Terrible weight....pls help

[jaybaobei]

This morning i brought my twins to KKH for routine development checkup. To my surprise, the doctor said their weight is terribly low but their height is tall. My gal weight is only 10.2kg & 87.7cm tall. My boy weight is only 10.4kg & 86.7cm tall. Both are 25 mths old.

i considered i'm a failure cos as a sahm, my kids weight shd be more than normal kid. tried to give them all the best & freshest food but turn out they are underweight. so sad...

can any mummies give yr precious advise or comment regarding their food intake?

8am+ pediasure & scotts emulsion
9am a slice of kraft cheese each
9.30am a serving of fruit + snacks (biscuits or bread)
10am a bottle of yogurt each
10.30-11am nap time
12.30-1pm lunch (ABC pasta/porridge/tong fen etc)
2-2.30pm a serving of fruit + snacks (biscuits/bread) + yogurt
3.30pm pediasure
4-4.30pm nap time
5.30-6pm dinner (rice + soup) change soup ingredients everyday {celery/carrot/white radish/chicken/fish/prawns/crab meat/cartoon fish cake/pumpkin/french bean/spinach/brocolli/tofu/fish ball)
7-7.30pm a serving of fruit
8-8.30pm snacks (gerder puffs/bread/biscuits)
9pm pediasure

 

[ebi]

Their feeding schedule is quite intensive, how is the quantity they eat?

Maybe you could add more nutritious items, like avocado (which high in calorie and DHA), bake sweet potato, salmon, more meat, etc... or try difference receipe to induce them to eat more. Add oil mummy!!

 

[jaybaobei]

Their feeding schedule is quite intensive, how is the quantity they eat?

Maybe you could add more nutritious items, like avocado (which high in calorie and DHA), bake sweet potato, salmon, more meat, etc... or try difference receipe to induce them to eat more. Add oil mummy!!

my gal dun like salmon & minced meat. maybe can try to give baked sweet potato as snacks.

thanks for yr suggestion. :001_302:

 

[Amulet]

actually, low weight doesn't means unhealthy.. other factor also contribute to their body weight like, if their parents are both on the lean side, are they born light, ect..

for meat like salmon, codfish, red meat, u don't need to give her the actual meat if she doesn't like.. u just add it in to cook, some of the nutrients would be there too.. n u can offer it to her on n off in different variations.. sometimes it's not the item they don't like, it could be the texture or smell they puts them off.. n one fine day, they might decide that it's not horrible tasting n be okay with eating it..

my girl doesn't like minced meat too.. so i took it that she didn't like meat.. until one evening my bf gave her some stir fried pork slices which his mom cooked.. surprisingly she love it n asked for more.. i think it's becoz it's smooth n soft unlike minced meat which has a rough texture.. she also suddenly start taking chicken meat recently only..

i'm not sure about pediasure, but sometimes i give my girl what i call 'power milk' wen i think she needs more nutritional intake.. which means instead of just fresh milk or milk powder diluted in warm water, i give her milk powder/milo diluted in warm fresh milk..

are ur twins schooling? coz i see their schedule, they seems to be eating throughout the day already.. maybe u can take a look at my girl's eating schedule to see if it helps?

7.30am - 200ml milk
8.30am - breakfast @ CC (could be cereal/bread/oatmeal/beehoon ect) + a cup of milk/ milo
11.30am - lunch @ CC (rice/beehoon/macaroni/noodle/ect) + water + fruits *i was informed that my girl always goes for a 2nd/3rd serving if it's macaroni/rice until auntie/teachers think she had more than enough, they stop giving*
12.45pm - 200ml milk
1pm - 3pm - naptime
3.30pm - Tea time @ CC (bread/biscuit/fruits/ect) + water/vitagen
6.30pm - Dinner @ home (whatever we adults eat, mostly soup + rice + vege) + fruits/yogurt/ice cream
9pm - 200ml milk

her 1 serving of rice is about 5-7tbsp..

