GP says my bf baby is hungry

[TwirlyCat]

I went to the GP today as my exclusively breastfed 3mo dd has been miserable all week. The GP checked ears/throat/chest and said she was fine. He then said that she was most probably hungry and I should supplement her with formula. He said this without any reference to her weight/centiles at all.

As it happens I had got her weighed at the health clinic earlier this week and she has dropped from the 50th centile to between the 50th and the 25th. The health visitor didn't mention supplementing with formula but said I should offer both breasts, as previously I've just been doing one boob per feed. I've started doing this and she does take the second boob but isn't overly interested in it. She is producing dirty/wet nappies OK.

It is silly but I'm feeling tearful about all of this, and the fact that I might not have been giving her enough food.

I feel confused about what I should do now. In my heart I want her to continue to be exclusively breast fed. But obviously I don't want to go against the GP's advice as she could be genuinely hungry as she has dropped centiles.

Any advice?

Ignore your GP, they're talking twaddle.

It's more likely that your baby is going through a growth spurt or starting to teethe. Just keep offering both sides at each feed, and don't start to add formula in, that will affect your milk flow, which is the last thing you need.

Dropping centiles especially at this age isn't necessarily an indicator that they are aren't getting enough food. Only you can judge that based on your gut feeling, how "chubby" she is around the cheeks, arms and legs, whether she's lost some chub, how active she is, whether she's meeting her milestones etc... the centiles are a VERY blunt tool for assessing wellbeing. At her age, any number of things could be making her grizzly and miserable, including the dreaded teething.

FWIW, all three of my DDs were born slap bang on the 50th centile and had reached their natural centile by the age of 4 months- between the 0.2nd and 9th depending on the DD. This is the centile they stuck to in the older DDs'
case until they were 11/12. DD3 is still on the 9th now, tiny and shrimp-like but very active and way exceeding her milestones.

Conclusion: your GP may very well be wrong. Some GPs aren't all that in favour of breastfeeding anyway and most often they have very limited knowledge of it and how very much it differs from formula feeding.

If you are seriously worried about your DD, ask for a referral to a paediatrician. I hate to think of you being upset to the point of switching to formula by a throwaway remark by one healthcare professional who may not actually be sure of what she's talking about. I remember all too well how easily that sort of remark can grind you down.

Your gp sounds like a twat who doesn't have a fucking clue.

My little girl did exactly the same around 3 months (fell down to around 30th percentile) after being an 8lb-er when she was born but then between 4 and 5 months suddenly rocketed back up. She was exclusively breast fed at the time but got more hungry just before and during the growth spurt so was a bit more grumbly than usual. You don't need to change to formula, just feed her a bit more regularly. I used to feed her every 3 - 4 hours. She's now 9 months and eating solids but still bf on demand and is in about the 60th percentile. I never worried and the HV made a point of saying that all babies find their own line and it was nothing to get stressed about when they fluctuate.

From a number of conversations I've had with people and threads I've read on here, I think it's quite common for GPs to recommend formula. Goodness knows why. Just carry on with what you're doing.

My lo is exclusively breastfed. He is on the 9th centile. My gp did not recommend formula as lo was bright alert and active. Formula could cause allergy..perhaps get your latch checked by lactation consultant to ensure deep enough. Feed every 2-3 hours. Hope this helps

Not that I'm a Dr but when you say 'miserable' what do you mean? If your DD has been feeding as before/normally and the grumpiness is just this last week then it would seem odd to point the finger at hunger unless there are other feeding issues/symptoms - teething or growth spurt as others have said.

Agree offering other boob good anyway. I never did but started to around 3 mo when she got hungrier.

Do not take this gps advice, he sounds very ill informed. Speak to a bf counsellor if you have any concerns.

My gp suggested starting dd on mince, mash and gravy at 3 months! I did not take his advice!

Also, I might get flamed for this sexist remark but at my surgery at least, I see a female Dr as they have been better.

She's older and proudly tells me she BF'd all hers but acknowledges it doesn't always work for everyone. She says a lot of the advice has changed in that time but she is much more sympathetic and willing to listen to me than some of the older male drs. I know you probably can't screen them in advance (!) just giving you my experience at least.

GL :)

But let's say Gp is right (doubt it but...) you can 'supplement' by offering more feeds and both sides at a feed.

Crossing centiles is normal...your Gp normally incompetent about bf issues...

Fed both DSs, if you are offering and she is refusing she's not hungry. Offer more often, try not to stress if she refuses she will eat if hungry. BTW sometimes with developmental leaps they forget to eat because they've just discovered something new to look at/do

Most GP's are not up to date with BF info and advice and sometimes get it wrong.

