Pediatrician Wants Oil in My Son's Diet

You've already received lots of great advice so I'll keep this short--- AVOCADO! My sons have always been at least one "percentile bracket" higher in height than weight (i.e. 95th for height and 85th for weight) which my doctor said was fine, but she also told me that adding a bit of HEALTHY fat to their diet is good for digestion, skin, hair, etc. When I make them soups I use canola or olive oil (if any at all) and they love avocado. Good luck!

Put him on whole milk if you want. Don't listen to the doctors, you are his mother and you know what's best for him..sounds like you're doing a great job so keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!

Add a healthy oil, like flax seed, olive or canola to foods he already eats or drinks, just a teaspoon or so. It is healthy oils we all need and not gross at all.

Check out the westin price foundation (google it). Fat is important to growth and good skin. Organic, pasture fed meat is very nutrient dense. Also try fish oil and coconut oil. Breastmilk is key, but nutrient rich foods need to be added to the diet. Grains are hard to digest and white rice cereal does not add much if any nutritional value. Organic chicken liver cooked in coconut oil was my twins favorite food.
Also, is he growing taller, or not growing at all? Not all babies are chubby. Many are perfectly healthy and are slight. Those charts often track formula fed babies who tend to be chubbier.
Good luck!

I am not so sure of the canola oil thing - I know our bodies need essential fatty acids like OMega 3 but CANOLA? yuck, I agree. My one yr old loves red beans and rice (I get it reday mde so all I have to do is boil it) I would stay away from as many high carb foods as possible. These seem to be the easiest for our little ones to eat but they don't do much to help them build muscle. I would start him introducing dairy, cheese and yogurt are great and have protein in them. Try giving him tuna fish - easier to eat than beef and helathier too. Mashed Sweet Potatoes are great too and couple dwith meat he might be more likely to eat them.

If you need any help with recipes or cooking tips - I am here to help!

I agree with the moms that say listen to your gut. Also, she is right that at one year old they do need fats and oils in their diet, i think you're suppose start lightening up on the fats once they're 2. And there is definately a difference between "good' oil and 'gross oil' :) However if your Pedi doesn't seem to support nursing??? I would get a second opinion and consider a diff doctor. My son's pedi was not all gung ho on 'you have to nurse' but he was against nursing either... Good luck

Breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for your child. Way to go! In terms of healthy, non dairly fats you could try avacado. My daughter LOVES it and its very easy to eat eaither by hand or squished up with a spoon. Don't give up breastfeeding until you are ready. I still breastfeed my 2 and a half year old.

If your ped isn't supporting breastfeeding CHANGE YOUR PED!. My ped is great, she's in bloomfield, nj, if you want her information. I fully support your nursing, and have heard the same thing - even though my daughter's only 5.5 months. I can't help you with the oil thing, but it doesn't sound safe to me - oil can get rancid and I wouldn't give it to my child. How about full fat yogurt - like the greek kind you can get at whole foods? it's not milk (in my opinion - i agree with you whole heartedly about food allegies and such). Not much help, but very supportive of you. Trust your gut. You seem to be a great mom and doing it right!

Well, having zero vegan or vegitarian experience I can only offer so much help...but my (now 2.5yo) daughter is low on the weight charts and yet exceptionally tall and active for her age. At a year old she enjoyed lots of chicken, and it was about that time we introduced chopped bacon. Bacon for all it's bad press is high in iron, rich is fats, and high in protein. Other good-but-fatty choices include avacados, peanut butter (if you have ruled out possible allergy) whole-milk mozzerella, and if you'd like to do a veggie with oil type thing, try getting eggplant, slicing it and frying it wih a little cornmeal batter on it.
oh! I almost forgot...my daughter LOVED fried apple rings at that age! Get some granny smiths (though untart apples work too) and slice then into ring shapes. Make a thin batter of flour, suger, and a little water, then dip them and fry them in about an inch of canola or sunflower oil in a small pan, Just until browned on both sides. The result is a firm yet warm and slightly softened/sweetened apple ring! If you want you can lightly powder them with suger, I myself like them a little sweet. My daughter ate those in droves at 1 year old, and while you're picking up some oils you're not completly compromising your dietary choices.

You probably should have asked you ped. to elaborate on what she means by oil. I am assuming she means solid food with healthy oils such as avocado, meals prepared with olive or canola oil, proteins such as fish high in omega 3's & soy & legumes. Breastmilk has esstional oils as does formula.

Perhaps she means for you to boost your breastmilk DHA by eating more fatty acid foods?

All babies need these healthy fats for brain development - perhaps she should have used another word.

Anyway, I would not freak out if I were you just ask her to make a list.

