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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Mum said I should give my slow growing BF 7 month old a bottle of formula a day to help her grow. Thoughts on this anyone?

56 replies

HumphreysCorner · 02/02/2007 11:37

Took my 7 month old DD2 for her 7 month development review and her head circumference has dropped off the scale and her length has dropped too. Her weight is still following between the 2nd and 9th centile lines. Told my mum about it today so she immediately said that she knew I wouldn't agree with her but she thought I should be giving her a bottle of follow-on milk a day to help her grow. She is weaned and eats 3 good meals and desserts a day. I still BF and admittedly she doesn't have much milk but the Dr wasn't too worried about this (he is worried about her head size though). DD2 doesn't cry very much so I tend to think that she can't need any milk. DD1 was bottle fed from birth and moved on to hungrier baby SMA as she was always screaming for food and was far more active at this stage by rolling everywhere. DD2 sits and plays with her toys for hours-hasn't rolled yet. She is 100% more content than DD1 ever was. DD1 is still hyper now she is 3 yrs 7 months-never sits still!

My mum said that my Grandma nearly starved my dad as she was BF but obviously didn't have enough goodness in her milk. So, she thinks the same could be happening with me. I said that feeding formula might make DD2 chubbier but it wasn't going to make her head or legs grow but mum disagreed. Really don't know what to think-perhaps I should take some vitamins?

Any thoughts much appreciated. Dr said her head would be measured again at her MMR jab but am going to go to the clinic before then.

OP posts:

Twiglett · 02/02/2007 11:39

breast milk has more calories than formula

your mother is an idiot

jabberwocky · 02/02/2007 11:41

If she is eating well and the dr. is not worried then I wouldn't give her formula. Parents are funny about this. Especially when their own children were not bf.

jabberwocky · 02/02/2007 11:41

So much for trying to be PC about it...

DeputyMacDawg · 02/02/2007 11:42

I'm with Twiglett.
Breast milk is being made to cope specifically with your baby's needs.

Don't feel that you have to ff to make other people happy.
Be guided by your own feelings

Mumpbump · 02/02/2007 11:44

Some babies have to be above/below the average... I wouldn't think that to be a good reason to start giving formula. Ds is on the small side, but I'm tiny and so are my family. What are you/your dh like physically?

aviatrix · 02/02/2007 11:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

aviatrix · 02/02/2007 11:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MrsBadger · 02/02/2007 11:46

Agree that formula isn't necessary, but if she's not getting that much milk is it worth offering her an extra bf, even if she doesn't ask for it?
If she refuses then fair enough, don't push it, but who knows...

lissielou · 02/02/2007 11:47

ffs ignore her! bm is the best thing for lo, your milk develops with your baby

moondog · 02/02/2007 11:48

HC,your milk will do her more good than formula ever can.Just get yer norks out a bit more often and if she refuses,well,she isn't hungry.
Simple.

Original poster

HumphreysCorner · 02/02/2007 11:53

I am only 5ft and DH about 5ft 8 or 9 (have forgotten). I think because she doesn't cry in the morning I tend to leave her and get DD1 up so DD2 ends up having breakfast first then is too full for milk. She has a BF mid morning but soon nods off. I must get up earlier and offer her a feed before her breakfast.

Thanks girls-even though she has some teeth coming through I'm not ready to give up BF yet

OP posts:

imnot27 · 02/02/2007 11:56

Oh, is very hard with a little baby. Ummm, don't wish to disagree, obviously bf is best all round, but my health visitor once saw a bf baby who had to be fed in hospital as she just wasn't getting enough nourishment. Obviously, am not suggesting for one second that this is related to your situation, if she is eating meals every day she is getting plenty, but it just shocked me so much, and I felt it was important to know that, VERY Occasionally, it IS possible for breastmilk to not be enough, and ignoring signs that it isn't enough could create problems. So, if you are really worried, maybe give a big botle of formula as a evening feed or something? If it makes you feel better? Hope it all works out okay.

franca70 · 02/02/2007 12:02

sorry haven't read the whole thread. Many babies start to grow less when they hit 6 months (and start to be weaned). try to increase the number of bf.
grate lots of parmesan cheese or cheddar in her food!

mammaduck · 02/02/2007 12:02

Babies develop at their own speed.

If she is content then she's fine - carry on as you are and please don't get pressurised into ff. Breast is best!

I know a mum whose second child is just over one and still isn't really coping with lumpy food because she only has two teeth, whereas her first was much more 'advanced' (if you know what I mean) by that age.

But she doesn't panic about it - the second child is just developing at their own rate. Don't worry about what siblings did.

Original poster

HumphreysCorner · 02/02/2007 12:07

mamma-that is just how it is. DD1 didn't get her bottom 2 teeth until 10 months but ate all the lumpy food without any problem (is faddy now though). DD2 has hers coming through at 7 months and isn't so keen on lumpy food-am perservering though!

