Told to stop breast feeding!! (Not going to.)

[Serene123]

Caitlyn was weighed this morning and she's now a whopping 11lb 10oz. The health assistant (may have been a health visitor) said that I shouldn't need to be feeding her all day and if I am I should put her on hungry baby food as I can't see how much she's getting from me!! She then proceeded to tell me I'm making her obese. I'm not stopping what I'm doing. We're both happy and she is sleeping all night. I'm her mum, I know what's beat right? She has made me feel like a complete failure. I don't really know what I should be doing now. I'm trying so hard to just do what I think is best. She has made me feel like what I think is best just isn't.



I am doing the right thing, right?

 

[cupcake]

why should u stop, just dont over feed like every hour coz sometimes we do that if they cry and we cant figure out why. if she is happy i dont see why u should stop. people come in all shapes and sizes so do babies

 

[cherylanne]

You are doing the right thing hun, the HV doesn't seem to know what she is talkng about. With breastfeeding you need to be prepared to feed on demand. MY daughter fed 2 -3 hours day and night and if she was still hungry i'd feed her again.

You know what is right, i'd carry on doing what your doing. No way is formula going to be better for her than your milk.

xx

 

[sam's mum]

Caitlyn was weighed this morning and she's now a whopping 11lb 10oz. The health assistant (may have been a health visitor) said that I shouldn't need to be feeding her all day and if I am I should put her on hungry baby food as I can't see how much she's getting from me!! She then proceeded to tell me I'm making her obese. I'm not stopping what I'm doing. We're both happy and she is sleeping all night. I'm her mum, I know what's beat right? She has made me feel like a complete failure. I don't really know what I should be doing now. I'm trying so hard to just do what I think is best. She has made me feel like what I think is best just isn't.



I am doing the right thing, right?

You're totally doing the right thing! Urrrgh, I can't believe they even suggested it!! She's just over 6 weeks, probably going through her first major growth spurt and she will feed all the time to increase your supply - it'll settle down (when Sam was just under 8 weeks I spent about a week sitting on the sofa feeding him almost permanently).

I swear a lot of the health visitors know nothing about breastfeeding as they're so used to bottle fed babies. As you said, you're both happy and she's sleeping at night - you're doing an awesome job so please completely ignore her! x

 

[Serene123]

I don't even feed her unless she's so upset I can't distract her away from trying to eat her hand. I really don't know what they expect me to do. I'm trying to do what I think is best. The health visitor really hit a nerve when she said I was going to make her obese. That WILL NOT happen. I can't control it now but I will be able to when she is on solids. For now, she is just a baby and I'm going to let her decide what she wants and when she wants it.

Just can't help feeling down about it.
She doesn't even look fat, just chubby, which I thought was perfectly normal!

She only weighs 1lb9oz more than I did at birth!!

 

[alphatee]

you are doing the right thing not a failure at all. was told thing about making my daughter being obese when older.i didnt breast feed i bottle fed her when eva she wanted a bottle my midwife said to feed her every 4 hrs no matter what which i didnt & she was neva obese a little chunky as a baby & now at 8 shes petit not obese at all..i'd go wit wat you feel is best i did.

 

[Margerle]

Toria you are doing exactly the right thing, and that HV should be ashamed.

You might remind her if you see her again, that breastfed babies have a completely different growth chart than formula fed babies. BF babies tend to put on the weight, then plateau, where formula fed babies just keep growing at an increasing rate.

Good for you that you didn't listen to her and trusted your instincts!

You're an awesome mommy!

 

[Samantha675]

How dare she. Don't worry about her weight love, she is doing just fine. Weight on a breastfeed baby is different. My MW said that her youngest daughter weighed 33 lbs at 1 year, and was sooo fat, but was TOTALLY breastfed. As soon as she was walking, all the weight came off, and she is now a little skinny thing! I will feed my baby as often as I please, so what if he gets a big chunky, I know as soon as he is crawling and walking he will be kinny and just fine.

