BF baby not gaining weight. ?Poor attachment and other issues.
My DS2 was an average weight at birth 3.1kg and at the 8 week chn check(25th percentile) and has dropped down to the 3rd percentile by his 3-4 month check up.
It was identified the DS had a tough tie about the 8wk mark, which the GP was happy to monitor as DS was BF well, gaining wt and sleeping well. around the 10-12 wk mark DS started waking more at night till he was waking every 2 hrs. At the 4mth mark DS had dropped his wt so we made an app to have the tounge tie corrected. It was also suggested I could introduce some solids. Since then he has started to sleep better, but still not gaining wt. He is currently 6010gm at 5 and half months, he only gained 60gm this past week. I have been lead to believe babies should gain min 15gm day (105gm).
DS is a happy baby, he doesn't demand milk, I BF him every 3-4 hrs during the day as he could go up to 5hr without asking, he can sleep up to 7hrs at night without waking and asking for milk. He is also getting 3 meals day, consisting of tblsp rice cereal, formula and tblsp of puree, it makes about 3tblsp of food.
I offer both BB, he prefers the left side, so always offer right first, he does get distracted by his big brother when feeding. I think he has a prefered side because he doesn't seem to get a tight suck/seal on the right side.
I figured he should weigh about 6400gm at the 6 month mark to continue on the 3rd % which is in 2 weeks. I don't think he will make it. I don't know if I should be concerned or what else i can do. Has anyone been in a similar position or has any advice I would appreciate it.
Yes that's been me with all three, dd1 was on solids at 4 months we worked out at 8 mths she was lactose intolerant when she self weaned onto lf formula. I know it's rare but ds is the same we have worked it out with a process of elimination with him, even a2 milk upsets his tummy.
Dd2 was a bit different she was just tiny and took a while to learn to attach and was fine from a fw months old.
Dd1 is very active which doesn't help with her weight gain at three she is still very slight. We encourage three meals and two snacks a day if we can get her to eat it. She was a premmie and was monitored by a pead.
Ds has reflux which isn't helping his weight gain, he is on Zantac now and it's improving but his pead wants him to average 200g a week he is only at 60 ATM, so we have a way to go. Unlike dd, ds doesn't appear to throw up much so it's confusing when he feeds a lot but won't put on weight.
Don't know if I have helped much but I have an currently going through the same thing.
Are you using the WHO charts or the ones you get in the MCHN book? There is a bit of a difference to them as the WHO ones are based on breastfed babies not on formula like the book charts. Just google WHO growth charts. I would think though if he is having lots of wet and dirty nappies, is making some gains, even though they might be small, is otherwise healthy and happy that just because he isn't on the charts it shouldn't matter. Also now that he has hit 6 mths and will be starting solids you may find his weight start to increase a little more over the coming months. Sounds like you are doing a brilliant job and the only other thing I would suggest would be to try feeding in a quiet room, or with a blanket over you both so he doesn't get too distracted. I had to do this at around the same age with both as they were such sticky beaks they wouldn't feed right. Good luck hun and let us know how you go.
It sounds like you both are doing a great job. I'd stop looking at the charts and thinking he "should" be a certain weight at a certain age. He'll follow his own curve. As a young baby, DS didn't put on much weight either, but now as a 2 year old when you see him with other kids, you'd have no idea that he was on the bottom of those charts.
DD stopped gaining weight around the 3 month mark and didn't start putting any on again until I started her on solids at 5.5 months. I last weighed her about 3 weeks ago, so just over 9 months and she was just on 7kg. We have been seeing a dietician who is very happy with how she's doing.
If you're wanting to get more into him, offer more BF's and increase the volume of his solid meals. In saying that, I understand how difficult it can be to get the calories into them when they are happy with what they're getting and not wanting the extra. As long as he is having plenty of wet and dirty nappies, his intake sounds fine.
Other things that may slow the gains down are movement - is he rolling lots? Is he a wiggly baby, always moving? Is he crawling? They use more energy when they start moving so will burn more calories.
Hang in there and try not to get caught up with the charts. You're doing great
I had a similar situation with DS, born at 4040 grams but by 4 months was only around 5500....no weight gain in previous six weeks & dropped from 75th percentile to 3rd.
We saw Paediatrician to rule out any health issues & thankfully there were none, just an undemanding baby. I was feeding him six times in a 24 hour period, now I feed him 10 times. He is now just over 5 months & last week weighed in a 6310 grams...gained 240 grams in the previous week.
I posted about this issue & had lots of great support & advice from people who have had a similar experience. See at link below:
Hi,
At this age, he'd still get more calories from you milk than from solids, so you might be better served trying to get in an extra feed or two.
Also, it's quite normal for babies to gain more slowly at this time - it sounds like he's doing ok in every other way, right? And he hasn't actually lost any weight?
It really doesn't sound like you need to panic just yet
There are a few things that might help you. Firstly, have you seen the WHO growth charts? These are based on normal growth patterns as they are based on breastfed babies, rather than the charts in the baby health books that are based mostly on formula fed babies who do not follow normal growth patterns. Although looking at the WHO charts, I think you are spot on that 6400g at the 6 month mark is the 3rd percentile. It can also be helpful to know that 3% of normal babies fall below the 3rd percentile line, so there is not necessarily problem. However babies in this range usually need to be checked to make sure there is no other problem - which is what you have been doing. If the medical professionals haven't shown too much concern so far, it is quite likely that your DS is just one of those normal babies who is on the small side. Usually this corresponds to genetics - perhaps you and your partner are on the small side too?
Another thing to keep in mind, that expected weight gains of 100gms or more a week are for babies up until around the 3 month mark. After that gains slow down - if you think about it, babies double their birth weight in the first 4 - 6 months. If they kept that growth rate up they'd be adult sized by the time they were toddlers! That would make tantrums a whole lot more difficult . So at your DS's age, any weekly gain (averaged over a 3 - 4 week period) is a good sign.
It might also help you to know that your DS is getting enough milk if he is having 5 or more wet disposables (6 - 8 cloth nappies) in 24 hours. Also, if his poos are soft that is another good sign. As marcellus has said, breastmilk is one of the best foods for growth and weight gain, and solids replace milk, so it is a good idea to keep the solids to a small amount and try and encourage more breastfeeds. Did the medical professionals discuss the types of solids with you? Many mums start babies on rice cereal and fruit/vegie purees, which are very low calorie foods (think boring diets!!) and if these replace milk than weight gains will slow down. The best solids for weight gain are dairy foods and meat.
It sounds like you are doing a great job hun. It is very stressful when babies don't gain as well as we want them to. Your calm determination is a great approach, and I hope you are able to stop worrying soon.
Thanks for all you wonderful advice. Part of it is that my prem baby weighed more than my term baby at the same age, it is just weird. It is most likley genetic, my maternal g-parents were not large and DH was a small baby too, so maybe that explains it more.
Reply With Quoteno advice hun, just a massive hug
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BF baby not gaining weight. ?Poor attachment and other issues.
. So at your DS's age, any weekly gain (averaged over a 3 - 4 week period) is a good sign.
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