My now 19 month old DD had almost no interest in solids until she was 13 months. She was and still is breastfed and dropped to the 10th percentile when she started walking. I wasn't worried and luckily my great family doc wasn't either (super supportive of breastfeeding). I would go to a La Leche League meeting and ask the other moms for doctor recommendations. It just sounds like you aren't so trusting of the care and advice your getting.

Olive oil is a healthy fat and if you cook with it your son will get the benefits. My sister's sone was underweight so she cooked his pasta in olive oil, and if she gave him toast sometimes she drizzled a little olive oil on that too. (that's very big in Italian restaurants-dipping in oil) You want to give him unsaturated fat-also avacados and olives are healthy fat. Hope that helps.

Congratulations on the your successful breastfeeding! You have done the best thing for you & him. Don't let your ped. get you worried. Follow your instincts for your son. She is used to seeing fat bottle fed babies, not what nature intended. You want to start introducing food for your son, so that he learns to eat, not to fatten him up. When my youngest daughter (she is 6 now)was a baby, babies r us sold an item that you put food into, and it had a handle, so that the baby could hold that, and "suck" on the food. It prevents choking to. My explanation sounds weird, but it is a teething item, that might help your little boy that doesn't like sticky hands. He'll probably get over that soon too! Good luck & keep up the nursing for as long as it works for you and your son.
L.

Did the doctor explain why fats are so important? Your son is busy making his neurons and these are all sheathed in fat. So he needs a solid source of a fat that ideally includes some Omega 3s, essential fatty acids the body cannot make on its own.
If you don't feel comfortable with oil (and to be frank, as long as it is a healthy poly-unsaturated oil I don't see much of a problem with it), then find another source that makes you happy. My big girl has never eaten meat (her choice not ours), had no dairy for the first year, and ate avacados like they were going out of style at that age. Apparently they had everything she needed, since she is now a smart and healthy 12-year-old.

My daughter is also lean, and she has issues with eczema. The solution to both challenges is flax oil. We add about 1/2 a tablespoon to her oatmeal in the morning (about 3-4x per week). We rarely eat out, so using olive oil in our dinners is also good for her.

Think of it this way - it is HEALTHY and NECESSARY for ALL PEOPLE to eat healthy oils every day. These are found in abundance in olive oil, flax oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, and ... can't think of the last one. But Weight Watchers tells members to eat 2 tsp of healthy oil each day. This keeps your intestines working properly and actually HELPS heavier fats keep moving through your arteries (instead of clogging).

Breastfeeding is great for lean kids - don't give up and switch to fat-laden cows milk. You are growing a human baby, not a calf. If your son's body needs more from you, your milk WILL provide it. But just to be on the safe side, make sure YOU are getting enough healthy oil too!

Also remember, all those healthy oils come from healthy foods - olives and flax seeds come to mind. Avocados too - babies usually LOVE them. As for no pureed foods - REALLY??? I'm 33 and I still love applesauce. Maybe more texture in your son's diet will be good for him, but it also seems like mush is a better medium for adding oils...

Our daughter was vegetarian and breast-fed until she was two. There are no growth curves out there for these kids, and pediatricians have no "official" standard to compare to. Trust your gut and keep feeding your son the healthiest stuff you can. You'll know if his development seems off - physically, emotionally, or academically.

Good luck!

You may want to consider switching your son's doctor. You may have to travel a bit further but you should find one who supports your views on eating/breastfeeding/non-meat diet.

Also, has your son tried avacado. It's an excellent source of fat and vitamins and babies LOVE it beause it's so buttery and smooth. And you can cut it up into chunks so he can pick it up.

My daughter ate very pureed foods until about 1 YO, too. She just didn't like chunky foods. My doctor too said that she needs to get on regular foods so that can learn to eat non-pureed foods. It was a tough transition but she did it. She still loves food that is smooth but she now eats normal "adult" food. I heard a suggestion that if you sprinkle slippery food with a bit of bread crumbs, it makes it easier for baby to pick up and get into his mouth!

Also, there is a book called Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron (she is not a meat eater). She gives all sort of suggestions on how to replace the nutrients that are found in meat. You might find this useful (sorry, I'm not a vegetarian). Try to find it at a library.

O.K. If your sons weight has stalled at one, you need to listen to your doctor. At this age he should be growing at a steady pace all the time. Adding oil to foods is very easy and a great way to get all the essential fatty acids you need - and if you want him healthy, he needs the fat! Lets step back first and say if he doesn't like to pick up fruit and veggies by hand, then give the kid a child fork (rounded tines) or a spoon and let him go at it. One is certainly not too early to use utensils and you will be starting good habits. If you don't want to give milk, then don't. Milk is NOT the be all end all for calcium. Give water as it is the best source of hydration. Nursing is great, but do it AFTER a meal and at the meal offer him water in a glass - not a sippy, but a glass that you can help him with.

