Worried my baby is on the 98th Centile at 15 weeks

pmoore · 2007-01-18T08:55:47+00:00

Hi all My baby is 15 weeks tomorrow and has been bottle fed from 3 weeks, she is a hungry baby and is now drinking 8oz of milk 5 times a day. She weighed 16lb 10oz. Got raised eyebrows from health visitor. I know there is nothing I can do. Just wanted some reassurance!

MrsJohnCusack · 18/01/2007 08:59

mine was born on the 98th and stayed there (is probably still there at 2, if I bothered to weigh her...), some babies have to be there (they can't all be average), doesn't mean she's abnormal!
(she was breastfed as well, HV refused to believe me about that - her problem, not mine).

ignore the HV. some babies are just bigger, some are smaller, that's just the way it is

Ceebee74 · 18/01/2007 08:59

Has she always been on the 98th centile or has she gone up 1 or 2 centiles?

If she has always been around that, can't see why the HV should be bothered - what does she want you to do, starve your baby so she doesn't put on weight??

Bozza · 18/01/2007 09:03

Is she long as well? ie she is in proportion? I wouldn't worry, once she gets moving her weight gain will probably slow down. Just make sure you don't force/cajole her to finish bottles. But certainly let her have milk if she is hungry.

DS was quite a tubby baby and toddler, and now at nearly 6 you could play a tune on his ribs.

purplemonkeydishwasher · 18/01/2007 09:06

every baby is different. some are small some are big some are in the middle. if she's happy and healthy then there's nothing to worry about. (it took me a long time to stop worrying about DS's size. relax and just enjoy her!)

mamijacacalys · 18/01/2007 09:59

Agree with everyone - relax and enjoy! Sounds like you have a happy healthy baby.

My 6-month old DD has been on the 91st centile since birth and she is bf. My DS was also bf but was constantly on the 50th centile until he was about 3. He is now 4.5 but needs age 7/8 clothes due to height and waist(!) Both are long/tall (as my both DH and me are). Just goes to prove they're all different and may change as they grow!

VeniVidiVickiQV · 18/01/2007 10:02

My DD was on 98th from birth until she was about a year. HV's didnt believe I was b/feeding her only (and not topping up with formula) because of it.

At 3.5, she is exactly centre, weightwise, and just above average in height.

Enjoy

dcb · 18/01/2007 10:34

also agree with everyone! some babies have to be bigger otherwise there wouldn't be an average. you should be proud she's doing so well!

Original poster

pmoore · 18/01/2007 13:59

Thank you everyone I am feeling much, much better now. She was born on 75th then lost weight BF so switched to formula. LO is between 91st and 98th for height as well. I was just having a stress as a 1st time mum. Those charts should be banned or hidden.

OP posts:

Original poster

pmoore · 18/01/2007 13:59

Thank you everyone I am feeling much, much better now. She was born on 75th then lost weight BF so switched to formula. LO is between 91st and 98th for height as well. I was just having a stress as a 1st time mum. Those charts should be banned or hidden.

OP posts:

Original poster

pmoore · 18/01/2007 14:00

Thank you everyone I am feeling much, much better now. She was born on 75th then lost weight BF so switched to formula. LO is between 91st and 98th for height as well. I was just having a stress as a 1st time mum. Those charts should be banned or hidden.

OP posts:

Original poster

pmoore · 18/01/2007 14:01

Oops, computer froze so I kept pushing post. Sorry.

OP posts:

clairemow · 18/01/2007 14:08

hi pmoore, haven't read everyone's posts, but I have two boys:

DS1 exclusively bf to 6 months, used to put on a good lb a week, and at 15 weeks was 15lb 9oz.

DS2 exclusively bf to 3 months, then mixed for 3 weeks, and now exclusively ff, at 15 weeks was 14lb. He's 20 weeks now, and regularly downs a 9 oz bottle... He has 4 9 oz bottles (and drains most in about 5 mins...), and a dream feed of about 4 oz.

So basically what I'm trying (not very eloquently) to say is they are all different, some babies are bigger/smaller than others, whether they are ff or bf. You know best - if your DD is happy and healthy, smiles, responds, wees and poos regularly, then DON'T WORRY and ignore your HV....

cc21 · 18/01/2007 14:15

Centiles and HV's are bobbins and should be bannes .

If baby is happy and healthy then thats all that matters. I know many a mum that stopped getting baby weighed due to stupid comments from HV's about baby being too big etc

gingermonkey · 18/01/2007 14:45

I second that. DD was up in the 90s constantly. She was always a big, happy, hungry and healthy baby. She is still 'heavy' (but not fat - I was the same and am now 5 feet 9 and 9 stone, prob a bit underweight but not through lack of stuffing my face and exercise!). I hate the size graphs, DS is an exceptional eater and fits into age relevent clothes. He hasn't been weighed since he was about 8 mths old and was exactly 'average'. IMHO as long as you have kids that are not ill (dd is the healthiest kid I know, never poorly) then you are doing ok. Don't worry about it, we are all different shapes and sizes. It's the same as BMI for us adults - a load of rubbish and should be scrapped!!!!! (Sorry, I'm ranting! )

Original poster

pmoore · 18/01/2007 15:05

Would like to know what the people that made up these charts look like.

OP posts:

gingermonkey · 18/01/2007 15:13

why, they would be perfect, of course - just like all health vistors!!!

icebat · 18/01/2007 15:15

It's amazing insn't it how much a first time mum can be sent into complete panic by just the raise of an eyebrow by an HV! Take it from me, after a while you realise that if you want a valued opinion you ignore them and ask a MNer instead!!

Piffle · 18/01/2007 15:20

I have a 13 yr old ds who was born on the 50th centile, at 6 wks had gone up to the 99.6 and has stayed there ever since
He is very tall, very strong and has huge feet. He was breastfed as well and fed all the time I lost stones of weight.
But healthy yes he was and still is
I also have a dd on the 0.4 centile so little and large
So long as height and weight correlate roughly then you've little need to worry

ItsMeMellowma · 18/01/2007 15:22

As the others have said don't worry to much. My ds1 was on the 100th centile at 15 weeks but he is just a big boy, very tall.

DS2 was on the 98th at 15 weeks and he too, is very tall.

Piffle · 18/01/2007 15:38

My ds doubled his birthweight in 7 weeks
He was 7lbs 11 when born
in NZ where they are less paranoid and have no such things as arsey HV's I was praised for nursing such a healthy strapping boy!

WanderingTrolley · 18/01/2007 15:39

I am not a hv but have looked after loads of newborns and small babies. I have yet to come across a baby who was on the fiftieth centile for more than 5 minutes.

I have looked after gorgeous little chubby things with squidgey rolls of fat around their wrists, who had the odd slurp of breastmilk every 4 or 5 hours.

I have looked after babies with the physique of a racing snake and the appetite of a sumo wrestler.

The charts are shit. Lie to your health visitor, it's the only way. Here's your line: "Yes, I did everything just like you said."

Your baby sounds perfect.

mabel1973 · 18/01/2007 15:49

had to look at this thread as my baby is exactly the same and I panicked that I ought to be worrying!!!!
As everyone says it is NORMAL!!
Mine was a 10lb baby at birth and bf, he is now 17 weeks and starting to burst out of 6-9 months clothes. I love that he is big, his older brother was and still is a skinny little thing - I was more worried about him!

moondog · 18/01/2007 15:51

Why should one lie to these idiots?
It just means they keep on dishing out the same old crap and,more worryingly,believing it.
Tell her (nicely) that she's talking shit.

kamikayzed · 18/01/2007 16:09

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kamikayzed · 18/01/2007 16:10

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