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

[FireworksScareMossyPets]

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

I think that is the case... but don't think there's any other way to give her extra milk, is there? Bottles or lactation aid? Hmm...

well absolutely. unless you can manage cup feeding (we did for a while then I stopped bothering!)

e14mum, this might be worth posting for very specific advice from tiktok, or ringing one of the bf helplines. I don't know much about supplementation, so can't advise you properly, but if you are increasing the supplements, not decreasing them, I'd be worried that this is going to affect your supply in the wrong direction.

However, from what you say, I want to just mention that your feeds tend to be spaced pretty widely apart, especially if you are trying to build your supply up. I'd really advise you to try to increase the number of feeds (I know this is probably not what you want to hear, sorry!) At this stage, feeding every two hours or even more frequently is totally normal. Long gaps between feeds will cause your supply to diminish, and 3 to 4 hours between feeds is a long time in such a young baby, especially a slow gainer.

How many times are you feeding in a 24 hour period? I'd aim for at least 12 times - but more if you can manage it.

Are you able to do a babymoon? Go to bed with the baby for a couple of days, strip off, get someone to wait on you hand and foot (!) and do NOTHING except feed the baby at every squeak.

You mention you are taking domperidone - this will work well only if milk is being removed frequently from the breasts.

Please do get your supplementation advice checked out by an expert. Just to be sure that you've been given sound advice.

Sorry if that sounds worrying - I just want you to be able to make sure you have the best chance of reducing the supplements and increasing the breastfeeding (if that's what you want, of course!)

thanks vlc. I think we've fallen into a bad cycle, as she is demanding more, won't nurse as gets too frustrated and then eats the supplement (or screams otherwise) and goes longer between a feed. I have tried a babymoon, have tried nursing every 2 hours, and she was still losing weight. I do try to express between feeds, ie if she is going 3.5 hours I try to express after 2.
I am seeing a bfc who is very helpful. Just wondering if there was anyone with anecdotal advice out there too!

Good luck e14mum! It may all sort itself out as she puts on more weight and gets bigger and stronger. I think this is happening now with ds, thanks to domperidone and time!

Hi all - been having net connection difficulties. E14 mum - my only anecdotal advice is that when LO was between 2-8 weeks my life was a misery - she didn't regain her birth weight til 41 days and kept gaining and losing and bf was a constant cycle of crying, pulling off, nipple abuse, top-ups and sleeplessness. Then around 7 weeks a friend showed me how to co-sleep and feed using a bf-cushion and slowly things started to improve, More sleep, meant more perspective, I decided I NEEDED to leave the house for everyone's sanity and that constant feed, express, feed, cry cycle wasn't doing anyone any good. I limited the top-ups to 3oz because I was v scared of milk drying up altogether - on the one occassion DH gave her 6 oz she wasn't interested in feeding from me for about 5 hours and things got v sticky. Like you considered chucking in the towel on MANY occasions - good luck with that. As vlc says, milky self-doubt. Now (20wks) she still gets a max of 3oz top up and very rarely takes more than 1-2oz. VLC I know what you mean about maybe she's just wired that way, but looking back at the pictures when she was about 5/6 wks she was a starved baby, all cheek bones and ribs v upsetting. I trust the bfc, she really seems to know her stuff, and my PCOS has really stuffed up my hormones so wouldn't be surprised if it's stuffed up my bf too. It's fantastic the little carrot is doing so well-with all the ap and high cal weaning. Well done for sticking with everything. We should all come back here in 5 years time and see how they're all doing...

Hrmppph. For the last two weeks DD has seriously upped the amount of milk she's been asking for. Like, upwards of 10 feeds in 24 hours (including several in the night, when she had been sleeping through!).

So it was with much excitement that we took her to get weighed today, quite sure that she was looking chubbier and feeling heavier and... predictably, she had only put on 3oz in 2 weeks Now 9lb 16oz at 22 weeks (we were hoping to cross the magic 10lb barrier this week)

So where is she putting it?!!!

Normally we'd be really down, but actually, DW and I really aren't that bothered about it this time. I think having the paed previous tell us she was fine, and actively warning us against supplementing or weaning-early has helped amazingly - and the fact that she is really alert and developmentally where she should be means we can't be too concerned about her dinkiness. I mean she's 2nd centile for head and length too, so she is just dinky all round really!

Still, 4 weeks to go till we can introduce her to the wonderful world of solids - can't wait! Now we just have to not crack before then!

Can I join in this thread too?! Such a relief to hear other stories.

I'm taking Ds for a paediatric assessment today, as he's 4 weeks and still not regained his birthweight.

He's a bonny baby, choochy, and bright as a button, but his weight gain's now static.

HV has said she needs to tick the box and get him checked, as he's low on the charts.

I am hoping he'll pass the test with flying colours, so we can just get on with bf. I guess the test'll help put our minds at rest that he really is okay, as our instincts tell us he is.

I just think that somewhere out there is a really fat little baby sitting at the other end of the chart. Without them and babies like ours, the 'average' these charts are based on wouldn't exist.

I appreciate it's all in the namme of making sure babies arehealthy and well, but in the first flush of motherhood the pressure of weighing in, inline with a chart adds one hell of a worry to already fragile times.

Welcome decaff and good luck for the paeds assessment.
I love that word "choochy" but not sure what it means!

Have posted a few pics of ds on my profile.

