First time mum - scared and afraid

[adorableangel]

Hi all,

Please don't move this thread as I'm after advice from all mums, not just BFing mums.

My DD is 4 months old (18 weeks) and she is my everything. I'm just concerned about her current growth.

Yesterday she weighed just under 5.2kgs (she was 3kgs at birth). She on average had been gaining about 135 grams a week (is BF) up until a month ago, she has slowed right down. In the last fortnight she has only gained 120 grams and the fortnight before that 140 grams. She still feeds 5/6 times a day. I try to feed her more but she's just not interested/hungry.

It appears on all measurements she has slowed right down and this greatly concerns me. Last Friday her head cir was 40.2cms (37.4 at birth) and her length was 59cm (47cm at birth). My GP weighed her with her warm winter clothes on and she was 5.5kgs (so he wasn't concerned, even though I was). He left us with the nurse to give DD her 4 month old injections before I had a chance to voice my concerns... grrrr.

All that is going through my head is failure to thrive!!

Yes she is still having wet nappies, but they aren't really wet. She does seem happy and content. But still fits in newborn or 000 clothes and is so tiny.

I weighed the same as DD when I was born but my mum says I was a fatty at 4 months, and I've seen the pics But then I was FF and on solids from 3 months

I rang the BFing association and they said to just feed her whenever she is awake!! I try giving her more feeds but she's just not interested

My GP is a pain, haven't seen a CHN in a while, my mum says start her on solids or top her up on formula, the lady from the breastfeeding association says DON'T do this and my partner isn't too concerned at all. He thinks she is growing just fine.

I'm at my whits end, been given heaps of different advice and I just don't know what to do. Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry about my long rant...

I want to keep BFing for as long as I can but at the same time I want my baby to gain weight. Even on the WHO BFing chart she has dropped back from 20 to 3 percentile recently.

[Lily_Pad]

I reckon you should try to see another GP... ask around for some recommendations for one who will listen to your concerns, hear all the advice you have been given and give you the best way to go from there.
In the meantime keep trying to feed her when she's awake... as long as she's alert and content I wouldn't stress about waiting until you can book another appt with a different GP

How odd that he weighed her with all her clothes on

[SPC]

They do slow down and their weight gain plateaus out. Esme only gained 300g in 2 months between 4 and 6 months, but is happily on the 50th percentile. If you look at the charts you'll see how they flatten out.

FTT is a whole different thing - they drop right off the charts, below the 3rd percentile. Some babies are just slimmer and more lithe. And there's a fair bit of evidence that having a fat baby can lead to health problems later on. You most certainly don't want to be thinking about formula or solids yet - breast milk is ensuring your baby has the best start and helping protect her long-term health from things like obesity and diabetes.

It's important to look at her overall well-being. I she a happy baby? Does she have 6 wet nappies a day and one dirty one every few days? Is she alert, rolling, babbling, grasping things and generally content? If there were any problems with your supply you would have a miserable hungry baby who wouldn't get of the boob. It sounds to me like you need to relax a bit and trust that you baby knows what she needs and if she's hungry she'll feed.

[adorableangel]

Thank you misslily believe me I don't know why he did that, then went and checked the growth chart for weight and said she's a little under but should be fine, and that's when he thought she was 5.5kgs.

One other thing she isn't pooing as much as before. About 2/3 poos a week.. is this normal?

[Surprised2]

Hey there....im not a Dr but i wouldnt worry too much, at least she isnt losing weight. My son was 4.7kgs at birth and now is just over 8 (bit less than double) and he is 4.5months old.. which is pretty close to your child. Aslong as she is happy... its all good.
All the best

[MissMetal]

Hey there....im not a Dr but i wouldnt worry too much, at least she isnt losing weight. My son was 4.7kgs at birth and now is just over 8 (bit less than double) and he is 4.5months old.. which is pretty close to your child. Aslong as she is happy... its all good.
All the best

wow my boy is 4.7kg at 4 months lol!!

adorableangle- i know its hard not to stress, but honestly your bub is prob fine! my boy has never even made it onto the charts ever he is teeeeeny tiny!!!

[naebie]

I went through these exact feelings around the same time. My DD dropped from the the 75th %ile to below the 25th- She was 3.8kgs at birth and was stuck at around 6kgs for ages, in 8 weeks from 3 1/2 months to 5 1/2 months she put on roughly 300 grams, and went from 5.9kg to 6.2kg.
I was a little concerned, but my mum told me, like SPC said, look for signs of happiness- If she was not getting enough milk there is no way she would be content! And also, not gaining is one thing, losing weight is another thing altogether!
As for poos, it is normal for b.fed babies to go anywhere from 10 times a day to once every 10 days! My DD was lucky to go once a week!
We started solids (Baby Led Weaning) at 5.5 months and she was exclusively b.fed until then. I am glad we waited til she was ready. Her gains have increased slightly, but for the most part she is gaining around 80 grams a week.

[Lily_Pad]

Thank you misslily believe me I don't know why he did that, then went and checked the growth chart for weight and said she's a little under but should be fine, and that's when he thought she was 5.5kgs.

One other thing she isn't pooing as much as before. About 2/3 poos a week.. is this normal?

Yup from what I read it's normal for breastfed babies to sometimes not poo that much, plus as she gets older she will go less too. Sometimes my DD won't poo for 5 days at a time and then when she finally does, my god does she make it a good one

[BabelFish]

Those weight charts - grrrrrrr. They cause people so much stress sometimes and honestly, mostly there's just no need. If she's happy, contented, feeding well and settled, then it doesn't matter that her weight has plateaued. Also, I'm pretty sure that those charts are based on FF babies - not 100% sure but I think that's what I heard - so they're not accurate for everyone.

To have put on 2.2kg since birth is great! That's an average of 125g a week! That's awesome! There's definitely no need to worry if that's the sort of weight she's putting on. Babies shouldn't be fat - they should be what's right for them. So just because you were a `fatty' at her age, doesn't mean she should be. Also don't go by her clothes size. My DD is 10 months, on the 75th percentile for height and the 50th for weight, in a size 1 with everything but still wears 000 - 00 pants, she got such little short legs ... lol.

You don't need to look for things to be wrong, just because she doesn't match some random numbers prescribed by averaging out heights and weights. Those numbers are a guide, not hard-and-fast rules that your baby HAS to have reached by a certain age. It's the same with other milestones - crawling, sitting, standing, walking etc - they do these things at vastly different ages and by the time they're 2 it's all averaged out anyway.

You just have a little baby. That's all - if she has all the other signs of being a healthy baby then she IS a healthy baby. To ease your mind, see your CHN and go and find another GP, but honestly, if she's doing everything you say she is then she's doing just great, and so are you

[gi_jo]

Misslily my GP is great and she said b/f babies weight can plateau before they start solids. I guess they are moving around more so using more energy.

DS2 was 4.56kg born, 6950 grams at 3 months, 7050 grams at 4 months and 7100 grams at 5 months. I started him on solids only once a day and he was ready for it and gained 500 grams in a month so is 7.6kg at 6 months.

As someone else said as long as she is sleeping and feeding well and is generally happy I wouldn't be too concerned.