Baby not gaining enough weight.

[Bex09]

Hoping someone can offer some advice here as the HV has got me worried sick. The past two times I have taken A to get weighed he has gained but only really small amounts and he has slipped from 91st centile born to the very bottom of the 50th centile now, borderline of the 25th. HV says I need to get him to take more milk, as he isn't taking enough. He has between 20 and 25oz a day but just isn't interested in taking any more. I have tried no.3 teat and variflow but he chokes and splutters on both and refuses to feed at all.

The HV wants to check his weight again in two weeks and if it has dipped again she thinks I should introduce solids!!! At 14 weeks?! I don't really see how that will help at all. Any tips on how I can ge DS to take more milk? To me he is happy and healthy, hardly ever cries or fusses and is always smiling and giggling... so clearly not starving! He is 14lb, in 3-6 month clothes, but won't be for much longer and he has those gorgeous little fat rolls on his chubby little legs and arms. What more can I do?

[clazzat]

He sounds like my ds - mine made it all the way down to the 8th from the 92nd!  I was really lucky that the HV I saw looked at him and came to the conclusion that he was happy, healthy, thriving, meeting his milestones etc and didn't make a big deal of it.  I had to get him weighed more often, I think mainly just to check that there was no indication of any other issue, but he was always absolutely fine. He also had the chubbiest thighs known to mine, despite being titchy!

This always seems to me to be a mummy instinct thing - if your gut is telling you that he is okay, feeding the way you would expect and satisfied between feeds etc, then I wouldn't let the HV push you into anything that you are not comfortable with.  I'm sure that you will be able to tell if there is something wrong, so trust yourself.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

DD3 was 13lbs at 5 months and the health nurse did not bat an eye as she was otherwise healthy and happy. As for solids nothing will be as nutrient dense as formula and it could impact his intake negatively and lead to tummy upset.

[Bex09]

Thanks for the reassurance ladies. Exactly what I thought too, so that has made me feel better. ITA about introducing solids having a negative effect on his milk intake and isn't something I want to do at all. I just wish I could get a little more milk into him, but I guess he knows what he needs.

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs bex, I have no experience with FTT other than Ts mess later on but he had other issues.
I just wanted to say though that I totally disagree with your HV about introducing solids before 4 mths. If you feel pressured then don't be scared to go via your dr or ask for a pead referral. Surely if there's a FTT concern a referral to a pead would be the first step before giving solids before the min age recommendation? 

Have you tried a var flow test

[Violet's mom]

Yeah my dd started around the 50th, and is now around the 4th.  My doc isn't concerned - he said as long as she was happy and thriving every baby doesn't follow the curve...

Maybe get a second opinion somewhere else? 

[Bex09]

Thank you so much for the replies. I have just checked in his book because it just didn't add up to me that he had put weight on and was 14lb and yet his weight had dipped... so the HV has only plotted him as 3 weeks older than he is on the graph! So when I have redone it DS is back up to the top of the 50th centile, like he was the past two times! Phew such a relief but all that worry for nothing. That'll teach me to trust my own judgement next time and check the book hey? Thanks though for your support and ideas I will certainly bear them in mind if his weight does drop.

[ZacsMumme]

Great news Hun. Seems silly HV needs a refresher on stats and graphs maybe

[clazzat]

That's good.  HV's do serve a useful purpose, but they are not all as on the ball as would be helpful sometimes!