Anyone got experience of BF a large newborn (98th centile)

[milfAKAmonkeymonkeymoomoo]

DS was nearly 10lbs at birth ten days ago, finding that he feeds like demon and I can't eat/drink enough to stop me feeling exhausted. Getting dizzy and shakey spells. He is growing beautifully, only loss 4oz in the first week and is now over his birth weight.

Any coping strategies/advice/encouraging stories welcome!

BTW he is my second DC and I BF DD for 15mths.

Yes, very similar experience to those already posting - make sure you eat lots of carbs but also protein. Would second the iron issue too.

Ds2 stayed on the 98th for about 4 months then tailed off and is now on about the 75th (4 years old). Ds3 only 4 weeks old but is quite happily putting on nearly a lb a week so I think he will be similar. And no-one "official" ever suggested supplementing feeds to me!!!!

DD was 9lbs 12oz and exclusively breastfed. She's just started on solids in the last few weeks and is not eating very much but is still in the 98th! I must have super milk!

dinny yes, vb on the kitchen floor kind of, planned home water birth, expected size 9 and 1/2 lbs, very good indy midwife had to resolve a proper shoulder dystocia for us, with him being vast and me being fat. then had to endure 3 nights in hospital for babies very mild jaundice...but really fro everyone to come marvel at the boy and try and find something wrong to have caused the size. happily the longer i stayed the more relatives came to visit us...and given that 6ft is considered short on oth sides of the family, and my grandad was 15lb! we were eventually let alone about the size of the lovely fellow

yes, my last was 9lb 12oz , he likes bf so much he's still doing it at 2.11

he has always fed like a dream and never had formula.

don't they all feed like demons in teh first few weeks though???? maybe you have forgotten whet your first was like through all that fog that takes over your brain

DS was 10lb 5.3oz and he had whooping cough so was throwing up all his feeds. He was pretty much attached to me and I ate loads and loads and still lost weight (sigh, those were the days).

My DS was 10lb 6oz at birth 11 weeks ago (7hr labour, first baby!). He's now 16lb 10oz and is exclusively BF. I fed on demand for the first 10 weeks while ensuring that I ate as much as possible and as healthily as possible PLUS drinking obsessive amounts of water and Fennel Tea which is supposed to be good for making milk! We're now attempting to go onto more of a routine, with less night feeding/waking so I get some quality sleep.

I felt thoroughly exhausted until his feeding settled down recently - and growth spurts to mean that you just have to take to your bed and go for a skin to skin feeding frenzy.

Congratulations on your new arrival Milf!

I have two kids above the 98th centile that are breastfed. DS has been off the scale since week nine.

You need hot chocolate, milky coffee and lots of it! Seriously, you need calories and hot milky drinks are an easy way of doing it - esp if you microwave them.

I added an extra 1000 calories to my diet with each child and have found I'm still losing weight. So just go with it, if you are hungry eat, make sure you drink lots and don't worry, they do slow down eventually (though for me it was at least seven months before they stopped changing clothes size every few weeks .

My DD1 wasn't born big, but rocketed through the centiles until over the 98th and stayed there. I ate a lot of food to keep up with her! But dehydration was my biggest issue. I would keep 2 pints of water by the bed and refill them during the night, and I would still be thirsty in the morning. So I think that food is only half of the equation.

I never had to top her up with formula, by the way, and fed her until 10 months old. Congratulations and good luck.

My DS 1 was 10lb 5oz and fed constantly, neither did he sleep much - short naps and loads of night-time feeds. I actually started him on solids on the advice of the practice nurse at about 14 weeks, much to my shame now. Of course, the solids made no difference to the sleep, so don't let anyone try and fool you with that one.

DD was 11lb 10oz, and fed quickly and efficiently (10 min feeds, often every 4 hours), and slept through at 6 weeks.

I think each LO has his or her own 'style', the main thing is to try and go with the flow.

Protein snacks (cheese or nuts with fruit) are excellent for stabilising blood sugar.

This thread is hugely encouraging!

I have also noticed that although the number of feeds are the same as DD (just under 8lbs) when she was little he can clear both sides easily . I have been doing the milky drink thing and that has helped plus resigned myself to eating us out of house and home

Its interesting what you are saying about early weaning Katch, almost everyone has said that I will need to wean early (including my useless health visitor!) which I find odd since milk is more filling than purees anyway!?

Had DS weighed yesterday - he put on a 1lb in a week!

