DS3 will be 6 weeks old in 2 days. He weighed 3.73kg at birth. He is now about 6kg. We weighed him at home. We're due another official weigh next week.
I get the impression this is huge. A friend's baby was a similar birth weight and at 4 months is 7.4kg.
i'm just wondering if something could be wrong. Bub is breastfed, feeds every 2-3 hours, has lots of wet/dirty nappies.
I don't think so. He sounds like a perfectly healthy chubby bub. My kids all had pretty huge growth spurts early on. They just grew and grew until about 12 months and then really slowed down for a long time.
My friend just recently had a baby (he's 9 weeks) and sounds to be a similar size. He was smaller born, but has grown a similar amount. He's also fully demand breast fed, and pretty frequently.
Good milk you've got there! Sometimes they will initially put on a heap and then they slow down a bit. DS originally put on a heap but now he's thinned down heaps and been in the same clothes for ages!
He's breastfed yeah? I think it'd be more of an issue if he was on formula but don't quote me.
We had tummy screams with both kids. Formula and on boob. Some kids just do it. It's awful but there's not much that can be done unless it's confirmed reflux.
I promise you it gets better. But there isn't much you can do. Just cuddle and try not to stress. As I think this makes it worse for them xxx
We had big growth early on, and tummy pains. We found that block feeding helped - feeding from the same breast over 3-4 hours before switching. If you look up "lactose overload" on the ABA website, there's a good article on block feeding.
You could consider block feeding if there are signs that you have an oversupply. Are there? Going there without other indicators can actually lead to down-regulating your supply so you have the other problem with not enough. Usually, if babies are getting too much it comes out again, copious poos and or vomiting.
Do you have a health professional you can talk to? If you feel something's not right, then go with your gut and follow up with someone. It's hard, because no-one else knows him like you do, so they can only guess and extrapolate from their own experiences.
I talked to my IM. She has suggested lengthening feed times to at least 3 hours, except for the ratty evening times.
he's started snacking and I want to stop that, if only to get more sleep at night .
with regard to the wind pain, I keep getting contradictory advice - give up dairy, coffee, chocolate etc; food has nothing to do with it. He's had chiro and acupuncture to help with it. I wonder if it's just part of growing, but I'm cutting out dairy for a few weeks anyway.
i assume I have an oversupply. Milk fountains out like a shower head. His latch can get lazy because he doesnt have to work for it. I correct the latch but we're both covered in milk multiple times a day. I'll try stretching out block feeds as well. He had a couple of huge poos and chucked all over me today. He was upset so I put him on the boob. He cries, sucks, cries, sucks, then settles/snoozes.
I also try to express every day so DH can give him the last evening feed so I can get a head start on sleep. That doesnt always work when I dont express until evening, like this evening.
What will you do if you stretch out feeds and he's upset? It's common advice to mums, but it can often make things harder.
It is normal for babies to come to the breast if they're feeling uncomfortable and unhappy, so it's not a bad thing to do, most of the time. Sometimes babies can get a bit too much milk in this way, though, but with other signs that this is going on. On the other hand, having more frequent, smaller feeds may be one way babies cope with this.
He's not too fat at all my first ds was 7.4kg at 9 weeks. Ds3 is was born 2.4kg and is only 4.2kg now at 9 weeks. Point is, babies come in all shapes and sizes just like us. If he feeding well and happy then he's just perfect.
Last edited by loulabelle; November 15th, 2013 at 07:59 PM.
Some babies are just very good at putting on weight DS1 was little, and stayed little (although he put weight on steadily), DS2 chubbed up well from the day he was born. In fact, we thought DS2 was a big little boy, until DS3 appeared. He started off at 4.5kg and never looked back - the fat rolls from head to toe were beautiful. Now at 14 months he's a solid 12.5kg, and very tall for his age. The fat rolls have reduced too. He (and DS2) are just big, solid units lol.
DS3 had some shocking wind pain at around 3 weeks. It went on for a bit, and he stopped pooing too (said to be normal for BF babies, but I figured the lack of poo + wind pain couldn't be a good combination). Anyway, I took him to a good chiro well versed in babies and almost from his first appointment he improved. His issues were a jammed pelvis and cranials - both linked to the gut somehow (I forget how exactly, but it all made sense at the time). I would recommend a good chiro (experienced in manipulating babies) to anyone whose baby is suffering bad wind pain.
Incidentally, I had GD with DS1, and no GD with DS2 and 3. All 3 were BFd exclusively for approx 6 months each.
Seriously, people just say stuff, without thinking of the impact it will have on their baby. Ask the mothers of babies they have been told are “too small” - you can’t win. Let it go over the top! Block feeding is giving the baby the same breast whenever he wants it for 3 or 4 hours. It’s not just giving baby one breast per side. When you do that, just take care that the other boob doesn’t become overly full. (if it does, express a bit off)
you're doing awesome! to answer your question directly. .. no. I don't think so. It's hard to switch off the overthinking in the beginning. lol I remember with DS1 completely freaking out saying I didn't know what to..... but really I did. it all got easier when I learned to shut down and just *feel* what he needed. take some time to just be with him and do what feels natural. you've done your research. you've got tricks up your sleeve. your instincts will tell you what to do.
I often exhaust all my tricks. When that happens I just do them all again if he's feeding often, chubbing up and has wet and pooey nappies, all is well
remember your first day at a new job. you felt overwhelmed and nervous about learning what to do no doubt. This is the same. minus the lunch breaks you'll be an awesome mother. because you care so much. Keep him close always and you can't go wrong.
congratulations again I wished this for you for a long time. oh and it's ok not to enjoy every moment like everyone tells you to. Sometimes I'm tired and just feeling sucky about the weight of responsibility. But then someone does something cute. And I'm back in the fuzzy feelings zone.
Just updating this. Bub is now 5 months old and a hefty 10.7kg. Apart from wind and reflux issues, he's a happy, chatty, giggly bundle of love and cuddles. My biggest concern is him growing so big I can't lift him while he's young. Trying to help him to get to sleep without a carrier is tough on the arms! Especially as sitting down is not allowed for that.
I'm trying not to project ahead of time but I can see him being the size of a 4 year old when he's 2 and the expectations and size vs maturity issues that may bring.
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Can a baby grow too fast?
well, I assume it's tummy pain.
my first ds was 7.4kg at 9 weeks. Ds3 is was born 2.4kg and is only 4.2kg now at 9 weeks. Point is, babies come in all shapes and sizes just like us. If he feeding well and happy then he's just perfect.
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