Baby's slow weight gain - should I worry?

[Honeybee1701]

Hi - this is my first post so please bear with me!

My LO is coming up to 15 weeks and seems to be doing well. He's very alert and smiley (apart from when he's crying with wind or overtired!).

He is EBF on demand - which is now about every 2/3 hours and he wakes twice in the night to feed. He seems to guzzle away happily and although he spits up, it's rarely a huge amount.

However, I had him weighed today and the HV said he isn't gaining enough weight. He was born 6lbs 13oz and today is 11lbs 12oz. He has gone from between 9-25 percentiles to just above the 2nd. Looking at his record, he had gained exactly 1lb 1oz a month for the last 3 months.

Anyway, I have to go back in 2 weeks and if he still isn't gaining they said I should consider supplementing. I have no problem with that but wonder if it's really necessary?

Should I be worried?

Myself and my OH are very slim...could it be he is just a slim baby?

Sorry for the long post, but any advice or similar experiences much welcome!

Thank you xx

Honeybee, what you are describing could easily be physiologically normal for your baby. It may be your Hv is following local protocols that ask for referral to a paed for all babies on the 2nd centile - perhaps you could ask her?

He sounds healthy, and it is within normal limits for a baby to have that weight pattern. A few babies with that pattern are not healthy and are under fed, so this is why they cause concern.

If it is suggested he needs to be 'supplemented' this does not have to mean formula. He can have more breastmilk - check out switch nursing, and breast compression, which are useful techniques to get more breastmilk into a baby. Or more simply, you could just BF more often and make sure he gets at least both sides as often as possible.

Hope this helps.

Thank you tiktok - that's reassuring and I'll check out local protocols. The techniques for supplementing sound interesting so will take a look. Thanks again!

I'm also interested as your baby sounds exactly the same as my 10 week old. No one has suggested supplementing but I'm sure it's just around the corner so want to be pre-armed!! ;) glad to hear you have a happy little one :)

Hi MentalMum1 - I'll let you know what happens when I get him weighed again! The more I've talked to family and friends about this, the more I don't think there's cause for concern. Unless he's not put any weight since his last weigh-in, I'm going to resist any supplementation - he doesn't act like he's starving and seems well in other respects!

Will keep you posted

Yes please do! I made the mistake of trying to weigh baby myself on our bathroom scales and it made it seem as though she's lost weight - which I'm sure she hasn't!! So I'm banning myself from anymore weighing until our next trip to baby clinic!! ;)

If tiktok is stil watching this thread I have a quick question - what's the best way to make sure baby gets the hindmilk? I have very strong let down so baby guzzles away for five mins on very fast flowing milk! I was switching sides when she came off naturally, and starting again at the next feed on the side we last finished on. Recently though I've been trying to wind her when she comes off, then relatch her on same side ( if she will!) then when she unlatches again I change her nappy or otherwise let her kick around for a few mins, then try her on the other side, which she doesn't always take but sometimes will for a few mins. It does seem to be lengthening her feeds, but she doesn't go much any longer between feeds (from 1.5 - 3 hours in the day, max 6 at night but usually more like 4-5) and she spits up (happily) quite a lot. Sorry that wasn't so quick after all! ;) apologies also if hijacking your thread - I don't know the rules! :/

To start a new thread, click on start new conversation :)

But in the meantime, you're really really overthinking this :). Babies don't need 'engineering' to get the hindmilk. In fact there is no 'the' hindmilk. Fat in milk gradually increases as the breast empties. But this does not need arranging. Either one of your methods is fine. Her gaps between feeds are normal. If she is gaining weight and thriving, she and you are doing fine. If she's not gaining weight and thriving, feeding her more often will help.

Bathroom scales are not accurate for weighing babies, as you rightly say :) .

Check out the analytical armadillo blog for a better explanation of fore/hindmilk.

Thanks (mental mum here, got sick of that name! :) ) she just did a big green poo :/ but after a day of fussy short feeds so I'm assuming that is why!

Honey have you had your weigh in yet? Hope all was okay. Ours was tomorrow and I'm dreading it a little bit

Not yet...there's a drop in clinic this Wednesday that I'm meant to go to, but planning to wait until the following Thursday as there's a clinic closer to home which offers 1:1 appointments and my husband is able to come for moral support! Hope yours go well tomorrow...try not to worry! Let us know what happens! X

Still on 2nd percentile... But not dropped any more and the health visitor wasn't concerned, just said to come back in two weeks again. I'm seeing the lactation consultant tomorrow anyway just for peace of mind before going on holiday! Typically DD had a beautiful day of feeding nicely yesterday and since being weighed this morning she's fussing around at most feeds again!

Update - he was weighed today and is now 12lbs 11 - still between 2nd and 9th but closer to 9th than before, so going in the right direction apparently! Like your experience Tumtitum, HV wasn't concerned and said he looked fine and often babies settle into a different percentile from when they were born and stick around there for a while. How's everything with you Tumtitum? x

Yey glad to hear his weight is going up! Things are good with us, she's getting so long I think that's where all her weight is going! We're on holiday at the moment and I'll have her weighed again when we get home. I saw the lactation consultant again the day before we came away just to get a bit of a reassurance about some of her funny feeding behaviours, and she said to be aware that sometimes their weight dips a little around week 17, I'm guessing your little one must be around 17/18 weeks now? Just something to be aware of I guess, and I don't know if they compensate by having a big grow a few weeks later?! Glad things are going well anyway, let's find something else to worry about now!

My DS1 was born on the 75th percentile for weight and had dropped to the 25th by the time he was 3 months. No one suggested topping up with formula. He's now a healthy, active 10 year old. Not all babies stick to the percentiles!