I've been told to stop breastfeeding

[Thejoyfulstarisback]

This turned out to be long, sorry!

Some of you may remember a post I made over a year ago under a similar username. My milk hadn't properly come in by the time my baby was 4 weeks old. The paediatrician in the European country that I live in said she hadn't gained enough weight and to quit breastfeeding and put the baby on formula. I consulted a lactation consultant who devised a gruelling plan of pumping, breastfeeding, topping up with formula, taking supplements and setting alarms. It was intense and crazy-making but 10 days later, my milk came in fully and I was able to breastfeed exclusively. I'm still breastfeeding her at 17 months old.

I changed paediatrician last year, and took her for a check up today. She said my daughter's weight gain is a bit too much on the low side and I have to stop breastfeeding and give her stage 3 formula instead. She said breastfeeding should go on for '18 months maximum' and that cows milk has too much protein so she needs to drink 400ml of this toddler milk a day (at a cost of €2.50 a litre!).

My baby weighs 9.2 kg, and is 75.5 cm long. We don't have the baby books which kids get in the UK where you can track their growth. The Dr has it all on her computer and gives me a print out after every appointment, but they all get stuffed away in a random location so I don't know if there's been a big drop in centiles. She was 75 at birth but she has certainly stretched out since she started walking in April.

However, all my kids are slight, were compact babies and were never big bouncy kids. Myself and husband are slim and not very tall.

My baby is a great eater, and eats the same as the rest of the family. I sometimes mash her dinner with a splash of cream or mashed avocado for a little extra fat, or give her snacks like peanut butter and banana sandwiches, full fat yoghurt, cheese etc.

Up until recently, she has been breastfeeding all night but that has stopped a week or so ago. She has a squidgy double chin, a sticky out tummy, a very squashy bum and rolls on her thighs. Anytime I've told anyone what the doc said about the baby, they are shocked and have said 'but she is perfect as she is!' I agree, and feel like I have to go to extra effort to make my baby fatter than what she naturally is.

I contacted the previous lactation consultant who said the paediatrician is wrong about having to stop at 18 months, which I knew. She said she needs details of the weight and what my baby eats and we can have a consultation when she gets back from her holidays in a few days.

However, I would love to know what the amazing hive mind of mumsnet think. You guys got me through turmoil at the start of my breastfeeding journey. It was so tough that I don't want to stop before I'm ready or really actually need to. I want it to be on me and the baby's terms, not the doctor's. Obviously if I need to stop, I will, but I really can't see why I would need to.

Thanks for sticking with me!

All sounds very alien to my UK experience. You can look the growth charts up online if you know the measurements if you're at all concerned? My kids have all been slight and no one has ever commented. I've also always had really positive comments from anyone in the NHS who happened to find out we eded up extended breastfeeding (only because I was too lazy to stop!) Can you not just lie to the pediatrician and say you've taken it all on board and doing what they asked? That's what I used to do when health visitors asked if they were sleeping through the night because I didn't want a lecture on it! Or just change Drs again? All the best with it all, it's horrible to have your parenting questioned.

25th centile weight, 9th centile for height on the uk charts. Tbh, if she was 75tg centile for weight previously then she’s dropped 2 centile lines which is where they start paying more attention . BUT, with 9th centile height she sounds in proportion. I’d ignore and carry on as you are.

Send pediatrician the WHO recommendations (two years and beyond, can't remember exact wording) around breastfeeding and ignore them. Lots of mums are only giving babies cows milk at 17 months in the UK, there's no need to give formula if baby is eating plenty. There's certainly no need to stop breastfeeding.

It doesn't sound as though there is any reason to give up breastfeeding. What odd advice!
You sound like an experienced parent who can tell her daughter is thriving.
Why did she have to see a paediatrician? Lots of parents of second children don't worry about getting them weighed etc here after the first few weeks - you can tell if your baby is growing and developing.
It sounds like you need to change stop seeing paediatricians and get on with doing what you know is right.

If you disagree, have a Look at the rcpch.ac.uk website and the 0-4 girls growth chart. If you have have previous measurements you can track her growth. The charts also have information on what normal growth is.

Is she under a paediatrician for a specific reason or is that just the norm where you live? I had no idea what my children weighed at 17 months and which centiles they were on, they grew out of their clothes and ate whatever we chucked at them, so that was that.

OK so where I am, you see the paediatrician in the way midwives and health visitors follow your child in the UK. All children here have a paediatrician until they are 14 and then they switch to a normal GP. It's not like in the UK where you only take your kids to a paediatrician if there is a problem. You go for regular checks. Our next check with the baby isn't until February.

