im about to kill my health nurse

[lozie2]

When Cassie was 1st born i was told shes putting too much weight on, she is now 18 weeks and im being told shes not putting enough on! Can we ever win!

She is bf, no top ups, no formula, no solids.

Ive had enough of going to be made to feel like a crap mum, every time i leave i feel like sh*t. I do like to know how much she weighs and if shes growing.

Cassie is in no means skinny but she isnt the chubbiest bubby.

I called the co-ordinater of the health nurses in this area sayin i want to change centres and if they dont change me i wont be returning.
I also think i will be saying to the new health nurse 'Keep your opinions to yourself, if i am worried about something i will ask'
Ive had enough!

The health nurse was going on about top ups because she didnt put enough weight on... by 50grams in 2 weeks..

sorry just had to vent!

[breechmumma]

I have never been to the child health nurse myself and it is party for this reason. I just take bub to the chemist and weigh her myself. As a mum you will know if she is putting weight on or not. If you don't feel right then you will do something about it so as much as these nurses have their place don't get too caught up on what they say. I also don't believe in weighing to often as it gives you a false reading. Try to imagine if one week you weighed her with a full tummy and she hadn't dirtied a nappy yet. Then 7 - 14 days later you weigh her on an empty stomach and just changed a stinker. She would seem to not have put much weight on. Does that make sense?

If you feel ok about her weight then trust your instincts. Your doing a great job mumma.

[Bunnyhugs]

You don't have to go to the CHN - like breechmumma said, you can weigh bubs at the chemist.

I stopped going to my CHN with DS because I always felt judged. The nurse herself was lovely but I just hated going, so I stopped.

This time around, I'll be having bubs weighed by my clinic nurse :yes:

[mum2bubba]

You know you don't actually have to go to one, they're not compulsory.

Just weigh her at a chemist or doctors.

[Mrs Nietzsche]

It is actually the expected pattern for breastfed babies to put on a lot of weight earlier and then slow right down at your baby's age - they don't have the same pattern of growth as formula fed babies. So sounds like everything is going perfectly.

From kellymom site http://kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/growthcharts.html

Healthy breastfed infants tend to grow more rapidly than formula-fed infants in the first 2-3 months of life and less rapidly from 3 to 12 months. All growth charts available at this time include data from infants who were not exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months (includes formula-fed infants and those starting solids before the recommended 6 months). Because many doctors are not aware of this, they see the baby dropping in percentiles on the growth chart and often come to the faulty conclusion that the baby is not growing adequately. At this point they often recommend that the mother (unnecessarily) supplement with formula or solids, and sometimes recommend that they stop breastfeeding altogether. Even if mom realizes that her baby is perfectly healthy and doesn't follow these unnecessary recommendations, she ends up worrying for no reason (and moms don't need anything extra to worry about!).

[bosang]

Hi Lozie2. Thought you'd be interested in a similar thread I posted a week or so ago (see below). You are certainly not alone in this!!!!!


Maternal & Chilld Health nurse freaking me out AGAIN
Hi. I just need to vent......I have just returned from my DD's 9 month old health nurse appt, & yet AGAIN, I feel as though I have failed motherhood. :( Evertime I leave her office, she freaks me out about something. When DD was a baby, the health nurse told me off for not doing enough "tummy time" with bubba. A bit hard to spend ages on the floor with bubs when I also have a 4 year old to run after! At 4 months, the health nurse sent us for an ultrasound on DD's skull, as she felt her fontanelle was too closed. We had the ultrasound done & everything was fine. The Dr suggested that perhaps the health nurse was being a bit overly/unnecessarily cautious. Well, today she went on & on about how little weight DD has put on lately. :ecomcity: She has only put on under 300g in 2 months (which is concerning), but not very surprising b/c she has been really slow to take to solids - not really interested, prefers to just play with the food. Apart from force feeding her (which we cant do!), what else can I do to get her to put on weight & get the health nurse off my back??). We have DD booked in for some allergy testing next week b/c she has some eczema that I think is food-related. The health nurse made me feel like it was my fault that DD had dropped on the weight percentiles on the growth chart. Apart from that, DD is a happy, active, gorgeous, contented little girl, who is rarely sick. Developmentally, she is doing everything she should be. My 4 year old DD is a skinny winny & was always a fussy eater, so maybe this one is following in her footsteps!
I just wish I would leave the health nurse's office one day & feel as though I'm doing a good job, rather than stressing about the next "issue". I understand that she's only giving us her professional opinion, but I'm at the point where I get nervous b/f any appts now. Anyway, maybe its just her bedside manner....AARRGGHH. Thanks for listening to my whinge.

http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/images/misc/progress.gif

[Sheer Bliss]

Easy....as a PP said - stop going! She sounds horrid!! I have twins, and both are putting on weight at dif rates, both are exclusively b/f, no top-ups no solids and are almost 5months. My CHN is very happy with both of them, and THAT is the reason I keep going back to her. She understands that babies are different, and when I have said that I know in my head that DD is doing well, but I worry a bit that she is so small (she is over a kg less than her brother, and she was born 100g heavier) she reminds me that they are both very different babies, but BOTH doing beautifully!

[MsMummy]

I think there can be some benefit in going, but some things you take with a grain of salt.

[GraceUnhearing]

just stop going to her

why do you go anyway?

they really have no benefit

[lozie2]

Thanks every1, i have called and changed to a different health centre, Fingers crossed this nurse is better!!If not i jusyt wont go... i do like to know her weight tho... not to see if shes put on enough, just to remind myself that im doing a good job i guess!!

[elleandsam]

We don't go, if we have an issue I just take her to the GP. I don't see the point in them. It's not going to void my childs warranty if her log book isn't up to date and she doesn't get a regular service from the dealership ;)

[2boyoboys]

We don't go, if we have an issue I just take her to the GP. I don't see the point in them. It's not going to void my childs warranty if her log book isn't up to date and she doesn't get a regular service from the dealership ;)

Hahaha classic!

[SassyMummy]

I never bothered. I got a few free visits after I left hospital because I was a young mother, but once she stopped coming I never bothered. I did the checkups listed in the health record book (for me it was a red book), and weighed her at the chemists... but I never saw the point.

Going by what I've read on these forums (HEAPS of people are treated like they're doing a bad job by them OP!), I'm glad I never bothered going.