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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow - slow weight gain support thread

692 replies

FireworksScareMossyPets · 03/11/2007 16:57

Thread for those of us whose los are:

  • Healthy
  • Meeting developmental milestones
  • Producing plenty of soaking wet nappies
  • Producing several pooey nappies (quantity varies after first six weeks or so)
  • Gaining weight...

but just much more slowly than the centile charts tell us they should.

This is a thread for help, support and understanding from other Mums who have "been there, done that".

It's where we can share links, share our stories and what if anything we have done to help our lo's weight gain - or whether we've just ditched the scales and looked at the baby.

However, we also don't want to lull other Mums into a false sense of security; if your lo is not meeting the criteria at the top then it is best to get help from a breastfeeding counsellor (or general infant feeding specialist - not all slow gaining babies are breastfed) or supportive health care professional.

Mossy xx

OP posts:
Caz10 · 13/03/2008 18:16

Caz10 · 13/03/2008 18:16

hmmm try again reasons to be proud

verylittlecarrot · 13/03/2008 20:11

(welcome Dalrymps)

well done the tiny acorns! Keep it up.

As for us, we are still celebrating with a bottle of bubbly for each pound gained, which is beginning to cost us a fortune as she is gaining half a pound a week....

12lb12oz today.

Dalrymps · 14/03/2008 23:28

Hi there, Dylan gained 4 and a half oz this week so is now 11lb 9 and a half oz at 19 weeks, would have liked him to have gained a little more, maybe 6oz but at least it's a gain!
Verylittlecarrot - have followed your story on and off for a while, so happy for you lo is gaining half a lb a week - wow

Dalrymps · 14/03/2008 23:28

Hi there, Dylan gained 4 and a half oz this week so is now 11lb 9 and a half oz at 19 weeks, would have liked him to have gained a little more, maybe 6oz but at least it's a gain!
Verylittlecarrot - have followed your story on and off for a while, so happy for you lo is gaining half a lb a week - wow

Caz10 · 16/03/2008 18:33

we are only getting weighed monthly now - terrified but relieved at the same time.

anyway, main thing is that all our lo's are happy and healthy!

well done dylan and babycarrot!!

i worked out dd's last gain and it averages out to about 6oz a week - i am so chuffed - the HV was stony faced, prat. i don't think they'll ever be happy till she's obese.

ILoveDigestives · 02/04/2008 13:49

Hello everyone!

Just thought you'd like a Digestive-themed update! We had our appt with the paediatrician today (a lovely nigerian chap, with a cheery manner) - and it went as well as could be anticipated.

Basically admitted that yes, she was small - and that the reflux probably played a role (particularly being undiagnosed for quite a few weeks) - and was completely happy with us excl. breastfeeding, and urged us against weening early - and to keep going with the feeding on demand (which we were). He also prescribed us some more meds to go with the Gaviscon DD is already on (Doperidone, I think). So all in all, quite good.

Hadn't had her weighed in 3 weeks, during which time she'd put on 8oz, which isn't stellar, but pretty steady for her. So at almost 18 weeks, we are now 9lb 7oz - still dinky, but lovely with it.

Hope everyone else is doing well - best wishes from us three!

SallyInYorkshire · 03/04/2008 23:07

hello is this thread active enough for a new poster or should i start my own thread?

verylittlecarrot · 04/04/2008 01:48

Join us, Sally!

SallyInYorkshire · 04/04/2008 13:18

WELL. My DS is 7 weeks old. We had major difficulties establishing bf in the first week and he was admitted to hosp with dehydration and ff via NG tube.

Over the next few weeks i gradually weaned him off the formula, pumped like crazy etc and now back on exclusive bf. Latch andmilk transfer much better than previously. He is healthy, meeting milestones, weeing aplenty and pooing most days (everyone says not to worry about the poo as this is so variable in bf babies). But his weight gain has been very slow. Last week he gained just 1 oz! He is a bit refluxy I think, but doesnt vomit (only possets) or cry after feeds.

He is >50th centile height and heading down to 3rd on weight.

I spent the first weeks fighting to keep on track for my goal of exclusive bf. Once had got there, had major pressure from mum, dh, hv to "top up" with formula. Mum has now washed her hands of the whole affair. DH figured out that bf is so important to me that without his full support I could slide into pnd. hv referred me to gp, gp happy for now and so hv is happy.

The thing is - now I dont have to fight anymore I am startiing to doubt myself, and it's doing my head in.... still not ready to give up on the bf though.

Caz10 · 04/04/2008 16:26

hi sally and i sooooooo know where you are coming from! sure you won't have had time with a 7wk old to read 15 pages! but just to say i've had a v similar experience, although we (narrowly) avoided being readmitted. DD is now 16 wks and I am exclusively bf-ing, had to fight v hard like you not to be pushed onto formula. I have to be honest and say i still have a massive lack of confidence re bf-ing, but every time dd gains, even a little, it perks me up! we are now looking up at the 2nd centile, not quite on it, but almost!

and you will see from previous posts that there are lots of dinky babies out there, all perfectly healthy.

when dd got weighed this week, the HV said "goodness, and that's on bf-ing too" as if I was feeding her some inferior product! Grrr!

