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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.
Nup - all good! You are doing a brilliant job and should be so proud!
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.
The extra weight is probably cuteness. I suffer from the same problem xxx
Congratulations. You have a fat baby. They're the best. xo
Thanks. I was starting to think metabolism problems.... I am a little paranoid.
Could the quick growth contribute to digestion pain? We're still getting the tummy pain screams :( well, I assume it's tummy pain.
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.
You'll figure it out xo
I overate a bit tonight too. It was that piece of pav I just didn’t need. Now I have a gut ache - when will I ever learn? I think I’ve got a bit of what your little one has - it’s like a smorgasbord for him. All the good stuff right there. Feeding from the same side as often as he likes for a *block* of 3 hours usually helps. Then swap boobs. This is called ‘Block feeding” The thing is it works (down-regulates your milk supply) and then when it’s worked you need to go back to offering both sides (some people forget that - that it’s a response to a problem and then when the issue is solved you go back to *normal*
I should have said - he has rarely wants both sides. He feeds one side per feed for about 15-25min. The only time I offer another side is, if in the evening, he's whacking one breast and squawking. Most of the time, he'll pull off a breast at the end of a feed and there will still be milk in it.
i thought i'd tried block feeding, but I havent done it over 3-4 hours. He's had the left breast at 6:30 and 8:20 tonight. He's now unsettled - it could be wind. I've expressed 100ml from the right & split that into bottles of 60 & 40ml for DH to offer later.
i was getting upset be being told my baby is huge and worried there was something wrong with him. I tested negative to GD twice whilst pregnant and DS3 seems healthy. I just dont want to be doing anything that harms him.
Wind pains can be tough. Poor little mite. It's great that DH is helping out with the night feed - having support like that is wonderful.
Sounds like you need to give block-feeding a go :) As MadB has said, it is normal for him to want to suckle more often. Breastfeeding is about so much more than food. It's about thirst-relieving, pain-relieving, nourishment of their mind, body and soul, lowering stress and anxiety levels... So much. All of this from you, from being at your breast :D When he gets upset, he will turn to you for comfort. Yes, you can provide this in other ways (rocking, patting, singing, walking, cuddles) but sometimes a good nurse is a bit easier. Anyway, just something else to think about when you're trying to work out how your little man works!
Keep asking questions xx
ETA - just saw your post. If people comment on your "big baby" just smile and tell them big babies rock. Cuz they do :)
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.
No. Way. He's not too fat. What rubbish. I wish my kids got that big. Huge babies are seriously the best.
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.
They do slow down when they start moving! Spock was growing 1kg a month until about 10months. Then when she started walking (and running and climbing) she stopped gaining. She didn't hit 12kg until 18months.
It will be ok =) enjoy the rolls and Buddha bub =)
Fwiw DD2 was exactly the same. She's now 14 months and still around 12kg. It just evened out once she started walking and running lots.
As a CFHN I would be wanting to check his core strength and if he is having solids and feeding history. Is his length and HC in proportion with his weight?
Often reflux causes frequent feeding which chubs bubs up quickly. Around the 4 month mark is usually when reflux is at its worst and you can see some really big bubbas around this age.
Also are you and your husband tall?
It definitely slows down! DD was 4.24kgs when she was born and grew steadily, we got a lot of comments about how big she was, although she was all in proportion. Then she started crawling, and was walking at 11 months. At 12 months she was 10kgs and now 20 months later she's only 14kgs. She started growing taller without putting on the weight and she's now pretty much a very average 2.5 year old.
DS seems be following the same track. He was bigger than DD at birth - I don't remember kgs, but 10lp5 compared to her 9lp5. At his 4 month check up he was 8.1kgs. He has dropped down the charts a bit the same way she did, and I can only assume that once he's active he'll be very similar to her. I've no doubt your DS will do the same!
I do hear you on the rocking to sleep thing though - they're little lumps, and whhyyyy is sitting down so bad?? It's the same but my arms feel better!
Mildez, his core strength is good. He's not sitting yet, but he has good head control. Our chiro insisted we do more tummy time with him and it's helped a lot. He's not on solids yet. He's only just started showing an interest and I'd like to get as close to 6 months before starting. I don't know how long he is. When he was weighed at the paed a few weeks ago, she didn't have the measure thingy. His head was 45.5cm and he was 9.8kg 4 months, 1 week. He's in proportion, he's just huge.
The reflux was hell at 4 months! He's now on 10mg of Losec and we've started him on probiotics.
DH and I are both tall. DH is broad. I'm overweight, but wouldn't be "big" otherwise. DS has DH's solid build.
Sounds perfect :)
Must be hard work rocking him :/ I hope that gets easier for you
I just want to jump in that he is one of the MOST cutest babies this planet has ever seen...just sayin'.
I have to agree with many of the others that once he starts moving and just with age that you will probably find that it will all balance out. he might just be that really tall kid for awhile. We are mates with a family with a really tall for his age kid and people mistake him for an immature 3-4 year old when he is in fact only cracking 2.5. I think it all comes down to time.
my dd was a kinda slow grower for awhile, but then almost skipped size 2 due to a big growth spurt. weight gain and growth often ebbs and flows, and you might find he has a slow growth period later on.