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Infant feeding

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

8mo slowly dropping centiles

9 replies

TBC45678 · 22/07/2022 19:05

Hi, my HV isn't being very helpful so I thought I'd ask here... For context, my baby was born unexpectedly large (9lb 11oz - 91st centile). I say unexpected as my first baby was small, only 6lb 11oz (9th centile, has stayed that way) and I am very slim, my husband is not big or tall either.

He gained weight fine but dropped to 75th centile by 8 weeks, and has stayed 75th until now. In the last month he's gained no weight, so is dropping below 75th line, but not down onto the 50th line yet.

He's been slow to start with weaning, won't spoon feed so it's all baby led and he's a bit hit and miss. But always been keen on breastfeeding and also has a bottle of formula a day, more when I'm at work. I feel confident that he's getting enough milk, but maybe not solids. He's active, commando crawling a lot, generally happy (though a bit grumpy in the morning and at bedtime). Hitting milestones etc.

My instinct is that he's fine, and that he was born too big and is 'catching down', but is that a thing? Has anyone had babies who've done something similar? My HV just says he needs to eat more solids, but I can't force feed him. He eats two meals a day, eg. Salmon and potatoes, Dahl and eggs, sardines and tomatoes, shreddies and fruit etc. He's often quite constipated and has been prescribed lactulose which I give him when he's not pooed in a while. It upsets him and makes him strain painfully so I don't like to give it every day.

Sorry for the long message!

OP posts:
mdh2020 · 22/07/2022 19:44

GD was born in 95th percentile for height and weight, Has ended up very slim and average height.If your baby is healthy and happy I wouldn’t worry. Just enjoy him.

TBC45678 · 22/07/2022 19:46

@mdh2020 thanks for your message! You're right, I am stressing about this instead of just enjoying that he's a happy healthy baby. My husband said the same to me today!

OP posts:
GuidingSpirit · 22/07/2022 20:05

My DD was the opposite (below 0.4th centile 😣) but her neonatologist said there might be a natural drop off with weight gain after weaning whilst they balance out solids and milk, plus it coincides with being much more active / crawling / bum shuffling etc. Then it starts to shoot up again until they start walking when it plateaus a bit again. Maybe just keep offering lots of different solids (i gave DD a lot of cream cheese and greek yoghurt options to get her up the curves 🤣) and if he has dropped again next month, then push a bit more with the HV.

I think babies start to find their natural line at this point - my DD is 75th centile for length and at 13months has just reached 50th centile for weight (although she isn't yet walking), which seems more proportional. How is your DS for length?

CantaloupeMelon · 22/07/2022 20:08

My DS1 was born on the 75th percentile and gradually dropped to the 25th. I found it hard not to worry, but he was healthy in every other way and I agree with you that he was born "too big" and was readjusting. He's now 16yo and still skinny, but very active and healthy.

TBC45678 · 22/07/2022 20:26

Thanks @GuidingSpirit , I'm glad you've managed to get your daughter up the curves! That's really useful info, he's definitely wayyyy more active in the past month with commando crawling, so it would make sense he's lost some of his chub. Measured him carefully today and he's a little over the 75th centile for length.

@CantaloupeMelon glad to hear that! This is my instinct too - it was honestly such a shock when he was born so big, none of the midwives could believe it! It would be quite strange to have a giant child in our relatively small person family.

OP posts:
Eixample · 22/07/2022 20:37

My son went from the 96th centile to the 70th over a few months at a similar age. The doctor said to me ‘if I only look at the computer, he’s got a problem, if I only look at him I think he’s a perfectly healthy baby.’ Several years later and she was right. He settled at 70 and has been fine ever since.

PinkPlantCase · 22/07/2022 20:50

Our DS didn’t gain much weight at all between 7 months and 11 months. Just maintained really.

He dropped some percentiles but was around 97th at 7 months!

He was breastfeed and I think he was just evening out, he gained weight really rapidly early on so it made sense that he needed to slow down at some point. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

TBC45678 · 23/07/2022 12:01

Thanks everyone for your messages, they've made me feel much better. I'll try to stop worrying now!

OP posts:
ArcticRoll2 · 23/07/2022 12:14

I wouldn’t worry if he is healthy. He’s probably moving a lot more now so burning the calories more than before.

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