Not all babies are chubby and roly-poly. There are many who are below average weight and need extra food and more frequent feedings to put on a few extra pounds. What you can feed your baby will depend on baby's age, how much weight she needs to gain and your pediatrician's recommendations.
Failure to Thrive
Some babies are just a little underweight, and need some extra calories to fatten up. Some may spit up excessively and need a change in their formula or to be kept upright after feeding to help digest more food and spit up less. Other babies may suffer from a condition known as failure to thrive, which causes babies to fall below an expected range of growth. A doctor may feel that a baby is failing to thrive if he doesn't gain weight for three consecutive months, says KidsHealth. Treatment depends on the particular cause of failure to thrive, but many babies need special formula with a high calorie content.
Breast Milk and Formula
Babies typically need breast milk or formula, whichever you choose to feed, until they are about a year old. Until at least the age of 4 months, the American Academy of Pediatricians recommends that babies should only receive breast milk. Sometime between 4 and 6 months of age, start introducing solid foods in the form of purees and baby cereal. Formula and breast milk offer your baby all the nutrients she needs, so try offering a little more at each feeding to see if she's interested.
More Frequent Feedings
Try feeding your baby more often to help him get more calories and gain more weight. A baby's tiny tummy can only hold so much at a time, so if he won't take more at a feeding, scheduling more frequent small feedings might do the trick. During a growth spurt, expect your baby to demand food more often, and maybe more food at each feeding.
Cereal
At about four months of age, start offering your baby mild cereal. You can buy baby cereal made from rice or oatmeal, mix it with formula or breast milk, and offer it to your baby for extra calories. KidsHealth reports that adding cereal to a baby's bottle can result in weight gain, but check with your child's pediatrician before doing so.
Healthy Fats
If your older baby needs to gain weight, offer healthy fats. Cook veggies, pasta or meat in a little vegetable or olive oil for extra calories and unsaturated fats. Whole milk yogurt and cheese are also good sources of fat, and also offers calcium to help develop strong and healthy bones. Mash up an avocado or serve fatty fish, such as salmon, if your pediatrician says it's OK.
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