Weight gain again / formula recommendations

Hi, me again

Some of you may remember that weight gain has been an issue for us for a while now....

Ewan is 6 months old today and I'd had him weighed for the first time in a while to check his weight before we started BLW in earnest. However, he has continued to drop centiles. On the new bf charts he was born just above the 75th centile at 9lbs (91st centile on old charts) and has now dropped well below the 25th at 15lb 6oz. His weight gain has just steadily gone down through the centiles. He is a happy, alert baby who is meeting his developmental milestones.

I've spoken to a friend of ours (NCT group dad!) who is a GP who suggests that we begin to supplement Ewan with 1 formula feed a day to see if this boosts his weight gain. He was of the opinion that it is better to start now than wait and see if he drops through the 9th centile or further as this super slow weight gain is a long term trend.

So, I'm after opinions on a postcard please, and any formula recommendations from people who transitioned a bf baby onto formula about which brand of formula worked well for them...

Thanks in advance!

Iris was 8lb 15oz at birth, so somewhere between the 50th and 75th percentile. She then steadily dropped percentiles until she reached the 9th, where she's been ever since: 9th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for height. I was the one concerned about her weight gain, or rather lack of it. My HV wasn't in anyway worried. Iris was like Ewan - meeting milestones and a happy, alert baby. She recommended continuing to exclusively breastfeed and stop worrying about Iris' weight. It was hard to put the red book away and stop going to get Iris weighed but, for us, it was the right thing. Iris eats like a horse, is a very happy, healthy toddler and I have no idea how much she weighs. But I'd be surprised if it's much more than about 20lb. She's just a tall, skinny thing.

Personally hun, I'd stick at it, he's happy so I assume he takes what he needs, Summer was born on the 50th centile, and gradually dropped to the 2nd centile by the time she was 6 months, and she's stayed there till now, ok so she's diddy, but it's not really the end of the world!

If he's happy then I'm sure he's ok, if he continues to drop centiles then maybe you should speak to you HV, but at the moment I would continue what your doing!

And 25th centile isn't small at all, he's bigger than Summer was about about 11 months I think!!



Try not to worry, easier said than done I know, but you'd know if he wasn't ok!!

I totally agree with what the others have said. I personally wouldn't change to formula just because my baby's weight gain was slow. All three of mine gained weight much more slowly than their ff peers. As long as they are happy and healthy and actually putting on some weight there really is no need to switch to formula.

I switched Bella onto formula feeding at 3 weeks, due to lack of supply and slow weight gain. Her weight gain has continued to be slow and she is now on the 25th centile for weight and 90th for height, so she is very tall and skinny!!

I honestly don't believe changing a baby onto formula is the magic cure for slow weight gain.

I would just stick with what you are doing, like a lot of people Gracie was and still is very slow to gain weight usually about 2 oz a week even now at 18 months she is only about 21lbs just. Ff babies don't necessarllily gain weight quicker, Gracie stopped bf at 11 weeks and has been ff since then, Kieran was bf and for a good while gained nearly 1lb a week!!!!

Jessica also dropped through the centiles and is now somewhere in the red zone at the bottom, my hv wasn't worried as she was a happy, alert baby meeting all the developmental milestones, the hv assistant kept on making comments each time she was weighed, which wern't to helpful, so as they were just making me stress so I stopped getting her weighed. Not everybody follows lines on graphs and somebody has to be at the bottom, you'll know in your own mind if something is wrong

You are already giving your baby an ideal diet, why change it? I have no idea how much my baby weighs and I have no interest in knowing. I do know my baby is happy and healthy and that's all that matters to me.

HPs using these charts must undergo training in how to use them properly. Part of this training is that they are reminded that weight is a guideline only. Anywhere on the chart is normal. If a baby falls MORE THAN two centiles the HP should then check the baby's height and development. If there is no cause for concern in these areas then the baby is developing normally and no intervention is required.

If your GP friend is using these charts on a regular basis, he should have been on the training course and he should know this. His advice to top up with formula is not in line with guidelines and is not helpful.

I think you are doing a great job.

I agree with the other ladies, you are doing a fab job and Ewan is developing well, he doesn't need anything else . Charts cannot take into account that all children are different! DS1 was a tiny baby with very slow weight gain and is now a very chunky 6 year-old, while DS2 was a fairly chunky baby and well over the 50th centile and is now a very scrawny 3 year-old! Ewan would soon let you know if he was going hungry!