Not gaining weight!

Hi Mrstl,

I see youve pretty much been reassured about the not gaining weight part. I just wanted to say as a first time mom I too was extremely worried about my lg's weight gain.

She was never in the normal range and even the Paed would say how are we gonna get you to pick up. She is 19 months now and only 9 kg. In my opinion as long as baby is eating and baby's following some form of curve there is no need to worry.

Glad you're also researching and I'm sure we all do our best as parents. It so important to researching everything before making an informed decision, like you have.

I have read those journals before. I totally agree that obesity is much higher in formula fed babies but I think what they trying to say, is the method some parents use in feeding their babies. As I've seen how some parents expect a baby to eat everything they have in their plate or bowl, which is very sad as you need to follow your baby's cues. Some like to spoon feed, some like to follow BLW

Seems like your daughter is showing signs of readiness.

All the best on this new exciting journey

Hi Momtoc,

Thank you very much for the information. Sorry, I didn't quite put that correctly, I meant to say that the Paed had suggested to us to start with solids at 17 weeks. My DH and I are both avid researchers and we therefore read up on everything before starting anything

We also don't want to start substituting the breastmilk, the aim of starting her on the veggies (2teaspoons per day) is to start introducing her to other things. She sits up, is interested in our food when eating, doesn't push out the food anymore and are eager for the next "bite".

We've also consulted various accredited journals and research forums in making our decision as there seems to be a misconception that early solids may lead to Eczema, Asthma, and Allergies. Zutavern et al in 2008 in the American journal of Pediatrics published a study (pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/121/1/e44.full.pdf+html ) where this was found to be not true.

There is also a misconception about obesity in children that start with solids earlier. This was found to not apply to babies that breastfeed together with the introduction of solids.

The pro's in ensuring less allergies is a big plus to us since it was found that late introduction of solid foods was associated with increased risk of allergic sensitization to food and inhalant allergens. ( pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/1/50.short )

All of the literature that I've seen on it that is current refers to 4-6 months of age so we have now ensured that we've kept her "virgin gut" until 4 months so that is a good start - thanks for that, interesting reading!

Hi there mrs tl

Glad you got some reassurance that she is doing well.

I know there is A LOT of debate regarding delaying of solids until 6months. The paeds, GP's & clinic sisters are not qualified in giving advice on nutrition and there are a lot of things to consider before introducing solids but well done on ditching rice cereal as it is not good for babies and are just sugar at the end of the day.

Here is an article about the virgin gut. If you still decide to start so early, then that is your choice. I just think we need to keep educating ourselves as much as possible

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-22987...besity-diabetes.html

www.drmomma.org/2010/10/virgin-gut.html

If baby can take food from your plate, chew a bit & swallow, they are ready as they need to lose the tongue reflex where they push the food out every time. I'm sure you've seen it in babies when they still so small & eating solids.

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies, we had her at the paed and he said that she is still in the normal range and she is probably self-correcting because she gained too fast in the first weeks. She started at Creche on Monday and she's been drinking 3 bottles of 110ml each at the chreche. When she gets home at around 4 she drinks from the source and then she'll have another feed after her bath at around 7. She then sleeps until around 2am and has a good feed and then again at 6 before going to chreche again.

The paed told us to start feeding her solids at 17 weeks. We've decided to start her on butternut and forego the rice cereal because in my opinion if she has to take in anything else but breastmilk, it can just as well be veggies.

She is therefore drinking normally and has a wet nappy at every feed. She has a bowel movement once a week but apparently that's also normal with breastfed babies.

Hold thumbs for the pumping at work!!

Thanks again!

Hi there mrs tl

A breastfeed baby drinks way less than a formula fed baby. They can drink anything between - 60mls - 120mls (some do go up until about 150/180ml but very rarely)

My son drinks anything from 60 - 100mls per feed at the crèche & there were times where he only took in 60 - 90mls for the whole day & waited until I got home & then topped up

Karmie has summed up everything perfectly & said everything I was about to say.

Being sick can have an effect on weight gain but how much has she grown in head circumference & in length?

How often do you breastfeed her? Do you feed her on demand? How old is she now?

If she drinks on you, does she latch well and does she feed on both breasts per feed?

Hi there

In my experience, there are ups and downs. I also had periods when LG did not gain. I exclusively breastfed for 6 months, I still breastfeed, but LG gets one bottle of formula when I am at work.

Did your LG not gain for a whole month, or just a few weeks? If it is just a week or two, then it could be because she is sick. The Kellymom website says that babies who are sick (with even a minor illness) often slow weight gain or even lose weight. This is especially true if they have a stuffy nose

According to the Kellymom website the average daily intake (24 hour period) of an exclusively expressed breastfed baby is about 750 mL, and can range between 570-900 mL per day. How many times per day does your baby feed? If she drinks 7 bottles of 100ml, then that could be enough for her. You should also remember to count night feeds Some babies reverse-cycle, ie they drink just enough from the bottle to take the edge off and then drink a lot at night (straight from the source ) to make up for the day. If she has 6-8 wet/dirty nappies per day, you are most likely on the right track.

This article gives you a list of reasons why your baby may not be gaining weight and what you can do to improve weight gain: kellymom.com/health/growth/weight-gain_increase/

If your baby is fussy after feeds or you still feel worried, rather be safe than sorry and go see your Pead.

Well done mama for exclusively breastfeeding, hang in there