Demand Feeding and the Medical Profession

Hi All,

Hannah and I have just returned from baby boot camp (aka Riverton sleep school). On our first day there, Hannah was seen by the registrar, who gave her a thorough check over. He told me she is fat. She is 8.3kg and 5 1/2 months old. I have been doing my best to breastfeed her on demand, and sometimes this means every two hours (ok...so it's usually every two hours day and night). On our discharge summary, he wrote "frequent feeding, excessive weight gain" (in my head, this read "bad mother, fat baby").

Ok..so I know she's at the 90th percentile for her weight (and under the 50th for her height) and she looks deliciously chubby, with rolls everywhere, but his comments have upset me somewhat. I know I shouldn't let his comments get to me, but he really made me doubt myself, and my competence as a Mum! Am I really overfeeding my baby? I was told that wasn't possible with a breastfed bub... When I mentioned this to the doctor, he corrected me and said that it's difficult to overfeed a breastfed baby, but it can be done (and apparently I am managing it according to him).

I have gone from feeling very proud to be the one to be helping Hannah grow up so healthy and strong, to feeling very unsure of myself, and kinda confused.

well it has been several months since you posted this. How is she looking now? I can't believe that doctor wrote that. Insert expeltives here!!!
I hope it has all worked out for you and bub is growing beautifully.

I'm sure this was posted somewhere else and had a stack of replies. Riverton is known as being not such a nice place - have heard some horrible stories.

Good God, Lindsay was that weight at 12 weeks old, what would that fool of a Doctor thought of that I wonder?

I hope in the time thats passed since you posted this that things have worked out for you and your little girl.

Juliette,

Sorry for the delayed reply. I've just seen this.

I just can't imagine that you have been doing the wrong thing with Hannah. If all she is taking is breastmilk, then surely her size is what she is meant to be. If he thinks she is overweight (and I know I haven't seen her but she doesn't sound overweight to me) then could there be some other reason for it?

I think his comments are motivated more by something else frankly.

What does your usual doctor say about Hannah?

Regards,

Mel