EBF - 5 wks - baby putting on too much weight

[JHay72]

Hi. I saw my HV yesterday who implied that my DD is putting on too much weight due to breastfeeding and my diet. DD is 5wks old. Was born 9lb 4 and is now 11lb 12. She has only had breastmilk and although I have a few biscuits a bit choc I have a healthy diet. Is the HV talking rubbish, she really wasn't very encouraging about BF?!?

Ignore the HV! I didnt think you could over feed a breastfed baby?

Thanks so much for speedy replies. Been thinking about it all night and am so annoyed with yet another HCP. Why do they know so little about BF! Had Mastitus in week 2 and was told to dump milk from infected breast, that was SH* too! Aaaaah.

Stop seeing the HV. Best decision I ever made!

ignore her
you are doing really well

Have been told I have to go every wk now to monitor her weight. Tis bonkers I tell you.

ds3 was 7 lb 6 born
now 8 weeks and 11lb 7
half a pound a week
roughly whst your dd hass done
perfect weight gain

dont go

Sounds like you are doing a brilliant job, and that your DD is thriving ! You really don't have to go to the clinic if you don't want to you know.

You don't have to do anything! Congratulations and well done!

xx

Oh dear.

This is getting ridiculous - I only hope it's the same HV who keeps telling mothers this sort of rubbish

JHay - your biscuits and chocolate can be eaten ad lib. They will not affect your milk in any way at all. It is really silly for your HV to think this, and IMO she should be challenged as you will not be the only one she is saying this too.

It is wonderful your baby is doing so well on your milk. It is possible, because she is taking it from the bottle and not direct, that you might sometimes be giving her more than she actually needs (this is thought to be one of the reasons why there is an increased risk of obesity in children who were ff as babies) but if you are responsive to her and match her intake to her perceived needs then she will be fine....it is utterly daft to talk about restricting a 5 week old's feeds anyway

There is some useful stuff about diet and bf here

www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/change-milkfat.html

You could show it to your HV and tell her to stop thinking your diet has anything to do with your daughter's healthy growth.

Thanks everyone. Reckon its time for some tea and biccies then

Sorry Tiktok I must have been misleading. She has not had expressed milk at all yet, just direct from breast. But thanks SO much for your words of wisdom. Much appreciated.

Seconding everyone else. Unless you are truly concerned in your heart about her, then just don't go if it makes you uncomfortable, honestly, do not go. You are not at all obliged to see them and they cannot make you go despite what some of them seem to think!

I went once a month with my second, solely for my own curiosity - I'm a nosey bugger And though I'm always polite, I'm practically monosyllabic with them as I refuse to engage in conversation about him - I just want his weight and I'm OUT of there.

If you do want to go, plaster a big smile on your face, and with a big breezy attitude say point blank to them "Oh isn't he doing well, exactly what a bf baby is supposed to do, I'm very pleased etc etc" Do not give them a milimeter of an opening into your self confidence. Fake it if you have to

Sorry, JHay, I misread your title! I do normally know that EBF means exclusively breastfed

Makes it even dafter, and actually very disturbing....I really hope you will be brave enough to put your HV right on this.

Your baby certainly isnt overweight. I had the same problem with my ds he was EBF and weighed 8lb 15 at birth but by 6 weeks was 14 lb and my HV said i needed to cut down on his feeds, i refused and although i admit he was a little chubby once he became active he lost a lot of weight. Hes now 2.4 and a normal weight.

Tiktok, I shall indeed present info to HV next time I see her. I think anyone with little confidence could be persuaded to FF by these kind of comments. Hey ho. Will stick to using my instinct and MN in future.

My DS did exactly the same and my HV said exactly the same. She now is after me because he's NOT gaining huge amounts (7 months and nearly walking...burns it all off!) and is blaming the fact that I still breastfeed. Go figure.

jhay if yiou feel you vcant confront her, whst about an informal letter explaing the facts with refernce to kellymom.com

i am kluckly - i have a fabulous hv (the otheers at the surgery are not too hot though)

Eh? Ds3 is 5 weeks old, EBF, and has gone from 9 lbs 3 at birth to 12 lbs 13 - and I have just TODAY 10 mins ago been congratulated by HV for his fabulous weight gain!

Who ARE these people and how do they continue to hold these daft views? There must surely be continuous training and I can't believe for a moment this would recommend telling people to restrict feeding a baby, so how come this keeps happening?!