Exclusively Breastfed & putting on too much weight?

[.Shopaholic.]

Hi all,

Sorry if this is a really silly question and it's an obvious no, but i am a FTM with a 4 week old baby who has put on 2lb since birth. She was born at 38 weeks weighing 7lb 11 oz, and today weighed 9lb 14oz when the midwife was discharging us from her care.

Looking at her growth chart she has gone from the 50th to just on the 75th percentile now, but has definitely grew in length as well as weight. Her dad is 6 foot 3, and I am 5 foot 9 haha.

She never actually lost any recorded weight following birth and was back to birth weight at 5 days old.

Am I feeding her too much, or is this still normal? I think if I let her, she would nurse constantly all day haha but normally feeds between 2-3hrly day and night.

Thanks!

 

[hans2009]

They say you can't over feed a breastfed baby. I know when my son is done eating he'll sometimes continue to suck and if he gets milk he backs off. I'm sure she's fine. My son weighed .5 lb more than his birth weight at 4 weeks but this was after losing about a pound (so about 1.5 lbs total gained) and gained over 2 more pounds in the next 4 weeks. Weight gain is typically rapid at first and slows down.

I've also been told that percentiles don't matter much unless there is a big change, which makes sense. My son was in the 95% percentile for weight and height when born and at his 2 month check up his weight was in the 77%. Doctor said it was fine! We saw another doctor a couple weeks later for something else and I asked just being curious and she agreed-it was fine!

If you're concerned about your daughter's weight gain, I would call her doctor.

 

[.Shopaholic.]

Thank you for the reassurance Hans Much appreciated. I'm worrying about everything haha...turned into a proper worrier since I had her, I should be grateful she is gaining so well rather than being underweight x

 

[sheldonsmommy]

That's great weight gain!

I wouldn't worry at all. Some babies jump around the centile chart due to growth spurts, weighing before or after a big poo, etc. I don't think concern is raised unless there is significant dropping of centiles

Good job momma

 

[KJM2]

My son was 8lbs9.5 oz when born then went down to 8lbs 4oz but at just over 3 weeks old was 10lbs 14 oz. I was shocked as it took my first son about 2 weeks to regain his birth weight. But my lo is really good at latching on from the start. Iam feeding my lo every 2-3 hours also and I've heard that you can't over feed a bfreadtfed baby. Once my babies sucking slows down and he comfort sucks I just take him off maybe change his nappy which will wake him then offer him more, then when he stops sucking I take him of and stop.


Sounds like you are doing really well.

 

[.Shopaholic.]

That's great weight gain!

I wouldn't worry at all. Some babies jump around the centile chart due to growth spurts, weighing before or after a big poo, etc. I don't think concern is raised unless there is significant dropping of centiles

Good job momma

Thanks Sheldonsmommy Must be a growth spurt...the past week she has just wanted to feed none stop, especially at 4,5 & 6am lol! Today was the first time she slept til 7am yay!

My son was 8lbs9.5 oz when born then went down to 8lbs 4oz but at just over 3 weeks old was 10lbs 14 oz. I was shocked as it took my first son about 2 weeks to regain his birth weight. But my lo is really good at latching on from the start. Iam feeding my lo every 2-3 hours also and I've heard that you can't over feed a bfreadtfed baby. Once my babies sucking slows down and he comfort sucks I just take him off maybe change his nappy which will wake him then offer him more, then when he stops sucking I take him of and stop.


Sounds like you are doing really well.

Thanks KJM, it really is a shock isn't it as I thought all babies would lose weight first (not mine haha) and then have a slow steady weight gain...i can't believe how much she's putting on I heard that too about BF babies that they are impossible to overfeed, sometimes I do think that as if she has too much she does tend to bring a whole lot of part digested milk back but generally she knows when to stop just before that point haha. Don't think she likes to waste it. Good advice thank you, I'll try that! x

 

[Rachel_C]

When my first was born she was big and long and I was warned that LO would most likely drop down the charts at some point because looking at my OH and me, the midwife assumed her genes would make her average height. As it turns out, OH is tall for an Asian and I have some very tall genes in my family so LO didn't drop much, but the warning made sense. I would assume it would work the same way - if LO was average at birth but her genes say she's likely to be tall, she's going to get taller at some point! As long as she's happy and healthy, it wouldn't worry me a bit.

 

[MoldyVoldy]

Yeah, you can NOT overfeed a breastfed baby. Their sucking changes during the feed and they get what they need - not to mention your baby's saliva changes your milk to fit her needs. (Cool, huh?)

Good luck

 

[paintrider89]

My baby was 7lb 10oz when born, at her one month check she was 9lbs 3oz. DH is 6'2 and I'm 5'9. Baby also grew an inch. EBF here. All babies grow at different rates, and it sounds like your LO is doing great!

 

[sugarpuff]

My baby was long and slim at birth - 25th centile for weight and off the charts for length (I'm only 5'3" and husband is 5'9", so completely average/short!) and she is now blimmin massive ! She's exclusively breastfed is now in a combo of 6-9 and 9-12 month clothes despite being only 16 weeks I feed on demand (which is frequent !) and I will continue to do so - I guess she's just a naturally large baby, unlike her tiny, originally 2nd centile older sister

 

[Kay_Baby]

I wouldn't worry neither of my boys lots weight when they were born and both went up centiles straight after birth. DS1 from 9th to 25th, DS2 from 25th to 50th. DS1 stayed about there but DS2 has gone back down to under 25th now. I'm not worried every body is a different size and all babies gain weight differently

 

[JessesGirl29]

My son was born 8lbs5ozs and within 24 hrs dropped down to 7lbs, 9ozs. At our six week discharge with midwife he was 11lbs2ozs and had grown four inches. Midwife said that 2lb weight gain is normal and couldn't believe that he had gained 4lbs but seemed completely unworried. We don't have a scale so I'm not sure how heavy he is now at over 2 months but it's all stayed proportional and I EBF. Daddy is 6'2 so I think we just have a big boy on our hands judging by his monster feet

 

[.Shopaholic.]

Thank you so much for all your lovely reassuring replies I have been so silly and I know that, I guess I just needed some others views and opinions to make me see sense! There is no doubt the way her legs won't fit her sleep suits that she is going to be tall haha....I just have to take this into consideration!

Thanks again, this forum is a godsend! x

 

[Pearls18]

She's doing brilliantly! Evidence suggests BF babies tend to put more weight on at the start (after the initial 10 days) but can tail off around 3-4 months, they tend to be longer and have bigger heads eventually. Saying that, my own went from the 50th to the 91st while BF, he was a booby monster, but he's now a healthy slim 50th centile 3 year old

 

[KJM2]

My wee man was 59 cm at birth! So think iam going to have a tall child