HELP Health Visitor will call SS if I don't agree to weekly weighing and/or formula top ups

[curiositykilledhaskittens]

I have been breastfeeding my twins exclusively for 11 weeks. We have had a rocky start and a lot of interference which has varied from helpful to very unhelpful. The smaller twin did not regain birthweight for 3 weeks but has followed a line since regaining birthweight. The bigger twin has struggled to maintain a regular normal growth pattern and has dropped from the 9th at the lowest point after birth (1 week) dropped a bit more through the lines to inbetween the 0.4th and the 2nd and has been following a line since 8 weeks. The doctor and the health visitor have decided both twins are failing to thrive and need top ups and weekly weighing. If I don't allow them to weigh them weekly they will call SS, if they do not gain at least 4 oz every week and I refuse to supplement then they will call SS. Have spoken to BfN helpline and am waiting for NCT to call me back. Just don't know what to do. BfN counsellor says to stick to my guns and GP has little BF training but hard to do when you are being threatened with SS. Feel like running away though never would.... Just so sad and scared.

oh dear, so sorry you are being treated like this. I don't really know my way around the system any more, but surely if they were that concerned, they'd be referring you to a paed, not SS?

They said they would call SS if I refused to comply with medical advice re the babies. You are right though, surely a paed would be more appropriate.

I'm all pro breastfeeding but if it that obvious that they are failing to thrive that they want to call SS, perhaps suplementing here and there shouldn't be such a bad thing? I guess your milk supply won't be very affected having twins.

I'm going to be shoot in flames for this but, they won't be harmed if they have a bit of extra formula. And if that saves you from so much stress and hurt (and helps the twin's weight a bit), it is, IMO, worth it.

Wow -- what an over reaction since they are following a line.

If it's really a failure to thrive, then it should be investigated by a Paediatrician. But I suspect that the GP and H/V are more nervous than anything else.

Personally, I would ask for an urgent referral to a Pediatrician as a real failure to thrive would not be rectified by formula as there is a reason behind a failure to thrive. If the Paediatrician deems them healthy, then great.

Poor you though!

That's utterly appalling. Utterly appalling. You need one of the breastfeeding counsellors on here.

I don't know anything about it unfortunately but can you delay delay delay. Can you see a different doctor. Can you ask for a referral to a paediatrician. Can you agree to it without doing it if things get desperate.

Can you go with the weekly weighing and not the formula which might put them off a bit.

This is the last thing you and your twins need, stress will not help your feeding and your milk. Can you give up all the other stuff you would normally do and just eat, sleep and feed for a week or so. Am completely ignorant apart from bfing myself but that's rotten.

Yes, ask for a referal, ASAP, as these things take a lot of time.

Agree with edam - ask to be referred to a paediatrician (preferably one one with with breast feeding expertise) if they are that worried.

FWIW, ds didn't regain birthwieght for 7 weeks, dropped from 91st centile to, eventually, just under the growth curves before starting to follow, then creep up through them, ending up eventually (don't know when - had stopped weighing him - but probably somewhere between 6 months and a year) - just as the paediatrician had expected . But fortunately I only ever had fantastic breastfeeding support via the local maternity hospital, so ended up beign alb eot feed him until he was a year. Avoided HVs - although I am sure that my GP would have been supportive if I could have been bothered seeing him.

Yes, think I will ask for a paed referral. That is a good plan. I'm not sure they fit the criteria for FTT. Don't you have to drop through 2 centile lines in a short period taking it from lowest point immediately after birth? Babies are refluxy which is, amongst other things, why I don't want to supplement. The smaller one had a blue episode as it is, think FF would make it worse. GP says not to worry I "can still BF them morning and night"

curiosity - what a difficult position

You need a proper paediatric assessment. On those figures, I can't see anyone diagnosing 'failure to thrive', and as long as everything else is fine, the paed should be able to reassure the GP and HV that you don't need this level of suveillance/support. It should be a simple matter for you to be referred to a paed, and no one can then say you are ignoring medical advice.

If everything else isn't fine, then you will be able to discuss options with someone who is not making you feel threatened.

Curio I'm so sorry .

I agree with edam. I really hope everything works out for you all.

you poor thing this sounds awful, I can't offer any expert advice (am sure others will) I just wanted to let you know my experience, which was that many hvs (and mws)don't really believe it's possible to exclusively bf twins, of course IT IS, my dts were exclusively bf for 5 months and carried on till they were 2. I can't comment on your dts growth pattern, but I have heard that bf babies have a v different growth pattern to ff. Are they your first (and second!)?...I think if you haven't already succesfully bf it is harder to keep your confidence up, you don't feel it in your bones so much, IYSWIM. I remember I had a great hv who said to me (with ds1) when I was worried about his weight, 'well you don't fatten a pig by weighing it' in other words, stop obsessing about weight and just get on and feed the baby!
best of luck, I'm sure you'll get some more expert and up to date advice here soon.

Yes, definitely don't want to ignore them or lie to them. If I do things will do them honestly. Just so worried.

Any chance you are in Essex area?

Some very good breastfeeding support here who may be able to help

Sorry I shouldn't have suggested that. Good luck x

Im really not prying but are there other factors that might lead to SS being involved? I used to work for the SS and it seems odd that theyd be called before the paed?

Would it be possible to just phone up the nearest hospital and try to speak to Head of Peadiatrics, and explain your situation?

I was once advised to give up breastfeeding my 1 yr old because I had to take steroids. The night before I started the steroids I tried to stop but it is very difficult to stop cold turkey with a 1 yr old. The next day I called the hospital up in tears and a junior doctor in the Paed/Children Department went off and asked her boss and he advised that there was no problem with me continuing breastfeeding with the dose I was taking. Your situation is very different but maybe you could do something like that.

So sorry you're going through this.

They are numbers 3 and 4. Always had enough milk with the others no probs but have a history of depression (last bout 2 years before first born) and am a young mum (25). 2 older ones are from an abusive relationship. Transferred antenatal care to another hospital this time because they were rubbish negligent with the other two pregnancies. Just feel they are out to get me.

Curio, that is unbelievable, really, healthcare providers should nto be this ignorant. I'm so sorry they are giving you this grief.
Hopefully the NCT will have some advice but I echo those who have said to ask for a paed referral, in fact IIWU I would demand it, espeically if they aren't 'BFing friendly' at your GP's
If it is any help both my DD's dropped through the centiles but as they were big to start with no-one said a word, they were almost happy that they were going towards average. They have no clue how the charts are supposed to work.
One thing I am wondering, are they using the new BF charts or the old FF ones? might be worth checking...

When you say refluxy how much are they bringing up post feed (a lot or a little amount)? Are they being sick any other time? do you know the cause of the blue episode?

Sorry to ask so many questions but curious if it is linked in some way.

If this is the only thing going on, I suspect that SS will laugh at them.

Unless you have long-term issues you're not mentioning, it sounds very like bullying. Because if it's a genuine medical concern, they should be exploring it through the medical channels.

shiney - lol. Yes, I would always do the best thing. Worrying mainly because I feel I can't trust them over what the best thing is. I don't know what to do and can't trust them to help me. They diagnosed DD with IUGR when she didn't have it to try and prevent me having a homebirth. The wanted to induce at 36 weeks. I insisted on a consultant review and he found no evidence of any problems and agreed the homebirth, this is just one of many problems I've had with them.

nellie - the blue episode was caused by choking on reflux. Neither are particularly sicky but DT2 who had the blue episode was LBW and so it was easier for her to choke. They were not worried about the blue episode, prescribed gaviscon and are reviewing next month.