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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Slow weight gain

46 replies

PerfectDromedary · 06/05/2011 15:58

HELP!

Weighed my son yesterday and my giant baby is falling through the centiles like a stone. He started at 4.65kg, lost over 12% of his bodyweight after birth, regained it only by 4 weeks and is now 5.16kg at 10 weeks 2 days. He's averaging 100g a week gain when it should be much closer to 170g.

HV lovely last time, told me to look at the baybee not the scales, this time wants to monitor it all a bit more closely - as do I... Am off to see the bf'ing support people on Sunday to get them to observe a feed, but can hear him swallowing and nothing hurts so I think that bit's fine. However, have stopped continuously swapping boobs - trying to make sure he finishes the first before moving on to the second - and he still wants both and a couple of feeds today have taken over an hour. Am allowing him unlimited time on the boob, but when do you hit law of diminishing returns if you're constantly feeding and he's getting less and less? He does seem to cue for a feed the moment he has finished. What do I do about his sleep? Is my supply fucked? I know it will become more fucked if I supplement but what if I'm starving the baby? We had a rocky start - sleepy baby, crap latch, lots of expressing and 3am tears - so my anxiety levels are quite high.

Pliz to advise. Am going to see people about it and weigh him again in a couple of weeks and will head to GP then if no improvement, but any thorts about what could be wrong would be brilliant.

Am I being selfish and insane? What should I do next?

OP posts:

freesias · 06/05/2011 18:44

just to reassure dd4 dc8 was like your little one she startred on the 5oh percentile fell rapidly over he first 10 days to the 3rd never gained more than 3oz a week but was bright and alert , this was a shock as her siblings had all gained weight rapidly in the region of 8oz a week . i was bf and as i'd bf my others knew she was feeding well and getting plenty .she slept well at night at least 6 hours etc and was very content . once she reached he 3rd centile she has oscillated along it sometimes moving up slightly occasionally down slightly but on average still on the 3rd . even when we started blw she remained on her centile and now at 14 months she is just over 17 lbs and still petite , but very bright and active . she has taught me that all babies are different and it is possible to gain weight slowly and everything to be fine .

please try not to worry , it won't help your supply .as the hv advised look at your lo not the scales is he bright alert when awake with plenty of wet dirty nappies etc , does he seem contented after a feed

RitaMorgan · 06/05/2011 18:58

I guess if you weighed before and after each feed you'd need to do it at every feed over a 24 hour period to get a useful idea of what the baby was consuming.

MotherSnacker · 06/05/2011 19:19

MY daughter started on th 50th centile and dropped to the 2nd while being breastfed. She is still really skinny now she is five, just the way she is. Healthy though. Worried sick and had her weighed every week.

My son was nearly 10lb at birth I didn't bother taking him to the HV to be weighed until he was 5 months old. By this time he had dropped centiles and was quite a slim baby. Was advised to top him up with formula. First and last time I bothered with weigh ins with him.Kept on BFing. Now a slender but healthy 2 YO.

Don't know if any of that helps. Obviously I can't tell if there is a problem with your supply. But I don't think centile charts are the whole story.

AlpinePony · 06/05/2011 19:22

RitaMorgan · 06/05/2011 19:24

What's that for Alpine?

AlpinePony · 06/05/2011 19:25

The post before mine - I'd really rather not comment, I think the emoticon says it all.

AlpinePony · 06/05/2011 19:26

Sorry, I've mixed up posts, in that case it was a mix of that one and one a few up. But I should stfu now, not my thread.

MotherSnacker · 06/05/2011 19:26

It is normal for bf babies to feed all the time in the early weeks. It feels like you are feeding all the time.

I would say as long as baby is alert and producing wet and dirty nappies try not to worry. Just keep having him weighed. If he loses too much weight they will tell you.

MotherSnacker · 06/05/2011 19:46

I was not condoning not having it monitored. (just realised my post could read that way) I think you are doing the right thing . Just follow the advice and get it monitored and get the GP to look him over. It's all you can do.

What I was saying is that it may be nothing and try not to worry. If the worst comes to the worst there is always formula, baby won't starve.The reason I didn't bother with weigh ins the second time around was baby was the most contented baby ever so I was certain he wasn't hungry and was just naturally small. His dad is six foot and nine stone.

