Help - breastfed baby 15wks, no weight gain for 5 wks!

[madamy]

I got ds weighed yesterday only to find he'd not put on any weight at all since his last weigh in at 10 weeks. He's 11lb 4oz (5.1kg) and has dropped from the 25th to 2nd centile on those wretched charts! IMO, he's happy and healthy, lots of wet and pooey nappies etc. But surely he should have put some weight on?

I've been thinking overnight about it, and am wondering if I'm not giving him proper feeds. I've got 2 very lively dds aged 4 and nearly 2 and often I only give ds 1 breast so I can see to them, and as he appears sleepy and contented after, have assumed this is sufficient. Since yeaterday, I've offered both both breasts no matter how sleepy he seems, and he's pretty much fed from both completely. Now I feel dreadful, as not only did I not notice that he'd not been gaining weight, but it seems I've been underfeeding him

My hv was great, really chilled and reassuring about it all! She did recommend that I get the GP to see him to rule out any health problems though. The only thing playing on my mind is that he does has excema and seems a bit rattly on his chest, so maybe he has an allergy of some sort?

My plan is to see GP tues, get him weighed again Thurs and go on holiday on Friday for 2 weeks to relax and feed, feed, feed!!

Is there anything else I could do? I have a plentiful milk supply - well I think I have as I leak and squirt loads when he feeds and get a good strong letdown.

[kiskidee]

was he weighed on the same scales each time?

was the scales digital or spring?

was the weights plotted on the right grid references, (for age and wt?) this can easily be done wrongly.

are you sure the right weight was read and recorded correctly?
with what you say about his feeding behaviour and his contentment, i would not worry too much.

and purely from a mummy point of view, sometimes babies can have a big poo in waiting shortly before being weighed and then get weighed the next time with a pretty empty bowel and it can be quite a weight difference.

[madamy]

mm - not sure about scales. It was the same clinic so I assume so. They are digital and the weight has been plotted right. She weighed him twice and I watched so am sure all was done correctly.
He had just done a poo and was due a feed (had been 3 hrs since last one) - I'd not thought about that!
Mummy instincts tell me not to worry, but they also tell me to double check everythings ok!!

[witchandchips]

echo kiskidee, poo can make a difference as can an undigested feed. Remember if he is having 6oz of milk and being weighed soon after he will weigh approx 6oz more than if he is being weighed with empty tummy.

[my mum was told to weigh me before and after each feed to check how much food i was getting!]

[tiktok]

I agree with all the points raised by kiskidee.

Madamy, your reaction to feed from both breasts is sensible, as this will increase his milk intake...you can offer more feeds as well, as you plan to do.


One breast is often fine for babies, so you were doing nothing wrong. Some babies' weight does plateau for a while, quite physiologically, too. You may never know what happened here

[madamy]

thanks all - my instincts tell me nothing's 'wrong' as such. I guess it's just the complete lack of weight gain at such a young age that shocked me.

I'm off out with kids for day now so don't think I've asked for advice then wandered off lol!