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

Will have a proper read through everyone's posts later; am currently typing one-handed...

VLC - haven't been around much lately so havbe only just come acroos your threads.

From what I have read it appears to me that your baby is perfectly healthy but small.

Please stop weighing her because it is a vicious cicle. The more you weight the more anxious you get about poor weight gain. That in itself can have an inhibiting effect on milk production and effective feeding.

That said, to be honest it doesn't sound as though you do not have enough milk. Your baby just isn't a fast gainer.

I have 2 friends who have tint babies. One did not breastfeed long term until she had her 3rd baby. With the first 2 she changed to bottle feeding and the weight gain was the same.

Thesecond friend switched to formula with her second child and he actually ended up admitted and tested due to poor weight gain and guess what - he was perfectly healthy but small.

I answered your domperidone question and it will do no harm to try it if you want but I suspectit will not make a difference.

Your little DD is just that - little

My 4th baby was half the size of her brothers and I was badgered by the HV to start solids because her weight gain was slow. I got her weighed less ofetn than her brothers but I liked to compare by baby's weight charts (how ill informed was I then).

I stuck to my guns and started solids at 6 months. Didn't make a difference. She still gained slowly.

Your baby has been reviewed and is healthy.

Put aweay the scales and don't weigh her again at least for 2 months (if at all).

Enjoy her - you are doing an excellent job

Thanks for the help Mears, I was hoping you'd see the dompreidone question.

I'm pretty sure that you're right about my supply being OK, and babycarrot just being tiny. Only that just after we got back from the paediatrician thinking everything was hunkydory, didn't the little pixie decide not to gain anything for three weeks, having consistently put on 2-3 ounces every week prior to that. So off I go on a collywobble trip again...

I spoke to the lactation specialist in baby cafe about the domperidone, and she agreed it was worth trying in light of the weight plateau. (I've since been reading that it's not uncomon for weght to plateau at this age)
Babycarrot's weight also seemed striking as I sat next to my pal whose newborn son weighed more than my 15 weeker!

So really, having tried everything else, I just thought it wouldn't hurt to try this as well.

I plan to pop a bottle of bubbly when she reaches 9lb.

Pop the bubbly now - alcohol is great for letdown

Seriously you deserve a medal for your perseverance.

Try the domperidone and see what happens - it will do no harm.

Is your DD an active wee thing who uses up a lot of calories? She maybe uses up a lot of what she gets in. Also make sure she is nice and warm - babies use calories up when maintaining temperature. Try an extra cardigan

Hi, just thought I'd add to the sleep study DS sleeps very little during the day, but quite well at night. In fact he sleeps even less since becoming active, usually 20 minutes x 3 times (am assuming this is not much for a 6mo, tell me if it's a lot).
Genetically, well...I am not petite

Thats about the most we get SPB and thats nearly always while attached to me or in the trolley or car seat, strangely he doesnt seem to sleep in the pushchair very often but that could just be to do with timing. He did just have 40 mins on my bed upstairs after falling asleep feeding and i was able to sneak off and leave him but thats only the 2nd time ever!

Pesha, that's so funny to read about the exhilaration of being able to sneak off and leave the baby sleeping unassisted !!!!!!

I too have rejoiced on the infrequent occasions I've been able to do this (can count them on one hand). Perversely, I end up anxiously listening out for any squeak as I'm so unused to being detached from her.

And Mears, I suppose she is fairly active - she's not a placid baby by any means! And have used your point re wrapping up warm to justify my adding some cheeky little items to her winter wardrobe today whilst out shopping... cutiebabycarrot is toasty warm.

Hi all

Like daisy I just wanted to pop on here and offer my support. DD is a tiddler on the 9th centile, but has always followed her line, but I know what it is like to have bfing probs and pressure from people to give up. Good luck to all of you, and if you are are bfing (I assume you all are if you are having weight gain 'problems') just look at your LO what ever size they are and be proud that you have nurtured and made every inch of them

Oops, just read down a bit at fooshes post and realised that some people still have slow weight gaining babies while FF so hope I didn't offend anyone with my last post . I hope everyone who needs it is finding support from this thread. As mothers we all face the same battles, and beat ourselves with some stick or another.

hi bumper!!

speaking of being beaten with big sticks i notice you have a christmas name

hello ladies - can i join?

my lad is 5 weeks old and has dropped from 50th to 2nd line, only putting on 4 ouces (weight was static for weeks)

its all been a bit complicated and compounded by the fact cmv was detected in his urine following routine testing for prolonged jaundice. Lots of pressure to top up so am now doing that using ebm and formula. He\appears to be healthy and well- is alert and active and all tests following detection of cmv have come back clear / normal. Jaundice was not connected to the infection.

