How often do you weigh your baby? And when did you stop?

[LadyOfWaffle]

I cannot remember , but I think I weighed DS1 weekly for ages but it just isn't realistic with DS2. DH works nights and either has to stay up then take us, or wake very early and take us. I cannot walk to the nearest as I will have to take DS1. TBH I am not fussed as DS can't eat more as he is demand fed and I have no concerns about him, but I don't want to not go if I really sshould.

weighed baby number 1 every month. numbers 2, 3 and 4 didn't get weighed although number 4 is now for her epielpsy med dose.
I figured if they got bigger they were probably ok.

i had ds1 (now 7 years) weighed at baby clinic once and they were so awful i never went back.

i had ds2 (now 7 months)weighed at baby clinic once and they were so awful i never went back. i have weighed him on home scales a couple of times (weigh myself, then weigh me holding him, then do the subtraction)... works for me!

I'm not in the UK so the system is different. DDs was never weighed more than monthly.

Didn't your HV say anything? I am worried about being accused of neglect or something althought I am sure I read somewhere those charts are wrong anyway...

baby 1 - approx monthly for about 3 months, then about once every 2 months for a few months, then stopped at about 9 months.

He was weighed at his 12 month check because it was part of his check but not since (he's now 2 1/2).

BF charts are a bit different, although not massively.

From what I've read British HVs are best avoided wherever possible

dd2 got weighed at her birth and hasn't been weighed since. she's 2!

its not compulsory to have a HV either. Didn't bother with 2 and 3. Had one with 4 but only cos she had been in NICU and had problems.

HVs round our way have more to worry about than middle class me. I've not seen hide nor hair of mine since her home visit 2 years ago.

They don't have drop ins any more. You have to ring to make an appointment if you are worried about anything but they are never there.

The only person I know who has been contacted by them was rung after her child showed up at A&E with a head injury, and then all they did was phone and ask her how it happened.

I think unless your child is on the at risk register they aren't too bothered tbh.

thankyou for the charts! shall print them off and re-track DS. Intresting boys and girls are different, I wonder why? Are they the WHO ones? I tried to get them a year or so ago but could never download them...

With dd2 I went every 2/3 weeks until she was 3 months and then I didn't really bother.

With dd2, I saw my HV at the 6week check and she said 'As this is your 2nd I expect I won't see you again until the eigth month check.' I agreed with her. dd2 is 3 next month and hasn't been weighed since the eight month check.

Oh nice, they already tried to hoodwink me into 'family support' under the guise it was a playgroup at our local childrens centre which I thought was wonderful, then googled family support and saw it was for vunerable children Then DH rung them and told them not to send that HV round again (she really was horrid) and that was all fine and dandy until another one rung to come round 'to weight the baby'... even though I go weekly/2 weekly. If he tries to come again with that poor excuse I will just tell her I am doing it myself. I was worried that everyone was going weekly for months and months or something.

Any idea why they might be trying to force 'extra support' onto you?

i've never heard anythign from my hv about the fact that i don't turn up to the nightmare that is their weekly baby clinic. rumour has it that there is supposed to be a 7 month check, but ds2 is 8 months and not a peep. whereas with ds1 (in diff area), the doc kept ringing me to say "your son is not up to date with his vaccinations" and couldn't understand that he was in fact entirely up to date insofar as that he wasn't having them.

the one time i went with ds2 it was full of nudey toddlers, was bizarre, WHY did their parents think they needed weighing at 2 years old??

i never weigh mine

youngest was last weighed when he was born i think. he's now 2 1/2 and seem to be surviving without scales

come to think of it , he might have been weighed at 8 months check up, but i cant remember. i don't set much store by weighing. or HV

lady of waffle - do you know why they are offering you "support"?

After DD was born she was checked at 6 weeks and that was it. I took her in for her developmental check at about 18months.
The only times she was weighed or checked or anything.
It was so nice. My anxiety level was so much lower than withthe other two...

Lady
I had the same. If I ever go to the Drs a big screen flashes up with the generally worded "weirdo mother alert"
Fortunately they all quite like me. Only the locums have to have it explained to them.

With PFB, went every week religiously and fretted over every ounce! With DS2 couldn't be arsed .

She said it after DS1 was bouncing around like mad (was tired as he conked out after she went). He was rocking on my glider chair like a loon when she was trying to do the hearing test and she was mightily pissed off, thinking he was some sort of delinquint child. Doesn't help that I am 22 and my house is a mess (in the fact that most the walls are stripped back for plastering or bare plaster) and 1/2 the kitchen units are down as the whole house is being done from top to bottom, but I guess it was judged as some sort of dump/squat. Arghm sorry getting all upset about it again now! My mum was a HV in the 70's/80's and was like this woman so I know they do think it (because my mum sure as hell says it)

AND I dared to offer DS the choice of an apple or banana to calm him, or asked if he wanted bed and she said "Do you always offer him choices??" "You shouldn't offer choices you know, you have to tell them what to do " etc. etc. She was on me like a duck on a junebug.

LOW
take a deep breath...
You do not have to see any of these people.
DS1 is your child and you are parenting him as you choose to.
If you want support and advice then by all means go and see them. But do not allow them to come to your house if they are making you uncomfortable.
Just make appointments at health centre/GPs where ever.
MY current HV has never set foot in my house. I wouldn't authorise it.

DH told them not to come but they know I am a pushover and just nod at everything so the next one tried to come round! Instead of sounding a strong independant mum type by not allowing them I always end up seeming like a bad mum! Thread has gone off course a little, me waffling again

lady w, i'm 35 and my house is in a similar mess of renovation, and i give choices too. you sound very nice. if hvs turn up, just say "sorry its not convenient", you are absolutely not obliged to let them in, nor to go to their clinics.

From my (fairly limited) experience HVs do seem to treat youngers mothers differently. They tend to leave old bags like myself well alone!

Thankyou I had a really lovely one with DS1 at the beginning, real mumsnet type(infact at the clinic she was at the other week it had a MN poster up!). She was truely wonderful and more relaxed ie. into attachment parenting etc. She was the first person I told I was co-sleeping, I thought it was very very wrong before I saw her! I daren't have told the new one baby was in bed with me at night! I am glad I don't have to go, although I am afraid I may have blown all my chances of ever being a foster parent (even though I am thinking 5/10 years time) as I think they think I am being awkward now!