DS, 10 months, dropped from 91st to 75th centile. HV wants me to top up with formula, what do you think?

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DS is a good eater, and a very good feeder (breastfed, never had formula). At his development check today the HV was concerned that he has only put on 4oz in 2 months, and is now on the 75th centile, whereas he's always been on at least the 91st before. However, he is only on the 25th centile for his height so I think he's just evening out. I can't be bothered with the expense and hassle of formula, and I don't like giving him anything processed TBH. But DH is more inclined to go with the health professionals on this one. Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks.

Some babies are born big and then just even out. Ds did this and didn't need formula. Tbh, I wasn't seeing the HV at by that stage so don't know what they would have said. I wouldn't worry and it certainly doesn't sound like a reason to introduce formula if you don't want to.

No reason to give formula.

My advice as a sufferer from the HV's centile obsessionL: stop getting DS weighed. You know yourself if DS wasn't doing well. IME, he is bound to stop gaining so quickly once he gets mnore mobile - whether it's crawling, bum-shuffling, walking or even just waving his limbs around trying to locomote. We zoomed down from the 50th to the 0.4th (yes, they do go that low) and we might have even gone lower, but I decided enough was ehough, and released myself from the tyranny of the scales. Incidentally, second-timers tend to avoid HVs altogether. Me among them!

Has your DS suddenly become more active - crawling / pulling up / walking? That may explain why the weight gain is slower. Also I think that weight gain does slow down over time.

I think your health visitor is having a laugh. you might want to explain to her what a normal distribution is and what being on the 75th centile actually means.

I dont understand why he needs formula top up as he isnt exactly failure to thrive.
Some HV are weird!

If you're really not sure try and see another HV or chat to your Dr. and see what they think? best to get diff opinions and not all HV's think the same. don't be daunted to put your point across as you have with us, as HV's are human (sometimes )

On a personal note tho i wouldn't top up, sounds to me as if he's evening out.

HTH

Gemma

OMG - if 25th percentile in height maybe weight heading down there. These HV's are amazing. Next time I've decided I'm going to buy my own scales and just weigh the baby myself. Find that between two of you and a bit of skirting board you can measure your baby quite accurately.

Is your HV mad? He's only on 25th centile for height and has dropped from 91st to 75th weight wise. Is that right? (I've read it three times) Am I missing something here? Shouldn't she and you be pleased that his height/weight ratio is becoming more healthy?
I think I need a drink

Tell your DH a HV is NOT a health professional. Seriously.

The initial weight of a baby is due to the environment in utero. Then once born, genetics begin to take over.

If this were a medical problem (which it doesn't sound like), formula would absolutely not solve it anyway.

This is extraordinary advice from a HV who is clearly out of touch with research-based evidence on this topic.

This is one of very few instances where the WHO chart would be better than what is already in use in UK clinics - centile charts in the 'red book' are really not appropriate for breastfed babies of 10 months, and your HV should know this.

If you need to, seek a second opinion from another HV.

Write or email La Leche Leugue for some information about weight charts to show your hub

She's fucking mad. Do they only recruit HVs from a pool of specially selected loons? Actually tbh I think you are mad too for geting your ds weighed. He's ten months old, as fat as butter and clearly marvellously well. Just don't take him to be weighed and eliminate stress and ten stone of ugly fat from your life in the form of your HV.

Can you tell I've had a glass of wine?

DD2 was born on the 98th centile. TBH I was glad when she dropped down to the 50th as I didn't want a porker . Ignore the HV and don't bother getting him weighed until 12 months. Then don't bother again until 24 months. Then don't bother at all.

Actually I have been meaning to ask that - when are the new WHO charts that are more appropriate for bf babies going to be available in the red books does anyone know? Do you think I could get hold of them myself and insist they were used instead of the old rubbish ones in the red books for ds2 due in a couple of weeks?

My ds 2 years ago was constantly around the 9th centile (born on 50th) and the Hv's were constantly giving me grief about it (even though his height has always been between 2nd and 9th) until I eventually caved in and gave him a bottle of formula a day. I was mighty pissed off when I discovered that this had been completely unecessary and the charts are bollocks. Luckily I also managed to continue bf til a year but it did mess around with my supply and it was a struggle. It was very upsetting when they mentioned failure to thrive - despite him meeting all his developmental milestones in plenty of time - and you should see him now, his nursery reckon he is 6 months ahead for his age and suggested we get his IQ tested. Just shows wht bollocks it all is.

To be honest, this time I will not get the babies weight measured that often - parents know whether their children are healthy and thriving or not. I would rather have the correct charts for my method of feeding though.

Hello everyone, and thanks all for your replies. I haven't been able to check this thread until today, and am really grateful for all your advice. After looking through it, I decided it confirmed what I already knew - that DS is fine and I don't want him to have formula. I gave the HV a ring today
(about sleep issues, which is a whole other thread topic!) and told her that I had decided to just keep DS on solids and breastmilk. She said that it was unusual for babies of this age to not be having any formula and that DS might be lacking in vitamins etc, because the nutritional value of my breastmilk has been continously depleting since DS was 6 months. Is this really true? She is a lovely lovely woman but every time I see her or speak to her she makes me feel a bit guilty for still BF with no formula. I wish I had the confidence to speak up and maybe present her with the evidence you mention, but I'm quite young and feel a bit inappropriate doing that . I know that a lot of you think I should not bother with her at all, but I'm a very nervous first-time mum who relies quite a lot on her for support, help with sleep and health issues etc. I suppose I would just like some reassurance that it is OK to still be BF with no top-ups and that I'm not harming DS by doing this! I must say that HV makes me doubt my belief that what I'm doing is the best for DS. sorry it's so long!

Aw....your HV may be nice, but she knows v. little about breastfeeding. It is not true that breastmilk falls in nutrients from six months. It always remains a nutritious and healthy food/drink for as long as it is given.

www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-myths.html is one source for this, but actually, common sense is a good guide! Why would breastmilk decline in quality? How on earth would nature arrange that one, eh??!

young or not, you are doing a blooming brilliant job and your HV is an idiot. you keep it up.

(although, blob, we really need to get you a better name...yours isn't very flattering somehow )

"unusual for babies of this age to not be having any formula" WFT!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously I meant WTF not WFT!!!!! (blaming pg hormones)