Rapid weight gain between 7 and 8 months?

[xXjunebugXx]

My LO is petite and I have had issues with the health visitors as the gains have been slow and she dropped down the chart. Now it seems she is gaining loads of weight and once again the health visitor isn't happy.

Anyone experienced this? My LO is doing blw so isn't eating much but has upped her milk feeds and lots of waking at night for a feed, she is waking 2-3 times a night and nothing but boob will satisfy her. The health visitor has told me to giver water. There is no way I can do this, she will cry her heart out. I'm feeling stressed, nothing I do is good enough, she wasn't gaining enough and now its too much :(

[xXjunebugXx]

Anyone?

[CMOTDibbler]

Just let her feed as she wants - if she's not crawling yet, then they often pile on the pounds before they are on the move.

And, personally, if your lo is happy and gaining weight, I'd leave getting her weighed for a few months - so much happens in terms of the change in milk and solids and their activity levels between 6 m and 1y, that as long as they are gaining (as shown by outgrowing clothes) and seem happy, its undoubtedly OK

[FoodieMum3]

I wouldn't worry either. All sounds good. Maybe baby is just catching up now and will level off. She will be on the move soon, if not already, and will burn up a lot of calories. Also, it should be your decision whether or not you want to feed baby during the night. I wouldn't think bf durning night causes too much weight gain, more likely baby is just comfort feeding.
You can decline the weigh ins you know, they sound like they're stressing you out.

[MagpieCursedTea]

We had the same with DS. Slow weight gain as a new born then shot up the centiles after 6 months. The HVs made us feel there was something wrong at the time but he's 19 months now and his weight levelled out at around 10-12 months.

Go with your intuition. The breastfeeds will start to slow down when they're eating more food (we did BLW weaning too and it was a very natural progression).

[SpeckyB]

I had this with my first born. Is it rapid weight gain or is she rapidly climbing up the percentiles? I ask because apparently the average baby's weight gain slowly when they start eating food as purées etc are not as fatty as milk. My LO gained a lot of weight at 7-8 months as she was an expert breast feeder and wasn't interested in food.

We managed to reduce the night feeds to nil when she was 9 months by gradually reducing each night feed by 1-2 minutes a night. It's a gentle way to reduce night feeding without the tears. It made no difference to her appetite for food. But one day, aged 11 months she just started eating and we never looked back. Food takes longer for some babies. Good luck & do what you think is right.

[squizita]

How odd the hv isn't happy!

My dd is the opposite (petite and weight slowed) and the hv is having kittens. I'm so stressed out about it. I can't make her eat more than she wants to.

[squizita]

Specky my dd isn't a big solids eater but isn't gaining much either. However she's in perfect health.
Did yours just suddenly start eating loads? I can't reduce milk because of course mine isn't growing as it is!!

[FoodieMum3]

Squizita, I think I've said to you before that perhaps your dd is just naturally petite? Both of mine were. I used to worry myself sick, especially with dd1. They were so much smaller than other babies that we'd see, who looked like monsters in comparison lol. Dd2 is 3 now and still petite.
As long as nappy output is good, baby is well, alert, meeting milestones I wouldn't worry.

Just re BLW OP, do you give any spoon feeds? My DS is 8.5 months now and we do a bit of both. I know they say bm or formula should be their main source of nutrition until 1 (he still bf's quite a bit) I spoon feed him cereal, yogurts, soup etc because if I left him to do BLW/feed himself, he would end up eating very, very little and it really wouldn't be enough IMO.

[xXjunebugXx]

I personally wouldn't say it was rapid weight gain but normal weight gain but they have said that for her they would say it was rapid. She has always gained little amounts and dropped centiles. But she has gained more than a pound in 5 weeks and they are concerned as it isn't normal for her. Her normal wasn't good enough and now her actually doing well isn't good enough either. I really should not go but they make me feel like if there is an issue and I ignore it, it will be on me.

FoodieMum3 She will sometimes allow spoon feeding with things like porridge or yoghurt but she prefers loaded spoons but in all honesty she isn't a spoon fan and likes using her hands for everything.

She isn't crawling, so I guess the weaning is helping her gain a bit?

[ohthegoats]

Do you have to go and see the HV? I have been twice since my 7.5 month old was born - I don't see the point in going and getting stressed out by stuff they say. It seems to me that all HVs are spouting different stories, they all have different ideas, and it's often about as useful as taking advice from anyone who has had kids.