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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

HV says weight gain tailing off - what are the dangers?

67 replies

ChrissyJ · 09/05/2007 18:02

DS is 15 weeks and was born 6'13. He has bumped along between the 25th and 9th percentile for most of the time until recently when he only put on 2oz in two weeks and so dropped towards the 2 centile.

I wasn't too worried as he is a very happy and active little chap, always chatting, smiling kicking etc. I put it down to starting to sleep through the night (sometimes right through!) and a bout of mastitis which had meant antibiotics for me and therefore an upset tummy for him.

However I went back to the HV today, two weeks later, and this time he has gained 10oz which I thought was fine but she said he should have gone back up to his previous line - ie gained his normal fortnightly amount AND the extra amount he "dropped" before. Is this feasible?

Also I have read several pp on this issue and I know that there is quite a consensus that those centile charts are bobbins but IF it is possible I am underfeeding him somehow then what would be the dangers to him?

OP posts:

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isaidyesdear · 09/05/2007 18:07

10 OZ in 2 weeks is perfectly respectable; ignore her!

Sterny · 09/05/2007 18:11

My ds went from 50th centile at birth up to 75th by four months and then down to 25th. When he was small he was putting on about 1 pound a week and then recently only gained 3 oz in a month. My hv is ace and said that he is doing fine and nothing to worry about. As long as your ds is gaining don't worry about it!

ChrissyJ · 09/05/2007 18:14

Well that's what I thought but she kept saying "he's fine but as you can see [points to chart] we've got to get his weight back up".
So my question is why have we got to get his weight back up? What happens if we don't? I don't want something I do/ don't do now affecting his mental or physical development for the rest of his life...

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megandsoph · 09/05/2007 18:18

My mum had this with my brother, he looked like a barrel. My mother told HV that if her baby wanted feeding then he shall be fed. He is now at 26 and has been since about 5 years old a "beanpole" he still eats well also.

I hate all these centiles and stuff Grrrr

Pruni · 09/05/2007 18:20

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Pruni · 09/05/2007 18:21

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edam · 09/05/2007 18:24

Yet another HV being a bit daft and misunderstanding the centiles. The poor little chap can't read the damn charts, he doesn't know the HV has set him a deadline to grow x amount in y weeks!

The centiles are not there as targets which babies must achieve every bloody week.

lemonaid · 09/05/2007 18:28

He has gained 10oz in 2 weeks. He is happy and healthy. He has (I presume) plenty of wet nappies. You are not underfeeding him. Really, you're not. Even if he's going to go up to his previous centile line (and they don't, always) he's not going to do it inside two weeks. Just keep away from the HV until his 8 month check.

caughtintheact · 09/05/2007 18:35

it doesn't sound like you have any need to worry that you are underfeeding him -- if you were i'm sure he would let you know somehow! however if you want to put your mind at rest why not try offering him feeds a bit more often for a few days? it won't do any harm and you may find he is not at all interested and then you'll know his growth rate has probably just slowed down because it was 'meant' to (assuming nothing else going on).

(on the other hand if he's anything like my dd he might just take a quick drink leaving you none the wiser as to whether he really wanted it or would have just taken a bigger feed had you left it longer...)

ChrissyJ · 09/05/2007 18:42

Yes he's bfed on demand and he demands it often! Am also miffed that hv wrote today's 10oz gain as "weight loss" in the book because it doesn't match the line therefore is loss against what he "should" weigh. She is coming round on fri, I'm trying not to see it as an "is she failing to cope" visit...

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Lio · 09/05/2007 18:46

he sounds fine, ignore your hv and trust your instincts.

Muminfife · 09/05/2007 18:50

This reply has been deleted

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Pruni · 09/05/2007 20:08

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edam · 09/05/2007 20:10

The charts are based on a population of babies including both bottle fed and b/f babies. So they don't accurately reflect the growth patterns of babies fed b/milk alone. And I think the population included many more formula fed than b/f.

Pruni · 09/05/2007 20:11

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LadyTophamHatt · 09/05/2007 20:22

I seem to remeber someone inviting you out for the day on Friday.

What a shame you won't be in to see the HV....and its even more of as hame that you'll forget to phone and tell her you won't be in.

I love our weigh in clinic. They have a self weigh room where you can go anytime and weigh the baby yourself (Funny that, isn't it, being a self weigh room) so I never have to see the HV's.

HenriettaHippo · 09/05/2007 20:25

My DS2 never put on 10 oz in 2 weeks! I'd be really pleased with yourself for him putting on that amount if I were you!

Charts, shmarts.

berolina · 09/05/2007 20:27

Centile charts per se are not (IMO) complete bobbins, but they are worse than useless when used as targets or to the exclusion of common sense.

ds is perfectly happy (and healthy) at the bottom of the height and weight charts. Thank goodness for a sensible paediatrician who just said 'well, developmentally he's clearly fine, no indication of a problem, just pop in every 6 months for a weigh and measure'.

ChrissyJ · 09/05/2007 23:45

Thanks ladies, I'm certainly going to put some of these points to her on Fri.
As if bf wasn't hard enough IME without this sort of thing. Sigh.

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moondog · 09/05/2007 23:47

Another nutter on the loose.Ignore her Chrissy.
You are doing a fantastic thing for your baby.

welliemum · 09/05/2007 23:54

Here you go chrissy (= my current fave article)

ChrissyJ · 10/05/2007 16:32

Thanks Welliemum. I am going to ask her seeing as he is demand fed, how could he not be getting what he needs? Surely he would ask for it (unless he is unwell).

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Manictigger · 10/05/2007 17:12

Chrissy, I had my 8 month old weighed yesterday and she'd put on 15 oz in 3 weeks. In the 3 weeks prior to that she'd put on 1 lousy oz and I am not aware of anything being different over the 6 weeks. Luckily my HVs say they look at the bigger picture and weight alone isn't a reason to worry. One even said that if they do a big poo just before being weighed, that can account for a few oz (god bless her!)

ChrissyJ · 10/05/2007 18:48

Oh crap and poo, I have just given him 3oz formula as he was still hungry after 3oz top-up of ebm. Those nagging doubts do keep on nagging don't they? Bugger.

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tiktok · 10/05/2007 19:37

Chrissy, if he needed a top up after bf, you could have just put him on the first breast again ... ie topped him up from the milk you had there

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