 

[jaybaobei]

actually, low weight doesn't means unhealthy.. other factor also contribute to their body weight like, if their parents are both on the lean side, are they born light, ect..

for meat like salmon, codfish, red meat, you dont't need to give her the actual meat if she doesn't like.. you just add it in to cook, some of the nutrients would be there too.. n you can offer it to her on n off in different variations.. sometimes it's not the item they dont't like, it could be the texture or smell they puts them off.. n one fine day, they might decide that it's not horrible tasting n be okay with eating it..

my girl doesn't like minced meat too.. so i took it that she didn't like meat.. until one evening my bf gave her some stir fried pork slices which his mom cooked.. surprisingly she love it n asked for more.. i think it's becoz it's smooth n soft unlike minced meat which has a rough texture.. she also suddenly start taking chicken meat recently only..

i'm not sure about pediasure, but sometimes i give my girl what i call 'power milk' wen i think she needs more nutritional intake.. which means instead of just fresh milk or milk powder diluted in warm water, i give her milk powder/milo diluted in warm fresh milk..

are your twins schooling? coz i see their schedule, they seems to be eating throughout the day already.. maybe you can take a look at my girl's eating schedule to see if it helps?

7.30am - 200ml milk
8.30am - breakfast @ CC (could be cereal/bread/oatmeal/beehoon ect) + a cup of milk/ milo
11.30am - lunch @ CC (rice/beehoon/macaroni/noodle/ect) + water + fruits *i was informed that my girl always goes for a 2nd/3rd serving if it's macaroni/rice until auntie/teachers think she had more than enough, they stop giving*
12.45pm - 200ml milk
1pm - 3pm - naptime
3.30pm - Tea time @ CC (bread/biscuit/fruits/ect) + water/vitagen
6.30pm - Dinner @ home (whatever we adults eat, mostly soup + rice + vege) + fruits/yogurt/ice cream
9pm - 200ml milk

her 1 serving of rice is about 5-7tbsp..

they are not schooling yet but intend to enrol them in those 3hrs playgroup. precisely they are eating throughout the whole day but still underweight..sighz..
maybe like my hubby and me..so "slim"..lolz
like me, my height is 168cm but my weight only 52kg...so ke lian...
no matter how i eat, like supper before bedtime but still so "slim"...very ke lian...

maybe i will try to increase their quantity but afraid my gal unable to finish.

never try never know...

btw, thanks for yr suggestion.

 

[Amulet]

they are not schooling yet but intend to enrol them in those 3hrs playgroup. precisely they are eating throughout the whole day but still underweight..sighz..
maybe like my hubby and me..so "slim"..lolz
like me, my height is 168cm but my weight only 52kg...so ke lian...
no matter how i eat, like supper before bedtime but still so "slim"...very ke lian...

maybe i will try to increase their quantity but afraid my gal unable to finish.

never try never know...

btw, thanks for yr suggestion.

ur weight envies me lo.. hahaa..

u can try to increase, but don't force if they cannot finish lo.. increase slowly..

 

[jaybaobei]

your weight envies me .. hahaa..

you can try to increase, but dont't force if they cannot finish .. increase slowly..

dun envy me yet...although me very "slim" but sad to say my flabby tummy is still very "outstanding"...if i wear tight clothing, people tot im preggy... so sad...sighz...

 

[Fiona73]

Have you ever thought that they might be over feed? Their tummy may not be able to absorb fast enough. Therefore whatever input, will output as poo poo. Remember when my girl was taken care by my mummy whom keeps feeding her. At the age of 4, her weight never reach 15kgs. I decided to be sahm last year. After 1year of caring, i had successful add 4kgs to her. P/s I replace pediasure with goat milk as I notice cow product give her weak tummy.

 

[ebi]

dont envy me yet...although me very "slim" but sad to say my flabby tummy is still very "outstanding"...if i wear tight clothing, people thought im preggy... so sad...sighz...

