Wednesday, November 3, 2010

6 Month Dr. Visit

Ryan had his 6 month well-check this week. In terms of his development, he is right on track with everything! Here are his percentiles:

Weight: 16 lbs, 10 oz (32%)
Height: 26.5 inches (52%)
Head: 17.25 inches (50%)


Ryan got his 6 month vaccinations, as well as a flu shot. I considered breaking the shots up into two times because it seemed like a lot to get at once. He got 4 shots in his legs and one vaccination by mouth. He started crying immediately but then quited down after a minute. Later that afternoon the poor little guy started crying again and would not stop. I gave him tylenol and nursed him on and off all afternoon. He dozed for a few hours, which is very unlike him. I feel bad now that we have to go back in a month for the 2nd round of his flu shot!


I talked to the Dr. a lot about Ryan's diet. He said we can now introduce mixed foods, as well as proteins like meat, chicken and beans. I am so excited to give these new foods to Ryan! He also said to start feeding him solid foods 3 times a day, rather than just 2. He added that I should give him solids before I breastfeed. This really took me by surprise. I asked what I should do if he seems too full after eating solid food to breastfeed. The Dr. replied that this would be good, since we want to gradually shift Ryan's diet away from breastmilk and towards real food over the next 6 months. Apparently a baby has a reserve of iron stored up in their body since birth. Around 6 months this reserve is gone, and breastmilk no longer provides their little bodies with all the nutrients they need. This is where solid foods begin to play a bigger role. I must admit I was really sad when I heard this. I'm not ready to start weaning him!

3 comments:

  1. He is sooo cute! Poor little baby, it's so hard to get shots. :(

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  2. Aahh! I just typed out a comment and then lost it. So annoying! Anyway, Ryan is super cute and is getting so big!

    You don't have to start weaning him. I am not a doctor or a certified breastfeeding expert (though I do have over 3 years experience between my two kids), but I do know from pretty much every source that breast milk is the most important source of nutrition for a baby until 12 months. Especially at 6 months! The more you push solids in front of breast milk, the less breast milk he will take in, the less you will produce, and you may end up stopping sooner than you had hoped.

    You should go with your instincts! Askdrsears.com, la leche league, world health organization, and my favorite book that I've come across "Breastfeeding Made Simple" by Nancy Mohrbacher are all great. They will all tell you that breast milk should be the #1 food in his diet at this age.

    Sorry to go on and on there, but it just makes me frustrated when doctors give wonky breastfeeding advice! Pediatricians can be great, but often they are less educated about breastfeeding that you'd hope. And of course, you can disregard my ramblings-- I know it can be annoying to get unsolicited advice. You are doing an awesome job and should go with your instincts! :)

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  3. Thanks Tara. I appreciate any and all advice! I felt a little strange after hearing the Dr.'s advice, like something wasn't quite right. I think I will do some more research before I start filling him up on foods before breastmilk.

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