ILD - 9lb 16 IS 10lb

ILD - 9lb 16 IS 10lb

well spotted VLC!!

welcome decaff and good luck - when is your apt?

Indeed . DW pointed this out to me earlier on this evening (with rather too much glee for my liking).

Her weight is actually 9lb 15oz, which makes more sense! ;)

Hi all, Callum is doing great!! He is now 38 weeks and weighes 13lb 8oz. He is dropping back towards the 0.4th, which is what I expected after stopping the high energy formula a few months back, but he is BF still, with the odd bottle of 'normal' formula (he is very stubborn and refuses to feed sometimes) and is on solids now. The consultant wanted me to 'increase his solids to increase his weight' I laughed.. and that isn't happening, because I can't force food into him..
I believe that Callum was always going to be small and that the HCPs couldn't see that..

oh and I have been asked to train as a 'BF Peer supporter' by the BF HV

whoops he isn't 38 weeks old he is 31 weeks I saw the 31 weeks and thought it was his corrected age..

Hello thought I would pop in and see what happens on this thread as my DD is 16 weeks and weighs 10lbs 5, whereas her twin brother weighs over 14lbs and eats twice as much as her. She just wont take as much milk and is growing slowly (they were only 8oz different at birth).

Are any of you formula feeding? Can I ask how much your LOs take? We are fully formula feeding and she takes only about 550ml per day (twin bro takes about 1000ml and only has 4 feeds compared to her 5 or 6).

Any advice?

Forgot to say, DD is now below 2nd centile, but has only ever been as high as 9th.

Hello! The mini-muggle managed to stamp all over 14lb at 38 weeks. He's been referred to a dietician though, which is slightly not good.

thanks sallyforth for pointing me in the direction of this thread, just sittin here in tears of relief that im not the only one!

hi all
my baby was 8lb 1 oz born and is now 9lb 13oz at 13wks. she regained birth weight by end of 3rd wk, then 7oz the next, then slowed down to currently 2oz a fortnite. gp advised formula couple wks ago but i ignored it cos she seems well. if she doest put on 3oz by weigh in this wk she is going to drop below 0.4th centile (on 50th at birth ) and think h.v will want me to give formula.
had similar thing with last baby, had to supplement with formula from 6wks cos hadnt regained birth weight and was bit dehydrated, she then slowly gained weight,and i carried on mixed feeding. but wasnt til started solids at 6mnths that she really gained and now at 3 is big for her age!
i always felt that id failed with the bf and was determined to get it right this time, so been gettin so stressed about it. until now i hadnt come across anyone with similar experience , have stopped goin to bf support group cos it was just reinforcing to me that it was jut me, as all other babies were piling on the weight!
been trying breast compression for last wk but unsure whether im doing it right and considering asking gp for domperidone.

Hi figgis. You are certainly not the only one!!! It does sound like we are at pretty much the same stage, except I am already on fenugreek+domperidone and have had phases of giving formula as well. So well done you for sticking to your guns re bf. I am currently feeding him breastmilk only, so if you do end up giving a bit of formula please don't feel bad about it. It is NOT a failure!!! To hear some people (eg LLL) talk, you would think formula was Teh Big Evil. It's easy to think about it in such a black and white way but it's not really like that, every mum has to make her own decision. And a lot of the mums at bf support group do secretly give a few bottles of formula so maybe thats why some of their babies are so chubby!

Hi Egg, my lo also takes small frequent feeds (wayyyy more than 6/day ) and he isn't that great at taking more than 90-120ml at a time from the bottle (only has 2 bottles/day). I think he has a bit of "silent reflux" but trouble is he doesnt like the taste of gaviscon! You can mix it in with formula though so you may have more luck than me with that.

Last week, according to my internet cheapie baby scales, LO gained 160g (just over 5oz) so domperidone seems to be working ok so far.

He STILL has loose skin over his arms though. Wherever the weight's going, it's not going there!!

hi sallyforth
ive just started domperidone today, how long did it take to work?

For me it worked within 48 hours, but I've heard it can take 2 weeks for the maximum effect. It helps if you also pump like mad I think ...

Hi all,

Well if our little acorn didn't just go and surprise us. After the 2oz/3oz gain in the previous fortnight (before the last weighing), we weren't hopeful, but were just eager to get to the magic 26 week mark so that we could start solids. I was expecting another 2oz for this fortnight, to be honest.

What I wasn't expecting was a WHOPPING 12OZ! She's been waking more in the night and requesting feeds like anything - and there has been a marked decrease in her level of vomitage recently, so that must have made the difference, but either way we are so happy!

So, with 2 weeks to go till Solids Day?, and at 24 weeks old, our little cutie is now 10oz 11oz.

We have champagne in the fridge right now, waiting to crack it open when we hit the magic 26 months mark. I'm so extremely proud of my DW for making it this far feeding DD on just mummy-milk alone - and I hope she can keep doing it for as long as she wants!

(that said, I look forward to being able to help out with the feeding soon, too!)

Yay! Very happy, etc.

Hi all. Just a quick update. Out lo was one on sunday and she weighed 13lb 1.5oz on Tuesday, again I got the looks and the shaking of the head I am now feeling that despite what everyone says about b/f that I might just give up and ff in the hope that she will weight gain. She never got on the .4th centile and now if you look at 52weeks in a red book you can see how far down the line/off the scale she is