EBF but not gaining weight well and I'm scared

[@llli*lintrax]

Hi There, my LO is 4 months and 1 week. He was born at the 75th percentile, dropped and stayed at 50th, then was down to 25th at his 2 month check and now is down to the 10th percentile. Length and HC are both 50th and holding steady. I'm not sure what to think about this. His output seems very normal, he is a bright bubbly and well developing little guy. (rolls both ways, reaches for things, babbles interactively and loves discovering new things). I don't know what I'm doing wrong or why this has happened!! It makes me feel like I am failing him

Pediatrician says to keep nursing him as I am and offer him a bottle (pumped or formula) after feeding and to start introducing some cereal. He wasn't overly concerned but did say if he doesn't come back up on the chart we'll have to start to investigate why he's not gaining like he should.

The only factor I can think of is that he seems to have started teething a few weeks ago (drooling like mad, stuffing both fists along with everything else into his mouth and even sometimes crying out when he bites down).

Any thoughts would be appreciated... thanks so much.

[@llli*jenna562]

I don't see a problem per se, there are just as many healthy kids in the 10th percentile as the 90th. If baby is gaining in height and head and hitting milestones, seems happy and has sufficient output I wouldn't think problem....but what is the weight exactly? Are you nursing on demand? I'd look for a BF friendly doctor and get another opinion.

[@llli*mommal]

with Jenna. Since baby is otherwise healthy and happy and head circumference and height are both continuing to grow normally, I am not sure that there's anything that indicates a problem here. I assume baby is being nursed on demand?

[@llli*lintrax]

Yep, nursing on demand, and offering the breast in between. We'd had an almost 15 percent loss initially after birth but gained that back really well. I've always been careful to nurse on demand... plus some. Just freaked me out a little that he's saying we'd need to 'investigate', I don't (won't allow) any unnecessary medical work-ups. I'm an FNP and always thought if the other 2 variables are normal and the child is thriving it was all good. But then again, we're here in Austria now and standards are a bit different as are the approaches. I just wanted to see what other peoples experiences have been.

Tried him on a little cereal this afternoon (I normally wouldn't do this until 6 months). He hated it and spit it out of course. I'm sure he didn't get any of it. He still has the reflex (I can't think of the name of it) that pushes foreign substances out of the mouth! (as I would expect...)

We'll see how he does.... I'm going to add the extra bottle. I've got a good supply of pumped milk in the freezer.

Thanks for listening!
Linda

[@llli*mommy2lilah]

The only concern that I would have with adding the bottle is that your supply will decrease. Do you plan on pumping that same amount out every day, that you give him in the bottle?

[@llli*jenna562]

The only concern that I would have with adding the bottle is that your supply will decrease. Do you plan on pumping that same amount out every day, that you give him in the bottle?

As a personal note; my second son was born at 9 lbs 14 oz, he lost about 10 oz and didn't gain it back until a few days after he turned 2 weeks. He continued to grow in height and head circumference, he was a happy, engaging baby and met all other milestones. By 6 months he was in the 5th percentile for weight and the 95th for height, a string bean. Our doctor threatened that if I didn't start feeding him rice cereal she would call CPS and diagnose him FTT. I argued a little (how can rice, a single grain cereal product be more beneficial than BM ), but in the end I went to see another doctor. He looked at Sam as a whole not as a dot on a chart. He told me that Sam was healthy, that my DH is tall and slender and that there was no problem with my son...he is/was right.

Keep looking!

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

That all sounds pretty normal to me, as all of mine grew insanely until,about 4 months, slowed down at 6, a couple stopped gaining at 6 becasue of moving and crawling and walking at 9 months, and then they grow slowly after that. Never had a suggestion that I add solids in. And actually, solids have fewer calories than breastmilk anyway.