Now for the adding the oils. The easiest way is to just add a teaspoon to almost everything. Steam some broccoli to the point where it is almost overdone. The pour at least one to one and a half teaspoons of olive oil over the top, toss and add a little salt. No salt will not hurt your baby as most processed baby foods have way more salt than you would ever put on your own food. When making your son toast, take a pastry brush and brush the top with oil (I prefer olive, but if your doctor said canola I would go with that) - you can even sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon. Get the idea, just add it to everything. For myself, I add my oil to my smoothie and blend it up. Sounds gross, I know, but it actually makes it so smooth and silky, not sure I could go without it now!

Good luck!

A little about Me:

SAHM to 3 awesome kids - 8,6,4. Luckiest person to get to spend so much time with my kids and also get away with my husband on a regular basis - best of both worlds!!

Hi M.,
I just wanted to mention that I have a skinny little girl, now 15 months old who is not even on the wieght charts. Our ped. says as long as they are active and hitting all their milestone don't worry about them being slim. Our daughter isn't much of an eater ( she is too busy to stop and eat!) so we try to make what she eats really count. We choose foods high in healthy fats such as avacodo and salmon. Our daughter has no milk allergies so we also give her cheese and whole milk yogurt. She loves whole wheat pasta with olive oil, veggies and freshly grated cheese (yum!).If he is healthy I would not add oil just to add fat to his diet but I would make sure he gets some fat in his diet. I also nurse and am reassured that she still gets the nutrition and fats she needs from breast milk. Perhaps you need to find a ped more supportive of breast feeding and a natural food diet?

Maybe you want to consider a new pediatrician. Good for you for continuing to breastfeed. Oil sounds gross and wrong to me too! At this age, kids need good fats so you want to give him things like avocado, full fat yogurt, whole milk, etc. but putting oil in their food is just nasty. At this age kids start leaning out anyway because they're more active, so unless he dropped in his weight percentiles drastically, there isn't a problem.

I was concerned about a milk allergy too, but you can try giving your son a little yogurt just to test the waters. I like Stonyfield Farm and BTW, Yo Baby is the same stuff as what they sell in the big tubs. The single serve cups are convenient but you pay more and they are made of #6 plastic, polystyrene which is unhealthy. If he does ok with the yogurt, you can try the milk and he won't have a bad reaction - yogurt has milk protein in it too, just less than what he'd be consuming by drinking milk. He probably won't drink a ton at first anyway.

For protein, you could try beans, tofu and chickpeas as finger food.

As far as naps, kids all have different schedules so you should watch for tired cues in your son and put him down around the same time everyday. If he fell asleep during lunch, obviously he was overtired so you should put him down earlier and feed him a little later.

my pediatrician recommend a product called Pediasure, a nutritional supplement for toddlers. you could also try Stoneyfield Whole milk yogurt. i know you said you wanted to stay away from dairy, but one of my twins was milk intolerant as a baby and the other was lactose intolerant and both have eaten that yogurt with no problems. it also has lots of calories. i get the french vanilla flavor and add applesauce to it. they love it!

If I were you I ould do whatever you are comfortable with. As a parent I am not sure I would do anything to "fatten" my child up. I run a home dayare and have had about 15 kids go through their toddler years here and everyone of them was different. I think the best thing you can d is let him be a "normal" kid. Feed him whatever he wll eat and let hi enjoy the fun foods. However I would start cutting down the pureed. Start feeding him "big boy" foods. Chicken nuggets, hotdogs, grilled cheese, toast, waffles and french fries. If you want to stay with organic foods there is plenty out there. You could make him homemade chicken nuggets, I know they make chicken hot dogs. I think you would really be surprised how he will takee to eating new foods. Make it fun and let him decide what the likes and doesn't like. Look at it as a little science experiment. At one year old he will let you know hwat he likes and doesn't like. My daughter is 15 months old and she will eat anything, however my nephew who is 17 months old and has been with my daughter since she ws born will eat very little. they have been fed the same food for months and they have very different tastes for things.

In a nut hell, I would not worry too much about giving him oils to fatten him up, if he is really not eating a lot of toffler food. Once he starts eating more "big boy" foods he will level out and be fine. Also, if he is a healthy and happy boy I would let him enter the wonderful world of food at his own pace. Slowly start giving him more toddler foods and he wil be fine!!! If you really want help, I have found that the best people to ask are the old timers. My grandmom is 84 and whenever I have a problem with one of my kids she always has a suggestion that works like a charm. The old way is usually the best way.

