I really need the opinions/support of some fellow vegan parents. My daughter was born small at 6lbs and has never had fat rolls and has always been just a little thing never being more then 25% on the weight charts and usually below that. She was breastfed until she weaned herself at 19 months and is now only 22 pounds at 26 months old. She is barely if at all on the charts and her doctors are always getting at me. We even had her on soy baby formula from 20-24 months in which she gained 2 pounds which the doctors were pleased with but they decided we should go without the formula at her 2 year check up to see if she did ok. We went back for a weight check a few days ago and the scales say she hasn't gained anything (actually it said she weighted a pound less but they ignored that because it could just be clothes/shoes) and they want us to come back again in another 4 months for another weight check. Now i am terrified for this weight check because i know they will not be pleased if she doesn't gain much in the next 4 months. I doubt at 2.5 years old they will want her to restart the formula. They are going to try to get me to feed her cheese again and whole milk i just know it. The doctors annoy me because they can never seem to remember that we are vegan. The last time we were there they sent me home with a list of high fat foods (nearly all non-vegan) to feed to her and i didn't even bother reminding them this time that we are vegan because it is like talking to a wall. The doctors suck but they are right that she is way to skinny. I'm just not sure what to do about it. Well other then change doctors which is in the plans. Here are some of the higher fat foods i can get her to eat:
nut butters (almond and PB) every day (PB&j junkie)
earth balance smothered on all of her veggies (she doesn't like olive oil)
we make cookies, muffins etc with coconut spread butter often
she drinks the enriched silk soymilk
she likes coconut & soy yogurts
flax oil in her oatmeal every morning & often in her yogurt too
She likes hummus
My husband and i are both petite people too so i do often wonder if this is just the way she is and it maybe wouldn't matter if she ate dairy or not.
Had anyone else been in a similar situation? Is is possible that she just doesn't do well on a vegan diet and i will have no choice but to feed her cheese and milk like they want? I desperately do not want to but i would if i had no other choice. If they ask us to feed her dairy again my next step is going to be at least to ask for a referral to a nutritionist so that i can feel like i got a second opinion on her.
advice/support/thoughts?
i'll leave you with some photos of my little cutie
she was younger here (18 months?) with her potty on her head lol
playing in the sand 26 months:
Thanks in advance!!
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