Often he doesn't bf that great. Tends to fall asleep at boob but drinks really well from medela softcup i've been using. Also think my supply has been a bit affected by all the stress and anxiety. Hoping that he puts on some pies and i can resume exclusive bfing

Hi ejb!
All sounds very stressful (sorry, what is cmv?)
Glad he is otherwise healthy and well, hope you can get the bf sorted

Hi ejb, sounds all very worrying. Hope you are OK. What did he weigh when he was born?

cmv - cytomeglavirus. Pretty harmless infection for most people but can cause lots of damage to developing baby during pg if mother does not have immunity to it. Dunno whether i had immunity or not yet; if not then he contracted it v late in pg or shortly after birth cos he has no clinical signs of it.

I know breastmilk is absolutly the best thing for him now - infection can also lead to deafness in newborns so all the antibodies i can give him the better- but am also desperate for him to gain weight- though of course he might have had this weight issue without the infection - difficult to know

birthweight was 7lb 6 oz

Hello again,

Welcome to all new people... isn't it amazing how many people's los have weight gain "problems"... it's almost as if the growth charts might not be the be all and end all after all...

Pesha / VLC lol at independent sleep... it took ages before babymossy would sleep independently; he still only does this in the evening for about three or four hours... although that's the time I need it most I suppose.

Mears I will try putting an extra cardi on babymossy, I hadn't thought about that!!

Ejb how much are you topping up with? It sounds like you are thinking of phasing out the top ups?

SPB, yes about three lots of twenty minutes is the usual for ds except in the last week or so; dh has been off work and takes babymossy for a sleep on the rocking chair; ds has been doing an hour here and there; yesterday even did an hour and a half

So what I need when he goes back to work (he is off sick) is someone to come and do an hour's worth of housework so I can spend this time holding babymossy while he sleeps....

Hello everyone!
I think easy-going, 2nd or subsequent babies can often put weight on more slowly because they could actually eat more but they don't make a fuss and Mum is busy with the older children. I think this is what happened with my 2nd.
Both of mine were small at birth (5 lb 13 oz) and were breastfed, with supplementary bottle feeding introduced at 6 weeks and 4 months respectively. My first is now nearly 4 and tall and slim for her age! She is lively, intelligent, well behaved and and enjoying her preschool! So no problems there.
My second (now 5 months) was also born on the 9th centile but droppped off the bottom of the chart between 2 and 3 months of age. This was a worrynig time but I think I worried unnecessarily. She is on the 25th centile for length and is developing well for her age, cooing, picking things up, rolling around on the floor etc. Her weight gain is picking up now that she is 50/50 breast and bottle.
She is a very content, easy going baby and I think in the early days she got fed less than she could take because she hardly ever cried! I was also busy with my 3 year old and so the baby often had to wait for a feed. I tried to feed her more often and I think that helped. I have to say the formula has also helped increase her weight. But if I had carried on exclusively breastfeeding I think she would still be healthy, if a bit thinner.
So if your baby doesn't cry it doesn't necessarily mean he/she couldn't manage a bit more milk, they have just learned to fit in with the rest of the family, which is great, but perhaps you could squeeze in one or two more feeds during the day?

Hi Lulushmulu...

I think that might be the case with easygoing babies... squeeze in a few more feeds!

... only trouble is, babymossy is anything but easy going... if he is hungry he will grab at my chest, he has learned to "sign" for milk now and does this regularly...

I am just trying not to worry any more... not easy though!

my son is 8 months old and according to the charts he is under in everything. in weight he is in the 9th centile, length he is in the 2nd centil and head circ he is below the lowest line so in the 04th centile. the hv had me worried saying he had a small head which threw me into a blind panic. but like someone pointed out earlier the charts are not the be all and end all. my son is doing his milestones and so what if he is small, he is perfectly normal! so ladies do not take too much notice if your baby seems fine apart from a littel smaller than the usual. my son is bf, i have been told that the reason for his lack of growth is becasue i have poor quality bm! no, i think it has more to do with the fact that both his parents are small in frame of average height!

