Exclusively bf baby gaining too much weight?

[MsSampson]

Took DD to the clinic today (she is 8+4 weeks), and was told she was gaining too much weight. I was under the impression there was no such thing in exclusively breast fed babies? But the health visitor talked about breathing problems/asthma etc. I should have probed more, but was a bit shocked as have always been semi-congratulated on chubby baby in the past. She is 13lbs, and 91st percentile, but was 7lb6oz and 25th when she was born. Wasn't given any tips on how the hell to slow it down (if that's even a good idea) - wait longer between feeds? She goes 2 hours generally, and sometimes more, although has recently started sleeping a lot more at night, so seems a bit hungrier in the morning. Not too sure what to do...

I think you cansafely ignore that 'advice'

OFFS!

I am a HV and am fed up with crappy ther HV's talking out of their arses.

Firstly the centile line a baby is born on often bears no relation to where they are at a year. Babies spend the first year adjusting to where they will end up on these charts in me experience.

Secondly babies who ate breasted rarely overfeed, chances are that she is meant to be on the 91st centile.....

Thirdly if this HV has had any training at all in BF then she will (or should) know that feeding is meant to be on demand.

Lastly, are YOU worried about your DD? If you had never been to clinic would you be concerned about her weight? If the answer to both is "No" then next time you see this HV just smile and say "yes she is piling it on isn't she, I must be producing cream" then weighyour DD and hotfoot it out of there.

Very odd advice from the HV - when a baby's weight does something 'unusual', the HV can check you're not shovelling in lard or fried mars bars or something, and she can make sure the baby is healthy with no strange reason for a fast weight gain...but the thing that really, really has no basis in fact is to suggest the baby should cut down on breastmilk.

Perhaps ask the HV if she can refer you for a second opinion, as what she has said has confused and worried you...?

yep, should have done a quick search for previous threads before posting. I was fairly certain I was going to ignore it, but nice to be reassured that most posters seem to agree that it's nonsense. She told me to give her water. She refuses to take a bottle, so not possible anyway. Feeling a bit angry now.

Whew! Sorry......got a bit het up there. .

Your DD sounds gorgeous and lovely OP. Don't be worried by this HV, most of them have had scant training in BF.

Give water??????

Unbelievable......except that sadly it isn't.

Now that is absolutely ridiculous - water, indeed :( I don't usually leap to assume that the odd things some HVs say are without foundation, but what a give-away the advice to give water is....and she deserves to be complained about.

Really water to a breastfed baby, you should only ever give water under medical supervision to a young baby. As they can easily suffer from water toxicity, especially not needed for a breastfed baby. Think you're HV needs some retraining. Maybe make a complaint or as she has some upto date training.

Yes, my MIL is a bit obsessed by giving babies water, so I was briefly concerned I was going to have to eat my words on that front. But quickly came to my senses. DD is clearly happy and healthy, and I wasn't remotely concerned before going to the clinic, so will safely ignore. But, it does make me less inclined to ask the HV about other general issues. Clinic is massive PITA and always have to wait an hour for weighing, and they now want me to go every 2 weeks. Do they put you on some kind of bad mum register if you fail to report??

I don't think you will go on a 'bad mum' register for feeding your baby when she is hungry

I wonder what her 'advice' would have been if the baby was formula fed - Oh she is thriving? I can't help wondering if they just feel they should be advising something, anything . Just because they can.

Your baby sounds like she is having all her needs met beautifully OP. 91st centile is normal, just as 9th centile is normal, they are all growing at their own pace. One of the chubbiest babies I ever saw was exclusively breastfed with the chubbiest rolls on their thighs, now still BF but a slim 2yo.

You might just forget to go back to clinic anyway After all, you have a healthy baby why would you need to go?

my HV used to congratulate me on how much DD had put on weight back when i was BF!
i'm pretty sure they're meant to pile on the pounds ;-)

My mum has found my weight card. Apparently I was exactly the same, and she was given the same "advice" (bearing in mind it was the seventies), which she ignored, and by the age of one I was more average, and then became a fairly skinny child.
Just curious though, is there any truth in the whole asthma/health problems thing? Not that I plan to cut back on feeding (imagine the screaming!) but I'd be interested if there is some evidence floating around about chubby babies and asthma.

I haven't heard of any connection with babies and overweight and asthma....children, yes, but not 8 week old babies, FFS.

www.medwire-news.md/48/90535/Respiratory/Overweight_babies_may_have_decreased_risk_for_asthma.html is a report of how 'overweight' in infancy may be protective of asthma :)

Why not ask your HV where she got her info from?!

I have seen some things suggesting a possible link between childhood obesity and asthma. But BF babies are less likely to be obese children. The pattern of weight gain can be a bit different and many babies look lean and healthy once they get more mobile, whether or not they seem chubby as babies.

I'm unlikely to see the same HV again for a while (busy London clinic), but I think I will question her if I see her again, definitely. Thanks for all responses - feeling much better! Indignant rather than worried...

Babies don't reach their 'proper' centile until they're about eight weeks old anyway, so your bub probably wanted to be bigger when she was born. Feed merrily away, you won't do any harm. My dd was the same - rocketed up through the centiles from 9th to 98th. DS grew so much so fast he split his skin at a week old (looked just like a snake shedding its skin - bizarre).