Just a thought I would question the pediatrician that told you to fatten him up. I can't imagine giving my child empty fats just to make him gain weight. Would that doctor tell you to give him Slim Fast if he needed to lose weight.

Just do what feel right to you!!! your are him mom and Mom's know best.

Get a new dr. My dr. sees my children who are thin.. they too have cute kind of chunky legs. My kids eat veggies and fruit. They are both thin.. and I'd rather thin than having a weight problem. Dont get your children use to oil in their foods. Try a different Dr. who believes in your nursing and the way you feel. I changed 2 times and now I love my dr. My kids take cod oil pills - one a day for children because my daughter's skin and hair was very dry.... but that's it. good luck

My son also "flattened out" when he started getting active and crawling. Your boy is probably just burning all of the calories he takes in, and too busy exploring the world to eat as much as he should. We still breastfeed at a year, and I try to give him higher (good) fat foods daily. He likes smashed up avocado (don't have to puree it, just smash with fork), and beans are also fairly fatty. I haven't tried coconut (and don't know about allergy issues - you'll have to read about that) but that might be another idea. There are lots of soft foods like that you can give him that aren't totally pureed, but will be easy for him to eat. I wouldn't rule out the pediatrician completely, but maybe give it a month with different foods and see if he gains weight on that? As always, consider a second opinion or a referral to a dietician (doctors get very limited education in nutrition). Good luck!

Maybe you should give him some avocado, it's easy to eat for babies and has good fats/omega 3 fatty acids. Your pediatrician's concerns aren't only for his weight, but because most of baby's brain power comes from fat. I got these sweet potato pancakes in the frozen food section (the ethnic/healthfood section) and my baby girl LOVES them, as do I. I just heat them up in the pan and you can use a little bit of olive oil to cook them right up. That would be a good way to add oil to his diet, too. Just heat things up in a pan with some olive oil or canola oil.

ok, i know you have gotten tons of responses but i hope you read mine. i tried to address alot of your concerns:)

your child having chunk on him signals he is not underweight. underweight would truly mean being very skinny. there is no problem if he is in the 15%, there is no problem if he is in the 50% and has always been. there is only a problem when a baby goes from like 85% to 20% at the next visit, or continually goes down and down(or up and up for that matter). being low on the scale is not an issue, its only a problem if you gain no weight at all over time.

he can have meat if you plan on eating meat. if you are not practicing a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, he is old enough. he may not take to it right away, but as with all foods, keep trying. sometimes babies have to try something over and over again before accepting it. im not sure why she would not be more encouraging of him adding protein to his diet, regardless of weight issues. its adding another food group which is a good thing.

if he is very active, he will definately be leaner. my sisters baby was in the 90% for weight and then at 7 months was crawling. she has leaned out greatly over the last 2 months, and now my daughter(same exact age) who was always much less than her, is now much chunkier as she isnt active at all. when you start moving alot, you dont gain as much as you are using calories. also, you weight gain definately tapers off at a year old.

what horrible information your pediatrician gives as not encouraging nursing. breastmilk is filled with the fatty acids, and if his weight is of issue, or even if it isnt, breastmilk would be the best choice. why on earth would she suggest canola oil when you are breastfeeding. there is no need at all to add cows milk to a babys diet as long as you add yogurt and cheeses for calcium, you can google that for more information. the AAFP has a wonderful position paper i highly recommend. it goes over all the ways doctors and hospitals should do everything possible to encourage woman to breastfeed as it is proven to be the most beneficial, apparently she isnt doing that
http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/b/brea....
it sounds once again that a doctor is using her personal opinion supremely over medical data and recommendations by the rest of the medical community. i highly suggest if you are concerned with his weight, or even if you just want to make sure he gets the most benefits, or if you just both enjoy and dont find it to be a problem, you should continue breastfeeding.

to add oil for the sole purpose of gaining weight is horrible advice imo. your son is just at his one year mark. eating fruits, vegetables, meats, protein along with eggs esp omega 3 ones which are an excellent source of good fatty acids is needed. im not saying oil IN your diet is bad, i would choose flaxseed or cod liver, but i still wouldnt ADD it. instead i would focus on eating foods that contain the fatty acids like nut butters, avocado, ects. again though, i wouldnt focus on that as being the factor with weight gain, which im still not sure you son even has an issue.

and if you are truly concerned about his fatty acid intake, YOU should be making sure you are eating enough fatty acids. do you like yogurt or cereal. i am super picky but put a little flaxseed in them, and they taste fine. add a little to a peanut butter sandwich. eat more fish and eggs, seeds, avocado. your intake goes to your breastmilk. there is no reason whatsoever he needs to have a bottle ever. if you decide to switch to a cup, it is your decision, but there is no medical reason you should not continue to just nurse instead(or even give breastmilk only in the cup). you are absolutely correct in breastmilk being able to sustain a baby. the food is complimenting it. my daughter has just started to eat a little banana, avocado, and carrots at 8 months old. we wont feed purees at all, but im sure she is more concerned with him not accepting solids, rather than it being a problem with his weight. 2 separate issues.