OP posts:

tiktok · 02/02/2007 12:38

HC, why is the doc measuring her head circumference? This measurement is a bugger to take accurately, especially once the baby is active, and in many places it's just not done beyond the newborn stage, unless there are known concerns. Why not? Because in an otherwise healthy, normal baby, it is not clinically significant, that's why...so ask your HV or doc why this measurement was done. All that has happened here is that it has worried you. If the doc really thought there was a problem, he would not be waiting 6 mths for a follow uo.

If your baby is short of calories, then of course she can have more breastfeeds, if you think this is worthwhile.

Your mum does not understand about the 'goodness' in breastmilk being constant, and unaffected by the mother unless she is literally starving herself to death.

It's horrible when you are made to feel anxious like this. I hope you take heart from this thread.

Original poster

HumphreysCorner · 02/02/2007 13:00

I have tiktok thank you. They do the measurements as part of the 7 month development review. They measured at birth, 8 weeks and 7 months. You know how it is, you start searching archives on small head circumference and find some worrying things.

xxx

OP posts:

babymomma · 02/02/2007 13:20

If your baby otherwise seems content, feeds well off the breast and eats well dont worry. grandmothers always think they know what is best, but nobody knows your baby better than you.

If your little one isn't feeding well, has s/he got a cold or teething problems? In any case, I was told by my health visitor that after 6 months a baby regulates their own calorie intake so will only feed as much as they require. I recommend talking to your HV if you are worried and don't be pressured into doing something you aren't happy with.

On the subject actually, my mother got on my case because I wouldn't give my 8 month old tea
to drink. I think if you want to do things like that, that is also personal choice, but I don't agree and it ended up with a heated debate about why I don't want to stuff my infant with caffeine. A few weeks later I caught her dipping his dummy into her coffee "because he likes it". I could have killed her on the spot.

tiktok · 02/02/2007 13:20

Development review at 7 mths is not done in many areas, now HC - it's not part of national standard infant care any more, though I know some areas still do a formal assessment at about that time (not including head circumference, though, as far as I can tell). You can check this on the DoH website. Measuring head circumference has not been seen as necessary for some time before that review started to disappear - my understanding is that it is simply not useful, and risks worrying mothers (and grandmothers) for no reason.

I think it will help to talk to your HV. She may be able to explain that your area is simply out of step in its procedures.

tiktok · 02/02/2007 13:20

I think it will help to talk to your HV. She may be able to explain that your area is simply out of step in its procedures.

Original poster

HumphreysCorner · 02/02/2007 13:38

Thanks tiktok

babymomma-she has got a cold and eye infection and is teething. She wakes up in the night coughing so have been giving her a feed to ease the cough and settle her. Doesn't help though that the HV put the dot on the growth chart for weight in the wrong place again so looked like DD2 had jumped from the 9th to the 45th centile instead of down to the 6th. No wonder the Dr was happy with her weight gain. Didn't notice the error until I got home. Tippex had to come out again.

OP posts:

bigbird2003 · 02/02/2007 13:40

Professionals really annoy me!!

You say you and dad are smallish, then obviously children will be smallish

I am 5', hubby 6'2. 2 of our children tall (97th centile), two are tiny (9-25th centile.) They drove us mad with the 2 smaller ones as they both were big born (91st centile and soon dropped off) Was always being told they too small. All fed the same, all grew to how their DNA made them.
Now eldest daughters, 13 months apart, age 17 and 16.....17yr old = 5'9, 15yr old = 5'2....the size they were destined to be, regardless of how they were fed or how much they ate

As long as baby is growing, albeit slowly, I'd carry on as before. More calories will just make them fatter, not make them grow a bigger head or be taller

NineUnlikelyTales · 02/02/2007 15:04

Hi HC

Just a thought - you don't have to report this kind of information from professionals to your mum. If she isn't fantastically well informed about BF etc, she isn't going to be able to offer you any constructive advice. If she is upsetting you (though not on purpose of course), just avoid the subject and trust your own instincts. You are the mum now!

Nine

JillybeansNW · 02/02/2007 15:29

Hmmm, growth charts...

At the 8 week check I jokingly said to the GP (he is the nice nice human one in the practice) "so, she's over the 50th cent for weight but only the 9th for hight - are you saying she's overweight"
Doc said to me "growth charts! (meaning the length / hight charts) DOn't take any notice of those, they're irellevent !"

Sorry about cr4p spelling

Mumpbump · 02/02/2007 15:48

HC - you're obviously petite, like me, so I reckon you, like me, are just destined to have a baby on the smallish side. I must admit that I have no idea where he is in percentile terms now, but he is not as big as the other babies from our antenatal class.

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