I'd hold off with the top ups if you're not comfortable with it and contact your BF Advisor or La Leche League. I'm sure that they will be able to give you some advice and reassurance.

BF is a very emotive subject and when I was given similar advice from my GP I felt like a failure - that was simply not true. I got some great advice and support and I'm still BF DD2 at 10.5 months.

Now get yourself a mahoosive bar of chocolate, watch crap tv and be kind to yourself - you're doing a fantastic job!

At around 11/12 weeks your baby goes through a major developmental leap.
During this time they can become more cranky,clingy, fussy and sleep poorly.
You can find out about it by reading The Wonder Weeks by Hetty Van de Rijt and Fran's Plooj, infant developmental specialists. They have a website too.

If medical reasons for miserable baby have been ruled out, then her brain going through a big rewriting which you can't see might make sense?

Chart of which weeks are developmental leap weeks here
community.babycenter.com/post/a38530453/wonder_weeks_chart_included

And the site is here
www.thewonderweeks.com/

The way to check whether she really is hungry is to offer the breast more often, and offer more 'sides' when she is feeding. If she isn't interested then she isn't hungry.

It really doesn't sound as if the GP had much of a clue.

Might your DD be teething? Mine both started cutting teeth at around 10-12 weeks.

Hi Op sorry your having such a rough time of it but well done you for wanting to give your Dc the best start!
I agree with most of the posts on here I Bf all 4 of mine until 7 months sounds like teething don't worry about the Centiles they are very general and none of mine have ever stayed on their estimated growth rate! But they are all fit and healthy and I'm sure yours will be to! Have a hug xx

And here is the info for the stage your baby is at

www.thewonderweeks.com/mental-leap-3/

:)

www.thewonderweeks.com/mental-leap-3/
Link works this time

That sort of movement on the centile charts is not a drop, it's perfectly normal. It is very rare for a baby to stick to the line at every weigh in. The lines are more of a guide, so long as your baby is more or less maintaining her position on the centiles(little bit up, little bit down) then she is doing fine with her weight gain.

Babies have off days, sometimes a few off days where they're a bit grumpy and fussy. It's often a pre-empt to a little cold/cough or tummy bug or they're going through a development spurt.

As long as you are feeding on demand, allowing your DD to determine the length of the feed and offering the 2nd breast at each feed, she is having plenty of wet and dirty nappies and she is gaining weight then feeding is probably going absolutely fine.

It would be useful to you to get yourself along to a local support group and have a chat with a supporter there.

The BF training most GP's get is sadly limited and mostly concerns medicating mothers who are BFing rather than lactation management and support.

Loislane - when I say miserable I mean that she seems extra grumpy and on the verge of tears/crying most of the time, but not like she is in extreme pain but maybe niggling pain. She is eating and sleeping OK. Tbh the GP wasn't that interested and offered hunger as an explanation but nothing else, and kept on about the formula.

Thanks everyone for the reassurance. As a novice mum I really appreciate it. I hadn't thought of teething which could be a possibility. I do wonder if DD's latch is deep enough as I think she sits on my nipple as my letdown is fast- I think I can get bf support from the sure start centre and will look into it.

Also good to know I can relax a bit about the centiles!

She could have a cold, earache, she could be teething earlier than the norm, a tummy ache, trapped wind - there are so many possible things! Try to see a different doctor next time.

What a lot of bollocks that GP came out with. It's fuckwits like that who are responsible for mums doubting their bodies and giving up BFing when they were doing perfectly well. Your baby may well be hungry if she is having a growth spurt, but don't supplement with formal, just breastfeed more.

As for the centiles, babies do drop down sometimes but you need to look at the big picture; it could be that your DD will follow a new line. As long as she doesn't continue in the nosedive it is fine. Get her weighed again in a month, no sooner, to see if she follows the new line.

If you follow hunger cues, feed on demand, offer both breasts and your baby is having wet/dirty nappies and generally happy/well, then your baby is getting enough.

Hi, I haven't read all the replies but just wanted to reassure you by telling you that my formula fed baby dropped from 95th to below 50th percentile over her first 3 months!. I really doubt she's hungry. We were so stressed with DD trying to force food into her when really she was just finding her natural curve after being seriously fattened up by ice cream in utero.
Babies go through lots of stages where they're more upset x

If you have a fast letdown try leaning back slightly when feeding to slow the flow. if its literally squirting out you can take baby off and 'squirt' into a muslin till it stops and put baby back on. (you won't run out of milk)