What should I do?

I went to clinic today to get Caitlyn weighed and she lost 4oz. She is now 16lb11 and on the 25th percentile. She started her little life 2 weeks late and 6lb15 (again on the 25th percentile.) After a short while she shot up to the 91st percentile and they told me she needs to come down. Now she is down again they're moaning that she is not gaining enough, and this time, not gaining anything atall. She is a small baby, she isn't long, she isn't fat. She has baby chub. Anyway, the HV was really nice, she praised me for breastfeeding so long and asked me if I'm ready to stop. I said I wasn't and asked why she would suggest it. She said that whilst I'm doing my best I am just not producing enough milk and/or Caitlyn is not eating enough food. She suggested fatty foods (such as butter/cheese on toast) and to give her cups of formula. I've just gotten away from formula, I don't want to go back to it. I also don't like the fact she said that Caitlyn is clearly hungry if she's losing weight. She's a very active little girl. She can already walk around the furniture and has been doing so for a month. She has been crawling properly since 4-5months. She seemed so contented since coming of the formula, I really don't want to go back to having an unhappy baby.

I don't know what to do for the best. She asked me if I was still getting a "let down" I don't think I've ever gotten one! That or I've never felt it?

I feel rubbish! More food or give her formula? What else can I do?

hv & their bl**dy charts, please dont worry shes fine. HV's always try to get the babies on the bottle god knows why & onto solids so quick too. My Em has loads of energy ,healthy & alert but everytime i go to clinic i get lectured on her weight & food intake. Em is often on the 25th & doesnt put much weight on shes only just hit 20lbs at a year old. Please please dont let them worry you ,as long as she is giving wet & dirty nappies & alert etc...leave her be.Formula will screw up all the hard work youve done & dont worry about upping the fat to much eiter ,she will get all she needs from your :boob: .
Pi**es me off everytime,why cant they praise for keep going with the :boob: instead of always helping us to stop

Thank you! I have just googled the let down and I'm definately still producing lots of the good stuff. I don't know why I get her weighed, it upsets me every time! I also got "she's supposed to be atleast 18lb now."

First of all :aww: try not to worry honey. I think its an unfortunate coincidence that she lost weight this week - when was she last weighed?? If you havent been for a few weeks with Christmas, I wouldnt be suprised if you are getting a misleading reading. She may have gained well over average recently (I guess you were eating more than ususal fatty stuff over Christmas!) and so its leveled out. When you are dieting say, with Slimming World or Weight Watchers ( I've done both for years ) there are weeks when you do everything right and still gain weight and weeks where you dont deserve to lose weight and you lose 3 or 4 lbs!! They tell us that's normal so surely it works when gaining through growth???

I dont know what her saying about the let down is supposed to show - I very rarely feel it myself only when I havent feed her for ages and I get a tingle which I assume is let down ??

I cant believe a HV is encouraging you to stop so soon - its one week!! If she was a teeny couple of week old baby they'd wait a while and see what happened?? But she's a bouncing, healthy, active little girl!! Give it a chance - personally if she's not way below the line she started on I'd wait a while before making any important changes

I dont get Corey weighed any more - i know he is happy and healthy and active.

Go off your own instincts - which sound very sensible to me!

Oh yeah and my HV told me not to take too much notice of the friggin' line coz Mum's become obsessed by it!!!!!!!

toriaaaaTRASH wrote:Thank you! I have just googled the let down and I'm definately still producing lots of the good stuff. I don't know why I get her weighed, it upsets me every time! I also got "she's supposed to be atleast 18lb now."

sorry but thats bullshit (excuse my french!)
I know what you mean though Id like to get Em weighed more often But cant bear the lecture each time grrrrrrr.

Dont worry about feeling let down either ,not everyone does & its no indication of your milk production.

Did Tash & Katie think you would benefit from fenugreek?

Is Caitlyin happy, alert - does she interact with you. Are her nappies wet. Is she unsettled during feeds, always trying to feed, excessively sleepy (the fussing could be a growth spurt but if it carries on for much longer it could be a sign). These are what you look for, not weight.

