breastfed babies losing weight?

[MissSMartin]

is it common at first for a breastfed baby to lose a bit of weight beforev they start to put it on.. looking for some experiences?
thanks

My daughter did, went from 7lb 3 to 6lb13 but then steadily gained

Yes, both mine did, and the midwives are not bothered (however baby is fed) with upto a 10% loss.
I think it depends how n when your m lk comes in and how efficient a feeded baby is as to when they start gaining.

It's common for any baby, however they are fed, to loose weight. Up to 10% is considered normal.

Both my boys were breastfed - ds1 lost 8%, ds2 only gained weight

Yes, and they put it on slower, often in fits and starts. They feed constantly too :)

It's very common for babies to lose weight. I believe they are born with a layer of 'brown fat' which is there to sustain them while they establish feeding etc and they lose this pretty quickly.

My son was 9lb 8oz and went down to 8lb 4 I believe but he put it back on quickly as he fed so often. It didn't cause him any upset or anguish and it was only for a few days I think. Particularly when they start cluster feeding they soon make it up!

Try not worry

Yes it is normal for babies (either bf or bottle fed) to lose weight initially up to about 10% as pp have said. My son lost slightly more than this so we had to stop in hospital a couple of nights whilst his feeding picked up. After this though he put loads of weight on (about lb a wk). So bf babies can put lots of weight on and be heavier than average.

Totally normal and just so you know the arcs/curves in the red book are based on formula fed babies who are getting a measured amount of formula at regular intervals. If it were designed for a breastfed baby it would look more like steps to account for cluster feeding and growth spurts. Obviously any big weight loss is a concern but do not take offence if your baby does not follow that perfect curve. Any gain is a gain.
Best of luck with your breastfeeding.

Totally normal as others have said! If it keeps happening for weeks and weeks it could indicate a milk intolerance - this is what happened with my eldest. Unlikely but thought it might help to know just in case - it was months and months before we knew what was wrong.

thanks ladies
yes it was just a question as I want to breastfeed (I'm only 17+3 atm) and my dps mum doesn't think that babies lose weight at first .. I thought it was just bf babies but thanks to all your knowledge least I now know it doesn't matter how baby is fed! thanks again

Have you got a la leche league (LLL) group near you or a breastfeeding support group? They will always welcome pregnant people as well and are great for support in real life.

The Food of Love Book is great. I really wish I'd read it before having my baby!

ooo I'm going to search that book! sounds good

Yes to the food of love!

I read it after a mumsnet recommendation when I was pregnant with ds1 and it was great.