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Original poster

Callum isn't gaining weight, have a hospital appoinment next week, should we ask for tests?

59 replies

sparklygothkat · 12/11/2007 23:00

Callum was born 7 weeks ago weighing 4lb 8oz, he is now 5lb 1oz, and only gains small amounts when we top up his feeds with EBM down his feeding tube. He was born on the 50th percentile and is now on the 0.4th. Should we ask for tests? Or just hope he starts gaining soon?

OP posts:
Original poster
sparklygothkat · 12/11/2007 23:43

he is feeding every 2 hours atm, we are topping up every feed so takes about 45 minutes for each feed, so tiring..

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Original poster
sparklygothkat · 12/11/2007 23:45

no, he didn't gain in the 10 days after leaving SCBU and having the feeding tube removed, he stayed at 4lb 5oz, the tube was put back in and he gained 2oz in a week. the tube was removed a week later and he didn't gain again. was topping up last week 2x a day and he gained nothing, so am back to topping up every feed

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mummyblueyes · 12/11/2007 23:48

Oh you poor thing, that sounds so tiring.

If he's not dehydrated and not losing weight I'm sure he'll be fine but I would ring the doctor before next week just for reassurance if you feel you need it.

New babies are a worry anyway aren't they and when they're premature too...oh gees, I didn't sleep for months!! Now she's 8

DD2 was born full term and I didn't worry half as much!

Original poster
sparklygothkat · 12/11/2007 23:49

he is pink and alert, and not dehydrated, just not gaining weight without the blood;y tube..

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Original poster
sparklygothkat · 12/11/2007 23:51

he is my 4th premature baby and he is the one that I worry about the most, and he is one of the biggest of the 4.. dd1 was 3lb 12 and dd2 was 3lb 8oz!!!

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WendyWeber · 12/11/2007 23:52

So if he was 4.5 when he left scbu, he's gained 12 ounces in about 5 weeks? (roughly, anyway, I can't remember exactly how old he was when you took him home!) That doesn't sound too bad, esp as you say his nappies are always wet and dirty.

Does mummyblueyes' post help? Is now about his due date? Maybe he will pick up faster now - let's hope so!

Original poster
sparklygothkat · 12/11/2007 23:57

but he has only gained while the tube has been in, when it is taken out he doesn't gain at all (SCBU nurse keeps trying to get him off it, but it has to be put back in a week later) without the tube he gains nothing, or even loses weight

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Original poster
sparklygothkat · 12/11/2007 23:58

he was due last week.

He is so cute though! so can forgive him for making me worry.. lol

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Original poster
sparklygothkat · 12/11/2007 23:59

it took him 5 weeks to get back to birth weight.

fingers crossed he is ok, and will start gaining now

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WendyWeber · 13/11/2007 00:04

He sounds lovely! And they will know at the hospital is this sort of growth pattern is within the normal range, won't they?

Original poster
sparklygothkat · 13/11/2007 00:06

the SCBU nurse is getting worried, and asked if we were seeing the consultant soon, because if it was too far away she was going to get brought forward. I think she doesn't want to panic me, but can tell she is concerned.

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WendyWeber · 13/11/2007 00:10

So he's gone from 4.8 to 5.1, 9 ounces in 2 weeks? I can understand that they want him to do without his tube asap but if he can build up his weight and strength quicker with it, isn't that good (for a short time anyway?)

(I've never had a prem so I don't have a clue how this works)

Original poster
sparklygothkat · 13/11/2007 00:16

they like them to gain 5-7oz a week. He actually was 4lb 10oz when he was weighed the week he got pass his birthweight, but only with the tube. We are all hoping that as soon as he gets strong enough to gain the weight without the tube, he will pile it on.

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Original poster
sparklygothkat · 13/11/2007 00:17

anyway have just finished feeding and topping up and am going to go to bed now. Thanks for the advice everyone..

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AitchTwoOh · 13/11/2007 00:19

it took full-term dd 5 weeks to regain her birth weight and that was with formula top-ups. she was pink and alert and having scared the living shit out of me and putting FTT on her notes, a bfing specialist i saw said 'some babies are just like that'. still worth getting it all checked, skg, but i wanted to pass on my experience.

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 13/11/2007 13:23

Paed should be able to give you a fortifier SKG. And you know your milk is fine it's probably just with a little tum and reflux he can't get enough volume in to gain the weight.

Hope you're ok today. It's very stressful and you must be shattered especially having other children to cope with too.

Original poster
sparklygothkat · 13/11/2007 15:55

Its very tiring he has gained 3oz in 5 days, but thats with 30mls topups on every feed. Waiting for the SCBU nurse to phone me and discuss what to do next.

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FioFio · 13/11/2007 16:00

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Original poster
sparklygothkat · 13/11/2007 16:03

They will leave the tube in, but we can't leave it in forever lol!! It gets removed to see if he can gain weight without it, and then reinserted a week later, when he hasn't gained weight. Noone is sure atm, if there is an underlying problems or if he is just slow to gain.

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FioFio · 13/11/2007 16:05

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margoandjerry · 13/11/2007 16:10

hi sparkly, sorry you are having such a hard time plumping up your little boy. My girl was only 4 weeks prem and 7lb 12 at birth but she took about six weeks to regain birth weight if I remember correctly and we were topping up at every feed.

In fact (this is a whole other thread controversy and we really don't need to go there) we topped up with formula to make sure she had something to give her enough energy to bf. By six weeks she'd got the strength to do it. Not advising formula, just saying that topping up (with anything) can take ages and with such a little one he may just need it.

Hope you get some good advice at the hosp.

Elibean · 13/11/2007 16:32

No advice, sparkly, just hope your LO is taking his own time to get started piling on pounds. I know how it is to have a worrying one, albeit not very prem in my case.

I also think small tum plus reflux can make it hard for them to take in enough to get fat on. dd2 was born on 50th, and at 11 months is down below 9th - she does have some swallowing issues (hence losing weight post weaning) but basically, she has reflux and trouble taking in large volumes of food or drink.

Bright as a button though

And I bet Callum is too

Original poster
sparklygothkat · 13/11/2007 17:39

did anyone else's child that had trouble with gaining weight also have green, greasy smelly stools?

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black31cat · 13/11/2007 17:55

Just thought - has he been checked for a tongue tie. I had the exact same problem w2ith my DS who was also prem, in that when he came off the NG tube his weight dropped dramatically. Initially we could only feed him EBM through a cup, and when we finally got bf established feeds would be every 2 hours and last 45 minutes. It was exhausting. and it turned out that his suck reflex was so weak that the paediatrician said he was amazed that he had managed to put many weight on at all.
Once he had had the tongue tie snipped - not nearly as bad as it sounds, he piled the weight on. At 9 months he is now on the 91st centile!

Sexonlegs · 13/11/2007 17:59

Hi there. Hope you don't mind me crashing in. SGK, my dd2 is coming up 7 months, and her poo has pretty much always been green - she is ff though. Her poo smells of stewed rhubarb (nice) and this can be a sign of food moving through the intestine too quickly and it being acidic. I am going to the GP tomorrow so will let you know how I get on.

Hope C is ok.

Heartmum2jamie, what happened with your lo?