Your baby doesnt weigh enough!

[Melanie]

We have a baby scale here because it was loaned to us by the clinic until Thea is 6 months old. Most women use them in Hungary to weigh a breastfed baby before and after a feed to make sure they are getting enough milk. I did it for the first week or so we were home then once Thea had established feeding i started weighing her once ever couple of weeks.

Any way I weighed her yesterday and she was 14lbs 2oz. She was 7lbs 7oz when she was born so she is on her way to being double her birth weight by 6 months. she did lose a couple of lbs when she was really ill after a flight home. She is a slim but long baby she always has been. She has always followed the same percentile lines in the health book. 50th for length and exactly between the 50th and 25th in weight. I was talking to my mam and told her Thea's new weight and she started giving me a lecture about how she didn't weigh enough and if we had been home in England the doctor would have made me give her formula by now. She told me it was time to start being a decent mother and get my daughter some proper food inside of her Then she couldnt understand why I was upset.

I've always thought Thea was doing really well. She sees the doctor once a month like all Hungarian babies do and he is always really pleased with her and has never mentioned low weight to me at all. She has hit all the developmental milestones on time or even early, she has been sitting unaided since she before she was 4 months old. I have always had such confidence in my parenting, but my conversation with my mam has really worried me. I'm worried that if i had been in England then maybe mam is right maybe a doctor would have thought Thea didn't weigh enough. Breastfeeding is the only way as far Hungarian doctors are concerned so maybe they are blinkered to the fact that she weighs less than she should.

What do you girls think? Is 14lbs 2oz not enough at 5 months? She sees the doctor again on Tuesday evening so I'm going to ask him too.

 

[kellie80]

I wouldn't worry at all, her weight sounds ok to me. At 5 months Aimee only weighed 14lb 8oz and she was almost 9lb born. She has always been formula fed but she is just ment to be slim and there has never been any mention of her needing to see a doctor. Her height has dropped from the 75th centile to the 25th in the last few months so she is just going to be a small but healthy child. At 16 months she weighs exactly 21lbs. I would't take any notice, it sounds like your doing a great job.

 

[Jen79]

I wouldnt worry too much, I think you are doing a good job by breastfeeding for so long and as long as Thea is happy and healthy then thats what matters. Exclusively breastfeeding is hardly a selfish act is it? Its tying and tiring, I only did it for 11 weeks and the relief I felt going onto formula made me feel a bit ashamed and wrong somehow. Your mum probably means well but at the end of the day Thea is your baby and everything you do is only out of love for her and in her best interests. Trust yourself and try not to let her comments get to you.

 

[nathanmum]

if she had stayed on a particular centile all the way along then thats fine. if she had gone from the 90th down to the 2nd then i would be slightly concerned but it sounds normal to me.

 

[Tasha20]

What a load of boll*x Mel, they would not of put her on formula, she looks happy and healthy and as you said the docs over there are very happy with her.

You have done extremly well do not think you havnt!!!

Breast is best and thats that your mum obviously doesnt know anything about breastfeeding, and telling you to put her on some proper food, whatever

Sorry but that has really annoyed me, that your own mother hasnt supported you, you are a fine example of a mother

 

[mummykay]

i honestly cant see Thea ever bein unhealthy cos of ur parenting Melanie, what a load of crap!!!
shes a perfectly healthy little girl, im not surprised that the docs cant find anythin wrong with her!!

 

[SarahB]

Thea is happy and healthy and doing absolutley brilliantly, as are you. Don't listen to your mum, you are doing great just as you are

 

[Minxy]

Anyone seeing any pic of Thea would know she's a little glowing picture of health!

Babies can be such a wide range of weights and 14lb certainly doesn't sound particularly tiny to me.

She's great, you're great, please don't worry

 

[Melanie]

Richard thinks that mam says stuff like this to me because she didnt want us to move to Hungary. She does it a lot for loads of different things, its always if you were in England this would be different blah blah blah.

I dont think she realises how much it hurt me when she questions how i raise Thea, its like she thinks with her supervision I cant be doing a good job. It takes a lot not to throw my own childhood back in her face and ask her why the hell she thinks she is qualified to give child care advice anyway!

Tasha, thats just the way she is, mam doesnt know how to be supportive at all. Everything I do that isnt what she did is just wrong as far as she is concerned (that would be everything lol)

 

[Tina & Gabs]

Mel I think that weight is perfect and Thea definitely looks the picture of health. Gabriella only weighs 15lb 4oz now!

You are doing a fantastic job and are a fantastic mammy and don;t let anyone make you feel otherwise.

 

[budge]

well i can't see what they mean. shes put more weight on that Rachael.

 

[Freya]

Unfortunately that is mums for you. My mum is the same. I let it get me down after first child now it just goes over my head.

You are doing a great job You are probably right about the Hungry thing - you mum probably feels a bit pushed out and wants to make her presence felt if you know what I mean.

If she tries to say something again change the subject - better still when someone asked me how much son weighed I used to say 'enough' in a jovial manner and then change subject.

 

[Urchin]

Brody has always been around the 25 centile, he now has 3 meals a day and loads of milk and snacks, but he's still the same, it's jus the way he is. Mason was above the 99th! All babies are different.

 

[KatysMummy]

Melanie, can I first say that I think oyu are a FANTASTIC mum to Thea & I really admire you.

Katy weighed 13lb 12ozs at 5 months & was 6lbs 13.5 when she was born. She has always been between the 9th & 25th centile lines. Like Thea, she is long & skinny & she is the picture of health.

Carry on doing exactly what you are doing Mel, Thea is ahead of average on every stage, she is a beautiful & happy little girl & you should be very proud of her & of yourself!!

 

[Tasha20]

Tasha, thats just the way she is, mam doesnt know how to be supportive at all. Everything I do that isnt what she did is just wrong as far as she is concerned (that would be everything lol)

awww hun, your a fab mummy and doing a fab job, my mum is quite similar to yours but she backs down and doesnt say alot anymore and respects my choice to breastfeed but she still has her digs now and then.

 

[skatty]

No disrepect to your Mum but what rubbish!! Thea is perfect in every way and she has her great mummy to thank for that. She looks like a regular chubby little baby in her pics, I have never even thought she looked like a slim baby

I totally get the "Hungary" thing. I stupidly told my Mum that Martin got annoyed with me because Leorah was crying with him when she was having teething pain and I came and took her for a hug so he mentioned that we are teaching her that only mum can make things better and I got an email back saying she was worried Martin is becoming controlling and obsessive over Leorah!! If Martin was any more laid back he'd be lying down! She then went on to say she was worried that with me visiting on my own for 10 days Leorah will be clingy with me when I get back and Martin wont "allow" me to go to England again!! WTF??? I had a baby not a personality transplant, I've never taken orders of anyone in my life (she should know that!!) Poor Martin I didn't tell him the whole story but just said I get the impression that my Mum thinks he's being controlling, I thought he'd be upset but he laughed as its the most ridiculous thing (you'd have to know him!) and made jokes about that film "Not without my daughter" and said I will have to plan my escape from his clutches in Denmark!! Anyway sorry to have gone on but I was relieved to see that other Nan's are being equally as irrational from afar. Martin did point out that I will be a nna someday and I am soo determined not to be like that