Low centile worry - blasted red book!

[Hopehope20]

Hi,

Slowly torturing myself with worry...wanted to see if anyone else has any advice/support.

My son was born 8 weeks ago and weighed 6lb 4 (9th centile). I EBF at first but my milk did not fully come in (I had a bad infection after birth). This resulted in him losing over 12% body weight so we were sent to hospital. He was checked and we were told he was fine but to top up with formula. So we topped up an ounce each feed and he regained birth weight in 2.5 weeks.

Long story short! He dropped to 2nd centile at 4 weeks but we were still only topping up an ounce of formula...so we upped this to 2 ounces and he crepped up a bit
...then weighed at 6 weeks and he had dropped to just below 0.4 centile line...my milk has practically dried up so since the 19th December we have been giving him as much formula as he can take as the health visitor put the fear of life in me about him dropping two centiles. He has been having between 22 - 26 ounces a day. We had him weighed again yesterday...12 days later and he had put on 12 ounces. I thought....amazing...but this still puts him just below the 0.4 centile line.

Surely...with more formula he should be jumping up the centiles?

I am so scared something is wrong with him as everyone seems so freaked out that he is below the 0.4. It's driving me mad because he is alert, smiling, rolling onto his side, holding his head etc...but I now have this constant thought there is something wrong and it's ruining motherhood for me.

He was seen by doctor yesterday who agreed that he seemed fine but to go back in a week for another weigh in.

I guess...I am worried because I thought switching to formula would really up his weight gain...unless we are not giving enough...but he won't take any more.

Sorry this is so long...would appreciate any similar stories...

Thank you, as always xx

I'm sorry to hear about this, sounds like you've had an anxious time. You are seeing your doctor so that is good. It seems that your baby is butting on weight after a difficult start. he was born at the 9th centile so if he had not had issues with putting on weight at the beginning he would be fine following this centile- it would be expected if all was well he would still be around 9th centile- so he shouldn't be jumping the centiles (as far as I am aware).

Try not to worry about everyone freaking out, go with your own instinct- he's happy, he's putting on weight. He's having a reasonable amount and follow doctors advice.

He sounds like he will be fine once he has recovered from his difficult start.

If he's drinking milk, gaining weight and is happy, ignore the centile lines. You're doing nothing wrong, just give it a little bit of time and you'll see him settle to where he'll be on the centile lines. But they're a guide, that's all.

But seriously- just re-read that he's put on 12 ounce in 12 days- now that's a lot! You can't expect him to do the impossible and jump up the percentiles. Babies should gain between 4-7 oz a week apparently- so he's done really well.

Well some babies have to be at the bottom of the charts. It sounds like the doctor isn't worried and your baby is alert and feeling well. Maybe just making up for his difficult start? If it is any consolation my son was always off the bottom of the growth chart - he was a preemie though but his twin sister was around the 25th percentile, despite being a lower birth weight and fed the same (as far as I could tell, both bf). The pediatrician we were referred to was not worried. He is still now a small but healthy five year old.

My baby was born on the 50th and dropped 3 centiles. My HV was lovely and said ignore the chart and just look at the gains (albeit small and slow!) She said if I saw the weight increase without the charts, there wouldn't be a worry in my mind. I know it is an anxious time but as long as baby is happy, alert and producing wet nappies then just enjoy it. I ended up bragging that I got so much use out of her clothes I was sick of seeing them by the time she finally grew out of them

Thank you everyone. I do need to focus more on the gains...I was so happy with 12 ounces until I saw it plotted on the chart.

You have helped me ground myself...I just let myself spiral a bit there!

I guess we just need to see what happens at the next weigh in and then if that's not good i want to push for a referral just so he can get a full M.O.T to check for anything underlying.

Thank you for such speedy replies...I am breathing more easily now. He had his 8 week jabs yesterday too so if has been a difficult 24 hours!

@Hopehope20 I had similar anxieties with DS when he was born. He was 25th percentile but lost about the same as your boy in the first few weeks. I was quite poorly after his birth and although my milk came in it took a while. I was in hospital for a week anyhow so we didn't get re admitted but I did have to drag my very sore self and DS to the maternity hospital for lots of extra weigh in's. It really stressed me out. My boy is one now and is on the 98th percentile so he has certainly caught up from his slow start! No lasting concern there.

It's great that you are being monitored and supported but don't take it too much to heart. Sounds like your boy is gaining well now and happy and alert. Its also really useful with formula that you know exactly how much he's taking.

Hope the side effects from his jabs pass quickly.

Hi I’m wondering if anyone has been through something similar with their baby. I’m 95% sure my 4 month old DD is teething, although this seems young she is showing all the signs. It is giving her a really hard time and she screams intermittently in pain, I put teething gel on and it calms her right down so I’m sure it must be that that’s hurting her. However! When I feel inside her mouth I can feel what I’m sure are teeth coming through the roof of her mouth, close to her gums but not her gums. Is it normal I can feel them there!? Do they move?

On a side note, I have taken her to the doctors to rule anything else out as her screaming is intense at times and the doctor said she seems healthy, I mentioned she can be fussy with her feeds so she has prescribed her baby gaviscon but I don’t think she has reflux!

