Baby gaining too much weight?!

[TheseAreMyGoodPants]

Hi all.

My boy is six weeks old and exclusively breastfed. He weighed 6lbs 12oz at birth (born at 37 weeks). He had his six week HV check yesterday and he weighs 12lbs 10oz. So yes, he's piled it on but I was happy with this!

My HV insinuated I was overfeeding him and should only feed him when he's showing hunger cues (which I already do!).
She also mentioned him being at increased risk of obesity ect. Basically making me feel like I'm doing something wrong 😔 He's never had formula or a bottle.

He was also off the chart for length so to me that means he's just a big boy as opposed to overweight as he's in proportion. This is my first time breastfeeding and I thought it was going well but now I feel like I'm doing something wrong. He's a perfectly healthy, happy, content baby. Already smiling and holding his head up. He goes 2-3 hours between feeds in the day and 3-4 hours at
night so it's not like I'm feeding him constantly!

Is my HV just talking b*llocks? 😂

She is! It's impossible to overfeed a breastfed baby. Keep following the cues and your instincts.
My hugely chubby babies are now skinny lanky kids.

Yes she's talking rubbish
You can't puy a tiny baby on a diet

...just to add my DS was also off the chart for height and weight. He was permanently attached to my boobs! It's totally normal. You're doing a brilliant job.

Yep HV is talking rubbish. It’s impossible to over feed a baby, they are much better at eating only when hungry and thirsty. Below the age of 1/2 a chunky baby is amazing, means if they get sick you don’t worry about them not eating for a few days. I have had a skinny baby (height and weight percentiles didn’t match drastically) and chunky baby (99 percentile for height and weight), other than the cleaning under their neck rolls I would choose to have a chunky baby any day!

You are doing an amazing job and must produce some top tip milk. Some HV are amazing and others not so much in any job. Please take what she said with a pinch of salt and follow your gut.

Don't you just hate a HV?! They just go out of their way yo make a new mother feel shite. Well done on your successful feeding, try to minimise appts with her.

Wow, you must be making cream!

She's talking nonsense - and what is she actually expecting you to do? Leave him hungry?
Even if you could overfeed a breastfed baby, if he's going 3-4 hours between feeds at night, and 2-3 hours during the day at 6 weeks old, he clearly isn't being overfed anyway. I wish my 12 week old would do 3-4 hours at night..

Yes, HV is being ridiculous. I took DC2 to be weighed and was tutted at because they were about to go up another centile and that wasn't good. I politely pointed out I was exclusively breastfeeding and feeding on demand. That was the last time I took them to be weighed. DC2 is now 4, on the small side for their age and perfectly healthy. You are doing a great job, keep going as you are 🙂

You can't overfeed while BF. If his height is proportiinate to his weight then he's just naturally bigger, not overweight.

If you want to be absolutely sure I'd get a doctor's opinion, but honestly it sounds like she's talking BS

My son fed constantly from the minute he was born.

99th sent for weight but 75th for height

Also exc breastfed till 12 months

He just ate and ate. He was a chubby baby and a chubby kid.

I was referred to weight clinic when he was 4 as HV said over weight

He ate proper home cooked meals and was very active

He still eats loads and is 8 years old , very tall and very slim / athletic. He runs a lot now competitive.

He is just a big lad who grows a lot.

He was about 5/6 by time he sprouted and lost the chubby look to turn into the slim build he is now.

Should of said Yes HV speaking nonsense. Ignore her and keep doing what your doing

I was told this by my EBF baby when he was about 4 months as he had gone up 3 centiles and was high risk of obesity ect. She told me to cut feeds down and to try other methods to stop him crying and told me he was manipulating me and I needed to start sleep training him

Anyways...ignored that advice and carried on until he self weaned at 15 months. He tracked that line until he was about 18 months and now is a slim 8yo.

You can't overfeed a breastfed baby. Keep doing what you are doing, you are listening to your babies cues and doing great!

told me he was manipulating me

What a crock of shit 🙄