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Infant feeding

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

9mo breastfed dd and they are reccomending I give her formula

8 replies

mumof2andabit · 11/01/2009 09:49

Ok so its a bit of a long one....

Took dd for her 9mo check just before xmas so she is actually closer to 10mo now. The nrusery nurse weighed her and she had fallen off the growth chart so she called a hv in.

Bit of background, I am a very small person, my son is also a little string bean and although he was never high up on the scales my old hv who was lovely never worried and always reassured me I was doing the right thing. I breastfed ds till he was 1 when he had cows milk instead, I really didnt want to give him formula.

The Hv came in and said that I would need a drs appointment sooner rather than later and would probably get referred to a pedeatrician (sp?). And that I should think about giving dd formula as a top up. I said that I didnt want to give dd formula her reaction was "Well why not?". I didnt find her particularly pro breastfeeding I must say. I said that I would rather give dd cows milk and she said that you aren't meant to until they are one because it doesnt have enough vitamins in it. Ds had cows milk from around 9mo as well as breastmilk to prepare him for the change but I didnt tell her that. Dd eats a very varied diet and more than her 2yo brother so surely she should be getting her vitamins from her food rather than milk?

Went along to my emergency drs appointment armed with 2 breastfed baby growth charts where dd is still on only to be seen by a nurse who thought the whole thing was ridiculous but said I should make a drs appointment for the new year just to give dd a check up.

Went to see the dr who looked at the breastfed charts and agreed there was nothing to worry about but referred me to a pedeatrician just incase she was missing something.

Anyway Dd eats a brilliant diet I have no wrories about that at all she is just small. My only problem is that I am nervous that the pedeatrician is going to reccomend I use formula as well when I really dont want to and feel that after 10mo of breastfeeding it would be a huge step backward to inroduce bottles etc

Sorry its so long!

OP posts:
hercules1 · 11/01/2009 09:52

Personally if she is happy, loads of energy and you are small, I'd just stop the whole thing and carry on as you are with the breastfeeding.

SniffyHock · 11/01/2009 09:55

Stick to your guns - I'd be very surprised if a paeditritcian told you to give her formula.

mumof2andabit · 11/01/2009 09:57

Do you think it is worth mentioning to a higher up hv that I felt the formula advice was inapporopriate? My original hv who is the head hv at our childrens center is very pro breastfeeding and would never reccomend anyone who didnt want to to use formula.

OP posts:
firstontheway · 11/01/2009 10:03

Paed's are able to take you and your husband's weight and height into consideration when figuring out an appropriate rate of growth for your daughter, so tbh it's unlikely that they would be too worried in this situation.
I wouldn't give any formula till that appt at least, but obviously think again if a qualified doctor advises you to, for a valid reason

firstontheway · 11/01/2009 10:04

I'd wait and see what your paed says, and if he agrees it was an inappropriate comment, I'd mention it

mumof2andabit · 11/01/2009 10:08

Thanks all am a bit sensitive to the subject as was expecting all this fuss with ds and never got it (because of the nice hv) so have been ready and waiting with my defenses up lol

Am 20weeks pregnant atm so am bracing myself to go through it all again.....

OP posts:
Academicmum · 11/01/2009 10:12

My ds2 is also tiny and only just on the charts (0.4 centile). He's 7.5 months and also BF. The HV and community nurse have been pushing to get him on hypoallergenic formula (he has an allergy to cows milk) to boost his weight gain but I actually find he gains weight worse if I try to give him the formula. When he is being breastfed he acts more settled and takes better feeds, sleeps better and is consequently more laid back at mealtimes too so he takes more milk and more solids. I don't therefore understand why in a baby the age of yours they need to insist on you using formula. Can't they just suggest (healthy) ways to boost the calories in her solid food (that is what we are trying)?

Caz10 · 11/01/2009 10:12

Search on here for a thread called something about little acorns...lots of moral support and tales of stupid, formula touting HVs who were ignored! (inc mine )

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