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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

HV says weight gain tailing off - what are the dangers?

67 replies

ChrissyJ · 09/05/2007 18:02

DS is 15 weeks and was born 6'13. He has bumped along between the 25th and 9th percentile for most of the time until recently when he only put on 2oz in two weeks and so dropped towards the 2 centile.

I wasn't too worried as he is a very happy and active little chap, always chatting, smiling kicking etc. I put it down to starting to sleep through the night (sometimes right through!) and a bout of mastitis which had meant antibiotics for me and therefore an upset tummy for him.

However I went back to the HV today, two weeks later, and this time he has gained 10oz which I thought was fine but she said he should have gone back up to his previous line - ie gained his normal fortnightly amount AND the extra amount he "dropped" before. Is this feasible?

Also I have read several pp on this issue and I know that there is quite a consensus that those centile charts are bobbins but IF it is possible I am underfeeding him somehow then what would be the dangers to him?

OP posts:
Original poster
ChrissyJ · 10/05/2007 19:42

I know, it's all in my head to think that i haven't got anything left cos he feeds so often. Or to think that i must be one of the rare ones whose milk supply really isn't good enough.
But I do have a sore boob at the mo so that did sway me too. Having said that he's just had another nip off both sides after his bath, barely an hour after the top ups so it's obviously not all hunger, it's suckling.

OP posts:
moondog · 10/05/2007 20:07

More sucking creates more milk remember.
It really is as simple as that.
Top ups (of EBM or formula) don't solve the problem (if there is a problem that is) they just actually make things worse by putting less demand on the breasts thus.......less milk is produced.

pinkspottywellies · 10/05/2007 20:26

ChrissyJ, my dd is 26 wks and since abt 10 weeks has had weigh ins where she's averaged anywhere between 1oz a week and 5. Last time in a month she'd dropped from the 9th to 2nd centile and today she's back up near the 9th (having been born on the 50th btw).

Don't know whether I'm doing anything wrong or damaging her for the future (but she's perfectly happy and looks well) just wanted you to know you're not the only one. I get worked up for a couple of days before I go to get her weighed, feeling like I'll have to do battle with the HV! The charts make it stressful because in between times I don't worry at all!

Hope it works out ok for you

Original poster
ChrissyJ · 10/05/2007 20:41

Thanks Pink. Come to think of it, looking at all the posts on this issue on MN it must be the charts that are wrong because otherwise how come there are so many "underweight" babies out there? In this day and age with pretty good nutrition for most women and all of us mumsnetters working hard at feeding our LOs, it must be statistically impossible!

OP posts:
moondog · 10/05/2007 21:16

Exactly

Original poster
ChrissyJ · 11/05/2007 19:11

HV came round today. I wasn't defensive and we had a pretty good chat. She wanted to check that DS's forceps birth wasn't causing him to feed funny and that I was ok - eating enough etc (which I am).
But she says she wants me to bring him to be weighed again next week and said "if a paediatrician saw that pattern they would tell you to put him on formula straight away". So the implication is that if he doesn't show signs of heading back up the centiles on Wed we are going to be referred.
But she did say that he looked happy and healthy (helped that DS was cooing and flirting for all he was worth at the time!) and had v good skin tone. So this seems to support my instinct that he is ok.
But now I am worried about next week cos I know that if we keep getting the messages he is underweight, either I or DH will crack. It's soooo hard.

OP posts:
Highlander · 11/05/2007 20:25

don't weigh him. Really, just don't. If you have concerns about his health, trust your instincts and/or get your GP to check him over. Those bloody charts are more trouble than they're worth. Your GP relies on a whole feast of other pointers as reagrds your baby's health. HV's can weigh babies, but are not qualified to do much else!

N.B. make sure your GP isn't a trainee.

moondog · 11/05/2007 20:26

No,you won't crack if you seek support from people who know about breastfeeding.HVs and GPs are not the best people for thT.hAVE YOU TRIED ONE OF THE HELPLINES FOR A REASSURING CHAT?

Highlander · 11/05/2007 20:26

BTW, a paediatrician would not recommend formula, unless your baby was having serious feeding/weight gain issues.

Elasticwoman · 11/05/2007 20:38

Remember, whatever the hv says, YOU are the one who decides what baby shall be fed on. It's your call. Not hers. And she's wrong anyway.

