Slow weight gain?

[divadexie]

My HV keeps on at me.

Anna doesn't seem to be putting on weight as quickly as she was when she first came home.

She is eating well, at the moment between 4 and 5 6 or 5oz bottles, occasionally leaving an once or so. She is having plenty of wet and dirty nappies and is bright and alert and sleeping well.


But since last fortnight she only put on 4oz and the last time it was 5oz over a fortnight.


I think they are going to tell me to put her back on the nutriprem which would mean having to give her reflux meds again which I didn't want to do because the sma staydown is pretty much stopping the throwing up and the gaviscon made her really constipated.


What is going to hapen? Are they going to send her to hospital to see why she is slow to gain weight? Or give me different milk or suppliments or what?

 

[Sugarmuppet]

I don't think that Gaby has ever put on more than 5oz a fortnight, but no one has ever said its not enough? She is following her own little curve just about on the bottom on the chart. She is just over 14lb just now.

How much does Anna weigh now?

Think the fact that she is bright, has plenty of wet and dirty nappies speaks for itself, in that she is okay?

 

[divadexie]

She is 9lb 6.5.

She was on the 9th centile but has slowly dropped to the 4th one over 14 weeks!

 

[AP]

Sounds like us hun, things just slowed down (preemie weight slows quicker)and we just had to accept it. Her weight has only had a good gain recently after shes finally on real solids.

 

[divadexie]

Thanks
Do you think I ought to ring edinburgh and then tell my HV its normal?
I can't be doing with her interfering lol, she says shes going to discuss it with the annoying HV tomorrow and see how often we are getting weighed!

Aahh fortnightly is enough for me I cant be doing with them every week! Even this week I couldn't be bothered going up to clinic so called and said come to mine lol.

How often did Alex get weighed? When did her weight gain start to slow and did they make you get her weighed weekly/fortnightly because of it?

Its annoying here because we have a very very small NNU at the hospital half an hour away, none of the HV have a feckin clue about preemies..nor do the doctors at my local surgery! I had to print all the bliss guidelines off for the HV to get her to shut up about going at corrected age!

 

[Sugarmuppet]

Would take HV's advice with a pinch of salt, in my experience they don't really know what they are talking about. I expressed and fed Gaby that way, lost count of the number of times HV said to put her onto formula. She was happy, healthy, lots of wet and dirty nappies and was sleeping great, why would I want to change anything?

Have just accepted her for the little baby that she is...as she sits with a 0-3 month dress on and newborn tights

 

[AP]

Thanks
Do you think I ought to ring edinburgh and then tell my HV its normal?
I can't be doing with her interfering lol, she says shes going to discuss it with the annoying HV tomorrow and see how often we are getting weighed!

Aahh fortnightly is enough for me I cant be doing with them every week! Even this week I couldn't be bothered going up to clinic so called and said come to mine lol.

How often did Alex get weighed? When did her weight gain start to slow and did they make you get her weighed weekly/fortnightly because of it?

Its annoying here because we have a very very small NNU at the hospital half an hour away, none of the HV have a feckin clue about preemies..nor do the doctors at my local surgery! I had to print all the bliss guidelines off for the HV to get her to shut up about going at corrected age!

They sound seriously annoying chick, i would be so frustrated! Preemies have their own wee lines, that is that. HV's get it into their heads somehow that regardless of prematurity they start pretending to know it all, so work like they would with a full termer.

Maybe you could phone edinburgh, (cant see why not!) and explain the situation. Just tell them now you are out there you dont seem to be gettin reliable advice and you know from other preemies that edinburgh does have great knowledge

I remember panicing about her weight - i'll get her red book out and come back

 

[25weeker]

Holly has never been great at putting on weight and has stayed in the 0.4th centile. Thankfully my clinic were just happy with gains no matter how small.

At her 6 month review I spoke to the consultant about adding butter, cream etc to her meals to fatten her up and he said don't bother as all that does is make her chubby and doesn't help with her development in any way.

As long as she isn't losing weight try not to worry. Our lo bodies have to work harder which is why weight gain isn't as good.

 

[divadexie]

Is there a milk thats going to be better for her growth etc than the staydown?
Or am I just as well staying with it and continue working on the weaning?
A sandi said she will prob start to put weight on better when she is older and weaned.

 

[AP]

if it was me? I would weigh up what milk you are better on, and carry on with the weaning too

 

[Marleysgirl]

Andrew is still following his own curve on the preemie graph below the 0.4th percentile, around the -3SD line.

At her 6 month review I spoke to the consultant about adding butter, cream etc to her meals to fatten her up and he said don't bother as all that does is make her chubby and doesn't help with her development in any way.

Interesting. We were at the hospital Dietitian today, and this is precisely what she told us to do.

 

[25weeker]

Maybe because Holly is on the graph they are happy with that. One thing he said which was interesting was there is no right or wrong way to wean a preemie as there isn't any solid research saying one way is better than the other it is all just opinions.

Divadixie - personally I would prefer a happy baby to one gaining loads of weight. I thought about moving Holly to formula at one point to see if I could increase her weight but she has a very slight reflux which doesn't need any medication and I was worried with formula she would get worse so stayed breastfeeding. Holly was 10 months actual yesterday and 6 1/2 months corrected and still in 0-3 month clothes and will be for a few months yet!

 

[divadexie]

so basically as long as she IS gaining weight and not staying the same of losing it, don't worry? Lol.

I was thinking of trying her back on the nutriprem and see how we are with the being sick because tbh this staydown is a complete pain in the ass to make up and having to make sure the water is really cold then having to heat it up, and I was feeding at room temp before and heating bedtime bottle. Also, what the hell happens if I have a power cut how do I warm it up then? Its really windy here lol.

 

[katy1310]

so basically as long as she IS gaining weight and not staying the same of losing it, don't worry? Lol.

I was thinking of trying her back on the nutriprem and see how we are with the being sick because tbh this staydown is a complete pain in the ass to make up and having to make sure the water is really cold then having to heat it up, and I was feeding at room temp before and heating bedtime bottle. Also, what the hell happens if I have a power cut how do I warm it up then? Its really windy here lol.

Ooh yes, I never thought about a power cut! We have 4 bottles and just fill them all with boiling water, cool them in the sink and then chill them, and just take one out when it's time for the feed and stick it in a jug of boiling water. We always make sure we have at least one in the fridge. Might be a good idea to keep a couple of flasks of hot water on the go!

Try not to worry too much about Anna's weight gain, as long as she is gaining some and is happy and seems healthy and bright. She sounds like she's absolutely fine. Health visitors really don't seem to understand preemies...I'm sure ours is treating Sophie as if she was a full term June baby! xxx

 

[AP]

Also, what the hell happens if I have a power cut how do I warm it up then? Its really windy here lol.

Stick it in ur bra you'd be surprised!

 

[divadexie]

pmsl!
we've not had a power cut yet
spose I can heat it by the gass fire lol

I do still have some nitriprem in the cupboard so if it came to it I can make that up at room temp lol

 

[katy1310]

Also, what the hell happens if I have a power cut how do I warm it up then? Its really windy here lol.

Stick it in ur bra you'd be surprised!

Straight from the fridge? brrrrrrrrr!

 

[AP]

I did Katy, out in Glasgow, bugger me, it was cold but i did!