Wow I also envy of your weight... I think your tummy problem is becoz of carrying twin which make the skin loosen... I also find that my tummy loosen even my weight is back to pre-preganant, heard that doing sit up would help to streghten the muscle

For your children feed, you can actually make egg salade spread or other similar spread instead of giving them plain bread to increase the calories intake, can also make straberry/banana milkshake to induce their appetite, or you could to get them involve in making a meal or cut food in diff shape... i think you could google for other idea that work for you... don't give up... is all abt trial and error

 

[jaybaobei]

Have you ever thought that they might be over feed? Their tummy may not be able to absorb fast enough. Therefore whatever input, will output as poo poo. Remember when my girl was taken care by my mummy whom keeps feeding her. At the age of 4, her weight never reach 15kgs. I decided to be sahm last year. After 1year of caring, i had successful add 4kgs to her. P/s I replace pediasure with goat milk as I notice cow product give her weak tummy.

dun quite understand on the weak tummy...u mean weak as in hard to digest? goat milk can increase weight?
pls recommend!!!! let my twins try...i really dun want them to be like me so "slim"...
i hope they can hit acceptable weight...and nt like the doctor said "terrible weight"...sighzzz...

 

[diymummy]

My son is 27.5 mths old and only 10.7kg. He is hitting all his milestones and is a healthy happy active kid.

Like what the other mummies say, weight is not definitive of health as long as they are still above the 10th percentile, they are doing fine.

I'm also very small sized (BMI just hit the acceptable weight range) so it is understandable that my son is also small in size.

 

[Ting]

i agree with diymummy, i think some kids are heavier cos they hv heavier bones? as long they are eating well, healthy,active and not prone to falling ill, it shldnt be a big cause of worry.

 

[Fiona73]

dun quite understand on the weak tummy...u mean weak as in hard to digest? goat milk can increase weight?
pls recommend!!!! let my twins try...i really dun want them to be like me so "slim"...
i hope they can hit acceptable weight...and nt like the doctor said "terrible weight"...sighzzz...

Meaning that their digestive system is not sot good. Lot of wind. I din give goat milk to increase weight but becos my gal is sensitive towards cow milk. By giving goat milk, my gal tummy is nit as 'windy' as before. And I also spread her meal widely for beginning. She show good progress with the change.

 

[meiteoh]

I believe the right term is lactose intolerant and not weak stomach. Note that I was told by the paed dietitian that unless your child is allergic to cow's milk, do not substitute as goat's milk doesn't contain some nutrients that are in cow's milk. Neither is superior than the other.

To the TS,

Could it be possible that your twins have a high metabolic rate or are simply more active (I noticed that their nap time is short - what time do they sleep and wake up)? My paed mentioned that for a doc to say safely that a child is within range, s/he must look at BOTH weight and height and not just weight or height alone. Looks are also important - if your child has a tummy or has some flab, how can they be "thin"? They could just be tall and lanky, like a banana. Some children are like that - they pack it in height rather than in weight.

As for your daily diet, instead of giving milk (too much especially pediasure which is mostly sugar and corn starch - hardly any easily digested nutrients), why not introduce a breakfast meal like muesli with fresh milk/yogurt (not bottled please - again, mostly sugar), pancakes, French toast, grilled sandwich, omelette, etc? Instead of porridge for lunch, why not switch completely to rice, pasta or noodles? Instead of rice with soup, why not other more "substantial" meals like homemade pizza (can use all sorts of healthy toppings like veg with some cheese), savoury tarts, fried rice, rice with dish like veg and meat instead of soup, pasta with sauce, baked goodies, etc? Snacks can be other things like muesli or fruit bars, fresh fruit salad, a homemade smoothie, baked snacks like potatos, nuggets, etc and even homemade mini muffins or cake bars.

The other thing I noticed is that you don't have a lot of meat in your menu or a large variety of veg - maybe you might want to consider introducing meat as meat is a very good source of protein and iron. Both are necessary to help children grow, especially iron. Non animal based iron are not easily absorbed by the body and Vit B complexes are lacking in a vegetarian diet. Might as well give fresh food instead of supplements. As for "not liking fish or mince meat", honestly, it is a matter of who's the boss - you or your child. As a parent, you're the one who is responsible for forming healthy eating habits and preference in your child and it starts from young. Don't wait till your child is 4-5 yo before deciding that they should eat this or that.

Btw, if you want them to eat more during mealtimes, cut back on the snacking and milk quantities, especially night feeds. The rule for serving sizes is about one tablespoon per age year, eg if your kiddo is 24 months, it's two tablespoons. Toddlers don't eat a lot so the goal is to make every bite count and that means quality and nutrition over quantity.