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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

4 month old bf son has slipped down growth chart

15 replies

SebbysMum · 17/04/2008 19:50

My son, who is exclusively bf has gone from 25th centile to 9th centile on the growth chart over the last 8 weeks. I've been very relaxed (maybe too relaxed) about weighing him assuming all is fine because he seems so well. Today was the first time he was weighed in almost 8 weeks. I wasn't surprised to see he's small but the change worries me a bit. The GP suggested weighing him again in a couple of weeks.

Should I be concerned? Any experience of similar? Could it be that I'm not feeding him enough or even that there's not enough milk for his needs? He doesn't seem dissatisfied though he has been spending longer on the breast lately.

Any tips?

OP posts:
wrinklytum · 17/04/2008 19:52

As long as he is happy and feeding plenty do not worry,he will be fine.Charts based on FF babies IIRC

avenanap · 17/04/2008 19:57

These charts are made for bottle fed babies, not breast fed. Sometimes they do lose weight, it's not because you are doing anything wrong, it's just the way things are. Re-weighing is standard practice, sometimes the scales are faulty, sometimes it helps to use the same ones. Your body produces all the milk he needs, as he sucks, the sensation sends messages to your brain, the messages are sent to the milk ducts and more milk is made. How often does he feed? Does he fall asleep half way through? Are your breasts always full?

Seona1973 · 17/04/2008 20:01

the charts are apparently based on babies fed in all different manners e.g. breast, formula, mix fed, etc rather than just formula fed. Has your lo been putting on some weight (i.e. not losing it) even if only a small amount at a time?

cmotdibbler · 17/04/2008 20:05

Actually, the charts used in this country aren't for ff babies, they are from a group of babies whose feeding wasn't differentiated - so some are bf, some ff, some mix fed.
But bf babies do tend to gain faster to begin with and then flatten off.

Is he happy, active, weeing and pooing enough ? If so, he's almost undoubtedly getting enough milk.

Original poster
SebbysMum · 17/04/2008 20:32

He feeds about 7 times a day and normally stays awake. I don't believe he's lost weight but I have no way of knowing what has happened over last few weeks. He is happy and active, wees lots and poos a couple of times a week.

My breasts don't feel particularly full and lately they've felt quite empty towards the end of the day. I've put this down to the fact that he has recently changed from taking one side only to both sides at a time at some of his feeds but this is a probably a bit of a chicken and egg question.

OP posts:
cmotdibbler · 17/04/2008 20:35

At 4 months, your supply has settled right down, and most people don't feel full, apart from if they get a long break at night.

If you're worried, try offering both breasts at all feeds, and maybe trying to get an extra feed in - but it sounds like he's feeding plenty already.

littledibbersmum · 17/04/2008 20:38

My son who has been happily plodding along the 25th has just dipped to just above the 9th, the HV was not bothered about it so I didnt really worry. He is a mostly BF chap with a little formula once a day and he is 4 and a half months old, so very similar to your boy. He is super active at the moment so I put it down to that, although I have been a bit of a snacky eater recently so am trying to eat a bit better. Also he is always falling asleep on the breast I spend ages feeding him at the moment and am constantly tickling his ears etc to try to get him to take a good feed. But other than that he seems very chipper and wees, poos and smiles lots.

kittywise · 17/04/2008 20:48

Ds3 is 12 months . He was born on 91st centile and has been free falling down to the 9th over the past year. The HV is going bonkers. I'm trying to fend her off.
I really wouldn't worry

Caz10 · 17/04/2008 20:54

some good advice and support here

Original poster
SebbysMum · 17/04/2008 22:20

I'm very grateful for the link Caz10 - thank you, very useful

OP posts:
Sabire · 17/04/2008 22:31

~The charts are based on average growth rates of a representative sample of babies. As the majority of babies in the UK over 2 weeks are ff or mixed fed the charts reflect the growth patterns of a predominantly ff and mf population.

Now - how's this for a spectacular slide down the growth charts: my second started in the 99th centile (10lbs 12oz at birth) and ended up in the second to bottom centile over the course of his first year. He was completely healthy, never had formula and is just a very small child. I never saw my hv or my doctor as my child was perfectly healthy.

emma1977 · 17/04/2008 22:43

Don't worry- sounds totally normal.

kittywise · 17/04/2008 22:56

My Hv, who has become recently quite deranged it seems, told me today( when I asked if she had any BF growth charts) that she did but didn't think they were helpful they weren't representative of different cultures and how their babies grew.
For example Asian babies were smaller than most white babies. She said that in the shops now there were size 6-8 clothes because of smaller people, like Asians
She used to be such a sensible person. I reckon she's going through a crisis of sorts .

tiktok · 17/04/2008 23:37

kitty - she is seriously mad! The WHO breastfed baby charts show no ethnic differences at all - the samples were deliberately taken from different centres all over the world.

The WHO charts are not that different from standard UK charts in the first months (which as is explained here are not 'bottle fed' charts but undifferentiated).

Your baby is prob fine, but if you think he needs to grow more, then just offer more feeds

tiktok · 17/04/2008 23:37

Last sentence aimed at OP, not kitty.

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