No weight gain 7month old ds

[rozzyraspberry]

After a really good start where ds went from his birth weight of 8lbs 3 to 17lbs 5 by the time he was 6 months I had a break from having him weighed. Went to clinic this morning for the first time in 6 weeks and he is exactly the same as he was 6 weeks ago - has not even gained 1g.

HV said I should not be feeding him in the night and I should only be feeding him in the morning, before bed and once during the day.

He generally has 4 bf during the day and usually one at night, as well as 3 solid meals. I think he eats a reasonable amount of solids and never completely finishes his meals so I'm happy I'm offering him enough. He's as bright as a button and content during feeds. In the last month he's started sleeping much longer in the night and will happily go from 7pm to 4/5am.

My lovely HV has left and this morning was the first time I'd met my new one. Wasn't that impressed with her so now feel I don't have anywhere to go for advice. This is my third child and the longest I've bf for and really feel as if my confidence has been really dented.

Anyone else been in a similar position? Any advice would be gratefully received.

Rozzy, it's a real shame you feel your confidence has been affected.

This sort of weight pattern can be perfectly physiological, especially in a breastfed baby whose weight gain slows after the first 6 mths, and may well plateau.

I am puzzled that your HV thinks the best way to respond to this is to breastfeed less - what on earth is she intending to happen? Feeding according to what your healthy baby seems to ask for and need is sensible, and most breastfed babies of this age tend to feed rather more than 4 times in 24 hours...I think she is confusing him with a formula fed baby who might well have 3 bottles in 24 hours.

You could perhaps ask her these questions

• why should he not have 4 breastfeeds (or more!)
• what might be the effect of me reducing his breastfeeds?
• is she aware that plateauing in weight can be perfectly normal?

thanks tiktok.

My confidence was affected by the fact that he's gained no weight rather than what hv said. But it sounds like it's not necessarily a real cause for concern and I should try not to stress about it?

Hi Rozzy. Something similar happened with us at 4 months. DS had always had a very good weight gain, having started out between 2nd and 9th centiles and going up to nearly 25th. I didn't have him weighed for a month and he'd only gained 2oz.

My HV said the opposite of yours, she said not to worry but if I could get him to have one more feed then it would be good. He's never got back to 25th but he's been a bit more consistent since then.

I think its just one of those things, babies do not follow nice curves. If your DS is happy and you were not otherwise worried, I really would try not to worry what the scales say.

I sympathise had completely circular conversation with hv this am I am not to worry but this time the cross is the other side of this hypothetical misleading line but please come back in a month to weigh him again. I explained why I was not worried as piglet has discovered rolling across floors and other engery using activities. Has your ds started crawling?kellymom has charts for breastfed babes who weren't weaned till 6mnths and they differ quite a lot in the later half of the first year. Sorry for hijack but think Tiktok is a far far better source of infomation and advice than any hv i have met

My Dd bfed throughout the night and put on very little weight when she was around that age, she even lost weight...they become more active, so are using up the calories surely?
You aren't doing anything wrong and your Dc is thriving, so go with your instincts if you don't have confidence in your new HV.