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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

HV wants to refer to dietician: can I refuse or should I really go?

19 replies

robberbutton · 01/02/2010 14:37

DD2 (17 weeks, bf) has dropped from just under 98th centile to just under 50th. She's otherwise completely fine (bright, alert, meeting milestones etc), and her last two weigh-ins were both on the same line (13 weeks and today).

Saw (very new, very nervous!) health visitor for a bit of reassurance, but she said we should be referred to a dietician. My gut feeling is DD is fine, just not piling it on (just like my other two). I tried to say this to HV but she wasn't listening, said she was 'duty bound' to refer.

Can I cancel the appointment? Or would they come knocking? Or am I being neglectful mum and should really go?

Thanks for reading

OP posts:

StewieGriffinsMom · 01/02/2010 14:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

morningpaper · 01/02/2010 14:43

oh yes I would go

take your other DCs charts along too

I always like talking to medical people - it's practically a day out!

pushmepullyou · 01/02/2010 14:48

If her last 2 weigh ins were on the same line I wouldn't bother tbh. My very lovely and useful HV explained to me when DD dropped 2.5 centiles that babies often 'catch down' to the centile they should be on and as long as they find and follow a centile then it doesn't matter whether or not it's the one they were born on.

Could you suggest to your HV that you come back for another weigh in in eg a months time and get referred if she has dropped any lower?

Also worth checking that you are using the WHO breastfeeding charts. I think all areas should be by now but ours certainly wasn't a few months ago.

fishie · 01/02/2010 14:50

bit of a waste of resources though. what is hv worried about?

Missus84 · 01/02/2010 14:53

HV is probably just doing everything by the book as she's new.

If you're sure your baby's fine and don't want to go then don't. On the other hand, what's the harm? The dietician can probably just reassure you everything is fine if nothing else.

Original poster

robberbutton · 01/02/2010 14:59

Thanks for your replies. My main problem with seeing the dietician is just having to organise the other two (DS4 and DD2) - I don't mind if it's necessary, but not if it's just a box ticking exercise.

Good idea about having one more weigh in a couple of weeks - I'd be shocked if the appointment is sent before then! If that one is on the same line, will prob ask to be cancelled.

Thanks

OP posts:

missmama · 01/02/2010 14:59

If the baby crosses two centiles though, they have to refer you.
And will be spoken to if they dont.

Go see the dietitian, if it wont be a great upheaval for you. They are mostly really well informed and a great gun to have to pull out if you need them later.

IronOnReverse · 01/02/2010 15:05

Is her length in proportion? Is there much of a difference between her height and weight percentile?

My dd was born on the 50th and within a few weeks was off the top of the charts for weight and height and has stayed there for nearly 3 years. She was born on a different centile to the one she was destined for. I had a good hv who wasn't remotely bothered.

I agree with others, go and have her weighed in couple of weeks or so and if following a curve, I wouldn't be concerned. In fact if she's healthy and happy and meeting milestones I wouldn't be concerned anyway but the dietician won't hurt.

MegBusset · 01/02/2010 15:06

I got moaned at by HV when DS2 did the same -- he was 20 weeks and she said if I must (her emphasis) carry on breastfeeding (rather than start solids early) I had to take him to be weighed weekly.

I took him back once more the following week, spoke to different HV who took one look at pudgy happy baby and said he was obviously fine. Have not taken him to be weighed since (now a pudgy happy 9mo).

Original poster

robberbutton · 01/02/2010 16:10

Also, forgot to mention, very frustratng as DD has been weighed on 4 different scales - hospital at birth, midwife (not electronic), Drs at 6 week check and now HVs. The scale that she was weighed twice on (HVs) shows her on the same centile.

at MegBusset's HV - glad you found one able to look at the baby rather than the chart. Even my HV said DD was obv fine and looked well, but being new (as Missus84 said) is being super pig-headed conscientious.

OP posts:

verylittlecarrot · 01/02/2010 18:50

A dietician? Not a paediatrician? Er, if your lo is on an exclusively breastfed diet, what on earth would a dietician be able to do? Bizarre.

And she's on the 50th centile!

Your lo sounds perfectly fine from what you have described, and as if she is following a line that suits her.

I think the clue is in your description of your HV...

YoMoJo · 01/02/2010 19:30

My DS2 did a similar thing, but always gained weight. If your DD has still been gaining weight (even if only half ounce) then I wouldnt worry to much, think it is a case of ticking boxes.

nickschick · 01/02/2010 19:32

Im laughing at morning papers answer thats the sort of view my nanna has .

NotQuiteCockney · 01/02/2010 20:42

What very little carrot said - wtf does a dietician have to do with it?

Original poster

robberbutton · 01/02/2010 20:57

Think she might have meant Paed. HV phoned me this evening as well (she is keen) but at dinner time so fortunately I didn't answer. Left a long message about how I need to come back in two weeks, she was writing to refer me to the Paed (not dietician so she might have got the right person this time), she was going to let another clinc where my registered HV is know (of course my HV isn't at my Drs, that would be stoopid), and she also thought I should make an appointment to see the GP as well.

Not bloody likely. DD's not starving to death! Will get her weighed again and see but def don't appreciate this level of "support"!

Sigh.

OP posts:

DontSweattheSmallStuff · 01/02/2010 21:07

I had a similar situation with ds2 at about 4 months. We were refered to the pediatrician, the first thing he did was check ds2 over to check whether there was an underlying cause for his lack of weight gain, so it might be worth going just for that.

In our case ds2 started putting weight on again after a few weeks without any special intervention.

NotQuiteCockney · 02/02/2010 08:05

GPs and Paeds are generally more relaxed than HVs about babies' weight gain, from what I know.

wellbalanced · 02/02/2010 09:34

My DS was referred to paed then dietician and i went along just to see what thye had to say. It turned out he was just a slow gainer and still is on smaller side at nearly 10mth. I did get caught in the system thou as a routine blood test threw a diff prolem up and i couldn't get out of the loop even thou i knew all was fine.

YoMoJo · 02/02/2010 20:19

In my area we have a choice of 3 weekly baby clinics. The same staff work at them but they rotate round. I have sussed their rota & now attend the baby clinic where i know my fav HV will be. (the others are pretty useless really)

Just wondering if there is an alternative clinic that you could attend?

Also my ds is bit of a mover & from birth would be flapping his arms & legs about, another reason why i think he had slow weight gain.

I was also told (by fav hv) that just because a baby is born big/small doesnt mean that they are destined to remain big/small.

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