For a friend - Weight Gain Worries

Hello,

I want to be able to reassure my friend that all is well in the world and to continue breastfeeding. I've read enough on this forum to know that weight gains in BF bubs don't follow the same patterns as FF bubs.

I think she's stressed because her daughter is not following the 50th percentile chart that that her MCHN showed her.

Can she ring the ABA to discuss weight gains? Or is there somewhere else that she can talk this through?

I'm not sure her MCHN has the most accurate information so want to be able to point her in the right direction.

Cheers,
Fiona

Ah the joys of charts.....

Charts go from the 3-97th%ile and the reason they do this is that some babies are on the 10th%ile and others of the 75th%ile and that can be completely normal for each baby :)

It is generally big movement on the charts where eyebrows may be raised, ie, dropping from the 75th-25th over a short period of time is where there may be some concern. Some babies also just follow their own curve and as long as that curve continues to go up then I would try and reassure her that she is doing really well and to not get too caught up on figures (as hard as it can be!)

Is the baby on the chart or just not on the 50th%ile. How old is the baby, is it moving more? Some babies are also born at a higher %ile, but then drop and sit on a lower percentile, which is also completely fine.

She can certainly speak with the ABA 1800-MUM2MUM (1800 686 2 686) they shoudl eb able to reassure her as well.

All babies can't be on the 50th%ile, otherwise there would be no reason for having the charts it would be just one line ;)

BF babies can often have much lower gains in comparrison to FF babies (other times it can be the other way around)

I haven't taken DD2 to the CHYN because I know that she is fine and happy on the 25th%ile :D
xxoo

She can definitely call the ABA - they can ask all the right questions and try and see what's going on.
How old is bub? What about wet & dirty nappies? Is she alert, growing? Weight gains are only part of the picture when it comes to baby's wellbeing, so it's always important to look at the full picture.
Hope your friend gets some good help