weight gain

[teal]

Hello I'm just really looking for other mums experiences with how much weight their baby gained early on.

My babys birth weight was 8lbs 11oz. At 4 days old his weight had dropped to 7lbs 11oz. My midwife said this was due to breast feeding not being established before I was discharged from hospital and said there could have been delay in my milk coming in because of a difficult birth. I was readmitted until he was feeding well.

Health visitor was in this morning and at 19 days he's 8lbs 8oz. She's coming back towards the end of the week to weigh him again.

Even though I've been told not to worry about it because he is gaining weight I can't help it. Did anyone else find their baby gaining weight slowly in the beginning?

I know I shouldn't compare but my sister had a baby 5 days before me. His birth weight was 8lbs 12 and he already 9lbs 15oz. He's formula fed so I know that will make a difference.

I just worry my boy isn't getting enough even though he appears to feed well and regular.

Thanks for any advice/thoughts on it xx

 

[anothersquish]

Its 100% normal for babies to loose weight after birth (both FF and BF but more commonly BF)
Hes pretty much regained his birthweight so no problem, Im sure by the end of the week he will have got his birthweight and then some
His current weight gain is good, there is nothing wrong with the amount hes gaining or the speed at which he is gaining and he is getting enough milk (obviously as he put on almost 1lb in 15 days!)
You can see my LOs weight gain in my siggie, between 5 and 10 days he only put on 2oz, its normal

 

[Jchihuahua]

Yes, its normal hun. Daisy dropped from 6lb12 to 6lb3 in the first week and has steadily been putting back on ever since. She was 13lbs exactly when she was weighed last week at 12 weeks.

 

[teal]

Thank you xx

 

[teal]

I thought I would update this thread rather than start another one.

The health visitor came out to weigh Gabriel this morning and he's still only 8lbs 9oz. I just don't understand why he isn't gaining weight quicker. He does feed well and is well settled after feeding. He has plenty of wet and dirty nappies.

I've been to a breast feeding support class the last 2 weeks - one of the midwives sat with us for ages to make sure he was latching on and feeding well. The midwife was really happy with how he was doing. She had also commented on his nappies being a yellow colour so doesn't see any reason for concern.

This morning the health visitor said she's not happy he's only gained an oz since Monday and thinks I should consider giving him formula. I just feel that she isn't giving him a fair chance to gain weight. I just cried when she left. I really don't want to give him formula and I feel like I'm going to be pushed into it. She is coming back to weigh him on Tuesday. I don't imagine he will gain a great deal in just 4 days.

She also said his weight puts him on the 50th centile - to me that doesn't sound that bad.

I'd also been trying to give him expressed breast milk once he had finished feeding to see if he would accept more. He intially refused the bottle completely but a few times he has tried to take some but he just brings it back up again. I was hoping him refusing was a good sign he was getting enough from me.

 

[onemoreplease]

from what you've written he sounds absolutely normal, he's gaining weight and not losing , having wet and dirty nappies. some babies just gain slower. some hv are very quick to say supplement with formula but imo its not necessary. just keep feeding him on demand and he'l get what he needs. you're doing great.

 

[onemoreplease]

imo she seems to be weighing him too regularly, i was told once a month was fine unless they losing weight. i would ask her to come back in a week or two.

 

[Feltzy]

Maybe you could give it another couple of weeks and see how his weight gain goes before giving in to supplementing with formula? Its not like he's losing weight he is still gaining just a bit slowly. A lot of babies go through a growth spurt at around 3 weeks so you might find that he'll put a bit more on this week?

 

[Miss Wright]

Don't let yourself be pushed into it. I felt very under pressure both from doctors and family etc to introduce formula and I did give in. Wish I hadn't as I'd love to be able to say I exclusively breastfeed. Too much emphasis on weight gain IMO plenty of other indicators of health. It sounds like your LO is doing great xx

 

[vanessayogini]

there is NO REASON AT ALL for you to give your baby formula. all babies gain weight differently, so it is CRAZY for your HV to suggest that.
as you said, he feeds well and has plenty of wet nappies. that is all you need to know it's going well. be strong.

 

[emma77]

I had almost EXACTLY the same situation. My LO fell from 8lb 12oz to 14% lower and we were sent back to hospital. We got discharged after a small gain (back to 8lb) and then she didn't gain weight for almost two weeks. Since then she has put on about 3oz - still well below the rate you hope for but at least a gain finally. I had two midwives telling me opposite things - one that the world would end and the other that it is normal. Then I went to see my doctor whose judgement I really trust and he said normal - some babies just gain more slowly. I have been nearly tearing my hair out over this but know she looks healthy and alert and is having loads of wet and dirty nappies. I say if she seems well you shouldn't worry.

xx

 

[MrsQ]

hy hun dont worry
as long as hes happy and healthy thats all that matters.
mikey started at 6lbs 12 then went to 6lbs 7 then up to 6.10 and then back to 6lbs 8 and now at 12 weeks he weighed in at 10lbs8 so hes put on 4lbs in 3 months which i am really pleased about.

Just keep doing what your doing your not starving him so dont worry. xxx

 

[teal]

Thanks again for all the replies xx

 

[lou_w34]

I had the same problem aswell at the beginning... now lo is 17lb 8oz!!!!!
As long as he is gaining and not losing, and has his usual amount of wet nappies

xxx

 

[geekone]

Hi my lo took 4 weeks to get back to birth weight he is still only about 9lb

 

[Ell87]

Ella has been -

Birth - 8lb 1.5oz
2 weeks - 9lb 2oz
6 weeks - 10lb 10oz
8 weeks - 11lb 5oz
10 weeks - 11lb 10oz

I have been asked to take her to get weighed every 2 weeks till she starts showing a better weight gain... I think every 2 weeks is a bit much and it should be 4 weekly at her age (11 weeks tomorrow).

As others have said, he sounds fine and atleast he IS gaining and not losing!

 

[Caz-x]

hun, don't let her push you into formula. He is gaining weight, just slowly & the 50th centile is perfectly normal. Kaden was always on the 50th!! I cant believe she even suggested it. Keep doing what your doing hun, he's happy & healthy xx

 

[teal]

My boy was weigehd again this morning and he's now 8lbs 12oz. He's finally above his birth weight - only by an oz but I'm still pleased with it.

I told the health visitor I didn't want to formula feed him at all and he's still refusing expressed breast milk. She does want to weigh him again on Thursday. I said that was only 2 days away but she said if he doesn't keep gaining a lot of weight I'll have to take him to the doctors to have him checked. Something else for me to stress about after feeling happy with him gaining 3oz over the weekend.

 

[daisyblue]

there is NO REASON AT ALL for you to give your baby formula. all babies gain weight differently, so it is CRAZY for your HV to suggest that.
as you said, he feeds well and has plenty of wet nappies. that is all you need to know it's going well. be strong.

Ditto this! You are doing REALLY well!

 

[Rach27]

I am having the same problem and being hounded by a midwife, a HV and the doctor. The doctor had the most sense of them all saying he's otherwise fine (heart - good, alert, actove, good poos and wees etc). He's just about birthweight now at 2.5 weeks. He lost 8% of his birthweight. The midwife and HV want us to use more forumla (we're supplementing once or twice a day at the moment) the doc says he's fine with breastmilk. They were weighing him every other day at one point, it was rediculous!!

Trust your instinct - if he's otherwise fine, stick to your plan!