 

[Linzi]

You're definately doing the right thing hun, and she's not much heavier than Seth... and I think he's only a week older? Take no notice.

xxx

 

[Serene123]

Thanks guys. I knew you'd make me feel better about it all. I'm still annoyed at her, but I know I'm right!

 

[ANGYPANGY]

i wouldn't stop my youngest got to 20 pounds by six mths and now at 2 1/2 he is only 30 pounds they just grow different i only breastfeed no bottles

 

[Serene123]

You're definately doing the right thing hun, and she's not much heavier than Seth... and I think he's only a week older? Take no notice.

xxx

He's 4 days older. What does he weigh? They are so worried because she started off underweight and is now above average. I think their lines are STUPID.

 

[sam's mum]

I don't even feed her unless she's so upset I can't distract her away from trying to eat her hand. I really don't know what they expect me to do. I'm trying to do what I think is best. The health visitor really hit a nerve when she said I was going to make her obese. That WILL NOT happen. I can't control it now but I will be able to when she is on solids. For now, she is just a baby and I'm going to let her decide what she wants and when she wants it.

Just can't help feeling down about it.
She doesn't even look fat, just chubby, which I thought was perfectly normal!

She only weighs 1lb9oz more than I did at birth!!

Chubby is perfectly normal. You are doing everything exactly right. You won't make her obese - all that energy is going towards growing at the moment, not putting on fat x

 

[Serene123]

I was 10lb 3/4oz when I was born and I'm tiny now. I'm sure she will be fine!!

 

[sam's mum]

You're definately doing the right thing hun, and she's not much heavier than Seth... and I think he's only a week older? Take no notice.

xxx

He's 4 days older. What does he weigh? They are so worried because she started off underweight and is now above average. I think their lines are STUPID.

Their lines are a load of crap. Averages based on a few bottle-fed babies back in the 70s or something. When you're pregnant, all babies of the same age are nearly identical in size during the first trimester. By birth, look at how huge the weight range is. It's exactly the same with babies. Sam was above average at birth (8lb 13oz) and is now slightly below average. The HV thought this was a reason to be very concerned and start him on formula as he had a plateau in his growth (didn't realise until Marg mentioned it recently that it was normal). But I know he's healthy and happy, and I'm not changing anything (I was so upset at first).

You really don't need to worry - Caitlyn's gorgeous and you're doing everything right x

 

[Margerle]

Toria, Caitlyn is just a bit younger (days) than Sharlotte.

Last friday she weighed 11lbs 13 oz.

Sounds pretty normal to me



HAHAHAHA just noticed the booby monster blinky! :thumbs up:

 

[BurtonBaby]

It sounds like your doing everything right. It seems like the medical world is always trying to push formula. Which it should be the opposite!! I think the fact that Caitlin was smaller at birth is part of the reason that she is doing a great job at catching up now. Smaller babies have more to catch up on. A friend of my moms had a baby 1 week before Erica was born and was 5lb7oz at birth (@ 40 wks). Erica was 8lb 10oz. When he went for his 2mo chkup he was over 13lbs. Erica went at 11wks and was 11lb6oz. All babies grow at different speeds, and from what I've seen, babies born a bit smaller tend to make up for it very quickly. Your little girl sounds like she is just fine. Xx

 

[Jessa]

I was breastfed for a long time as a baby and my Mom always jokes that she needed to clean between the rolls of fat on my legs with a Q-Tip. I think breastfed babies get bigger more quickly, but they also lose the weight when they become active and older.

Keep it up! Good luck!

 

[xarlenex]

I stoped breastfeeding, but I know that when I was I had like a breastfeeding group support thingy, where I could call and ask them anything, or even ask for one of them to come out and see Kyle and see how his weight gain was going too. Dont you have a group like that? Im pretty sure they would confirm for you all is well.

 

[Nikkinoonoo]

Keep it up Toria, sounds like Caitlyn is thriving. Wish I could have kept up with Jessies breast feeding xXx