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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Question about weight, as in should i give a monkeys about The Line On The Chart

27 replies

FrannyandZooey · 04/01/2009 21:00

ds2 hasn't been weighed since yonks but i sometimes take him on our scales

he was born on 91st centile for weight, went up to 98th centile at about 6 weeks, now is 24 weeks and seems to have dropped to about 50th centile

does it matter

i have not been to hv as i can see he is well and growing, and happy and all that
have been pooh poohing need for The Line On The Chart
however now i find he has dropped enormously i wonder if there is anything i should be worrying about

anyone know?
he is still on 99.8th centile for height from what i can ascertain while he wriggles around next to a tape measure
so he has obviously slimmed out a bit
he isn't having food other than breastmilk yet (unless you count sucking a bit of pepper etc)

OP posts:
Metatron · 04/01/2009 21:05

Doubt it tbh. DD1 was about 75 for both when born, shot up to 98th for both again. (excl bf). At one point was down to the 25th about 2 i think (height 75th ) now she is about 50th weight and between 50 and 75th for height.

BF till 4 as well. it was def about 6m (weaning age ) when her weight started dipping too.

bubbleymummy · 04/01/2009 21:10

Breastfed babies grow faster at the start and then level out. I wouldn't give a second thought to the line on the chart - they're being replaced in March anyway! It sounds like he is doing great if he is happy, growing etc. so well done you and keep it up!

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 04/01/2009 21:10

thanks, i would like to just mention to hv to get reassurance but am pretty sure she would shriek and advise baby rice in spades
don't really want to go there

OP posts:
SuperBunny · 04/01/2009 21:22

I think if his height is still ok, and he is putting on weight, even at a slower rate, it is ok, isn't it? I don't think I'd be terribly worried but I know nuffink.

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 04/01/2009 21:27

well his height is humongous
so does that make it better or worse? i don't know

OP posts:
Notanexcitingname · 04/01/2009 21:31

I think it's perfectly normal, especially for bf babies. I had A Very Good HV, who told me that was what I should be expecting (and looked horrified everytime anyone suggested solids before 6 months-see, they do exist!)

My ds climbed to the 91st centile at 4 months, then dropped back to the 50th, and has probably been dropping ever since (but I wouldn't know. They're not keen on weighing round here)#

welliemum · 04/01/2009 21:35

I agree with the others ont his thread, it doesn't sound like a worry.

He might be just finding "his" centile, ie where he's meant to be from the genetic point of view.

I'm sure you're right about the HV advice! I'd say that if he's happy and you're happy, then that's a good sign that all's well.

And you know of course that he doesn't have to be on the same centile for height and weight. He might turn out to be one of those naturally tall slim people.

welliemum · 04/01/2009 21:37

Wow, notanexciting, I stand corrected. Gold medal for that HV.

bluebread · 04/01/2009 21:42

I agree with Notanexcitingname - this is a normal weight gain for a bf baby of this age - and there are a few Very Good HVs around. I have 2, and they are both completely pro bf, don't suggest weaning before 6 months, give great advice etc etc. Whenever I read about people's bad experiences with HVs, or their fears about what a HV might say, I always want to point to my HVs and say - they're not all bad.

fishie · 04/01/2009 21:43

have you got red book for ds1? are they a similar shape, can you compare?

ds was off the bottom of scale for a while and dead skinny for a couple fo weeks, not nice to have in a baby.

i belive you and yr dp are slim yourselves so your ds will be likely to not be in the 98 heaviest of population eh?

welliemum · 04/01/2009 21:54

Big sympathy, by the way - dd1 was long and lean and people kept pointing to her centile chart and tutting about how her height was here and her weight was there - it was v. stressful.

I did a lot of reading which was very reassuring. The gist of it was: by all means, if there's a problem causing low weight, fix the problem, but if you have a happy healthy child, fattening them up like a piglet purely to achieve a dot on a line is a Very Bad Idea.

