Another health visitor moan!

[Teri7489]

But she honestly is useless! DS was 6lb at birth, 6lb 6 at 9 days and is now 8lb 4 at 3 weeks old. She told me I'm feeding him too much (he is bottle fed expressed breast milk) and to limit him to only 3oz every 3 hours. She suggested giving him water to hold him off If he wants it more.

Am I being silly or is she? I fed my daughter on demand and intend to do the same this time. Isn't that weight gain good????

 

[mummytobe_93]

Oh my god that's ridiculous. 6lbs is pretty small for a baby to be born at. Maybe your baby is naturally supposed to be a bit bigger? He will probably gain quite fast and then slow down and stay on a percentile which is right for him.

Definitely don't give him water or limit it. Breast milk is good why reduce it? Also a baby knows when they are hungry!

Another factor, scales can be wrong to some degree so if he hasn't been weighed on the same set of scales every time there's also that.

I think they say around a 2lb gain a month is average, so just over 2lb in 3 weeks seems fine to me xx

 

[Teri7489]

Thank you. He was 10 days early and petite. My daughter was born at 40+4 and was 6lb 11 so think I just have small babies. I went to see the HV every week for months with dd but won't be bothering this time. I did wonder if the scales were wrong as he still needs his tiny baby outfits as everything else is just far too big for him. Still have to fold down his size one nappies xxx

 

[kellyc1987]

That's ridiculous, they'd also be moaning if he didn't gain enough!! Not every baby stays on the 50th centile.

 

[SurpriseBub]

Sounds ridiculous! Guidelines say not to give water before 6 months at all!!!

Sounds like good weight gain and I would certainly stick with feeding on demand

 

[JumpingIn]

Oh my god, I'd complain to be honest, that level of ignorance is dangerous

 

[emyandpotato]

Oh my god that's ridiculous. 6lbs is pretty small for a baby to be born at. Maybe your baby is naturally supposed to be a bit bigger? He will probably gain quite fast and then slow down and stay on a percentile which is right for him.

This! My first was born at 6lb 2oz, gained 2lbs in the first 2 weeks, and went up centiles during the first year. After that though it slowed down and he's petite but healthy and in proportion. Children all grow at different rates, to starve him to fit a chart is ridiculous!

 

[MrsPear]

That's quite dangerous advice I think. I would complain.

 

[AP]

I used to tell the HV I was doing what they said to get her off my back.
Then complain

 

[xluciex]

I wouldn't take notice of her "advice" and keep doing what YOU think is best for YOUR baby! Giving a 3 week old water is shocking rubbish advice! I think there is a growth spurt at 2-3wks so you could find next time you have him weighed he hasn't gained so much.
Every health visitor has different opinions, nothing is consistent, that if you spoke to another they would prob say your baby is thriving and you must have super milk! We had so much laughable advice with DS that now I take DD to be weighed every 4-6 weeks & when they ask if I would like to speak to HV I always say NO THANKS

 

[MindUtopia]

She is absolutely being silly and not even following her own protocol, which is to recommend feeding on demand, except in unusual circumstances (for instance, my daughter had to be fed at least every 3 hours, rather than on demand, because she struggled at first and wouldn't wake up to eat more regularly than that, so we had to wake her and offer feeds on a schedule more often than she would have demanded them). That's terrible advice and absolutely not supported by the research on infant feeding which all HV should be following. I would not only ignore her, I'd report her. In my experience, though there are some that are lovely, many HV are older ladies who just spout off whatever out-dated advice was told to them when they had their babies 40 years old rather than following updated evidence-based research as they are supposed to do.

 

[zorak]

That's not just bad advice, giving water to a baby that young is very dangerous. Report her.

 

[cjwn]

Ignore. Ignore. Ignore. Smile and nod, then immediately forget everything she says. You know best, just follow your instincts.

Unless you're feeding him chips and gravy and coke, in which case just stop.

 

[jodilee6]

While i don't agree with giving water to delay feeds in such a young baby I'd just like to say that my LO has been having 1-2oz water a day due to severe constipation caused by his reflux meds so while it's not common water can be given to babies but under proper medical care

 

[hanni]

I was going to say as a PP said. Isn't giving water to babies dangerous? Especially so young! What ridiculous advice.

 

[PoppyPainting]

My HV (who I've always found great) said babies born little often grow very quickly to catch up. My daughter was 11 days early and 5lb 6oz which made her 0.4th centile. She gained very rapidly and was 50th centile at 12 weeks and stayed there ever since.

 

[sethsmummy]

oh my gosh that is rediculous! shes giving you advice that could endanger your babies life. definitely dont give baby any water hun! just stay with DF, the weight gain is fine! x

 

[xprincessx]

What a daft health visitor, feed on demand all the way, I don't believe in making them wait if they are hungry, a baby won't overeat.

 

[SoupDragon]

That's awful, I'd complain. A healthy 3 week old will not overeat!

They made a dreadful fuss about how much weight my DD lost in the early days, saying it was >10% of her birthweight, and pushed more formula on me (we were and still are doing expressed milk with formula top-ups as I never made enough until recently by expressing to meet her demands) until they realised someone had written one of the weights down wrong, and she'd actually lost a grand total of 4oz (she was 10lb 2oz born) . I've had a staggeringly wide range of opinions (that's what they are, not evidence based guidance) on everything from sleep to weaning to general development from the different HVs we've seen. I pick and choose what advice I want to take now, because I know my DD best and I know what'll work for her.

But absolutely a tiny baby does not need their feeds restricted, they will grow in fits and starts and won't always be at the same line on the charts, and it's perfectly normal. Keep doing what you're doing!

 

[Teri7489]

Thank you everyone. I've kept feeding on demand and nor given him water at all. He's had a few hungry days and a few sleepy days so I'm happy. I mentioned the advice to my GP who said it was pure stupidity and he was going to have a word with her. Thankfully she's not my usual HV otherwise it could be a little awkward! Xxx