Anyone referred to hospital for poor weight gain?

[Hopehope20]

Hi,

My son is 12 weeks old and was born on the 9th centile. Lost over 12% body weight in first week whilst I was EBF. Sent to hospital and told to top up with formula (I had in infection after birth so milk supply was low to non existent). I combined bed for the next 8 weeks. My son dropped to the 2nd centile so I switched solely to formula because I panicked about his weight. He now has dropped to 0.4th and we have been referred to hospital tomorrow. He does not have a huge appetite I am afraid and we work hard every day just to get around 23 oz down him.

I have no idea what to expect from the appointment tomorrow...has anyone got experience of something similar? I am already so upset and guilty that I couldn't breast feed....I thought at least switching to formula would have helped with weight gain so I am gutted that it hasn't. Feeling very sad and nervous about his appointment tomorrow.

Thank you for any advice xx

So pleased for you and your little boy you’re doing a fantastic job

@Hopehope20 that's amazing news and he'll prob now start to settle on his percentile line. It must be a huge relief for you, they worry you so much... as the others have said you've been doing a fantastic job... all the best

Thank you everyone. I am suprised he is genetically going to be this small...but as long as he is healthy i really couldn't care less. He is developing wonderfully and I adore him. Thank you for all your help xx

My little man

Gorgeous ❤️

Hi @Hopehope20 - it was like reading my very own post.
My little man was born at 36+6 at 5lb 2oz and has basically struggled ever since - I was very worried like you are and got obsessed with weighing him. I mean he isn't even made it to a centile, he just made his own. He's 17 months and still in 6-9 months clothes.
The tests he had were unreal and the supplements they wanted added to his meals were disgusting.
The only thing they found 'wrong' with him was a cmpa which he has now grown out of! He had hospital admissions, blood test after blood test and was even tube fed for a few weeks although that was hell and I was I stuck to my guns as this made no difference at all other than me stopping breast feeding it really affected his development.
He has no relationship which good really and no matter how much I try he just isn't interested, strangely enough he'll now just want to drink milk (prescription made up milk, 1kcal per 1ml) which is crazy as he completed rejected milk when I stopped breast feeding.
Ah I could just go on for days about this but basically just wanted to say don't worry, what will be will be, you're doing a fantastic job and he looks so happy

He's so gorgeous, that's lovely of you to share a picture 💙💛🧡

He looks very chilled and happy, like he's saying... "I'm not sure why everyone is worried" 😂

I know what you mean about being surprised about having a petite child. My partner and I are both tall in fact DP is 6'4. I guess they all still have a lot of growing still to do, but I think my DD will be a slim as she grows, just interested to see how tall she gets over the coming years x

@loveautum ha yes I thought the same...I took this over the weekend whilst I was fully of worry and felt he looked like he was saying 'chill out mummy!'.

@littleleeleanne that sounds just horrid. Knowing how bad I have felt over the last 12 week's with Henry's weight....and his story is, so far, much more manageable than yours....I feel for you so much and can't imagine want you have been through. Tube feeding terrifies me. I just never thought that babies would ever not drink much! Off all to the things I thought I would struggle with when I became a mum....feeding my boy just never crossed my mind as something that would be an issue! Very nieve x

He's beautiful and looks fine :)

I'm really sorry that your breastfeeding (assuming you wanted to carry on) has been ruined by you having been made (I think needlessly*) anxious over this. I've been there to some extent with all three of mine, most dramatically with my youngest who was born very small (2.5kg at 10 days past term - but entirely healthy) and weighs 10kg now at 3 (years!). We are a small and lean family (wish the 'lean' bit was still the case for me and dh ).

Centiles are not an exact science and usually, if all other development is proceeding as it should and the child is well, dropping them doesn't mean anything. My younger two in particular have always had their very own centile for height (oldest is more on the small side of average now (and skinnyish), but in his toddler years he was small too and notably light). But they had to get to that centile first, iyswim.

(*not a doctor. Mum for nearly 14 years, 3 dc).

(Just the heads up that you used your dc's name in your last post - you may want it removed, particularly as you have posted a picture)

I feel for you OP. My LO has hovered between 2nd and 9th centile but is perfectly healthy (aside from reflux and tongue tie) but I spent a fair bit of time worrying about his weight and length. The main reason for this is dickhead mum's who celebrate their child being a 'good'weight (e.g 98th centile). Made me worried about my LO who was at the bottom.

They are so misinformed though as surely a 'good' weight would be average, so 50th centile, meaning their babies are kind of overweight. In any case the chart just shows average weight of babies across a spectrum. Whether a baby is high or low on the chart, if they're gaining, that's a good sign they're healthy.

@FTMF30 Yes I completly agree. I am nervous with my boy because he is right at the bottom, any stall in his gain and he will most likely drop off the chart. He is feeding quite erraticaly at the moment. One day he might have 26 oz then only 20 the next. No set pattern. I am trying to focus on him being my perfect little boy and not obsessing so much about his weight. Before I know it this time.will be over and I know I will regret how much time I have wasted obsessing about his weight

@Hopehope20 how is your little boy getting on?