you sound very educated and on top of things. as long as your son doesnt have any medical issue, i think you are more than capable of researching on your own to decide what the best course of action is. doctors are never going to be able to be as up to date as a parent of a certain age group, for example- if you have a 6 month old, and are starting to feed them, you will research all the most up to date information about 6 month olds and food out there. a doctor of course is knowledgable, but considering the age frame and content matter they deal with, they cannot be an expert of every age at every moment with the most up to date info. good luck, dont worry.

My son is breastfed too and he is on the small side too, but I'm only 5 ft tall and my husband and I are both thin so he is just taking after us. Plus he is very active- never sits still, even in his sleep. Have you looked at a height vs. weight chart (not just a weight vs age chart) specifically for breastfed babies? I think todays babies are so much bigger since so many of them get breast milk and formula (not too many are exclusively BF) that the drs often freak out if the kid is on the small side. At first it worried me, but my son is happy, healthy and hitting all his milestones and is often early on them, so I'm not worried and neither is his pediatrician. If your doctor is so blah about breastfeeding and you don't agree with her advice on feeding him, why not look for a second opinion? See if one of your friends can recommend another ped to see. Check out http://www.kellymom.com and look at the weight gain charts posted on there for some ideas.
Also, make sure he sees you eating meals too or else he won't have anyone to mimic.

Hi M. -

Rest assured, your doctor does not want you to give your son spoonfuls of oil. Instead, think practically...salad with olive oil and a splash of vinegar (olive oil is best, not canola; enough just to coat when tossed); sauteed vegetables or steamed veggies tossed with a spoonful of oil. Every diet needs healthy oils, and I think that is the message that your doctor is trying to convey, though the WAY she is doing it sounds off. She probably wants him off of pureed veggies by now becasue he is too old...old enough to eat cut up soft cooked vegetables.

Also, try to incorporate more meats that are slightly less lean. Lean is good, but too lean can be unhealthful. The leaner the meat, the more often it is less flavorful which might be an indication as to why he is not too fond of either.

You also might try avocado, which is very good fat and halthy and tasty besides. No nuts, though, as I am sure you know, though later if her can have them, almonds contain good fats. Yogurt is a good alternative when you move on to milk products, and so is cheese.

I hope this helps. Good luck!!!

Listen to your gut. I had a similar situation--my ped wanted me to give lots of butter, cream, fats, etc. It didnt sound right to me, but I tried. She was supportive of nursing up to about a year. Then, when he was about 18 months, she told me she thought his "weight problem" was due to nursing. She also wanted to start running invasive tests, and have me take him to a nutritionist. She was making me so crazy about food, I was resorting to feeding him with puppets to try to get more food into him!!! I finally decided to listen to my gut, and never went back to her. I found a more holistic pediatrician--this doctor said his weight is fine--he's small, but he's healthy, active, and developing normally. He said not to add or change his diet--said that adding oils and such can cause clogged arteries. It's so nice to have that affirmation that my child is fine, and that I don't have to feed him this, avoid that, change that, etc. If I were you, I'd listen to your gut. If you're not sure, seek out a holistic ped who is supportive of extended breastfeeding (not just on paper, or in theory), and get a second opinion. Feel free to send me an e-mail if you have any questions! Good luck.

P.S. I do occasionally sneak flax seed oil and wheat germ into muffiin batter for my son. I think healthy fats are good!

It is unbelievable to me how ignorant some doctors are about nutrition. CANOLA OIL? A genetically altered non-naturally occurring Frankenstein product? Yuck! There's a big difference between adding oil and adding good fats! There are so many healthy fats out there that you can give your son. Avocados are a wonderful first food, naturally soft and full of great oils. Try them over and over again, and eventually he'll learn to enjoy it. If you must add oil to his food, use flaxseed oil - high in omega 3s. Coconuts and walnuts (and their oils) are great nutrition, too. I add coconut oil and flaxseed oil to yogurt (whole milk organic like Stonyfield Farm or Brown Cow)and fruit smoothies ...maybe in a few weeks when you add dairy you might want to try this. When you add bread and pasta products to his menu, use sprouted-grain varieties (Ezekiel brand bread and pasta, bread/bagels/rolls by Alvarado Street Bakery or "Biblical Sprouted Bread" by Berlin Natural Bakery). I get these at my local Shop-Rite or health food store. Sprouting the grain before making the bread allows more of the proteins to be absorbed and requires way less of the body's own minerals to digest, and also has good probiotics. Cold-pressed organic olive oil is good, but don't cook with it...use it raw (higher temperatures break down olive oil, lessening its nutritional value). How about eggs? My kids loved scrambled eggs at that age. Healthy fats! Also, if you use butter, consider a cultured variety (I like Organic Valley cultured, unsalted butter in the yellow box) to add good fats and probiotics. Remember, we all need saturated fats to live, especially little ones who are growing so quickly. Since you're still nursing, you can add all of the foods above, too, and give your son double the benefit. You can also add the healthy dairy now, while you're still waiting on him. Even if you're not nursing, these are basic foods that have great nutritional value. Just a side note, my kids all slimmed down quite a bit when they got really mobile, one even flatlined in weight, all got past that point and bulked up again when my breastmilk caught up with their metabolism. Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much, and I would reevaluate my pediatrician - it sounds like she's not very interested. Good luck!