HV's are not trained in breastfeeding matters what so ever - so for her to offer any advice (unless she is a trained bfing counseller) is pants - and I would just say thank you but you will do things your way. Is Caitlyn on formula charts? If so ask for them to be changed.

Your daughter is at the age where she is getting more active - my chubs who has followed the 91st all the way had a time where she was hardly poutting any on (and it coincided with her moving about, rolling, crawling etc). She was fine.

The letdown is not a sign of producing milk (see evidence she knows nowt about boobies). I have a very strong let down, always have and do feel it - but my first was a skinny thing, hardly out on weight and fell down 2 centiles whereas my second has been a chubs the whole way through. Yet I produced milk all the way through - like my friend who had no letdown and who's son survived his first year without any major milk shortage.

TBH I wouldn't bother getting her weighed - its only causing you stress and it is causing you to doubt your body. Listen to your baby and your body, not some HV who doesn't know her arse from her elbow when it comes to breastfeeding.

I personally wouldn't even bother with the fenugreek either as it sounds as if you are doing fine. Just make sure you are giving her boob whenever she wants and your milk supply will be just what she needs.

:aww: i agree with all thats been said- some 'health professionals' talk a load of tat when it comes to breastfeeding and as long as your baby seems healthy happy and active etc youre doing good which it sounds like!!

I knew she was talking poop when she suggested I stop breastfeeding at night as after 6 months it's a habit not a necessity!!!! Caitlyn is happy, pooing everyday, if not twice, lots of wet nappies and she's very active/talkative! She's a joy, and I doubt a starving baby would be so good!! She also went for a really big poo before she was weighed today and she hadn't last time.

I don't know why HVs make me so paranoid. I do trust my body and I know my baby. We're both happy!! I woke up this morning to her attatched to my boob and she just looked up at me, smiled, and continued to feed. Melted my heart!

You are doing a great job hun x

hv are supposed to be people you can trust and go to for advice when youve had a baby but the sad fact is theres too many of them out there who are uninformed or even worse opinionated, ive found this over the years, ive learned to not listen to their crap now! i wish my confidence (and this site) was here 16 yrs ago! there are lots of good ones out there though! my hv is great and v supportive of bf.

toriaaaaTRASH wrote:I knew she was talking poop when she suggested I stop breastfeeding at night as after 6 months it's a habit not a necessity!!!! Caitlyn is happy, pooing everyday, if not twice, lots of wet nappies and she's very active/talkative! She's a joy, and I doubt a starving baby would be so good!! She also went for a really big poo before she was weighed today and she hadn't last time.

I don't know why HVs make me so paranoid. I do trust my body and I know my baby. We're both happy!! I woke up this morning to her attatched to my boob and she just looked up at me, smiled, and continued to feed. Melted my heart!

Idiot Woman...

Lil miss STILL feeds at night because she doesn't feed too much during the day.

The weight loss could be because shes still eating as normal...but is much more active... I know at 7 months lil miss was far more active and she dropped centiles too.. She was on the 99th centile at birth and is just under the 50th now... and shes a big lass.. Tall and skinny. But she is bright, and attentive...and has no issues as Beanie said...so I know she is doing just fine.

If its any consellation the charts were never intented to be used to measure the weight gain in bf'd babies.

So, what is this difference in growth that is so important? The issue is that the shape of the curves for a set
of babies exclusively breastfed is different from that of a set of babies who were exclusively infant formula fed.
Breastfed babies tend to grow more quickly in the early weeks but between the ages of 2 to 5 months (the timing
differs depending on the data set used) the curves as compared to those of artificially fed infants appear to
'falter', or fall below, as the average growth slows down. So a breastfed baby's weight gains plotted on a chart
based on artificially fed infants may seem to be drifting down from the centile it was previously following from
about this time, and may remain lower for some time. By the age of two years, this difference has disappeared.

Its quoted from this article http://www.aims.org.uk/Journal/Vol19No3/WHOgrowthCharts.htm and it is very good.:aww:

Thank you!!

I love this forum