To think that the majority of babies do not need to be weighed regularly

[Reallytired]

In the early weeks it is a good idea to weigh a baby to be sure that breastfeeding has been established. However I see little point in a baby who is older than 6 weeks being weighed monthly.

I think that excessive weighing of babies does nothing but cause unnecessary anxiety. Many mothers and health professionals do not understand percentile charts. Also the charts in my little red book are for bottlefed white babies.

Looking at the baby is often a more accurate way of telling whether it is thriving.

Prehaps we should weigh the mothers instead of the babies. Certainly many mothers have problems with weight.

Or joking aside we should have a well mother clinic instead of a well baby clinic. If the mother is healthy then the baby will generally be well looked after.

A few people have asked who is saying that babies need to be weighed regularly/why are people doing it?

There is a schedule in the front of my red book that tells me how often to take the baby so I expect a lot of people do as they are told.

Must admit I am pretty rubbish at it myself. The kids look alright to me...

Ours is like rachmumoftwo's - it's a big room with toys etc and about 2 HVs. You can send the older ones off to play while you wait.

I still hardly ever go though

HV told me that the percentile charts are all being changed to be based on bf babies as they are all currently based on formula fed - think this is being phased in now (in my area anyway).

I always thought it was up to you how often you got them weighed. I was told there was certainly no need to do it more often than monthly and no one makes you do it as often as that - do they?

I get DS weighed about montly - more often if I have any concerns over feeding etc as its hard to know with bf how much they are actually taking.

YANBU - My health Visitor used to nag the hell out of me about visiting the weighing clinic when DCs were babies. I can't understand why she was so bothered. My friends used to look at me like I'd grown 3 heads if I said I didn't go regularly to the weighing clinic too. They all used to fuss "Oh, and I've GOT to go and get dd/ds weighed this week". I still don't understand why.

Ours used to be a bit of a rubbish place overcrowded but has now been moved to a lovely new childrens centre with stay and play.
So I take then anyway and weigh dd2 if I need to.
I was told to weigh every week for first 8 weeks then every few months or as and when you feel like it.
Took dd2 to a and e a few months ago and the doc sais perhaps take her to be weighed as bit skinny ribs.
There was me thinking' yeah whatever she's fine' Turned out she hadn't put anything on for 6 weeks and nearly diagnosed with failure to thrive.
So I guess you have to go now and again!
Although my sister bf ed her two girls and was constantly being told to ff them as not putting on enough so she ignored them and stopped going.

I get my DD weighed every month, or about every two weeks when starting solids, and in the earlier months.

After an extremely rough start and drawn out problems breastfeeding it made me feel wonderfully happy to watch her weight approaching the chart, and then crossing the centiles. It is purely for my own gratification and reassurance, nobody makes me do it. But I think that it enabled me to keep feeding her through bouts of mastitis and thrush.