bf & not gaining weight

[flix]

my dd 4 mths is fully bf and has not been putting on much weight, only 2 ounces this week and has only been putting on 3-4 previous couple of weeks. I feed on demand and she'll have 5-6 feeds a day with a big break overnight from 7.30pm to 3-5 am. Am getting worried even though she seems satisfied.

have you spoken to your hv? Hopefully she is the friendly helpful sort. If your dd is gaining weight then you probably have nothing to worry about. Can you see that she is growing? My dt1 is quite a wee thing and she gains weight slowly, but she does gain weight. Talk it over with your hv, I'm sure that she'll calm your fears. hth

She's gaining weight? She is healthy, alert and happy? Then she's fine. Someone like Tiktok (a breastfeeding counsellor) will probably be along to reassure you soon, but really, she sounds totally great to me. I suspect your HV will be as likely to tell you a load of rubbish (eg: put her on formula) as be sensible and reassuring, if the experience of most Mumsnetters is anything to go by!

Personally, I'd stop getting her weighed! I think the HV's scales are the cause of so much pointless anxiety.

And another thing!!! At four months she may well be getting more active - moving about a lot more, which will mean that her weight gain will slow down naturally. This is not a bad thing.

agree with aloha. Much better answer than mine.

Flix - I would agree with Aloha and say stop getting her weighed. Is she seems satisfied, is peeing and pooing, looks well then avoid the scales. They do nothing but increase anxiety IMO.

HV has not been there last two visits so haven't spoken to one yet. Can I change my diet to help? Also I have stopped feeding lying down at night due to cricked neck and arm going numb cause she's bigger and my R) breast is sore and lumpy on the sternum side any advice on how to clear it up?

No advice really on lumpy breast (Mears or Tiktok are your women) but really, I honestly don't think you - or your dd -have any sort of problem. Therefore there is nothing to fix. Your diet won't make any difference and your milk is fine.

No need to change diet at all. Slower weight gain at this age is perfectly normal as baby becomes more active using more calories.

When feeding on side where lumps are, massage them dowm towards the nipple. Using a plastic com can help massage the lumps. Also changing position for feeding can help drain areas of the breast where the milk has not drained so well.

comb not com. And I echo what Aloha says, your milk is just fine.

thanks the reassurance helps

Hope you are really and truly reassured, flix.

There is nothing wrong with your baby or her weight. There is nothing wrong with your milk. You don't have a problem, so there is no need to think about what you could do to 'solve' it

Been there too, flix. My dd gained very slowly, and barely gained at all for about a month IIRC from about 4m old. Dear wonderful HV encouraged and supported me to keep going with breastfeeding and not to start solids. Like others have said, as long as the baby is gaining, however slowly, has plenty of wet nappies and sufficient pooey ones, is happy, alert and developing, then she is fine. I tried to get dd to feed more for a week or so, it had no effect on her weight-gain and just annoyed both of us. I did take to topping her up last thing at night with 3-4oz of formula after the feed, because then we both had a better night and she fed only once. I know that some will say that if the baby needs to feed more at night then you should let her, but I needed my sleep. Some children just gain at their own rate and in their own pattern - I guess they didn't read the little red book!

Forgot to mention that the little monster is now 91st centile for both height and weight, so her slow start certainly didn't do her any harm. Put the red book away and don't look at it, just look at your dd .

I bf dd until 23 weeks and we had the same thing. She gained about 4oz a week until 10 weeks and from there on only gained 1 oz per week. I was lucky to have a supportive hv who told me not to worry and that as long as dd was happy alert and not crying for food then she was fine. We dropped from 50th to 25th centile only now is she starting to get back to 50th and were on solids, bf and formula. Looking at me and dp were both slim so I supose shes just following us.
I know its easy to say but try not to worry. If shes happy then shes ok. I have stopped weighing her so much now and I very rarely think about her weight now. Overweighing causes too much worry.

My DD2 gains weight slowly, and she is bottlefed. Some babies just do gain slowly. I worry all the time, as she only follows between the 9th and 25th centile on her chart, whereas her older sister who was breastfed for 6 months was following the 75th. HV keeps saying that she is perfectly healthy and strong, just petite. She is following the same line that she was born on, just dipping every now and again. HV says that if she could burn the charts she would because they cause so much worry.

even though dd is not piling on the weight she is a happy baby who is alert, loves playing under her baby gym and is starting to get chatty. So yes I shouldn't worry so much but can't help it sometimes. 1st time Mum.

All my babies were slow gainers (one formula fed, three breastfed) but they were all happy little things. I recently found some baby pictures of them and was amazed at how plump they looked, esp the girls!! All my worrying was for nought. Enjoy your baby, Flix.