Good luck, you will get there! seeing the paediatrician really helped us, would that be an option for you? HV or GP can refer you?

Caz10 · 04/04/2008 16:29

oh and ILD that is great!! does your dw feel reassured?

dd is a whopping 11lbs now, I honestly thought we'd never make it to double figures. Met a baby today the same age but smaller, got v excited then learned she was 9wks premature!

vlc how is weaning going? can't wait till i can stuff dd full of fatty foods hee hee!

babymutha · 06/04/2008 15:56

hello all
can I join you too? my LO is 17 weeks and 10lb14 - picked up but then dropped through the centiles again. She was EBF but got soo little and dropped off the charts at 6 weeks and I got so scared that we topped up with formula - since then every time I try to go EBF again her weight tails off and the HVs start making various unhelpful noises, so still topping up. I've done the whole pumping/domperidon/galactagogs-a-go-go thang - eaten like a horse put on stacks of weight myself since giving birth, but still have the miniest baby in town.
Am feeding ALL the TIME or at least it seems like it some days.
DD is happy and smiley (when not teething), really strong and seems healthy, just mini. The HV wants me to start weaning on baby rice - but it seems TOO EARLY to me and I'm sure I've heard bad things about weaning early - does anyone know where can I get some sound weaning info? sorry - a massive missive.
thanks

Caz10 · 06/04/2008 17:24

Hi babymutha and welcome! need to rush right now - nappy! - but this might help:

WHO

and this: NHS

SparklyGothKat · 06/04/2008 17:49

hello all, Callum is now 12lb 2 at 28 weeks. you can see a pic of his chubbyness on my profile. We are back to Exclusive Bf.. no topups!!

Caz10 · 06/04/2008 18:00

aaaaaaaaaaaawwww! look at his chubby cheeks!! well done you! we're not topping up anymore either...although in a way 'tis not a good thing as now i can't get her to take a bottle in prep for me going back to work - wah!

AngeG · 06/04/2008 21:45

Hello

Welcome babymutha and sallyinyorkshire.

ILD - great about the appointment ]

SGC - Callum looks gorgeous! Fantastic about exclusive bf.

News from us. It was Izzy's 1st birthday on 4th. I can't believe it, where has the year gone? We had her weighed and she now weighs 17lbs 6oz. I was so relieved as she was 16lbs 5 weeks before that and hadn't put on any weight in 7 weeks (to be fair she had been ill but hv don't see that)

Some birthday photos on my profile if anyone wants to look.

rascal1979 · 06/04/2008 21:45

Hello just posted a thread then saw this one, my DD was born 9 wks prem and weighed just 2lb 1oz. She is exclusively breastfed and now at 16 weeks weighs jst 5lb 12oz....Has anyone's baby been this small ay 4mths old? People look at me and her as though we are freaks when I say how old sh eis

Feel that we are never gping to be out of the newborn stage. At best she is going to be around 9lb at 6mths old

Anyone offer any advice or support I'm gettign quite down about it all

AngeG · 06/04/2008 21:55

Hello Rascal.

Sorry you're feeling down. Just looked at your profile your DD is gorgeous. My DS was 6weeks prem and weighed 2lbs 10oz, but I didn't manage to bf after he left SCBU, so don't have any advice I'm afraid. Your are doing a fantastic job by exclusively breastfeeding! Are you getting support from HV/GP?

rascal1979 · 06/04/2008 22:28

Thanks AngeG

I'm getting great support from the two breast feeding grps that I go to and from my GP - HV is a bit hit and miss and I'm sure would prefer me to bottle feed.

babymutha · 07/04/2008 19:51

hello sally
I know exactly what you mean about self doubt - after I caved in to the ff (through sheer terror)I cried and cried - hormones??? bf??? felt like a total madwoman until DD was at least 8 weeks and between 8 and 12 weeks things started to calm down a bit. I feel totally confident in everything I'm doing until I go to the clinic then I go back to feeling like freak mother again. Some of the other mothers don't help either - not a lot of moral support from the 'our babies are fatter than yours' brigade.

babymutha · 07/04/2008 20:15

Caz - thanks for those links - I knew I'd read somewhere that babies shouldn't be weaned until 6 months. What is the HV on about! What is she basing her advice on? A desperate urge to conform with the growth charts or the overall health of my baby!

how can her advice be so at odds with the NHS guidelines and WHO?

SparklyGothKat · 08/04/2008 01:09

we are off to a Pead. appointment tomorrow, a checkup because he was prem. but with the same doctor who wanted me to stop BF so that will be very interesting

AngeG · 08/04/2008 08:03

Good luck for the appointment SGK. Let us know how you get on.

soremummy · 08/04/2008 12:47

Just a little update for you ... at 47 weeks old she now weighs 12lb 13 oz but is putting away 2 decent meals a day and is still being b/f. She got her first tooth 10 days ago and is now walking along the furniture has broken her cot mobile and has learned how to reach through the cot bars to swing on the bedroom curtains which when I tell her off for doing so she just shkes her head no. Hope all your lo's are doing ok.