Where can I find a growth chart for a breastfed baby?

Question

My lo is not gaining as fast as the health visitor would like. She is using the red book as a guide, although this is based on bottle fed babies, and I've read that it is normal and healthier for breast fed babies to put on weight more slowly. Has anyone had a similar experience?

Answer 1

Ask a Health Visitor or a Midwife, they should have copies. I am a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter and I have a copy of the breastfeeding chart. Its not all that much different but on the bottlefed chart babies tend to to put more weight on it the early days so the growth rate goes up quite quickly, but the breastfed chart goes up at a steadier rate but both of them even right out to a steady line. A breastfed chart has more peaks and troughs ( hope this makes sense) As long as your baby is gaining weight, alert at times and healthy you have no reason to worry. Unfortunately its a Health Visitors job to be concerned that your baby is not following the growth chart and their responsibility to make you aware. So many women give up breastfeeding at this point. Formula is full of artificial calories and babies do gain weight faster but its the bottlefed babies that are overweight and not the breastfed ones being uderweight. One of our mothers had a fall out with her Health Visitor but she stuck with it and she knew he was fine. He is now 9 month and has been the first to crawl and sit up but he is just a petite baby like his mum. Good luck, you are doing the best for your baby.

Answer 2

My son put on weight at a slow rate for the first month as a breast fed baby, however now he is at a normal weight for a child of his age. The red books are only guides and are good for monitoring weight gain, but they also cause a lot of worry for the parents. We have four children and our second put weight at a very fast rate, so much so the health visitor was concerned, but as soon as she started walking the weight dropped of. What you need to remember is that all babies grow differently and as long as your baby is growing I wouldn't worry.

Answer 3

You are doing as fantastic job feeding your baby! Don't let your health visitor put you off because your baby is not gaining weight like the charts in the red book! If your baby is sleeping well, contented and has lots of wet nappies then things will be fine. You are doing the best for your baby, and yourself, and I think your HV could be much more supportive of you. Just keep feeding and enjoying your baby and keep up the good work!

Answer 4

At my last ante-natal class the midwife discussed this. She mentioned that bottle fed babies gain weight more rapidly because it's easier to overfeed them, and people aren't always as precise when they should be when mixing formula milk, adding a little extra. Breast fed babies take only what they need and the milk has exactly the right amount of nutrients for them. If you baby is feeding regularly and taking a good amount each time you should have nothing to worry about.

Answer 5

Typically, breastfed babies put on more weight in the early months, then their weight gain slows down during the second half of the first year. This has happened to me with my now-2 year old, and she is perfectly healthy. Just thin. I wouldn't worry too much about it, unless your baby is not gaining weight at all or is not meeting developmental milestones.

The World Health Organization just released new growth charts this year based on breastfed babies. Kellymom.com also has breastfed baby growth charts.

Answer 6

Baby should be on a stable path throughout the graph . As long as it is consistent and baby is stable on the percentile line there is no cause for concern. It is entirely normal for breastfed babies to be leaner as the milk has nothing added to it. Everything is needed by the baby and it starts being digested as soon as it enters baby's mouth, it doesn't have to get to their stomach.
Well done for breastfeeding and putting up with unhelpful health visitors

Answer 7

This page gives links to the new World Health Organization growth charts which use breastfed babies as their norms. You'll have to click on the links listed under "Indicators" to get to the specific charts. Good luck!

http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/en/

Answer 8

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Answer 9

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Answer 10

Try little Angels web site this is a site for breastfeeding support and help run by mums for mums with National recognition, ring Michelle on 07746515903 she'll have all your answers.