Slow weight gain... what to do?

[mrsbean78]

Ds is 20 weeks. Felt he had loat weight as trousers started falling off and he felt lighter so took him to baby clinic.. has dropped from 25th to 2nd centile (50th at birth, length 75th, head 99th).

Feeding situation is as follows - bf on demand, 1 6oz bottle of formula at night. Feeds about three hours apart, around the clock, both boobs until he comes off.

HV said to start weaning but I thought that solids were less calorific than milk, so how will this work? No medical concerns and developing okay but I have noticed he has stopped trying to roll.. does sit up in tripod position though, even without support.

Thanks in advance..

Hi I would first of all like to say that your concerns about weaning him are correct and that formula/breastmilk are more calorific than pureed fruit/veg. 20 weeks is too early to be introduced to solids. There are reasons for this.

I can totally understand your concerns. Has your son had an infection that would make him lose weight? Introducing formula can reduce the amount of breastmilk you make, is there any reason why he has this bottle of formula?

Demand feeding is great and it sounds like you are doing the right thing there- how is his latch? Does he sound like he is drinking and swallowing when he is feeding?

Thanks for responding TheBreastMilksOnMe! He has had the bottle of formula since he was about a month old.. he wasn't regaining his birth weight (was losing steadily) and I was having two day reviews from HVs, feeling under pressure, panicky and hormonal and gave it to him then... he's had it since.. BUT I have always breastfed him - a full feed! -before the formula feed.. always.. We took every precaution we could with using slow teats and using kellymom's advice on positioning and he has never had trouble switching from one to the other, guzzles whatever you give him..

We were on hols three weeks ago with family and the entire family (my parents, sister, dh, me) got pretty nasty gastroenteritis. Ds threw up just once and I dropped the formula feed, just breastfed him instead, and he didn't get sick again/have any poo issues/seemed well.. so I don't know how much of the virus he had or whether dropping this formula feed caused issues. I had hoped to keep it dropped but as he's lost weight I have reintroduced. I am hoping it's just this?

I don't think I have supply issues as I can see milk in his mouth and sometimes he coughs/splutters from the letdown (didn't used to do this before). I also feel myself get pretty full if I am late for a feed e.g. when I have my weekly driving lesson!

Is there anything I should do?

You sound like you are doing a terrific job, you know what you're talking about if you're using the kellymom website!

I would probably put the weight loss down to the bug he had and continue as you are, weigh him again in a weeks time and see how he is. If he has still not gained then I would get in touch with a breast feeding counsellor. I wouldn't be very comfortable taking advice from your HV to be honest, she doesn't sound very well informed!

If he does gain then I would probably look at taking the formula out of the equation altogether as you seem perfectly capable of doing it all yourself but if it's not broken, why fix it? If it's working for you then that's great.