To think HV is being alarmist?

[dublindee]

Took DS3 to baby clinic today to be weighed. At 19 and a 1/2 weeks he is 15lbs. Had a normal delivery at 38 +6 and he weighed 9lb 6ozs.
He was exclusively breastfed for 7 weeks but then due to mastitis and horrible D&V bug I started combined feeding with SMA due to issues with my supply.
He is wearing 3-6mth clothes and has 3 x 9oz bottles each day and a feed with me at bedtime. He WAS on 4 x 8oz feeds plus the night-feed with me but since teething has properly kicked in 2-3 weeks ago and he turned into drooly baby he's gone down to 3 feeds.
He's a happy, contented little fella and is NOT shy about telling us if he's hungry - but he honestly seems happy with his routine and sleeps all night through for us.

HV is tutting at us saying he should start solids as the "dip is not good". He is currently showing NO interest in solids, at all. I have used BLW with his two older brothers and am used to taking my cues from them.

AIBU to think she's being unnecessarily jumpy?
Or am I being too relaxed? Am honestly starting to question myself now so all opinions welcome.

Has he lost weight? Is that what she means by a 'dip'?

Is he tracking his centile? That aside, solids won't help, the calorie density of milk is far higher than that of most first foods (veg chunks, potatoes etc).

My understanding is that a drop of more than two percentiles should be examined by a doctor. Has he dropped at all? I don't think early weaning helps with weight gain, but I am not at all sure. Best talk to a doctor if you are at all worried, and he/she will set your mind at rest.

You sound just about as relaxed as you should be. My friend had no end of hassle from the HV, who even kept ringing her, because her little girl was 'underweight'. The little girl is now nearly 7 and although small for her age, she is just dainty. She is perfectly healthy though.

I can see why she is concerned tbh, it is worrying for a growing baby to reduce their milk intake without weaning.

Can you really not tempt him with an extra feed?

The recommended age for weaning is 26 weeks, therefore I would've said she doesn't know what she's talking about!

my ds2 was 11lb at birth and he went down to 10lb and lower on the chart,i was told by hv it was fine as if he had stayed on top line he would be hugggeee! and now at 13 yrs old he is slim altheic build and 5ft6 size 7 feet

I had this with my first and it really annoyed me that the HV didn't look at the individual child, she was perfectly healthy and I was not worried about her weight at all until she started going on about it. Obviously get your child checked if you are concerned, but personally I think you know best...

Why take your baby to a clinic if you then get cross about professional advise?
Or is this going to start another all Hvs are useless thread?

Both mine fed less when cutting teeth.

Is he having frequent wet and dirty nappies? If so, and he's happy in himself, I'd carry on in your own merry way. Breastfed babies take around 24-26oz per day, and he's taking more than this, it seems like a normal amount to feed TBH, plus you don't know how much he is getting from you.

It's the durndest this but babies don't seem to read growth charts OR those little tables on the back of formula boxes that say how much they 'should' take, so you just have to trust his little baby instincts. I certainly wouldn't be pushing solids on a babynot technically old enough to have them who isn't in the least bit interested.

*thing.

Thanks for the replies so far - he was tracking a curve in one centile thingy and has gone into the one below that in the last 2 weigh-ins. I wasn't worried as DS1 and DS2 did this as well when teething and wriggling about as well. Maybe I'm just far too chilled!! Bad mammy!! Lol.

I can give it a go Shakirasma - but font want to force-feed either...

And jaffacake (love the name!!) am not cross - just more than anything really.

Am I right in thinking you're still partially bf? Not a chance he's just replaced formula with much nicer boob + milk?

I have just yoinked out those fucking pointless red books for both mine. Dd was weighed frequently as she was a SCBU baby. DS was weighed at jabs and that was it. Both dropped a centile line at 4 months. I'd not made the association before because I think weighing babies is the least effective way of assessing their wellbeing.

Both are still alive, I wish to assure you, and were weaned in a BLE fashion at around 6 months.

BLW! curse my fingers.

I don't think all HV are useless, btw, just a proportion. Mine was lovely, and v sensible, and just left me alone instead if making dilly suggestions in response to minor weight fluctuations.

if you are happy & confident that he is healthy & happy then carry on as you are. dont bother going back & getting him weighed again.
I think i took DS1 up until he was about 6 weeks, then again when he was about 10months as i was curious.

Yes twelvelegged he feeds with me before bed and then goes into his cot with a contented happy little head on him. I just let him take as much as he wants. Sometimes it's a quick feed and others he's there for ages!!!

I've only been to the baby clinic twice as other weigh-ins were done at home in early stages and then at his jabs. And it's been out of curiosity more than anything else. People are always saying gosh he's big for his age what does he weigh? I say "not sure but he was x when born. So was going to find out for myself as much as anything!!

It was ages ago that I weaned DD so I may be out of touch, but , if you are happy and baby is happy I dont see a problem. I used to get cross with HV being so rigid in what baby should weigh / measure etc.

Everyone is different and if a baby decides it's not hungry , well then, it's not hungry.

Obviously if he loses weight continually then maybe see a doc.
If we didn't have HV and clinics we'd be non the wiser and would carry on regardless.

I'm not saying that HV dont pick up on problems though because they do which is a good thing.

Dd weighed less than 15lbs at a year old! My health visitor was really quite calm about it, although other health professionals did freak. For example I had to take dd to A and E at 16 months old and the dr seemed more concerned about her size than her wieght. Prehaps A and E doctors aren't used to meeting a child who wears 6 to 9 month old clothes and speaks in full sentences.

Some health visitors are more jumpy than others. My health visitor is very laid back as she has 25 years of experience.

Have I read it correctly that DC3 has only dropped to the next centile??

I would not worry in the slightest. If there was anything wrong i.e he is ill then you would know about it. The fact that he has dropped by such a small amount and the HV is stressing over it, is ridiculous.

I ask my doctor about this recently and she said "I wouldn't be at all interested unless she'd dropped past two percentile lines"

That's just one doctor.

I'd keep an eye but wouldn't start weaning yet, offer milk more often even if he only has a few ml?

I think you should trust your instincts as an experienced mum. Personally I wouldn't go to clinic unless jabs are due or you want advice.

Ok do the general concensus is IANBU - but keep an eye and maybe offer more milk if possible.

Grand job. DS3 is 5 yrs younger than DS2 so I'm a bit rusty at the weaning/small baby thing!

Thanks everyone.