Original poster
ChrissyJ · 11/05/2007 20:43

Yes I spoke to a nice woman from LLL. I think I need to find a counsellor/ group to go and see next week tho.
The reason that all this from the HVs does push my buttons to a certain extent is that he does feed frequently and will ask for more (by rooting and chomping his hands) after a snack despite having taken himself off. So there is a nagging "is he getting enough?" thought process going on. Also I have always had problems with a sore nip on the right hand side so I guess the latch may still not be all it could - so it woudl be good to get it checked again (got it checked at about 7 weeks at local group but that is run by HVs and they didn't know half the stuff I had already found out on MN).
But my gut instinct tells me he is fine!! Thank you for continuing to back me up on that

OP posts:
lljkk · 11/05/2007 20:44

Breastfed babies almost always have a dip in weight gain rate at about 15-17 weeks. That's why the charts are wrong.. not because the total numbers are wrong, but because they don't show this very common plateau, levelling off of growth centiles (mine did it, and never recovered to his previous centile, DS is now 7 yo!). If your bubba seems healthy fine satisifed after his meals and producing plenty of wet and smelly out his bottom I'd ignore HV, don't go see her again unless you absolutely have to.

Thats what mums used to do before they had little charts to compare to.

moondog · 11/05/2007 20:45

But they do go on and off!
It doesn't mean thery aren't getting enough!
It's a little break between courses!

Women I think are so conditioned to think of feeding a baby as being one continuous draining of bottle or boob.
Mine were never like that but i dfidnt expect them to be.

Be proud of what you do and your body.

Original poster
ChrissyJ · 11/05/2007 20:46

Oh also I said what are the implications of him not getting back up to his previous centile and she said well teh GP/ paeds would get involved. So I said, "no, I mean what are the implications for HIM!"
She said underweight babies are more likely to get ill and dehydrated.

OP posts:
Original poster
ChrissyJ · 11/05/2007 20:48

Yes I am proud. DH is proud of me too, saying all DS's growth is down to me. I am still cross about my 10oz gain being marked down as a loss cos of the bloody line.

OP posts:
moondog · 11/05/2007 20:50

Good Glad you are proud
Errr,has she had a look at how much more likely formula fed babies are to contract all sorts of nasty things??

More importantly,do yuo know this stuff?

Let me do you a nice link to boost you...

moondog · 11/05/2007 20:51

Tell her to stick this in her pipe and smoke it.

Silly deluded cow.

Rantum · 11/05/2007 20:54

A good rule of thumb (if I remember) is if you are getting plenty of dirty and wet nappies, then you can be pretty sure that your baby is getting the nutrients required and is processing the rest.

Original poster
ChrissyJ · 11/05/2007 20:55

Thanks for that Moondog.
Ha, have been thinking so much about feeding right now that I'm having a letdown (tmi!)

OP posts:
moondog · 11/05/2007 20:56

Ah that's lovely Chrissy.
A body that knows what it is doing and does it better than any old powder or carton.
Trust it.

sep1712 · 11/05/2007 21:11

Hi chrissy i think i have been having the same probs as you

Pruni · 11/05/2007 21:12

Message withdrawn

sep1712 · 11/05/2007 21:21

can anyone help me!!!
After reading this tonight i'm confused!
Breif summary.
little ones nearlly five months. at 10wks weight gain slowed right down and on the advise of hv i gave her 2x 8oz bottles a day still not gaining fast enough so to start weaning now. She is much more settled after formula feed and not on and off me all day!
Really love feeding so don't know what to do now! Any help??????

Original poster
ChrissyJ · 11/05/2007 21:27

I know, I know. I did think the home visit was good idea tho - more relaxing than in clinic.
I would like to stop getting him weighed but that will mean having a fight with them cos he's on their radar now.
Personally I think it's his inherited metabolism - I can and do eat like a horse and I'm 5'4 and 9st. When i was preggers I ate for Britain and was still "all baby" (don't kill me!)

OP posts:
usandnosleep · 11/05/2007 21:38

They do like to worry us don't they?

Just wanted to tell you that my DS was on the 50th when born and now at 9 months he is 0.4th, we were referred to the paed and he didn't recommend formula.
After the initial anxiety I felt comforted by the referral, I was being nagged by the HV on a weekly basis and quite frankly she made me a nervous wreck.
The paed checked DS over and asked to see us again in 6 months time. He reassured me that DS is more than likely absolutely fine.

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