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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

weight issue

28 replies

cezza30 · 22/04/2012 18:36

my baby is putting on weight but hv insists not enough and im having to get him weighed every week im breastfeeding and there now saying if he doesnt put on what the chart says i will HAVE to put him on formula so sick of being made to feel like im doing something wrong anyone else have this problem??

OP posts:

MunroMagic · 22/04/2012 19:11

How old is your baby? At 4 months my ebf DD's weight gain plateaued. The same happened to a few of the other babies in my Mum's group. I stuck it out and her weight gain is now back on the percentile line she was born on. Remember the chart is also for ff babies who have a different growth pattern.

Do you have any other concerns about your DS? I felt that if I didn't weigh DD I wouldn't be at all concerned.

crikeybadger · 22/04/2012 19:11

Could you give some more details about the weigh cezza?

How old is your baby?
What is the average weekly gain?
Has s/he dropped any centiles on the chart, or is s/he following a line?

thanks.

PenguinArmy · 22/04/2012 21:18

ditto crikey

FWIW I had a slow gainer but will wait for more info

(sidenote: I went up a few munro's the other day, was great to be back out there)

guendalina · 22/04/2012 22:23

I have almost identical issues as you and have posted here recently and got lots of reassuring advice

Kitty5824 · 22/04/2012 22:44

Just marking my place as in a similar situation...in my case LO is 4 months and is half an ounce less than he was 4 weeks ago. He had been gaining well sitting just below the 25th, but has now dropped to between the 2nd and 0.4th.

We've just moved from Manchester back to my home town and the new HV seemed much less concerned than the one up there, gently suggested getting weighed again in 2 weeks, but as LO was gurgling and chatting away to her she thinks he might just be a small baby.

We have added one ff a day mostly so I can go to bed at 10pm to reassure myself, and as he guzzels a 210ml bottle I am assuming he is getting plenty from me the rest of the day as he feeds until he is sasisfied IYSWIM.

I am sure he is fine, he is alert between feeds, sleeps soundly when he wants to, creates plenty of heavy wet nappies and can roll over and almost sit up so developmentally all seems fine.

However, am still having the odd wobble (printed off a new growth chart to plot it myself as the HV's seem incapable of plotting his weight in the right place)...I suspect in 12 months time I'll be in a panic that he's obese....

Original poster

cezza30 · 23/04/2012 16:51

he is 3 months and 12.5 pound he was gaining 4.5 ozs a week but in 2 wks only put 1.5 on but last time i went he put on another 1.5ozs on in a week still not good enough thing hes on the 25th centile but he was 9.4 born i was told to top him up with 1 formula feed perday which i agreed as im worrying incase not getting enuf from me now hv saying i have to top up every feed so then she can weigh him n c if hes gone up on the chart im sorry but do not want to stuff my baby just so she can tick a box ffs so fed up

OP posts:

Kitty5824 · 23/04/2012 17:08

cezza I feel a little bit hypocritical as I am doing a daily ff but I'd ignore the HV based on what you've said. FWIW mine is 4 months and 11lb 8.5oz. So your little man is bigger than mine!

If you're happy that he's sleeping reasonably well, alert and happy when awake, lots of wet nappies and whatever is normal for your baby with regards to dirty nappies then these are as valid an indicator that all is well as his weight.

You do not have to get him weighed every week. All the literature actually states that this is counter productive!

MigGril · 23/04/2012 17:58

How oftern where you having him weight 4oz a week is fine and a healthy baby shouldn't be weight more then once every 4week's unless there is a reasion for concer. The reasion why is baby's often don't gain on a striaght line they can gain in fits and starts so weight to often can show a slow gain one week.

There are plenty of was to increase his milk intake with BF rather then just resotring to topping up with formula has anyone discused this with you?

If he is having plenty of wet nappies (~8ish a day) is alert and happy gaining all of his miles stones then there is probably no imidiate danger. If they are really concered about his weight then you should insited of a ped refural so he can be properly assesed, just throwing formula at this isn't adressing a possible underlying issue (if there is one).

