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breastfed babies losing weight?

15 replies

MissSMartin · 16/08/2015 17:37

is it common at first for a breastfed baby to lose a bit of weight beforev they start to put it on.. looking for some experiences?
thanks

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Hotpotpie · 16/08/2015 17:44

My daughter did, went from 7lb 3 to 6lb13 but then steadily gained

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addictedtosugar · 16/08/2015 17:45

Yes, both mine did, and the midwives are not bothered (however baby is fed) with upto a 10% loss.
I think it depends how n when your m lk comes in and how efficient a feeded baby is as to when they start gaining.

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PotteringAlong · 16/08/2015 17:46

It's common for any baby, however they are fed, to loose weight. Up to 10% is considered normal.

Both my boys were breastfed - ds1 lost 8%, ds2 only gained weight

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Micah · 16/08/2015 17:49

Yes, and they put it on slower, often in fits and starts. They feed constantly too :)

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Impatientwino · 16/08/2015 21:53

It's very common for babies to lose weight. I believe they are born with a layer of 'brown fat' which is there to sustain them while they establish feeding etc and they lose this pretty quickly.

My son was 9lb 8oz and went down to 8lb 4 I believe but he put it back on quickly as he fed so often. It didn't cause him any upset or anguish and it was only for a few days I think. Particularly when they start cluster feeding they soon make it up!

Try not worry

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Baffledmumtoday · 16/08/2015 22:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BumbleBee0 · 17/08/2015 06:53

Yes it is normal for babies (either bf or bottle fed) to lose weight initially up to about 10% as pp have said. My son lost slightly more than this so we had to stop in hospital a couple of nights whilst his feeding picked up. After this though he put loads of weight on (about lb a wk). So bf babies can put lots of weight on and be heavier than average.

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Cuppaand2biscuits · 17/08/2015 07:11

Totally normal and just so you know the arcs/curves in the red book are based on formula fed babies who are getting a measured amount of formula at regular intervals. If it were designed for a breastfed baby it would look more like steps to account for cluster feeding and growth spurts. Obviously any big weight loss is a concern but do not take offence if your baby does not follow that perfect curve. Any gain is a gain.
Best of luck with your breastfeeding.

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faintlyoptimistic · 17/08/2015 07:21

Totally normal as others have said! If it keeps happening for weeks and weeks it could indicate a milk intolerance - this is what happened with my eldest. Unlikely but thought it might help to know just in case - it was months and months before we knew what was wrong.

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MissSMartin · 17/08/2015 09:06

thanks ladies
yes it was just a question as I want to breastfeed (I'm only 17+3 atm) and my dps mum doesn't think that babies lose weight at first .. I thought it was just bf babies but thanks to all your knowledge least I now know it doesn't matter how baby is fed! thanks again

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PotteringAlong · 17/08/2015 09:18

Have you got a la leche league (LLL) group near you or a breastfeeding support group? They will always welcome pregnant people as well and are great for support in real life.