My daughter hears about how thin her children are with every dr appointment. Then she'll call me and I set her straight every thing. Here's what you need to look at: Is your child happy and active? Does he have strength to play and get round? Do you look at him and wonder if he's the energizer bunny in human form? If the answer to all this is yes then his diet is fine and serving him well.

Children grow in one direction at a time. They put on weight and then shoot up an inch so they are chubbier at times and thinner at others. As long as they are eatting well and healthy then you have nothing to worry about.

Next time the dr mentions this stuff just nod your head and make a couple mental notes because she may say something useful. Then go home and continue what you've been doing. Follow your mom instincts and your little man will do well.

first of all, you might want to think about changing pediatricians...it doesn't sound like you are on the same page for much of what you wrote. regarding the oil...ew, no. btw, canola oil is soy based, and not necessary. if you decide to give him an oil, try a bit of the omega 3's and 6's or flaxseed. reagarding the milk allergy issue, try goat's milk, it's the closest to breast there is.
mom of 2 girls, 14 and 9 years old.

If your son is healthy and eats well - then I would not be concerned. The charts are for formula fed babies. My two girls were breastfed and they're small/lean. They were born small too :) and I'm petite, so of COURSE they're going to be small.
My ped has no problem with them and is shocked that I never bring the kids to him, haha, just for checkups...
If you feel your ped is not a good fit for you, find someone else that has the time to listen to your concerns.
I do not know what oil in the food is supposed to accomplish...I mean, I do take daily fish oil supplements...but your milk is enough for your child and all...
Do offer him variety of foods to get him to explore different tastes, flavors, textures...sounds like you're doing fine. Maybe you can go to a La Leche League Meeting to network with other breastfeeding moms who may have experienced the same things you are...

Olive oil and flax seed oil in particular are good! I have been mixing these oils - just a little -into my son's foods since about 13 months and he is a very healthy 1 1/2 year old. I think it was just a 1/4 tsp 1 or 2x per day but now more like 1 tsp. Toddlers need a high percentage of fats in their diets for growth and brain development so just make sure you give your child healthy fats such as those oils, avocado, almond butter (As long as not allergic). My son has had a problem with cow's milk so I have really made the effort to substitute foods high in healthy fats as well as in calcium and protein. There is also lots of information about this on the web.

Consider a new pediatrician

Give him avacadoes...they are loaded with the healthy fat and kids seem to love them...it's the first food I gave my daughter. Also, I would doubt another 6 weeks will do anything regarding a milk allergy. If the dr. is suggesting some plumping, I would go ahead and give it to him.
Best wishes,
J.
PS, what about scrambled eggs?

M., Definitely keep breastfeeding if that's working for you both. I wouldn't worry too much about what your doctor is saying. I always find that doctors who don't PROMOTE breastfeeding almost seem anti-breastfeeding and don't know enough about it. That said, I definitely think your son is old enough to be self feeding at all his meals, and personally I would recommend stopping pureed foods except yogurts, when you decide to introduce it. We had our son "flatten out" (more like "take a dive") on his growth curve too, from 90th+% at 9 months, to 15th% at 12, 15, and 18 months. He's tall, extremely active, and is a hit-and-miss eater (one day he'll eat a ton and he'll eat next to nothing the next day). He's athletic, but not skinny or scrawny.

To fatten him up, we added: cheese, olives (black and green), Barilla Plus pasta instead of regular pasta, formula instead of milk (he no longer breastfed), extra healthy snacks (try veggie booty!), peanut butter on whole grain bread (or sunflower seed butter if you're holding off on peanut butter). You could also try eggs, avocados, more red meat (try meatballs on pasta, even my 7 month old daughter loves it - she totally feeds herself regular food now). I was a vegetarian for 17 years - you can try tofu, tempeh, soy/rice/almond milks, cereal other than cheerios, oatmeal, etc.

