Exclusively bf a 'big baby' - your experiences please!

[Picante]

DD is a month old. At birth she was 10 pounds 7 and a half !

I'm bf at the moment and fully intend to continue as long as possible. I've already had my 'that baby will need weaning early' comment, which has got me worried that I'm not going to be able to make it to 6 months without either topping up or weaning early .

Any success stories? Any tips? She's feeding about every hour and a half during the day, cluster feeding in the evenings and going 3-4 hours without a feed at night. Is this normal? Will it carry on like this or can I expect her to go longer between feeds?

What about the notorious 4 month growth spurt?

Any advice welcome!

[MaMight]

My advice is to just keep feeding your baby .

I exclusively breastfed both my very large babies to 6 months. Didn't really wonder about it tbh, I just kept on feeding them.

The more breastmilk your daughter has, the more your body will produce. Nature is clever that way.

[giantkatestacks]

My dd (9lbs 3oz) was quite happy to go 3-4 hourly from a very young age and waited until 6 months before weaning - tho she was ready beforehand.

I didnt even notice the growth spurt (very different to my 7lb ds) - on saying this I do have a bit of an oversupply thing.

I did top her up in the evenings with overflow milk caught in shields.

If you had a tiny baby people would say the same thing as well - you cant win really.

[ShowOfHands]

It doesn't matter that you have a 'big' baby. Your body makes milk for the baby you have and there's feck all reason that a big baby would need weaning earlier than a small baby.

If you want 'success' stories, my dd was born on the 50th centile, was 98th centile within weeks and just off the top of the charts by 12 weeks. She has stayed there ever since and is 2.4 now. She was exclusively fed for 7 months and still bfeeds now.

Feeding times/sleep, again, different for different babies and not necessarily related to weight. My dd fed every 2hrs at least day and night for the first 7 months but that was just her way of doing things.

Feed on demand and don't let people convince you your tailor-made milk is anything other than perfect for your baby.

[Picante]

Thanks. I know I've got enough milk, although in the evenings it seems like she's sucking on empty!

Thanks for the encouragement!

[undercoverelephant]

My boys were big babies - much like Showofhands' in that they started off average(just below 50th centile) and were off charts within a few months.
Interestingly my third child, who was the earliest weaned onto solids and the most enthusiastic eater, has been the lightest all the way through. Just goes to show how calorific the milk is compared with food (ie, no need for top ups/early weaning because of size).

Keep doing what you're doing, I say! Sounds like it's going very well!

[travellingwilbury]

My second son was 12 11 and I was repeatedly told that I would have to wean him early or supplement with formula . I didn't and he thrived.

Luckily most people were supportive but a lot of people thought I should be giving him a bottle as surely my milk alone couldn't possibly be enough for him . They were loons .

It sounds like you are doing a grand job (as my old nan would say)

[RudolphHucker]

ime big babies aren't necessarily more hungry than small ones

[PeppermintCream]

Another success story here, Ds was 10lb 11oz at birth, and I am tiny! He exclusively breast fed until 6 months when he started on solids. He fed like a dream. No need to supplement

[titfertat]

DD2 is 8 weeks and is a very small baby (2nd centile), yet feeds every 2 hours throughout the night so I am very at 3-4 hours!

[fleximum]

DS1 was 11lb7oz and fed in a similar way to your baby early on. He did feed less as he got bigger and was sleeping through by 10 weeks. By dates he was around a month overdue (2 weeks by scan) and by 5 months he was no longer sleeping through and grabbing food from our plates so we did wean him slightly early with no problems. Saying that, DS2 wasn't ready for weaning until 6.5 months. I think you have to go with your baby as to what to do.
The only time DS1 had supplementary feeding was in the first 48 hours and he'd cried constantly for 2 nights due to hunger and he got a single bottle of formula to let both of us get a bit of sleep.

[Warwickmum]

My DS was 9lb 6oz (not sure if that is really considered large, but he felt large to me!) and he was ebf for 6 months before weaning. Has been on 75th centile for weight and 98th centile for height the whole time. I was mostly told 'that big boy needs some food (about 4 months) by relatives! One of our HV's suggested rice at 5 months,and another rice and fruit puree from anytime after 4 months which I ignored as I know we have a history of digestive tract problems in our family).If I have another, I certainly wont be letting the 'helpful relatives'' comments worry me again!

