from my plate. He doesn't enjoy being spoon fed and one every day or two I will let him feed himself with a spoon. It is very messy, but he is learning and it will be easier in a couple of months when he is completely self-feeding.

Trust your instincts, sounds like he is doing just fine.