In general, you should conceivably by now be making family dinners and chopping them up small for your son (we started this at 8.5 months with our son). He will get what he needs between your own healthy dinners (which may include a little oil that you cook with) and your breastmilk. He will learn the joy of getting dirty while eating!!

It seems to me that you are not all too agreeable on alot of what your pediatrician says.....I had similar issues with my first pediatrician.....he was fine for my daughter who was a fairly healthy baby, but when my son came along it was a different story. Find another pediatrician....before you put him through the un-neccessary trauma of bloodwork, get a second opinion. And for the record, I have never heard of introducing oil into a baby's diet. Sounds to me like he is an active kid hence the lean physique, so with the problems with childhood obesity I wonder about the doctors concerns.

FYI....my son breastfed (mostly nights) until he was about 15 months and he refused regular food, he had a bad gag reflex....he was eating baby food up til he was almost 4 yrs old. No problems with his health outside of the asthma he was born with. He is still a very picky eater but at 16 yrs old he eats what he likes. This is YOUR child, instinctively i think all mothers know if there is a problem....i do not get the feeling you feel your child has a weight issue....see another pediatrician, i think it will give you piece of mind.

Just my opinion.....hope it helps.

No offense, but your pediatrician kinda sounds like a quack! You need to add healthy fats to his diet. Which I mean does include extra virgin olive oil, but it sounds like she wants you to give him a sippy cup full of it! Chances are he is not allergic to milk, if you've been drinking it and breastfeeding he would have had a reaction. And whole milk is a great way to get those healthy fats. You may want to reconsider starting the milk earlier. Also try some soft cheeses. (make sure they are pasturized) I would also maybe speak to another pediatrician! Good luck!

Of all oils, why CANOLA? It isn't even a naturally occurring oil! It is genetically modified and originally was made in Canada - which is where it got it's name.
HMMmmm- sounds a little weird to me. I would get a second opinion.

M.,
I'll keep it simple. You need a new pediatrician. Garbage for advice from this one. Your child is just fine.
S.

I have had great success with avoiding cow's milk til age 2 and using goat milk yogurt instead. After two I continue the goat milk yogurt and add raw organic cow's milk. My children are very strong, and my little one is way behind in growth charts- but my husband has a 28" inseam and needs all his pants altered, so I ignore my doctor's disapproving looks and enjoy my stocky little French Canadian baby!

Virgin coconut oil is excellent- antimicrobial and full of lauric acid found elsewhere only in mother's milk! Add this and olive oil, sesame, and sunflower (cold-pressed organic) as much as you want. AVOID CANOLA, SAFFLOWER, COTTONSEED, AND SOY oils. Have you ever eaten a canola? A safflower? or a cottonseed? NO. If they are not edible, neither is their oil! Soy is highly allergenic and best eaten fermented as in soy sauce and miso... so for a small child I'd avoid it for sure.

Fats are truly important, and if you are worried about your son's growth I recommend a daily smoothie ritual (we do ours at 10 am for snack) of coconut milk as a base (nice and fatty and delicious, as well as used for centuries as a basic food staple by very healthy cultures), some frozen berries and perhaps a banana, a few dates for sweetener or a drizzle of maple syrup, a spoonful of coconut oil and a scoop of powdered greens. Recipe for a healthy mama and baby!

M., I know how important nursing is, but adding solids is very important too. I noticed with my third that he was not gaining much when I was nursing come to find out, he was not getting much fat from my milk and I don't know why. I was producing alot of milk with the help of Fenugreek because my milk was disappearing by 3 and 4 months but the miswife said that to try that and it's natural and good and will help produce more milke and it did...alot of it almost as if I couldn't control the amount of milk LOL. Anyways, adding solids, NOT OIL to his diet is great and meat is fine as long is able to chew it and munch it down. I have three boys and I have added meat to their diets later on and my third one will be 1 yr old in 10 days and he doesn't care for red meat but loves chicken. He's such a big eater!!!!!!! Give him grapes, but bite it off or cut off small bits for him to eat it. You don't haveto worry about milk allergy because he may not. You don't haveto worry about it until after 1 year old if you're not nursing but it won't hurt to try him on milk after 1 year. Alsok, My husband makes homemade foods and one of them that include dairy products is the homemade macaroni and it has cheese in it and milk in it. My husband has some foods that are organic baecause of my allergies and my boys don't have any food allergy so far and hope they never do because it can't be difficult. If you want to talk and have questions we and I are more than happy to answer your questions. Congrats on your beautiful boy as I have three handsome, active boys and I am a SAHM too.

