BF baby weight loss at 11 weeks arrgghhhh HELP!

[brilaunt]

Hi, is there any help out there please?
My 11 week old (9th centile weight) has lost an ounce this week ... It could be one of three reasons...

1. has had oral thrush which i have treated
2. started sleeping through night in past week (9 hours)
3. in the past week has had worse posseting than usual (could this be due to thrush)

I'm convincing myself now that the reason she had become more content for longer (i.e playing on mat for 15mins without crying before thrush episode) is because she was lacking energy due to weight loss...

My plan is
*to wake her at 2am for night feed to increase milk supply (although i thought milk supply had stayed consistent) and so that she continues with night feed
*to keep her up right for longer after feeds to let food digest

I'm a bit blubbery as had such a shaky start with bf and weight gain... also thought sleeping through was GREAT and had chance to start feeling more human again having had more than 4 hours sleep a night!
Sorry for the essay. In need to off load on someone/something a HV completely S*#t!!!
Any advice, suggestions, sanity(!) much appreciated

Please don't fret. Weighing a baby on a weekly basis will almost definitely throw up anomalies. It may just be that the previous weigh-in was post-feed and pre-poo!

My DD (also 9th centile) started dropping down the centiles (25th to nearly 2nd) at around the same age. She also would go a while at night and into the morning (she used to sleep late) without a feed. The HV suggested adding a feed, but any time I tried she either threw it back up or we both ended up in tears.

I'd be relucant to say wake her for a night feed (enjoy your sleep, you need it), offer one more in the day perhaps? Incidentally, my DD picked up an extra night feed all by herself a week or so later.

If she's had thrush then that may be it and in all likelihood she'll make up for the loss (if it really is one) over the next few weeks. I'd say ignore this weigh-in, get her weighed again next week and see if she's tracking a (even shallow) curve (the curves in the red book are just an average - babies will fall either side of the average growth rate).

BF babies take what they need. It's very hard to get them to take more than they're asking for. They often just take a while to find the centile they're happy on.

Her being content to play is great and a developmental norm and is NOTHING to do with lacking energy. Please don't fret, you're doing fine. Give it a week and see how she gets on.

do you know what, you are right! thanks so much for that... these growth charts are a bit of a nightmare, also i think that i (excuse lack of capitals i'm typing with one hand as i'm feeding!) am a bit paranoid about the whole weight thing as she had a very shaky start and only gained 6oz in first three weeks having dropped 8%. it sticks with you doesnt it? but her reserves are far better now and she generally gains average of 5oz a week. i'm still thinking of her as a fragile newborn. god this feeding thing is a can of worms!... thank so much again.x

I admit to being a complete mess when the HV expressed concern about DDs (lack of) weight gain so completely understand you being blubbery. Feeding your baby is a very emotional thing especially if you don't think it's going well.

The growth charts are only a guide and it's a HV's job to spot early any babies who aren't thriving. This means they flag any babies dropping 2 centiles. It doesn't mean that any baby dropping on the charts has a problem, it's just the threshold for the safety net.

Let me know how you get on at the next weigh in.

DD2 was born on the 9th percentile (3 days early) and there shay stayed till 13 weeks when, despite BF continuously. All the medics could suggest was feed her formula. She would not take a bottle. She kept losing weight. The hospital consultant looked very hard at her, "nothing wrong with her, are you sure she won't take a bottle?"
Well, he tried and his senior nurse tried and they found lots of weird teats, but no joy.
By this time she was about 17 weeks and would eat baby rice and yoghurt. So she simply supplemented BF with heaps of baby yoghurt. She quickly put on weight , was a joy to feed and by a year old was just below the 50% line. She's now 10 and still just the light side of average.
She BF way into junior school and she never did take a bottle and would never drink follow on milk or cows milk except as milk shake or hot chocolate.
So your Dc isn't alone and don't worry

Sorry bit garbled family marched in wanting tea before I got to proof it.
Just wanted to say your not alone and don't feel guilty.

Sorry, just going to answer very quickly ..... agree with carrotcake. DD didn't lose but didn't gain either for a couple of weeks around that age. Don't worry - give it a few weeks and see how she goes.

Oh poor you. Typing while feeding here but just wanted to say, I didn't get DS weighed from 6 weeks till 16 weeks. He was chubbing up, producing plenty (!!) nappies and seemed happy, so I never took him. Am sure if I had there's every chance he'd have lost an ounce, as he used to only pooh every 5 (or more) days so if weighed pre-pooh one time then post-pooh another... Try to ignore it and rely on how happy she seems. Trust your Mummy instincts!

hi cantmakecarrotcake... just to let you know that my little one gained 11.5oz the following week! thanks so much for putting my mind at rest.hopeall ok with you.

That's good news and entirely expected :)

Please don't blame the charts, anyone. The charts are just fine - they're a collection of data, that's all.

Where it goes wrong is the expectation that babies should gain weight every week (they may not), on a regular predictable basis (they almost always don't) and that they should be weighed frequently (they absolutely should not).

Weight is only ever one aspect of growth and health, anyway.