[LeanyBean]

Yesterday we went to see the P.E. for Gabriel. We got a bit perturbed to realize that the student and the doctor weren't really listening to us. He has met milestones for his age, he's happy, he eats wonderfully but he's fallen off the growth charts. But they still kept asking about him lagging behind developmentally. Then when we were going over what and how much he eats a day we had to repeat everything. But that wasn't what really got to me. What bothered me was their reaction to hearing he was breastfed. His regular doctor told us that my breastfeeding him at this point is better for him than switching to formula. This I knew. Mammals produce milk purely to nourish their young for as long as necessary. (Wasn't there something on the news recently about a woman who fed her baby and her preschooler breastmilk to keep them alive for 3 or 4 days while awaiting rescue?) Anyhoo, I know the power of the human body and the amazing transformations of breastmilk. The specialist however literally gasped when we said he was still breastfed for his milk nutrients. They, the P.E. and the student, tried to tell me that after 6 months of age breastmilk does not contain enough calories or nutrients to make any difference in a baby's diet.

All in all, I am beginning to feel it was a wasted trip~with 2 more in the making. I didn't get to sleep until midnight on Sunday night, got up at 4:30 Monday morning and we were on the road at 5:30. We got to Rochester and parked by 8:00. Our appt was initially set at 9:00. We get upstairs to the right spot to find out that our appt wasn't until 10:00. It was 8:30 when we were all signed in and started our wait. Luckily they called us back just before 9:30 but we still didn't get out of the office until 10:45.

For follow up he's going to need the same blood tests run only this time fasting. Thankfully I only half to travel half the distance to get those done. They also want a stool sample to test the amount of fats in it. After these results are back we'll set up another appointment with the P.E. and a dietician. I haven't called the lab yet about when to set this all up because I am apprehensive about it. He handles having blood drawn better than most babies which is good but to have to drag him to Rochester again to get the results will be annoying. I have been thinking that if these results come out normal I want to be done with it. I can accept the fact that I have a small child. No big deal. He's still your normal average little boy. He just happens to be small for his age. This "specialist" proved that she thinks he's either malnourished or has celiac disease. Celiac disease is plausible but I feel very not likely. And if they say he's malnourished, they are full of it. We haven't done anything different from a viewpoint of nutrition for any of our children. Gabriel's older brothers have always been between the 25th and 90th percentile's on those growth charts. Which reminds me, they weighed and measured him yesterday and said he had grown since his last check-up but never once told me what those measurements were.

All of my research regarding failure to thrive, anemia, celiac disease and slightly low blood sugar have come up rather useless. I have confirmed that they can all be interlinked but the probability that is what Gabe has is just so low I'm finding it very hard to believe.

I just needed to get this steam blown off. Thanks for listening.

[DivasMomma]

im sry the doc didnt listen too...sounds like our GI specialist....i think they should all go back to school on how to deal with people

good luck with your lil man

[purelegance]

oh my god! is there any possible way you can go to another endocrinologist? NO way would i trust a doctor (much less a TEAM of doctors) who are so stupid. These are pediatric doctors, how do they not know breastfeeding greatly overpowers formula?

oh, and btw, i was in the 5% for my height/weight when i was 6 months old. not malnourished, unhealthy or anything, just very little. i'm still small (5'1 and 105 lbs) and still 100% healthy. my brother and sisters were always 50-90% for their weight/height and they were/are sicker more than me. HTH

[KR258]

My sister was hospitalized because they thought my mom wasn't feeding her...she just didn't grow according to charts and after a few months they realized how wrong they were. Esp with my mom being there 24/7 and them having to kick her out constantly to do their job.

I am sorry they're giving you a hard time and I would find a different doc too if you can. I know those aren't easy to come by though. I would be so pissed.

[mollymae]

Children are all individuals. I've not fed any of my kids any differently yet they are all different shapes and sizes. Libby is off the top of the charts but she's more active than Luke who was a scrawy little mite. I hope they leave you alone. Your an experienced mom and you'd know if something wasn't right.

[mommy2067]

Everybody else has said it in a nutshell so I am just sending you 's Arlene...

[ljb]

Arlene,
I wish I had read this sooner.
First, I hope you have more answers as to Gabriel's thriving issues.
I understand completely, the disbelief that your baby could possibly have Celiac Disease or even be malnourished. But, let me tell you, DS was eating well, and all of a sudden (to us) started losing weight and was very close to needing to be fed intravenously. Long story short, he does have Celiac Disease. Yes, by nature it is genetic, but he is the first person on either side of the family who has the disease or who has exhibited any sign of the disease. We were in disbelief, as well. After all is said and done, the Dx was a blessing. DS immediately started gaining weight again and is thriving!

Is Gabriel exclusively BF? If so, Celiac doesn't fit at all.

Good luck. And if it turns out that he does have CD, PM me. I have tons of info! It isn't as bad as you might think.

[LeanyBean]

Seems like I really need to update y'all here.

We did our 2nd round of tests on November 14th. Then it was playing fax tag basically for 2 weeks. Just yesterday we finally go a verification that the fax was indeed recieved and will be processed. The lab only had to send the fax about 10 times to get that. Plus about and hour and half total of phone tag between me and the lab and me and the P.E. office and such over those couple of weeks.

Now we have a follow up appointment on December 11th. Hopefully they will remember to have the dietician there as well like they said they would at the first appointment. Luckily DH doesn't work next week so he can go with me again but we just might have to take Charlie with us in addition to Gabriel. It all depends on who can be here for Noah and Ridley when they get home that afternoon and when they are available.

I will do my best to record everything Gabe eats, drinks, poops, pees and his sleeping and wakeful habits so I can have those handy enough to show them so they just might actually pay closer attention.

I'm sill hopin that his tests came back negative for Celiac Disease. But on the other hand if they deem him malnourished I fear them calling in Child Services. I have had enough bullspit from them over the years. I know I am a good parent regardless what their standards are. (My issues with Child Services are a whole group of topics.)

Anyhoo, it'll be over a week until I even get the results but I'll update here as soon as I can after that. Wish me luck.

[erinellakal]

Good luck with everything!

[purelegance]

goodluck! fingers x-ed for you!