The therapist we have for our younger son has to do the same thing for her twin 5 year old girls. Whole cream, olive oil mixed in with foods, etc. They are having issues absorbing calories, and so she has to put a LOT of calories in their food in order to get them to absorb enough. (At 5, one weighs LESS than my 3 1/2 year old boy, and one weighs the SAME, and my 3 1/2 year old is at the 50% point on the weight and height charts.)

FYI - I held off on milk products with my older son until he was 14 months old, and he STILL developed a milk allergy. The good news? 90-odd percent of kids with a milk allergy "lose" it by the time they are 5. Last summer (when he was 4 1/2) he successfully (no vomiting or stomach discomfort) ate ice cream for the first time, and this spring I was able to stop buying rice milk for his cereal. He still shies away from cheese (says it makes his tummy feel funny) but at least now if he DOES get a (small) piece of cheese on his pizza, it's not an automatic change of clothes. :-)

Hi M.
Sounds like a lovely active baby. Crawling babies are traditionally good readers as they develop those synapses while crawling so keep him crawling.
Your real question was about the MD adding oils to son's diet. Are you dieting and nursing? Let's hope that is not so. Anyway, oils are necessary for brain development. I am not a Canola oil fan, in fact I don't have a clue why he would suggest it. He did say oil so my suggestion is that you first increase fats in your diet, and secondly go to a good health food store and tell them what the MD said and see what advice they can give you. If you go to the right kind of health food store they will be able to advise you on healthy fats. Just an idea you might not have thought of.
Since my daughter seemed to have developed asthma from canola oil which was when it first came out and when I read a piece about it causing asthma in children stopped buying it. Her asthma went away but it took 5 years and a move to get that diagnosis off her record.
That is my story
Since I am old enough to be your mom. Check with her she too might have some fun stories to tell.
God bless you
K. SAHM married 38 years with 4 adults, 37, 32 who made me a grandmother this summer, and twins who are 18, and in college afterhomeschooling.

He sounds pretty healthy to me!!! Just make sure you are offering him full fat dairy - maybe some yo baby yogurt & regular full fat cheese (start milk when you feel ready but the other dairy stuff should be fine), thin sliced bread with butter on it, mashed avocado and banana are great. As for oil, try some pasta drizzled with olive oil and a little bit of parmesean cheese (my personal fave!) My kids all loved Pastina with olive oil and cheese. I am thinking that the doc did not mean to feed him a spoon of oil and canola is pretty useless anyway.

As for the cooking, give it time and you will come up with an array of things that you might actually like to cook and taste good too. Keep it simple and you can all enjoy it!

honestly, i would get a second opinion. my daughter was small too, but she is still small built. she was slender, but you don't want to get a fist from her either. If he is happy and bugging around, i myself would ignore those ideas, on the other hand if i had to add oil, i would use evdo as rachel ray puts it, or extra virgin olive oil. you could also add that to your diet so he gets it through your breast milk, and it is good for your body. here is a site for you for cooking with special diet needs, maybe that will help. http://www.eatingwell.com/

I'm sure your doctor meant only olive oil, which you can easily add by tossing it with pasta or over raw veggies. It is also found in lots of foods.

Ultimately you need to have a doctor that has the same beliefs that you do. You want to come away from your son's appointments trusting the advice that your doctor gave you. If this is the only advice you've ever mistrusted than that's fine, but if you regularly disagree I would suggest finding a new doctor.

You didnt mention how old your son is. Anyway, keep nursing. You are right. If you are really concerned, you can try to fatten up your milk a little by eating fat rich things like avacado, olives, and even some Ben and Jerry's! You can add some olive oil to your diet as well. If all else fails and weight gain is really becoming an issue, you can add those things to his diet as well. Olive oil only, as it is heart healthy...a healthy fat, if you will. My guess (and I dont know his age/weight etc...) is he's just fine. In the end, no matter what a ped suggests, you have the ultimate say what advice you take and what you dump to the curb. If it were my baby, he was gaining, and reaching his milestones, I wouldnt be concerned about him being thinner. Especially considering 99.9% chance they are using formula charts. I have yet to hear of a doc using the right charts. Most dont even know about them. One Mom had her baby on the 15th percentile, but when she checked the BFing charts, he was the 50th. Whats with everyone wanting to fatten up our kids? He's healthy, gaining, happy and reaching milestones. No need to mess with that! Mommy's milk is more than sufficient. Your gut is right!

Hi M.,

Fat is very important to a child's brain development. Our brain is pretty much made of fat.

I would suggest the "good fats" in his diet.
I used olive oil and extra light olive oil and organic coconut oil.
I don't like canola oil for various reasons.
I would drizzel some on thier pasta, meats, veggies, whatever.

Fat is very, very important for a child's healthy growth.