scared to weigh dd

[yentil]

dd is 7 months old and i haven't weighed her for 5 weeks since i was tols that she was 16lb 5oz and not gaining weight quickly enough. droppped from 75th to just above 50th centile.

the problem is i cannot get her to eat anymore. she is happy most of the time, but has constipation on and off, and even when not constipated not that interested in milk/food. she never really has more than 20ozs a day (in about 5 bottles, and sometime will have breakfast, sometimes will have tea, sometimes will have a snack at lunch. i have tried different routines and different bottles, teats, formulas the lot. but her apetite is just small.

i am now scared to get her weighed agian, since it freaks me out and make me feel like a failure. i know she has put more weight on because she is growing out of clothes, but i am scared of her dropping through those charts more.

must add that since newborn she has never been that interested in food and therefore nothing has really changed. just as i am getting used to the idea of her just being happy i see a HV and i feel like shite again. i am tearing my hair out with worry, but have no solution.

thinking that i will just not wiegh her for sanity sake.

if she's growing out of clothes, all is not lost.

20oz is a pint, which is within the guidelines so that's OK, she's eating 3 times a day as well, that's OK.

How is her muscle tone? Is she sitting up and reaching for things? Does she seem interested in things around her?

If she started on the 75th centile that means she's got another 50 to drop before the HV (who is not the boss of you or your headmistress so don't be scared of her) will become concerned.

Get her weighed, and you can relax and carry on enjoyoing being her mum

You are under no obligation to have her weighed. As long as she is happy, healthy, seems to be growing and putting on weight leave it until her next check up. Many babies fluctuate across the centile charts and a good HV would use them only as one indicator of a child's development rather than a discussion point in itself.

Hi Yentil, sorry you are worried about this - its awful to worry about the food your children eat as its all tied up with them thriving and wanting to do well isn't it?? I think at 7 mnths you can start to limit the number of times you get her weighed - I know in the early months you have to go every couple of wks but at this stage I would have thought every month to 6 wks is okay. It saves you stressing too much.
i became awfully caught up and depressed about my ds1 and his weight when younger - but I know now that he also had quite a small appetite and just wasn't that keen on milk, in fact one of the more sensible HVs said you sometimes get what they call "non milkers" who don't drink too much milk. Will she take yoghurt?? Listen, as long as she is happy, sleeping etc and doing all the right things, so the bloomin centiles and HVs - unless she becomes ill or seriously looses weight don't worry - easy to say I know and I never thought I would say that as my 1st son drove me to distraction (think it was sympton of some PND to be honest) - with my later 2 I have managed to be much more laid back in the face of even smaller appetites.
Thinking of you.....

er meant to be "sod the bloomin centiles and HVs" in sort of Eliza Dolitte "move your bloomin arse" kind of way

developmentally she is great, strong, reaching for everything, sitting up, rolling etc, yes i will dos the bloody Hv and weigh at 8 month check i think.

happy mum = happy baby...still worrying though!