Weight gain advice needed

[Larissa]

Hi all
Well I have a beautiful 7 month old daughter (:p Hannah) and although I am not a first time mum my GP has really made me question my abilities this time around.

When he checked Hannah over at 4mths old he critisised me for not having her on solids, telling me that breast milk is useless after the first 3 months & that in china they start feeding babies the thickened water from boiled rice from birth nowas I said (Hannah isn't my first my boys 8 & 6 were both BF & I never heard anything like this with them) so any way at the end of this cunsultation he walked in to the waiting area with me to get his next paitent & anounced to the 4 waiting women " is any one here a wet nurse? this baby's not getting enough to eat!" with my head down I signed the slip & bolted - Family have since advised me that I should of said something to him but i was just so humiliated.

So any way last month I worked up the courage to take Hannah back for her next needle comming to the conclusion all the records are there already, only to be told by the nurse he would have to refer Hannah on to the GP as she is "small" he weighed at 5.2kg then later I had a second opinion that weighed her at 5.5kg at 6 months. Now I know that she is definatley my smallest -but she will not drink from a bottle and is now on solids I can see that she is slowly growing in to her
00's but she is still tiny - I have since received a call from the GP's receptionist telling me he is very concerned & want's to review her, The review is to take place this Friday (pm) so I don't have to go alone! but as stupid as it may sound I am really scared about once again being told I am not feeding my child.

Ihave spoken to friends that have had similar coments about the size of there breast feed babies but I am wondering if anyone else has gone or is going through this? Her milestones are all on par thought I do still put pillows around when she's sitting that is the only thing I can think of she seems a little lazy with, my DF thinks I am beating:banghead: myself up over nothing & I probably am but I have always respected the advice & care of this GP until now, I would love any advice. Thankyou for reading my long ramblings sincerly Larissa

[the_queen]

:eek: I am seriously shocked - if I was you I would NEVER go back to that "doctor" and I would report him to the AMA, complain as loudly as you can to his superiors, and find yourself a BF-friendly doctor.



I'm sure you know all of what I'm about to tell you, because you sound like a smart woman. But sometimes we need to have what we already know, reinforced by others. IYKWIM :D

Breastfed babies are getting the perfect food for their bodies. If Hannah is having plenty of wee's, if weight is going up (however slowly), if she is generally well in herself, then you are feeding her enough. If Hannah wasn't getting enough food she would be screaming the house down and letting you know that she was hungry.

If you are really concerned and want to put your mind at ease, just spend a few days sticking the boob in her mouth whenever she will take it. Just constantly feed her. You will soon see that she will feed when she's hungry, and when she's not hungry she won't feed.



TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. And do not go back to that doctor.

[YoungSupaMum]

Breastfed babies do not put on weight like formula fed babies because it is different milk and they are made up of different molecules!

This doctor is an idiot! (to say it bluntly!) You are doing the best thing for ur bub. There is nothing better than breast milk that u could ever give to her!
Follow ur own instincts and never go back to him!

My bub is 4 1/2 months and went through a patch of not putting on any weight but this is normal for bf babies! The tables which they have in the "blue book" are studies done on formula fed babies, so they dont represent bf babies at all!

But i think uve made the right decision to start her on solids, maybe she did need something a little extra. Anyway no one knows ur child like u do! Follow ur instincts! U sound like a smart women!

[munchkin05]

i wouldnt be going back to that doc

some children are just smaller than others

ben is nearly 15 mths old and weighs just over 8.5 kg he just doesnt put on weight easy but hes healthy and happy

hes a good eater always has been and hes still breast fed
as long as you think your bubs is healthy and happy dont listen to what that doc said

and i just wanted to add ben has just not long ago moved into a size one but they are still a little big on him

[faery]

:eek: :eek: :eek:
what kind of doctor is that!?!?!
can you go see someone else? how are these people allowed to practice???
if you do go tell them you want a second opinion and go get one. make a complaint to the practice, to the ama to anyone you can. they are not allowed to speak to you like that or make comments about you in front of other people.

[Mischief]

Find yourself another doctor! That guy is a total MORON!!!! Its no hassel to change GP's they just request the information from the other Dr's office.

The WHO and a board of australian doctors (and many others) say that babies benfit from being ex breastfeed for at least 6 months and if breastfeeding can continue until 24 months and beyond its even better!!!

Breastfed babies grow slower, and they are also suppost to have less weight problems later in life! If your little girl was hungry she would be letting you know!!!

[Goosie22]

Everyone else is right!

That doctor is a tool, exclusive BR to 6 months and introduction of solids after that slowly is recommende with Breastmilk being the main source of nutrition untill 12 months.

Breatmilk provides all the nutrients for a baby to grow and develop, even the old not enough iron line has been found to be a furfie as the iron present in BM is less than in formula but it is more bioavailable so of more use to the baby and not just excreeted out of the body.

I would also complain to the practice manager or AMA if its a sole GP practice...........as that broadcasting your private information is a breech of patient confidentiality and is totally not on..........he sounds like a half wit:thumbsdown: .

[RedPanda]

You poor thing! What an unprofessional doctor. His behaviour is completely unacceptable and just plain wrong. Babies all grow differently. My bub is a formula-fed little guy, and he doesn't even fit those tables in the "blue book" (otherwise known as the baby owner's manual :p ). Your little girl may always be a petite little thing - don't lose confidence! :hugs:

[Larissa]

Thankyou all so much I have had another horrible day of pre-empting Fridays check up so I took Hannah to my local medical centre for a second opinion today I did tell the doctor I saw what my Gp had put me though & he to was disgusted, so anyway acording to him Hannah is low in weight though she is "normal" in terms of her development ~ So tomorrow I will be contacting my "former" Gp & letting him know my family no longer require his services. Once again Thankyou All :thumbsup:

[cosmic]

Larissa, my little girl is 3mths old and we are experiencing a similar thing. She is exclusively breastfed and has always been a very slow weight gainer, but I found out on Monday she basically hasn't put on any weight in a month (about 150g total).

Both the ECHN and GP suggested comp feeding her with formula and I refused. I DO think I might have supply issues because my baby has been feeding much more regularly, she's waking up much more frequently and is a bit unsettled during the night and sometimes whinges after a feed as if she's still hungry but can't get any more out.

Thankfully I saw a great paediatrician today who told me that even though my baby has gone from 97th percentile at birth, to 50th percentile at 10 weeks, and now down to 10th percentile, there is NO reason for me to give her formula, NO reason to give her solids and this will IN NO WAY affect her in the future. He recommended doing what I can to increase my supply (expressing, taking motilium etc) and seeing a LC just to make sure she's draining my breast properly but apart from that, she is happy, alert, achieving her milestones, having heaps of wet nappies, has good skin tone and she is FINE!

If I were you, I'd cancel the appointment. That doctor is a knob! :yes:

[faery]

and if you do want to make a complaint, contact the royal college of general practitioners. as he is a GP, they will deal with any complaints as they are to body that certifies him.