Thank you. I did have a look but wasn't sure if 25th centile was bad or OK. I didn't see the explanation though so will check that out.

That's how I treated my other kids who were born abroad too, but in another country where things weren't as intense. They were born, vaccinated at the right times where they got weighed and then I just threw food at them and they got bigger 😆

I'm really sorry you've been given this rubbish advise! Sounds like your little one is eating a great balanced diet & feeding often at night at this age (whilst tiring!) is biologically normal and lots of reasons could be causing it, developmental leaps etc.
Past 12 months breastmilk contains (of toddlers daily needs);
43% protein
75% Vitamin A
94% Vitamin B12
76% Folate
36% Calcium
29% Energy
60% Vitamin C

it never loses its benefits. It would be odd to switch them to formula at this age anyway when they're weaned onto food!

This is amazing thank you!!!!!

25th centile is absolutely fine. Especially if she’s 9th centile for hight. You wouldn’t want her to be any bigger. Ignore them and do what you feel is best.

I feel if I start artificially stuffing her full of additional calories she will gain weight which isn't natural to her frame, for no reason.

25th on its own isn't a concern - it just means 75% of baby girls that age will be heavier or taller depending on whether it is the weight or height chart.

If weight and height are in proportion and a child is tracking a line there is no concern. (I have a child who follows the 9th centile)

My health visitor (UK) was fine providing my kids were a similar centile for weight and height and it was steady historically. They were looking for a change essentially.

What might be helpful is to dig out the old weights and heights and plot it on the chart mentioned above. A 6 monthly paediatrician measurement of a baby seems quite a random day/time to base decisions on. Surely more regular monitoring would give a much better picture of it being a downward trend/little blip/normal for your child??

Centiles are just a way of comparing children against the "average". So on the 25th centile, on average 75% of children weigh more, 24% weigh less and 1% weigh the same. Some children have to be on the 1st and 100th centiles - there's nothing wrong with either.

Breastfed children are generally lighter than their peers (the centiles were measured mostly on formula fed babies who are generally heavier).

My youngest (of 3) is now 2yrs3m and still breastfeeds - they all fed past 2yrs. All are on the 25th centile or below. All are healthy. Neither me or my husband are very large so I'm not expecting our kids to turn out huge.

Unless you have some other concerns about your child's development/growth I'd ignore the peadeatrician.

I read that breast milk is more protein rich than any other food! You definitely don't need to switch to formula if you don't want to. I think a lot of medical professionals give bad advice around breastfeeding - even when they are supposed to be supportive of your choice. A lactation consultant will be more informed - they've done a lot of training and don't have preconceptions that other people might have.

This is terrible advice totally against the WHO recommendation. Some children do prefer milk (of any form) over solids at this age and encouraging more solids is useful if it seems that weight gain is a problem, however this is clearly not the case with your DD as you said she's a great eater!
Definitely access the WHO growth charts and plot what you can. Maybe the doctor's surgery will be able to tell you the old measurements, if you ring and ask?
I'd find a new doctor, who knows what other rubbish she's going to be spouting that you won't know isn't true.
Out of interest are you in the US? I've heard a few similar things with paediatricians there being anti-breastfeeding and not seeming to understand basics of child growth centiles.
Doi I am a UK GP.

Sorry I just re read and saw you're in a European country not America, unfortunate to hear this sort of thing is going on all over the place.

I'm guessing you are in Italy! I've heard some pretty worrying anti breastfeeding stuff from my Italian friend

Some people who didn't breast feed can be really defensive to mothers who do.

My sons dentist told me to stop breastfeeding my 1 Yr old daughter as it was all sugar and she doesn't need it?!

Who would say that unless tgey are trying to put breastfeeding down.

Are you in Italy? My Italian colleague was telling me all the batshit things her sister's paediatrician said, particularly in relation to feeding. Her sister was just nodding, smiling and ignoring.

I instantly thought about WHO guidelines but smiled and nodded along as I've been instructed to by my friends who live here. I think all of the doctors here are very similar. I know my paediatrician told someone to stop breastfeeding her child and give her 75g of pasta a day instead (yes I'm in Italy 😆)

Yes! I gave birth in a World Health Organisation accredited 'breastfeeding friendly hospital' and got the worst support and advice of any of the other countries I've had babies in! (I've delivered in a few!)

Haha again, yes! The fact two people have guessed it is making me feel better!