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My baby's not gaining enough weight!
The pediatrician’s words signaled the end. My daughter, at 9 months old and what I thought was a robust 16.5 pounds, is not getting enough calories. According to the growth charts –- check out this freak-me-out growth calculator -- she is not gaining weight or height. It’s time to supplement, the doctor said.
Upon hearing those words, my husband expected me to crumble, to feel like a failure after all these months of breastfeeding exclusively, pumping in the wee hours of the morning and freezing milk to be transported to the sitter. No tears here. I am just proud we made it this far. Still, this supplementing directive seems questionable given that my daughter could easily be the Mikey of the 21st century.
As her baby sitter says, she eats every thing that’s not nailed down. The pediatrician did allow that my daughter could just be headed for a life of smallness because I am petite with relatively few love handles for a woman who only recently gave birth. Like me, my husband is vertically challenged.
But here’s the rub: the little princess does not like her supplements. She’s not into the most popular brands of powered formula, their liquid brethren or the sweet PediaSure that the pediatrician was so convinced would do the trick. She expels each of them with an aim worthy of the pie-eating contest in Stand By Me. (I’ll spare you think link.) The little one just wants me. In a way, it’s flattering. But it also means I’ve got to increase my production. So, I’m bumping up my caloric intake, taking vitamins, pumping more and attempting to pull off a MacGyver and get more rest.
Any suggestions from seasoned parents who have helped a picky drinker and a less-than productive mother make this transition are most welcome.
-- Sherri Day
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Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
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Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, Comment Policy
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