[MamaG]

BabyG was 10 9 at birth , above the top centile and has stayed above ever since never losing an oz of weight. he was ex BF until 6 months, then introduced food and is still having BF at 10months! He has absolutely thrived.

Yes, the typical growth spurt ages were a bugger, but they are for any baby I think.

WEll done on what you're doing so far!

[BelleWatling]

Blimey - I came on this thread to boast say that I exclusively BF my 'big' boy until 6 months. However he is positively petite (9lbs 1oz birth weight) compared to some of the super heavyweights here. Well done ladies! ...and ouch...

[CMOTdibbler]

Ds was born at 35 weeks, 6lb 5, but then shot off and was well over 10lb by his due date - and then was on the 99.8th percentile. I exc bf him to 6 months, and then bf till 23 months.

[cupcake75]

My DD was 10lbs, 3oz at birth and was following the 91st centile up until 16 weeks when she jumped to the 98th. The only time she had some formula was on day 4 when I was stressed out about my latch. She can go 3-4 hours during the day and normally does a big 6-8 hour sleep at night, though this has been a bit patchy of late as we're in growth spurt territory.

Am waiting to 6 months to introduce solids as DH has gluten intolerance, IBS, allergies, etc. He was weaned really early, think at 2-3 months. So very much ignoring comments about big babies needing food early. After all she got to 17 lbs at 16 weeks on BM alone.

[spiderlight]

My son was three weeks early and weeny at birth, 6lb 6oz and on the 6th percentile. He was nearly 9lb on his due date, had risen to the 85th percentile for height and weight by 3 months and was on the 91st percentile and still ebf at 6 months. My HV laughed when I rejected her weaning leaflets at 12 weeks and said I'd be her first mum ever to still be ebf at 6 months. She had to eat her words He's now a strapping 2 1/2-year-old and still breastfeeds. I just fed on demand, which was pretty much constant for the first few months, and never had a problem with supply. It was knackering and a bit claustrophobic at times, but looking at him now it's been worth every second of it. Have faith in your boobs and they'll deliver!

[wb]

Ds2 was 10lb 8oz at birth and was ebf til 5.5 months when I did start weaning cause he was so obviously ready (grabbing food off our forks, watching like a hawk every time we put anything in our mouths). He has never had formula and was just fine.

[camflower]

aw, wb, that is v funny - baby grabbing food off your fork!

[anothercoldcupoftea]

I just want to say thanks so much for this thread - its so reassuring. I just popped onto this forum as DD2 is also massive (was only 7.14 at birth but is now off the charts for length), and has started waking up once/twice a night again at 15 weeks, and I've been worrying that I'm going to have to early wean. This has encouraged me to stick this out - hopefully its just a growth spurt (although how much bigger can she get?!! ).

[Guitargirl]

DS was born on the 91st centile and had gone up to 98th by one month. He was exclusively bf till 6 months, didn't notice any growth spurts and would actually feed much less frequently than DD who was average size. Think he was just more efficient. He would gobble his milk in about 10 mins and then kind of smack his lips in satisfaction and that would be it, whereas DD used to be on the boob for hours!

[WelliesAndPyjamas]

do you want yet another success story? you've got tons of good feedback on the thread

ds2, EBF until 6 months, and has been on the 98th centile throughout, no problems at all. HTH

[rachels103]

ds2 was 11lb4 at birth, off the chart, and is now trucking along the 99th centile very nicely at 11 weeks, sleeping for one long stretch of around 6 hours in the night and just slowing down to approx 3 hourly feeds in the day. Early days yet for us but another success story so far.
As Guitargirl said, I think big babies are easier to feed than little ones who faff around.
Good luck-keep it up!

[CommonNortherner]

ds was 12lb 4oz and was exclusively breastfed until he self-weaned at 5 months by leaning forward and taking and eating a bite out of a banana I had in my hand!

[anothercoldcupoftea]

Common - now that's what I call baby led weaning!

[Habbibu]

Just to add mine - dd was 10lb 11oz at birth. Stuck to the 99.6th centile like glue on bm alone - despite this, HV suggested weaning early - I, quite frankly, could not be arsed, and dd was clearly fine, so we kept going til 6 mo. She's now nearly 3, about 91st centile for height and a wee bit lower for weight, and is just great.