God, what a wonderful thread!!!!!

Lulu, I really do think you have a point there re 2nd babies being "fitted" in with the others. Also, my dd1 keeps distracting dd2 when I am trying to feed her which doesn't help matters.

My dd2 weighed 6 11 at birth and was on the 25th centile but has slowed down and is now hovering above the 9th. She is incredibly happy, sleeps fab etc etc. but I was worrying as she was only averaging 3 ounces a week. The HV was saying to come back every 2 weeks.

Saw my GP today and the basically said it was a load of bollocks and not to go back for 2 MONTHS!

My worry was/is still to a degree that her poo is always green ( she is formula fed ) and smells like stewed rhubarb (sorry tmi) and this can be a sign of stuff going through the digestive system too quickly. However again the GP just said, some people have slow systems, some have quick. And it isn't like she is pooing as soon as she is fed.

So, my mind has been put at ease.

I really hope that everyone can get some answers, or have their minds put at rest like I have today.

Great thread. Thank you.

I think FF babies have a light green poo, whereas BF are mustard coloured IME.

Definately agree with subsequent children being less demanding as babies. Certainly doesn't help when feeding on demand, as my LO just doesn't demand it. And there's always something else to get done. I've been aiming for 2 hourly feeds (setting the alarm on my mobile phone helps) and expressing after each feed. Then using the expressed hind milk to top up in the evening.

I have doubted whether its been worth all the effort this week and wondering if I have just made life much harder for myself. We are co-sleeping so she is feeding in the night too.

But I had her weighed today and she has gained 6oz. The biggest gain yet. We are still being referred to the paediatrician, and going back next week for another weigh-in. Am so delighted with this weeks progress and I've such a sense of achievement.

I'm pleased I didn't let the HV scare me into going against my instincts. Isn't there a better way of saying "failure to thrive" when they obviously aren't?

Foxy the paediatrician told me its now referred to as Faltering Growth!

I have to say although it possibly is in some cases that the mum has less time to feed on demand when there are older siblings this isn't always so. I found it hugely frustrating when the hvs were constantly going on at me to rest and saying in their best patronising voices 'oh it must be so hard to find the time to sit down and feed with older dcs'. It wasn't that hard, dd was at school, ds1 was at playschool every morning and in the afternoon was always tired so would have sit down on the sofa having cuddles and watching tv time. Dp works nights so would be up about 3 pm and usually did dinner and my house was an absolute tip!! D fed for 1-2 hours or so every morning (although this usually included a short nap), 1-2 hours after lunch, 1-2 hours at tea time, 2-3 hours before bed and for the first 4 months every 3-4 hours through the night if not more. And a good 2 hours before we got up in the morning too. The first 3 months if we went anywhere chances were he was in the sling bfing. I really dont think I could have fed him more.

This isnt directed at you btw lulu I think you have a valid point, it just reminded me how frustrated I was by hvs assuming that was the case regardless of what i said iyswim.

I think that every case has its contributing factors, but at the end of the day the 'professionals' don't seem to take into account they may well just be small. It is massively frustrating.

I'm sure we'll go to the paediatrician who will say "does she sleep?" "Is she happy?" etc etc and then "she's fine"!!!

Thanks Pesha for linking this for me!

This is a great idea for a thread

My Story

My DD was 6lbs 12oz born (25th centile)
She is now 31 weeks and weighed today 13lbs 14oz. She is now between the 2nd and the 0.4th centile. She has never lost weight, but has from about 3/4 months 'fallen through the centiles' Averaged out over the 31 weeks she has gained 3.5oz per week.

HV concerned because of the centile drop in weight and that her length is just under the 50th centile meaning there are over 3 centiles difference between her weight and length...apparently this is not allowed according to their guidelines so she wants me to go to the GP.

I'd already spoken to GP about it and she wasn't concerned and told me to tell HV that, but HV still insisting I go back.

I am 4ft 11 and pre pregnancies weighed about 7 stone...so am not huge, DH also not that big. Why oh why can't HVs look at the big picture?

I'm not worried about DD until I have her weighed and HV worries me. She doesn't look skinny to me although she is petite IYSWIM. I don't really want to stop having her weighed as I like to know, just don't need the stress!

Anyway sorry I've waffled on enough. Nice that we can all support each other.