Is his weight an issue?

[FrillyMilly]

DS is 12 weeks old. At 5 weeks he weighed 9lb9. He then got a cold and at 8 weeks was 10lb 14, a gain of 1lb 5oz in 3 weeks (when ill!) was deemed not enough as he dropped a centile on the chart. Told to come back in two weeks. He weighed 11lb 6, a gain of 8oz. Again told this isn't as much as they would like as he had dropped a centile so come back in two weeks.

Hes exclusively breastfed and feeds every 3 hours. I don't want to give formula as there's a history of asthma, eczema and allergies with my DD. He's a chubby happy little thing. Developmentally coming on really well.

I'm due to go to clinic this afternoon. What should I expect if it's still not enough? Why isn't it enough? To me the charts are an average. Some may gain faster, some slower surely? Has anyone had a similar experience? I know I should have asked last week but he was screaming his head off and DD was moaning about needing a wee.

what did he weigh at birth? and what was his weight gain like before he was ill?

i thought that it wasnt recomended to weigh a baby more than once a month at this age, if you had given him a month to catch up after being ill he probably would have been fine.

at is is he gained 8oz in 2 wks, the minimum they 'like' is 4oz a week i thought? so he is gaining that, i would just think that he has been ill and so is catching up.

i would be looking more at how your baby is, wet and dirty nappies, content, sleeping ok ish (as much as babies ever do!)

think you need tiktok or the like they will have some good adviced as always :)

when i ask what did he weigh at birth i wonder if he went up the centiles and is now dropping back down which is common enough and not a problem i would have thought? or is he 'catching down' some babies start of big and then level out a bit? but like i said i am not an expert and tiktok or truthsweet would be able to offer better advice :)

He was 8lb 1oz at birth so quite average really. He dropped to 7lb 2, that put him on the 9th centile.

He has a wet nappy with every feed so 6-8 a day. Dirty (explosion) nappy every other day usually. He fills out the 3-6 months clothes. Still has two night feeds but sleeps from 10-7 with only brief waking for the 2 feeds. To me he seems absolutely fine but it's this stupid chart and the centiles.

FrillyMilly, shame the help you are supposed to be getting from the clinic is so confusing and undermining.

Charts aren't an average - get the HV to explain what they represent. Charts are only part of a health/well-being assessment and it is well within normal limits for babies to drop a couple of centiles. Even more than this can be fine, too - the baby's whole person and health should be assessed, not just what the charts say.

Healthy babies, generally speaking, show not be weighed more than once a month (it will say this in your red book) , because the info given with frequent weighing is misleading. I am not sure why they asked you to have your baby weighed more frequently, and you can ask them about this, too.

On the basis of what you have said here, there's no reason to give formula. If it's thought your baby needs more milk, the easiest option is to breastfeed more - and as you perfectly reasonably want to avoid formula, then of course you can bf more often :)

If the lowest weight was 7lb 2oz and his current weight is 11lb 6oz he has put on 4lb 4oz in 11 weeks (68oz) which means he is putting on an average of 6oz a week.

This is exactly average weight gain and also shows why weighing too frequently isn't good - weight gain isn't linear, it goes in stops and starts so the more frequently you weigh the more you see these little 'blips' and not the big picture.

As tiktok says if baby needs more milk, then feed more often and offer more 'sides' at each feed, formula doesn't sound indicated at this point .

Thanks so much for your help! I mentioned formula as from what I understand a lot of people are advised to 'top up' with formula. He feeds for as long as he wants from one side, then I offer the second side. I don't know if I could get him to feed anymore as he just starts smiling at me and having a natter when he's done. I feel a bit more confident about going to clinic now.

I've been to clinic and he's put on 14oz in two weeks. HV says she has. I concerns and he's gaining really well for a breast fed baby. Looking at the chart if he had only been weighed monthly the 'drop' wouldn't have been noticed. I was worrying over nothing!

so the problem was more to do with them wanting him weighed too frequently!

lovely news and now relax and enjoy your little one :)