Weight gain worry

[ThisIsBloodyHardWork]

I posted a couple of weeks ago about my 3week old constantly feeding and had some lovely reassuring replies. My lo is now almost 6 weeks and still feeding all the time - however his weight gain rate seems to have halved. In weeks 2-4 he gained almost 700g but just had him weighed again after another 2 weeks and he's only put on 300g. I'm really panicking about this but is it normal? It seems weird as he's feeding so much.

I'm worried its related to my having started feeding on on,y one side per feed, as I have a forceful letdown and was advised this would help. (Baby miserable during feeds and pulling off a lot). So now don't know what to do!

Help please?

[ThisIsBloodyHardWork]

Bump?

[ExBrightonBell]

AFAIK average weight gain for the first few weeks is between 4 and 6 oz per week (this is 113 to 170g), so a gain of 300g in two weeks is at the top end of this range. I'm not a healthcare professional, but that would seem ok to me. As I understand it, weight gain slows very gradually over time anyway so by the time they are 6 months it is 2 to 4 oz a week.

Did the HV not say anything when you had your baby weighed? If they were concerned they would definitely have said something.

[ThisIsBloodyHardWork]

No one said anything - it was just an administrator doing weigh-ins not a health visitor so I wouldn't expect them to. He was 75th centime when born, then jumped to 91st with the 700g weight gain weeks 2-4' now back down at 75th. The middle weight wasn't recorded on his 'line' so at a quick glance it looks like he's just stayed on the 75th centime line. If that makes sense.

So 4-6 oz thing would suggest he was putting on double the average amount in his first few weeks then? Doesn't sound right?

[ThisIsBloodyHardWork]

Centile! Argh to phone!

[tumbletumble]

Don't worry OP, he sounds like he's doing fine. I breastfed my three and they all jumped around the percentiles a fair bit.

[ThisIsBloodyHardWork]

Oh that is reassuring! Don't suppose you have any advice re continuing to feed from one side only per feed?

[5madthings]

Its fine and this is why once they are gaining weight they recommend wright once a month as the amount they put on will vary from week to week is not much one week and loads the next!

Re fast let down, I had this and yes block feeding can help but you are still in the early stages of bfeeding and establishing supply so don't go too long between using each breast maybe?

Also o found leaning back slightly so my milk had to go against gravity helped baby cope with fast flow or when your milk first let's down take baby off and wait for milk to stop spraying everywhere (catch in a cloth) then put baby back on and he may not be so overwhelmed with the flow :)

Congratulations :)

[5madthings]

I am not sure re feeding from one side, I did this but my babies only ever seemed to want one side and I had masses of milk. You can always offer and baby will either wasn't it or not.

tiktok always has good advice I don't want to give you advice that might not be right, I can only say what I did iyswim?

[tumbletumble]

I think the one side / both sides issue depends on you and your baby - no right or wrong answer. If he seems happier with one side go with that.

[ExBrightonBell]

It sounds like he's gaining weight well :-) Where I am it is only ever HVs who do weigh ins - sorry for the assumption!

My ds started on the 91st centile and then gradually drifted down until the 25th, and then slowly drifted back up to about the 50th which is where he has stayed for a while. Not many babies follow a curve consistently I think.

I don't have anything useful to add about the block feeding as this isn't something I encountered myself, but would suggest seeing if there is a La Leche League group near you. They may be able to give you more of an idea, or some general support.

[ThisIsBloodyHardWork]

Thanks all. I just worried because he is feeding so much - hourly at times - so it feels really annoying if dropping a centile in spite of it all!

[5madthings]

They have a growth spurt at six weeks so that may be why he is feeding so much, plus he will feed for comfort etc as well as when he is hungry.

[tiktok]

Hardwork, your baby's pattern sounds 100 per cent normal, and totally to be expected. Larger babies often do head towards a more average weight and weight gain. It would be very unusual for a baby to continue to gain weight at the rate of 700g a fortnight - do the maths and work out what he'd weigh at, say 2 or 3 months :)

Feeding on one side is fine if over-supply is suspected (baby miserable, becoming overwhelmed with let down, mega-weight gain) - seems to me the suggestion to do this was fine.

A breastfeeding support group might help boost your confidence - sometimes a wobbly start with worries and concerned can really affect your confidence in the whole process.

[tiktok]

5madthings - growth spurts don't have much evidence! Babies change their feeding patterns all the time, and not at specific ages, and not just because they are going to grow more. If it was at specific ages, we'd see predictable moutain peak lines on the centile charts and we don't :)

It's true that babies feed for comfort and closeness, and they can do this frequently at times, without it showing up as extra weight gain.

[ThisIsBloodyHardWork]

Thanks tiktok. Feel much better now!