Sorry for the long message, FTM worry!!

Sorry I’ve just realised I jumped on another thread 😳 I’ve posted separately now sorry!

I had this with my dd, she was always a skinny little thing and often fell completely below the centile lines. I took my mothers advice and didn't worry about it as long as she was eating, eliminating and had adequate energy. She weighed 13 pounds on her first birthday. I've included a couple pics of her here so you can see she grew up quite healthy despite being extremely lightweight. One is from when she was nine and the other is at 17.

If his length is of a similar centile, I wouldn't worry.
My LO hovers between 2nd and 9th centile and it used to bother me. But my doctor advised that people are often getting too caught up in ensuring their babies 'achieve' a high centile and it's becoming too much of a competition. Some pgs are unecesseraily feeding with formula to get the weight gain. I know your situation is different so no dig there. But my doc has said that if formula fed babies weren't taken into account, average weight would be very different. The fact your baby gained 12oz so quickly shows there's no problem with weight gain. I'm sure he'll creep up a centile or two over time but don't rush it.

Ughhh OP you have my sympathy. I remember when my little one was born and he just did not want to feed. I had a Midwife round every day weighing him for 6 weeks because they were concerned he wasn’t gaining weight. The tears, the stress the anxiety was just too much. I couldn’t do anymore I was forcing him to feed and he just wasn’t interested but was a happy content baby. But in the end like my Midwife said “all babies get there, some just take a little longer than others” doesn’t stop us worrying though. Sending lots of hugs

Hi,
Just wanted to echo what other posters have said & share my story. We had loads of issues with feeding. My milk didn’t really come in, baby was exhausted from labour, tongue tie, not interested in feeding. He was big when born (91st centile) but at one point was tracking the 25th!! He went up & down the chart as & when he felt like it, it seemed. I was so so anxious about it all. I mixed fed, and luckily I had great health visitors/midwives who recognised he was fine, healthy, and was just on his own random path. He’s now 13 months & is on the 98th. Stick with the GP and getting checked, but if baby seems fine, they probably are. Some just don’t like to follow a chart.
Sending hugs, it’s so very stressful. xxx

Also, mine was born big. Most aren’t. Nothing wrong with being on the 0.4th or 98th centile. My back wishes my son was lower down the chart, but my husband and I aren’t petite so it was unlikely our kids would be. My friend has a 2 year old who is the same size as my 1 year old. She’s perfect; bright, intelligent, active, just petite. Within the normal range, size doesn’t matter. x

Another one to say don’t panic. Mine was born on the 50th and went down to the 7th. Now a strapping, brilliant teenager. If your doctor isn’t worried and your DS is happy and alert don’t worry. Enjoy your little boy.

I can't thank every one of you enough for your wonderful replies. Thank you. You end up feeling that you are the only one with feeding/weight issues. I feel like I am failing him with no idea how to stop it.

You have all made me feel so much less lonely and reassured. Thank you.

Seeing health visitor today so will have a good chat to her about it too xx

Hi everyone...Just thinking again about this and wanting to do everything i can to increase weight gain.

Currently my boy only takes about 3.Oz of formula every 3 - 4 hours. Does this seem too little? A friend if mine whose baby is similar age is taking 6.Oz...my son wouldn't get anywhere near that but I feel he needs to in order to start gaining more quickly.

I am terrified of a failure to thrive diagnosis x

That doesn't sound like much tbh. At 8 weeks, my LO couldn't drink much at a time but would drink frequently. Could you try 3oz every two hours?

As I mixed fed I was never sure in total what mine was taking. I’m not an expert, but do they drain the bottle each time? As pp said, perhaps offer more frequently, or add in more each feed and see if they’ll take more. But if that’s all you can get them to take and they’re still bright, alert, & the GP is still monitoring, then perhaps they’re just a slow gainer. DS was until I weaned him, then he suddenly shot through 3 centile lines quickly and I got told off for too rapid weight gain. 🤷🏻‍♀️

This might be a stupid thought, but I always forgot to move up the teat sizes at the right time. Perhaps trying an older teat size might make it easier for your little boy to drink more?

My son was 4 weeks early 4lb 13 and I think on 2nd centile. He stayed on the 9th for years. He was referred to hosp when 4 and they said does he eat well? Yes, and he’s a right fidget too, so bye!!
He’s now 20 and prob 5’8 height and broad. So don’t worry!!! I think from memory he got up to the 25th centile.

Try not to worry too much. Your baby is gaining weight now which is fantastic. If he finishes his bottles, you can offer him another oz or so but if he doesn’t want it then he doesn’t. Being on the 0.4 percentile on it’s own won’t be a reason for a FTT diagnosis. If it makes you feel any better, my DD2 chugged along on the 0.4 centile until she was 5 months old. I was very worried at the time - and my HV didn’t half bang on about it - but she was just a petite baby who became a petite (but perfectly healthy!) child. She’s 7 now and still wearing 5-6 clothes. Somebody has to be at the bottom of the chart, in the same way somebody has to be at the top.

24 oz is average so sounds like your baby has 18 a day. It’s lower than average, but someone has to
Be. Erjaoz rather than panicking and comparing to friends see what the next weigh in brings?

Perhaps