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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Drop from 98th to 2nd centile - am I right to be skulking away from the HV?

41 replies

tortoiseshell · 29/09/2006 21:12

Ds2 - born on 98th centile, is now on the 2nd, age 5 months. He was born at over 10lb, and is now nearly 14lbs. Now, as he is my third, I'm merrily saying to myself that he is fine, it's the same as my other two children (though more dramatic), and hiding from the HV, because I REALLY don't want the whole 'well, he has to put on 1lb by next week, or you'll have to ff/see a paediatrician/have urine tests/wean onto solids' which is what I KNOW I would get (believe me I know my HV!).

But, there is this nagging voice that perhaps I am being too blase about this, and maybe he SHOULD be looked at. What do you think? He's exclusively b/fed, and is very settled/content, is doing everything he should be doing, except growing! He's quite tall, so does look pretty thin.

OP posts:

nearlythree · 29/09/2006 21:13

Is there any way you could see a different hv?

Enid · 29/09/2006 21:15

tortoise I haven't seen a hv since dd3 was a month old

she is tinsy winsy (2nd cntile) but I KNOW she is healthy

moondog · 29/09/2006 21:15

If you're bothered,just feed him more-from boob.
As a mother of three I am sure you can judge whether he is thriving or not.

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 29/09/2006 21:15

No - there are two who I can see, and the other one is the same, but much much worse!

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chipkid · 29/09/2006 21:16

my dd fell from the 50th to the 9th but my HV was really good-she kept saying that she was probably born bigger than she is destined to be and therefore is readjusting. I knew there was nothing wrong with her-just slight-like me!!!!

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 29/09/2006 21:17

Oh I'm sure he is well, it's just those wretched charts. I haven't seen the HV since 3 or 4 weeks either Enid, but if I were to chart ds2's curve it would be disastrous! It's just that change from huge to tiny! Tiny is cute though...

OP posts:

pupuce · 29/09/2006 21:18

Are you and DH big and fat .... are your other 2 big and fat - if you know what I mean!
Is he GROWING?

pupuce · 29/09/2006 21:19

On this website you have the charts for breatsfed babies...

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 29/09/2006 21:19

Dh is naturally slim, I'm kind of average, ds1 is skin and bone, dd is 'well built' and well covered (I wouldn't say fat, but she isn't going to starve to death any day soon!). I think he's growing, certainly lengthwise, just not outwards!

OP posts:

Enid · 29/09/2006 21:20

well then he is fine

enjoy him and feel proud of the fab start you have given him

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 29/09/2006 21:23

Thanks enid! Pupuce, that's interesting. He's still pretty near the bottom of that chart. [says to herself I'm not going to stress, I'm not going to stress...]

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pupuce · 29/09/2006 21:28

Well you have answered it for me... DH is slim!
What do you expect!!!!!

DH and me are slim, my daughter is also on 2nd centile.
So you had a big baby... but hey they do loose the baby fat to become what they need to become.
If baby is growing length wise (head wise too) and seems happy and eats well... then baby is 99% sure to be perfect

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 29/09/2006 21:28

pupuce! You know that paranoid mother chip we all have implanted....it's on hyper mode tonight!

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QueenPeaHead · 29/09/2006 21:31

I don't know, you are basically saying he has put on only 3.5 lbs in 5 months... that seems like a very small increase to me, and also a very small percentage increase in relation to birthweight.

I also think that if you were absolutely happy about him yuo wouldn't have posted this thread.

If you don't like your HVs, maybe you should just book an appointment with your gp and have him checked out - they are much less weight obsessed and will just give him a health checkover. You don't want to feel that you have missed something later on...

nearlythree · 29/09/2006 21:38

I'd get him checked myself, too. It can't do any harm and will hopefully stop that paranoid mum voice.

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 29/09/2006 21:44

QPH - that's not a bad idea to bypass the GP. I don't know - he does seem very alert and happy, but you're right about the percentage increase. He has actually gained more than it seems, as he lost over a pound at birth, so went down to about 9lb0,so he has put on 4-5 pounds (still not a lot I know!). But then, ds1 was the same - he took a year to double his birthweight.

I'm just anxious not to get into a stressful 'put on this amount of weight in this amount of time' if I don't need to, but you're right, I don't want to miss anything.

OP posts:

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 29/09/2006 21:44

Sorry, meant bypass the HV!

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nearlythree · 29/09/2006 21:47

tortoiseshell, it's not quite the same but I got loads of stick (mostly from my gp actually) over dd2 - I did baby-led weaning with her and she didn't really take to solids much before 12 mo. My gp kept on saying she was concerned over her weight and particularly her iron levels. I didn't listen and now dd2 has been in hospital twice and needs iron supplements for anaemia. Could really kick myself now, but thought I was doing the right thing at the time.

curlew · 29/09/2006 21:50

I hid from the health visitor too when ds went from the 99th to the 50th (he was 10.6 at birth, but I think I would have taken him to the GP if he had gone much below the 50th. Just in case. I'm sure there's nothing wrong, tortoiseshell, but if you do get him checked you can stop worrying. Even if the worry is only a tiny niggle in the very back of your head it would be nice if it went away!

hunkermunker · 29/09/2006 21:51

I'd be tempted to go and see the GP or the HV and just ask them to give him the once over - but not have him weighed until after they've seen him. Would that be possible?

Pollyanna · 29/09/2006 21:56

I think you should listen to your nagging voice- my dd fell off the bottom of the chart and I did avoid the hv, but only because for some reason I knew that she was fine. I think if your instinct is to be worried, even if only slightly, I would get him checked out. I would go and see the gp though if that is possible rather than the hv.

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 29/09/2006 22:32

THanks everyone. Hunker, that's a really good idea, I know for a fact that our GP doesn't have scales!!!!

OP posts:

QueenPeaHead · 29/09/2006 22:57

good luck!

terramum · 30/09/2006 00:26

What kind of birth was it? (did you have iv fluids or epi etc) and did he lose weight after he was born? It is better to look at the growth curve using the lowest weight as a base not the birth weight as lots of things can affect the birth weight (maternal diet & habits, labour interventions) so its more likely that the baby will take a while to settle into its own genetic growth pattern, rather than the one affected by external factors. My DSs birth weight was on the 75th centile, but he very quickly went down to between the 25th & has stayed there ever since. If you are worried though, and dont trust your HV then maybe a chat with a BFC initially might help to out your mind at ease or give you the facts to go to a health professional with.

Original poster

tortoiseshell · 30/09/2006 00:29

Hi terramum - totally natural homebirth, no drugs at all. He dropped down to about 9lb at 3/4 days, and then took a good 3 or 4 weeks to get back up to his birth weight. So by that point he was on about the 50th centile or maybe just below. So in that context, it's not so bad. I don't know - am very confused about it! I veer from being concerned to blase, to anxious to terrified to fine!!!

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