Re. the early weaning: with my 11lb 10oz DD, I knew how much more work pureeing entails, and she would bat the spoon away anyway, so I ended up just leaving lots of finger food on her tray and leaving her to it. Same with DS2 (who was an 8lb 10oz tiddler!)

Yes, ignore the stuff about weaning early. I weaned DS (9'11) at 15 weeks and DD2 (9'5) at 6 months. There was no difference between them except it was much easier on me to keep feeding DD2. She is a militant breast feeder though and I'm having to think of how I will persuade her off the boob in the next few months (she's nearly 2 and I'm 10 weeks pregant).

Sounds like you're doing fantastically well - 1lb in a week!?!

Milf - I was just about to suggest anaemia but see someone else has already suggested it.

Make sure you do rest. Giving birth really takes it out of you, I'm still having moments when I feel dizzy and light headed.

And well done for bfing - it's not also easy - ds is my third and he has been by far the most difficult to bf!

EAT and drink lots of water and rest as much as poss. and keep checking on iron levels etc.
agree it can be knackering however big the baby is
I had a 9lb 14 er and a 10lb 5er

no need to wean early - both survived to 6 months (well DD was 5.5 - wish I hadn't been persuaded, she'd have been fine) on breastmilk alone without any probs. but every bugger will be trying to persuade you, let it wash over your head

BTW, DD stayed big and at the top of the charts, whereas DS levelled off and was just under the 50th for weight by 6 months. BOth, obviously, are absolutely fine, if they are well and thriving then there are no problems (thank goodness sensible child health nurse here agreed with me, I can imagine many HVs etc. getting all panicked about DS)

I think you just need to recover properly from the birth, eat good, nutritious food for your own health and drink plenty of water.

My dd has always been off the charts. She was bf exclusively for 7 months, put on 1 lb a week in the early days and fed every 2 hours day and night until she was around 8 months. I'm still feeding her at 17 months.

Anaemia isn't always as a result of blood loss btw. Get your levels checked to be on the safe side.

Can I just say, I so wish MM had been around when I was bf - I might have actually felt vaguely normal instead of a freak for the way I mothered my LOs.

Bags of fruit and nuts. DH used to buy me bags of 'You are what you eat' mix and we had them round the house for me to snack on. They also resolved the dreaded post birth constipation/scared to go issues!! Plus lots of water.

DD was 'only' 9lbs so not as big as some of these whoppers, but she never strayed off the 98th centile once she got into her stride! 10 oz gain 3 days was her record I believe

Well done and good luck!

PS: I weighed less when she was 5 months old than I did on my wedding day due to the dd weight loss plan

My DD wad 98th centile and we've had a rocky time b/feeding and ended up mixed feeding through hos[itals intervention from week 2.

I never knew some people think big babies are harder to breastfeed. I thought I was just crap at it.

Gives me hope if I have another wopper next time though, so thanks for this thread.

Well done you on feeding him so well - a lb in a week

My DS was 8lb 9oz, didnt lose an oz and put on a lb a week for four weeks! I breastfed him until he was 9 months and started weaning at 16 weeks (didnt do much too be fair and I think it was too early)

Best advice is to rest lots, eat tonnes (I always had a big packet of Chocolate digestives on one side and a big bottle of Evian on the other) and drink lots of water. Sometimes too much milk (that you drink) can upset the baby (did with my DD anyway)

Well done x

Hi ds was 10 8 and I fed him for the first year. He actually weaned later than his bottle fed ds (prem lost weight and wouldn't feed). In hospital they did a blood glucose test on him every couple of hours and tried topping him up with bottles for the first 24 hrs but he just used to throw it up. It was so much better when they just lesft us alone.

Eat and drink lots - far more than you would normally eat- I used to snack between maeals. Mmke sure your arm is well supported when you feed and try and get rest. Congratulations.

My second child DS was only 9 1 - seemed huge at the time. I bf him till 12 1/2 m and one lovely comment I remember from the HV was that 'was I nuts trying to express as well as feed such a hungry baby!'. It was impossible.

My dd was 91b 3 and I bf till 9 months (only stopped beacuse she bit me and I shouted ot and made her jump,wouldnt feed after that)

I also topped up with the odd ff.also on advice of hv.

My ds is 9 weeks old and was 101b 2 and I am exclusivley bf It is draining at times but doing ok.

I now realize I did not have to supplement dd with formula.
He fed every hour at first, Now goes between 3/4 hours in day and 3/6 at night.