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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

poor weight gain at 16 weeks for ebf baby?

15 replies

clarechick · 08/02/2011 12:43

Just looking for a bit of advice and reassurance.... got my dd weighted this morning by hv and dd had only gained 3 oz in the last 2 weeks, compared to a steady 6 oz a week up until now.

dd birth weight was 6lb 8 oz and is now 12lb3oz ebf. It was not my usual hv this morning and she wasn't overly concerned but I didn't have much confidence in her and when i saw doctor for dd's 16 week injections after, she told me to keep an eye on her and bring her back next week to be weighed again.

DD appears to be feeding as normal, lots of wet and dirty nappies etc, just a change in sleep pattern the last week or so, with being hard to settle and last night she woke twice for a quick feed (she hasn't done that in weeks!!)

Do I need to be concerned? and the old question - is she getting enough?

Thanks

OP posts:
3timesalady · 08/02/2011 14:29

She's going through a phase hun - relax & trust your instincts. Sometimes they put on loads qyuickly, sometimes it's steady, sometimes it's not much. As long as she's happy & settled, you can trust that your body is producing enough. I ebf 3 babies & babies 2 & 3 I rarely got weighed for this very reason. Weigh her next week as told, but keep up the ebf & trust your mummy-mode :)

Original poster
clarechick · 08/02/2011 14:56

thanks for the reassurance 3timesalady...my instincts tell me she is fine but it doesn't take much to make you worry....

OP posts:
3timesalady · 08/02/2011 16:16

Amen to that - think mummy-worry is delivered with the baby :) Best thing to develop is you mummy-mode, your mummy instinct and trust that implicitly. At the end of the day, particularly when ebf, the baby is still very much a part of you & you'll sense when something is wrong. No-one, no-one at all, knows your DD like you do!

tiktok · 08/02/2011 16:28

clarechick - good practice is not to weigh babies under 6 mths more often than monthly. Weekly or fortnightly weighing is far, far too often :(

By my reckoning, she has gone from the 25th centile to the 50th, so she has gained weight rather faster than would be expected. This is perfectly ok. It is no indication she is not getting enough!

The doc prob suggested you came back for some reassurance next week - I can't see anything in your post that suggests she needs to be weighed again.

Original poster
clarechick · 08/02/2011 17:45

thanks tiktok!! amazing to get your expert advice.... there just wasn't much reassurance from hv or doc this morning at all and you just can't help but worry!! Will get her weighed next week again and go from there.

OP posts:
tiktok · 08/02/2011 18:37

Do you use a centile chart, clarechick? Check out my figures and see if I am right about the 25th to 50th - I might not be, but I dont think I am far off! If I am right, ask yourself why the doc did not take a look at the chart before scaring the bejabers out of you with 'keep an eye on her' and 'weigh her again next week'....:(

Original poster
clarechick · 08/02/2011 19:45

Just checked the chart tiktok - she seems to have went from 9th to nearly 25th on her last weigh in two weeks ago and from today has levelled off slightly - doctor did not look at chart, only the hv did come to think of it!!

OP posts:
tiktok · 08/02/2011 19:52

There you go, then :)

No problem whatsoever.

The levelling off is totally to be expected. Most babies do not climb up the centiles indefinitely :)

Sarahlou8 · 09/02/2011 10:32

Hi Clarechick - I posted a very similarly a couple of weeks ago, my DD (15 weeks now) got stuck at 12lb 2, her weight was static for two weeks causing a big dip on her centile chart.
I had her weighed on Friday and she was up to 12lb 10. No idea what caused her to not gain for those two weeks, but I was really worried at the time and needn't have been.

It coincided with extra night feeds after previously sleeping through. The last two nights she's begun to sleep through again.

Funny how they're the same age and weight when it happened, wonder if it's common??

(Thanks Tiktok for your advice at the time)

tiktok · 09/02/2011 10:45

Sarahlou8 - I remember your posts. Glad things got sorted :)

Your situation was different from the OP's -your baby had a slight dip on the chart, after a static weight for 2 weeks. The OP's baby is going up the centile charts :)

However you are both good examples of why it is bad practice to weigh healthy babies more often than the once a month advised.

It creates needless anxiety.

It is normal for weight to slow down at this age - it is insignificant in a baby who is healthy.

Original poster
clarechick · 09/02/2011 18:50

sarahloue8 - its interesting what you have said about upset sleep patterns as my DD has been the same over the last week with being hard to settle to sleep, waking up for feeds after previously sleeping through etc. Glad to hear all is well with your dd and that there was no need to worry!!!

OP posts:
crikeybadger · 09/02/2011 19:10

clarechick- the change in sleep patterns could be the 4 month sleep regression.

What joy!!

Original poster
clarechick · 15/02/2011 20:54

just thought i'd let you know that I went back to the HV today and dd has gained 6oz since last week, the poor weight last week seems to have been just a wee blip!!! thanks for all your help and advice :)

OP posts:
Sarahlou8 · 15/02/2011 21:21

And my DD is now 16 weeks and was 13lb 5oz yesterday!! Nice rise back up to 50th centile! Best wishes Clarechick xx

crikeybadger · 15/02/2011 22:17

Great news you two! Smile

Now stay away from those weighing scales for another month Grin

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