Slow weight gain with IUGR baby

[Moancup]

Posting to see if anyone has had a similar experience.

DS had severe IUGR and came out at 36 weeks weighing 1.9kg. He’s now 14 weeks and 3.5kg. He’s gained weight consistently from approx 8 days but is slipping further behind the 0.4th percentile curve.

He’s mainly breastfed on demand. DP gives him a bedtime bottle so I can get some sleep and always supplements with formula if I haven’t pumped enough for DS’s needs that day. His feeds from the breast have been naturally spacing out. He’d take an hour and feed every 90 mins for the first few weeks. He’s probably now feeding in 30-40 minutes and going 2.5 hours between feeds on average. Sometimes he’ll have an enormous nap in the day and go 3-4 hours. He’s spacing out at night too and sleeps from 11ish to 3 or later without wanting to feed.

He’s very alert and extremely active. If he’s not feeding he’s wiggling constantly. He’s not a great napper and I do think he’s burning a large number of calories during the day.

98% of the time he feeds from both sides, drains the breast and seems satisfied when done. He’s still cluster feeding in the evenings. Lots of wet nappies but he did just go a week without pooing. The midwife in hospital said he had a great latch but no one has checked it since. He’s got a strong suck and I’ve never had any pain feeding.

I’m worried that I’m letting him down if I don’t introduce more consistent formula top ups. I don’t want to, partly because I worry it will end up substituting for breast milk if he doesn’t take more overall, and partly for daft emotional reasons. But I don’t want to hold him back because I’m being irrational.

I’m seeing the GP this week but interested in other people’s experiences. I feel I’ve read so many accounts of IUGR babies who start gaining rapidly and I worry that he’s not.

I had the exact same worries as you. My DD was born at 36 weeks, IUGR weighing 1.6kg. She also didn’t gain weight rapidly like I had read/heard and I was really worried (she was FF from birth).

She stayed around 2nd percentile until I started weaning her where she jumped to 25th. She’s 2.5 and weighs 11.6kg and still tiny compared to others her age but she’s doing absolutely fine.

I know it’s hard not to worry but the weight gain will come just try to enjoy him, I spent the first year of my DD’s life worrying and I lost out on so much.

Thanks for sharing. It’s so hard isn’t it when you read so many stories about tiny babies who were towering over their parents by about the age of 5.

After speaking to the GP and two breastfeeding specialists this week I’ve decided we’ll start formula top ups. He’s not getting enough calories in at the moment and I need to stop letting my vision of the way I wanted to feed him get in the way of his health.

Hi @Moancup , I appreciate this post is a few years old now but wondered how you and your LO was getting on? I’m in exactly the sam position, but my LG is now 8 months corrected and only 4.3kg :( xx

Hello, it’s hard isn’t it? I’d have to get his red book out to check exact weights and ages, but he remained underweight until he was well established on solids. Looking at photos I can see that at 8 months her will still swimming in age 3-6 month clothes.

I think I always thought solids were going to be what cracked it for him and we were lucky that he’s always been a good eater. But that said I found feeding him very stressful until about three months ago and would start spiralling if he had a fussy day or skipped some meals because of illness.

By 10-11 months he was still very short for his age but meaty. He started to lengthen out after 1. He’s still in younger age group clothes and a bit short but not worryingly so at around the 25th percentile. His weight is good so I’m still hoping he’ll lengthen out a bit more with time. He was discharged by the paediatrician at about 18 months and he was very pleased with his catch up growth.

My first husband was below average and my MIL tiny. Both our children were recorded as IUGR. They both stayed parallel but below the 0.4% line. Both now adult, perfectly healthy, slim, fit and well below average height.
As long as height and weight lines follow the same shape then I don't think that there's concern, but the Health Visitor or Community Nurse will be able to put your mind at rest.

@Moancup than you so much for your reply. I’m so pleased things have improved for your LO. The more positive stories I read like yours, the more comfort I feel. Like yours, mine is a good eater but the days where she’s not well or is having an “off day” seem to impact her far greater — she just doesn’t have the same reserves as others!

@ODFOx thanks for sharing your experience. We’re under paediatric and dietician care which has been great and we’re doing everything we can but it’s always a reassuring to hear from people that have overcome these challenges!

thank you both xx