Ebf dd2 14wks slow weight gain & crap sleep etc

[SkiBumMum]

Dd2 was 8lb7 at birth and at 14wks is 13lb7. She's only put on 1lb in the last 6wks. She's happy, alert & active & has some good rolls of fat going on - hence hv not worried. I am though! Is it normal for growth to slow so much? She's ebf really. We occassionally try formula as dd1 was a bottle refuser for a long time but she's never had more than 2oz and gets bf straight afterwards. She only sleeps for 2 hr stints in the night. Seems hungrier at night than in the day.

Have read Kellymom etc. I just don't have the options of taking to my bed and feeding lots or doing skin to skin much as I have a very demanding 3yo to deal with!

Was thinking of stopping bf soon anyway as it's not something I enjoy (major factor in my mood swings I am sure) and it is causing real jealousy issues with dd1. I had the most horrendous start with damaged nipples etc so pleased I got past 2 wks to be honest. Have been putting up with the issues as thought it was best for baby but clearly she's not getting as much from it as I thought she was.

Do I just call it quits after Christmas?

She's putting on weight and like most babies she wakes in the night.
What is the issue?

DD was a slow weight gainer (at most 3oz a week) and a crap sleeper. Her sleep was bad long after she stopped BF. Like you the HCPs weren't worried but I was. Society seems to equate large weight gains with you are as a mother and it does cut you and make you think you've failed her somehow. BUT you haven't. FWIW DD was born 6lb 12 and at a year weighed 13lb10

I don't know what those weights translate to in centiles but movement up/down two centiles is normal.

Sorry not a lot of info there, I'm sure somebody more knowledgeable will be along in a minute and I'll pop back later when I have two free hands.

I am not expecting her to not wake at all at night but I would have thought she'd be able to go a little bit longer at night by now.

She is gaining weight but very slowly compared to the first 2 months. I just want to know is whether that is a normal pattern. She's been feeding like she's on a growth spurt for the last 2 wks! Clearly not...

Dd1 had v bad reflux so I don't have a real comparator as she lost so much weight through vomiting

by her sleep being as bad, I meant still every two hours. We got longer stretches around a year but just the first one, other wakings were still ever 2 hours. Apparently I was the same until I was 2 years old and I was FF.

DD also gained 'normally' (i.e. followed her centile) for the first 6 weeks and then started to slowly fall down the centiles from there.

Why don't you ring up one of the helplines or get in touch with a local LLL or similar. At this stage talking it all through with someone really helped me, especially wrt pinpointing exactly why I was worried.

I'm in similar boat to you.... dc3 is 11wks, still waking 2hourly & her weight gain has slowed down from being brilliant in first 6 weeks to be rubbish since then. I suspect because from around 6 weeks onwards I was full-on back into school run / nursery run / constantly running everywhere!!

I don't have any real helpful advice, other than you're not alone, hang on in there. By all means switch to formula if you think it'll help things.... I know lots of people say formula doesnt make a blind bit of difference, but from personal experience a bottle in the evening has helped my babies to sleep longer at night.

Unfortunately, this baby is point blank refusing a bottle at mo, so no chance of me getting any extra sleep any day soon!!

Good luck whatever you decide to do, hope your DD lets you get some decent sleep soon!