BF baby not gaining as much weight as he should

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16 wk DS2 started off feeding really well but I felt he hadn't been feeding as much recently so I took him to be weighed and his weight gain was below trajectory. This happened with DS1 at same stage and ended up switching to formula. I really don't want to this time. Life is hectic entertaining DS1 so I love the close moments bf with DD2.

I feel sad re DS2s weight gain but would really like to continue bf if poss.

I'm guessing the hot weather impacts on feeding. Will this pass and will DS be OK in meantime. Any tips or experience please? Worried the little love is hungry/thirsty.

What does "below trajectory" mean? Moving up or down a couple of centiles is very normal.

If you are worried you can always feed more often, offer at least 2 sides at every feed, and add in an extra night feed if he doesn't feed at night.

The charts in the red book are quite controversial... I can't remember all of the details but they were done in the 60s or something. BF babies don't follow the trajectories perfectly, in fact no babies do.

If he's happy and you're getting wet/soiled nappies regularly then I wouldn't worry too much. Give it a month/6 weeks and weigh him again and see where things are.

The charts in the red books now are all quite recent and based on breastfed babies.

Helpful re centiles thanks. He has dropped to the one below. I tried getting a sense from HV of how much deviation mattered but I think she just thought I didn't understand how centiles are set.

Other than feeding less and weight gain he seems well. Will try offering both sides.

Centiles are just averages, so few babies will follow the lines exactly. My oldest was born on the 75th, drpped to the 25th by about 8 weeks, went up to the 50th for a while just after weaning but has then followed the 25th since.

Really? Helps give some perspective thanks.

Dd1 started at 98th line and by five months had dropped to below 50th she is 2 next month and still at 50th. As long as baby is alert, happy, putting on some weight, weeing etc then it doesn't mean anything is wrong.

The centile lines are an average of how 1000s of babies grow but not one of them will follow the line totally it's the nature of statistics.

Loader, it doesn't sound as if your Hv is worried and this is because it is well within normal for a baby to drop up to two centile spaces. Weight is only part of assessing a baby's well being.

No. You're right. I'll stop trying to feed him all day! Thanks.

It doesn't sound like your HV is worried, and nothing you've said sounds particularly worrying. Going up or down one centile marking is very common. I've heard it is especially common around the four month mark as they get more active.

DS1 was born at the 75th and dropped to the 25th by 3 months. I was worried but he seemed healthy in every other way so I carried on bf and didn't supplement with formula. Now he's a tall, skinny, active 8yo.

The same happened with my other 2 DC (although less of a drop), but I wasn't so concerned - it just seems to be what happens to my babies. (And yours too!)

My two dc both dropped down centiles a lot. With ds1 i substituted with formula. He dropped from 50th centile to 9 th then back to 25th. Ds2 woyldnt take a bottle so i basically struggled on with bf. He just didnt seem interested infeeding. He seemed happy and healthy but he dropped from 75th centile and eventually settled on 9th. Thats where is is now age 2.5. And he still interested in food. I think its just the way he is. Obviously i cant comment on your case really but thought it might be wortg sharing my experience

Thanks. Good to hear other experiences.

I wouldn't worry if he is healthy and alert and active. Mine is 17 weeks and I have just had him weighed, he too has dropped a bit, which I out down to starting to roll and using more energy, combined with being too nosy to focus in feeding well! Don't give up bf just for a small weight drop - it is very rare for any baby to consistently follow a line with no deviation at all.

Dd is now 11. Started on 25th. Went up to 50th. Then up to 75th. Then down to 50th. Over the last 11 years.

Ds1 is 9. Started on 50th. Went down to 25th by 6 months. Up to 50th by 2yrs. Is now just above 25th.

Ds2 is 5. Started between 25th and 50th. Went up yo 50th. Then down to 25th and is now around the 10th. He's skinny but healthy.

So long as a baby is healthy, peeing and pooing and feeding when they want (if a baby) it isn't necessarily ideal to attempt yo make them follow a line - because the line doesn't take into account growth spurts, frame, appetite, seasons and so on. That's just my opinion though. Certainly after about 3 months, weighing and plotting on charts was more of an "out of interest" thing for me, since I knew from the baby's health and habits that they were thriving.

The shorter feeds might be because of the weather, he'll want lots of thirst quenching foremilk rather than creamy hindmilk. Plus as they get older they get more efficient at feeding and more interested in the world around them so they feed as quickly as possible then go and do something more interesting.

Other than that, what all the PPs say, moving about the percentiles is fine, DD1 dropped a stupid amount (75 to 2nd I think) but she was big when she was born but she takes after her father, short and skinny despite eating like a horse (she's now 6 and a very healthy 9th percentile). She was just adjusting to her correct percentile.