breast fed 10 month old - gone down to 25th centile

[AnguaVonUberwald]

DS started off on the 50th centile, but very quickly went up to the 75th centile.

AT his eight month check he was down to the 50th centile and now at 10 months he is down to the 25th centile.

He is a VERY keen breastfeeder, and the health visitor said today that she thinks he is looking weight as he is having so much milk that he is not eating enough food and so not getting enough calories.

(nb he is a very active boy, already starting to stand on his own and walk holding on to furniture)

I really don't think I will manage to cut down on breastfeeding (as he is do keen I think it would be constant tantrums). So its either give up or carry on and have him not gain weight.

So: is she right, are there less calories in my breastmilk than in his regular food?

Please advise I don't know what to do!

No in a word, he gets all the calories he needs in your milk, food until they are at least one should be for fun!
I was in exactally the same position as you last yr, my ds did exactally the same, and my hv sent us to see a doctor at the hosp, who told me the above statement, I know its hard, but try not to worry

Thanks somebodyhelpme, but then why has he gone down the weight centiles so much?

Does that mean something else is wrong?

No. I suspect he's dropping centiles because he's so active. How much is he eating in terms of solid food? I'd be tempted to say to the HV "Oh, that's interesting. How many calories are there in breastmilk compared with solid food?"

It's not unusual to not gain any weight at all between 9 and 12 months, if the baby is active -- they get longer and leaner instead.

Because the weight centiles are based on a 1970s bottle fed baby. DS2 feel down from 50th centile to the 5th and then stayed there. One HV told me that the charts do not really work beyond 4 months if you are still breast feeding. I ahve since heard that they have a different bf chart now but are not suppoesed to show it to Mums(???)

At 10 months you know, I imagine, whether your DS is healthy so trust your instict (i did not ahve my DS1 weighed after 6 months and Ds2 after 9 months!)

no , I was told that as he was developing normally, he was also crawling, standing up and walking around the furniture, it was because of that, and as the other poster said, he was getting taller and much skinner, but the doc said that too was normal

The health visitor specifically said that there were less calories in the breast milk than in normal food.

Very interesting what you were told about them being so active. DS is very, very active, crawling everywere, cruising on the furniture and getting ready to try walking, so it could have to do with that.

ITs just the stress of it all and not knowing what to do for the best

oh and for reference, my ds baby led weaned, so food was very very hit and miss! but the doctor said as long as he was still drinking milk on demand, it really wasnt a problem I know it is really worrying, but you honestly arnt doing anything wrong, some hv just dont know what they are talking about. O bviously if there are other things not just weight that you are worried about that is a different matter, but if he is fine in every thing else I dont think you need to worry

melorose, I know the charts are based on formula fed babies, and that doctors too are crap on them (my doc didn't know breast fed babies loose weight at birth!)

But this is a big drop. I guess I just want reassurance if this is normal!

My DD is breastfed and she is 10m. I had her weighed when she was very little when the HV comes round and then again when she was 9m for her 9m check, again the HV came round. I didn't get her weighed in between times. Anyway, she's gone from the 75th to the 25th for weight, although she is on the 91st for height now. All babies are different - the HV had no concerns about my DD. If your baby is eating a decent breakfast, lunch and dinner, I wouldn't worry.

somebodyhelpme, everything else seems to be fine, he gets an upset tummy and diorrea(sp) often, which doesn't help with the weight, but other than that, he seems fine!

crokky, that is reasurring, a friend of mine was told that by this stage, breastmilk has far less calories in it than at the begining so is less nurtricious! (sp),

At least this has happened to other babies too, makes me feel a lot better!

i'm not sure that its true breast milk has fewer calories to be honest, maybe your friend got dodgy advise?

re the diarrea is it proper diarrea or just sloppy breast fed poo? my ds still at 20months, has really sloppy poo if he has fed alot in one day!

Mine was the same at 10m. The HV was just [shrug] and said it was because he was getting so active.

Ds is still on the 25th centile at 2.2 - a very good eater, not at all fussy, no breastmilk any more. It's obviously just where he's meant to be and my bm was keeping him at the 50th when he was a baby cos it was so damn good .

What I meant to say was, I feel that ds dropped down the centiles because he had less bm and was more into solids. And was also more active.

Lack of increase after total weaning at 14m would bear this out. If anything can bear out any theory about normal fluctuations in centile line.

its very often true dioreah(sp) (nb how the heck do you spell that?).

OFten total water with lumps in it!

maybe worth mentioning that when you next see a doctor, if you havent already, but when my other son was in hosp, totally unrelated to weight, but medicene (sorry I cant spell today!) gave him diarea, they told me to feed him as much as poss, as bm was much easier for him to digest, and absorb quickly to keep him hydrated etc, so your doing the best thing for him

I looked this up one time and got a list of calorie contents.Calorie content of breastmilk is around 70 per 100ml.
1 medium carrot 30 calories
1 scoop mashed potato 50 calories
100g Sweet potato 60 calories
100g lentils 70 calories
100g broccoli 20 calories
100g chickpeas 100 calories
1 medium apple 65 calories
1 medium avocado 255 calories
1 large banana 100 calories
1 medium pear 75 calories

2 tbsp baby rice cereal prepared with 1 tbsp water 20 calories
2 tbsp baby oatmeal prepared with 1 tbsp water 20 calories
Not many babies would take 100g of lentils or chickpeas, or a whole avocado! Keep going with the breastfeeding and keep offering a range of solids. Your active little guy will be healthy and fit.

joyjac

Thats very interesting, thank you very much. I wonder how much breastmilk is probably getting though. Mind you, it must be a fair bit, as he is on there often enough.

No - the charts are not based on 1970s formula fed babies. The charts in the UK are based on data sets from the 1980s and the babies' feeding is not differentiated. Many of them would, of course, be formula fed.

The problem is not the charts.

The problem is relying on charts to give the whole story.

Having said that using current UK charts for a baby of 10 mths is inappropriate, because breastfed babies really are different from ff babies by that age (ie lighter).

Worse, though, is the HV's lack of knowledge about calories and breastmilk.

tiktok, ok, thanks for that, I think I am going to go ahead and carry on breastfeeding, but just offer him more solid food more often to try and up his overall intake.

Thanks everyone for the support, mumsnet at its best!

As a HV can I say that your HV is woefully misguided.

I think your baby sounds fine - he's going down the centiles because he is active - perhaps going to the line he will follow. Often the centile line a baby follows at a year bears no resemblance to the one they were on at birth.
Ounce for ounce breastmilk contains more calories that the amount of solid food he will eat at present.

Ignore her and continue feeding.

Jollypirate. Thanks great to hear, many thanks

So reassuring to read this thread - my bf ds is the same as yours Angua, dropping down the centiles and very active.

SweetEm

Glad I could help

I have calmed down now, and am just planning to try and get more food in him, but still breastfeed, but it was very stressful yesterday! You feel like you have failed as a mother.