Try not to worry and if you end up formula feeding don't beat yourself up over it. xx

debka · 06/05/2011 20:56

OP I am so glad you've posted this. My DD2 was born at 4.7kg and is now 12 weeks and only weighs 5.13- in real money she has only gained 14oz- in the last 5 weeks she's in fact LOST 6 oz. So I completely know where you're coming from. I've been in tears today worrying about her. She's gone from the 99th to the 25th centile. Thing is, she seems happy, content, alert etc and sleeps really well at night. If it weren't for the bloody weight loss I'd be happy as larry.

mothersnacker and freesias you've calmed me down a bit with your stories, thank you :)

I just hope our DCs start gaining a bit of weight soon, and following a line.

RitaMorgan · 06/05/2011 21:16

Is the weight loss being investigated debka?

MotherSnacker · 06/05/2011 22:21

Always a good idea to get it investigated.
My son hadn't lost weight just gained slowly and had gone up a centile in length. My daughter got checked by a paeditrician and was found to be well. But I guess they wouldn't have referred her if it wasn't an indicator that there could be an underlying condition.

Original poster

PerfectDromedary · 06/05/2011 22:32

Hey debka - did you post earlier? You had GD, didn't you? And the weight loss is being monitored? I'm sure all's fine with your baby, too - it's this hanging around to make sure which is so worrying, isn't it?

OP posts:

debka · 07/05/2011 20:14

Had her weighed this week, HV seemed unconcerned. I am getting more and more upset by it all TBH. Starting to doubt myself and my ability to feed my daughter. I think I may take her to dr on Monday, if there is one at my practice who Does babies. What could it be if there is something wrong? MS how did you get your daughter checked by a paediatrician?

Original poster

PerfectDromedary · 07/05/2011 21:40

Definitely see your GP just for reassurance. Are there bfing support groups in your area? I'm going to pop to mine tomorrow and get a counsellor to watch a feed. Also, google Dr Jack Newman - videos on his site show you what a baby looks like when they're feeding properly.

I'm also doubting my ability to feed my son - but you know what? We've both got this far. It's not the end of the world to make an informed decision to mix feed if necessary. I'm going to see what happens to his weight in the next eleven days and discuss options with the HV at that point.

What do you think you will do?

OP posts:

PenguinArmy · 08/05/2011 00:03

Sometime babies are just slow gainers. DD (apart from the first month) never put on more than 3oz a week and often less.

I ruled out reflux, latch etc. Did switch feeding and fed her every time she woke (2hrs the whole clock around until 7 months) and have never really tried to get to sleep longer. Knowing all that, I just relaxed into it.

She has always been fine, very mobile, rather skinny, but even with weaning (she's now 14months) she's still the same frame. You do seem rather fixated on the weight and nothing else.

Is her weight gain stable or are there any other issues I've missed?

debka · 08/05/2011 08:23

OP I think I will take her to gp. She has some eczema too so I'll ask about that at the same time. There's a breast feeding support group here on a friday so I'll try and take her down to that and ask 100 questions of the counsellor.

I did some very unprofessional scientific measuring this morning with a tape measure, and she seems to have grown about 4 or 5cm in the last few weeks, so at least she's growing! Put my mind at rest a little.

penguinarmy I hijacked the thread so we're actually talking about 2 babies here. DD2 is 3mo and has only gained 14oz since birth, and lost 6oz in the last 5 weeks. So weight is a bit of an issue with her! She is growing and happy and alert however.

MotherSnacker · 08/05/2011 08:25

At about 7 months and after being switched to formula she was still a low weight. I think the health visitor or GP referred her. She was a poor feeder when weaned as well. All the docor said was that there was nothing wrong.IN her case I think she had an unusually small appetite. Every case is different though so it is impossible to advise really.

Finally at five she eats fairly well. When she was a baby and toddler she was a nightmare. It's hard to know what to do for the best. I would say take all the advice and don't feel guilty whatever you decide. I was very stressed by it all.

PenguinArmy · 08/05/2011 16:24

sorry debka Losing weight is very different to slow gaining and should be checked out, especially if ongoing.

debka · 09/05/2011 20:26

Update- took DD2 to gp today, who have her a once-over and said she seemed healthy and normal. He is happy for me to carry on bfing and go to the bf support group. He was lovely actually, said set a lot of store by a mother's instinct. :)

Weigh-in day at the clinic is Thursday, and we have jabs this thurs, away next thurs, so I will try not to worry and unless she is ailing, take her in 3 weeks for a weigh-in.

MotherSnacker · 09/05/2011 20:30

Glad to hear that debka.

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