NotanOtter · 04/01/2009 22:05

Franny!

I am bf ds but i am the world most reluctant breastfeeder and am constantly seeking out reasons to give up

I took him to hv three or four weeks ago ( he was 21 weeks) and he had dropped from above 50th to 25th centile so hoped hv would say wean him or introduce a formula ( i know this is non MN but ...) anyway - she didn't

she said its fine as long as he is not waking more (? )

he is now 25 weeks and relishing sweet potato - in a week his thighs appear jucier than ever!

pudding25 · 04/01/2009 22:09

I am mix feeding and have been since 4 weeks (now 8mths). DD was born on 50th percentile but on 91st for height. Dropped down over time to 20th percentile (height went down to about 85th percentile) but at 8mths is now going back up again and is now on about 30th.

HV told me at 4mths to start her on baby rice as she needed to put on more weight each week. I am glad I ignored her and waited as now DD loves food and eats anything (long may it last).

She has always been happy and healthy.

mawbroon · 04/01/2009 22:17

Exclusively breastfed babies often plateau around 16 weeks for a bit and although they don't lose any weight, it looks like they are dropping down the chart.

My ds did this. He averaged 1oz a week for about 6 weeks from 15 weeks onward (somthing like that, don't have red book to hand to check) and then after those few weeks, his weight rocketed. This was all on exclusive breastfeeding.

So if you are not worried at all otherwise, it could well be that this is what has happened to your ds.

You should go to the HV and play weaning bingo. Double points for the first mention of baby rice

mawbroon · 04/01/2009 22:18

Sorry, forgot to say that my ds's plateau stage was around 6 or 7 weeks, so from 15 to 23 or something like that.

MrsBadger · 04/01/2009 22:28

do not give monkeys,
besides, he will fill out within the next 6m once he gets the hang of solids / works up an appetite crawling / composes his first symphony etc

but if you find yourself givign monkeys, plot him on the WHO chart on which he will look much less bad

and remember if he is a bit light (fine and healthy etc etc but dropping off the curve) and you see the HV for his 9m check she may well tut and sigh despite evident fineness and healthiness

so be prepared and bicth about her on here

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 04/01/2009 22:37

is there a 9 month check?

i am sorry for the nice hvs who i am sure exist but they are a bit few and far between aren't they?

thanks all, lots of sensible reassurance and so on

OP posts:
tiktok · 04/01/2009 22:39

F&Z....obviously your baby is just fine and is healthy and well. If you wanted to know what he weighs exactly (for some reason - it's not necessary to know this in babies who are clearly thriving) then you would need to use proper infant weighing scales, the ones that weigh in tiny but accurate increments. Don't bother trying to measure length - imposs to do this accuratey!

MrsBadger · 04/01/2009 22:45

I only went to my 9m check to get my Bookstart bag [grasping emoticon]

your area may not do them

nice to see you btw

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 04/01/2009 22:46

oh many thanks tiktok
will forget about it
i don't know why i weigh him sometimes
people ask, occasionally
and it's a Thing You Do isn't it?
until you don't

OP posts:
Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 04/01/2009 22:47

yes nice to see you also mrsb!
what do you get in bookstart bag now? with ds1 we got this little baby and something about bathtime

OP posts:
MrsBadger · 04/01/2009 22:52

um
[rummages]
This Little Baby (big favourite, esp the crying one, well chewed)
'Dog' (barely glanced at)
and a laminated a4 placemat with some nursery/finger rhymes on

you can date them by the bag design too

Original poster
FrannyandZooey · 05/01/2009 13:25

hmm
i don't think i can be bothered to turn up for that

OP posts:
InTheDollshouse · 05/01/2009 19:41

Knowing weight can be useful when shopping for clothes. Actually I take that back, children's clothes never fit the size they say they are for.

NotanOtter · 05/01/2009 21:28

franny i did not tick the box for checks - on the pink gp form you get when you register them!