You can increase his milk intake, by feeding more often at lest every 2hours during the day and 4hours at night. Offering more sides per feed, so offer both breast then back to the first. you can give 2,3 4 or more sides untill he's had enough. You can also try breast compresions during feeding

Original poster

cezza30 · 23/04/2012 20:08

thanks kitty i know hes fine only topping up with formula coz been scared into it **update spoke to hv b4 told her not happy shes going to come out n c me also asked me if im topping up told her 1 feed in the day and few ozs at night if needed shes now saying that i have to top EVERY feed up with formula so she can weigh him and see if he goes up on the chart!! so basically stuff him so she can tick her paperwork is that putting my babys health first???

OP posts:

tiktok · 23/04/2012 20:11

cezza can you answer the Qs in crikey's post - hard to help you without that vital info :)

Original poster

cezza30 · 23/04/2012 20:21

3 months, has put 3 pound on since birth so thats 4 ozs a week and he was on 75th centile now on 25th

OP posts:

crikeybadger · 23/04/2012 20:39

Cezza- she can't force you to top up with formula at any feed, let alone at every feed. Your baby's growth is (IMO) within the normal range for a baby of this age.

If you want him to increase his weight you have milk in your breasts that you can give him, no need for formula.

You can offer more frequent feeds, more breasts at each feed (ie. feed from both sides then go back and feed off the first) and try breast compressions.

It's awful that you have been scared in to giving formula without wanting to. .

Original poster

cezza30 · 23/04/2012 20:53

ive been offering him side to side till hes satisfied anyway to make sure he gets enough i have a breast pump to express but dind it hard if hes been feeding on me most of the day lol its really hard for me i had an amazing midwife so having this hv is shock to the system!!

OP posts:

crikeybadger · 23/04/2012 21:15

As someone else said, it's not good practice to weigh more than once every four weeks once the baby is back to birth weight. As you've seen, if you weigh too frequently, you don't see the bigger picture just the blips.

When is she next coming to see you? You could ask her why she feels your baby needs to be topped up and ask her to document her reasons for it in your red book. or just hide behind the sofa when she comes

Original poster

cezza30 · 23/04/2012 21:21

her reason is hes dipping on the chart i think the charts are a load of crap as every babys diff but thy dont seem to care shes comin on wed im going to tell her not going to top up every feed n will tell her how i feel if she doesnt like it tuff so sick of bein bullied into things now has caused me nothing but stress!!

OP posts:

PenguinArmy · 23/04/2012 21:31

sorry she is being like this with you

if she doesn't listen to you, how about insisting on a referral to a pediatrician before you take any formula measures. If she thinks it is a concern then you can ask her how she will give to access to breastfeeding support to find out the 'cause' (not that I think there necessarily is a issue)

DD was a 1-3oz a week gainer,luckily HCPs were all of the opinion that she was perfectly fine but it still caused me a lot of stress nonetheless. I don't have DS weighed as I found I stressed regardless of what the result was. She started 25th and dipped to just above 0.4th by 9 months and at 2 years has gone up near the 9th.

crikeybadger · 23/04/2012 21:33

He's dropped two centiles though from what you say which is within normal.

Original poster

cezza30 · 23/04/2012 21:34

i have peaditrician appt not till few weeks tho :}

OP posts:

crikeybadger · 24/04/2012 10:25

Is that something that was already in place cezza?

Perhaps you could hold off the hV until after that appt. unless you really think there is a problem.

Original poster

cezza30 · 24/04/2012 11:00

appt isnt for few wks :{

OP posts:

crikeybadger · 24/04/2012 11:14

Yes, I see that. It's your call really - do you feel able to stand up to your HV?

MigGril · 24/04/2012 12:51

Can you not ring them up and ask them to bring the appoinment forward. If the HV is really concerned this should be an option.

I'ts not like he isn't gainng though just gaining slowly.

PenguinArmy · 24/04/2012 13:12

If it wasn't for the HV would you be concerned with your baby?

Original poster

cezza30 · 24/04/2012 13:59

yes crikeybadger will certainly tell her how i feel hv hasnt arranged pead appt that was me with docs i would have no concerns whatsoever if hv was not harrasing me lol

OP posts:

crikeybadger · 26/04/2012 11:20

How did you get on with the HV cezza?

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