6 mo DD weighs less than when she was 4 mo - where am I going wrong?

At 7 months, DS (who had a healthy appetite for solids too) was down to morning, evening and then 3 night-time feeds (grr)... so no BM at all (or anythign else apart from water) during the day. I just let him get on with it and this continued until he dropped all his night feeds at 11 months, at which point he was on morning and evening BM only and would have carried on like that for ever... until I weaning him at 13 months. Do whatever feels right - babies change and tbh, you seem completely in tune with what she needs.

I would go to another doctor and get a second opinion about the weight loss for your own peace of mind. I am sure that if it was a matter of not getting enough milk or food, your baby would let you know - by being a very cranky little miss!! And I'm sure she wouldn't be sleeping through the night if she was malnourished! I cannot help with breastfeeding advice as I didn't last nearly as long as you. I don't think anyone would advise you to move onto 100% formula - it is kind of a taboo these days! But many mums in your situation would certainly consider this and I think you can congratulate yourself for making it to the 6 month mark while working full time! Don't think I have anything new to add to what the other ladies have already said... e.g. early weaning foods like veggies have fewer calories than BM or formula so if she is loving her solids, try to give her a milk feed before solid meals to ensure she isn't filling her whole tummy with low calorie carrots and apples! My baby was also a skinny guy with a short attention span at that age (and he still is!) so I think I introduced higher calorie, protein rich foods, e.g. lamb stew... and started cooking for him with butter & olive oil... at around 7 months. You cannot forcefeed your baby I don't think there is much more you can do, other than make sure that any medical issues are ruled out. I hope you turn a corner soon with your little one, try not to worry too much x

The distraction is quite normal, mine started at 4 months and I didn't introduce solids until 6 months. Its confusing for them to have bottles and breast and obviously the bottle is much faster. I overcame it by removing all bottles and putting him to the breast more often and although it felt like with his 1-2 min feeds I was starving him he actually went up a centile so I guess the distraction was preventing him from taking enough from his previously 3 hourly feeds. Its still a battle to get him to feed at times, I try and do it when he has just woken, still in the bedroom before I turn on the light and another feed before I put him down to bed (including naps) plus every so often during the day. I also delayed "breakfast" of solids for a few months to ensure he took enough milk in the morning. The milk (including formula) is more important than the solids as a lot of the solids more or less go straight through undigested, you don't realise this when they are pureed but its obvious once you are giving chunks. I still can't talk while feeding and no one in the room can talk either without him popping off but if you add up all the snacks the overall time spent feeding is the same and in some ways its good not to have to sit still for so long each time. Your situation is different obviously with working full time and not having the option of removing bottles completely. I would focus on getting more milk(of any kind) into her even if it means less solids and decide yourself about the breastfeeding. You could drop it to just a morning and some evening feeds, and also try just popping her on for a few minutes here and there. Even now the only time my 10 month old feeds for more than 2 minutes at a time is if he wakes in the night or early morning, everything else is snacks so there are lots of them. Complete opposite for him with solids where he will just eat and eat so I think its really just that some kids are distractable. You could also try hanging a "nursing necklace" (big beads or even something you can attach toys to) around your neck while feeding so she can play with something while also feeding. Continuing to breastfeed while introducing solids has been shown to lower the risk of food allergies so that would be one reason to keep going a little longer until you introduced wheat, eggs, all the meats etc if you haven't already. It is also helping her fight off any nasty bugs etc at daycare as her immune system is still immature. Totally don't blame you on not expressing. I would have given formula too if I had gone back to work.

Fabulous advice from the other women. Just to add that I went through a phase of being quite worried about DD. I was breastfeeding on demand and she was ravenously accepting all solids but was just so tiny and not gaining any weight. We've done nothing differently and now I can't seem to keep her in the same clothes for long before she outgrows them. It sounds like you're doing a great job and that she's a very happy baby. <em>edited by BrownEyedGirl on 07/05/2011</em>

(and coming back again this morning to say that I'm sorry if I wasn't clear - I don't think you "are doing anything wrong" at all - I am just cross that the doctor insinuated that you were. You are a fab mummy doing the best for her little girl, with what sounds like not much support from your doctor. xx)

(sorry that got long). Hope things settle down! Please let us know how you get on. xx

Ooh that's very odd info, and much as I hate to contradict HCPs, in this case there really is no truth in the suggestion that the calorific content of breastmilk is affected by mum's diet. Rest assured that even mums on a very poor diet can successfully breastfeed. DebsDebs I'm equally sorry you were told off by your HCP. Did he explain what he felt you were "doing wrong" (I.e. how to approach the situation) or refer you to an infant feeding specialist? I very much hope so. There's no reason at all for you to be made to feel guilty or bad in any way whatsoever. There are many reasons for a baby to drop on the weight charts; firstly it us important to confirm that there is indeed a drop with more than one weight measurement (occasionally you get "rogue" measurements, so it's better to look at the big picture w a series of weighings). Some medical conditions, such as a UTI (which can be treated w abx) can affect weight gain, so a thorough medical exam may be a good idea. Revisiting Bf basic may help reassure you that babe is getting enough bm: Watching out for hunger cues and offering the breast straight away, allowing babe to finish one side before offering the second, Double checking positioning and attachment (as this can change as baby grows). Also breastfeeding before solids ensures baby doesn't fill up on less calorific/nutritious complementary foods. Remember that bm is the basis of a baby's diet for the whole of the first year - other foods are just additional, and do not pack as nutritional a punch. You may also like to choose nutritious solids, so that every bite counts. Fruit, veg, meat, beans, all great choices. Baby cereals, not so much as they are typically empty calories. Finally, if babe is refusing the bottle at daycare, she may be "reverse cycling" and wanting to feed more direct from source when with you (this is not uncommon when mum and babe are away fr each other during the day). Giving her unlimited access to the breast when you're wit her evenings and nights, offering even if she doesn't seem to be asking, will ensure that she is able to take as much bm as she needs.

the only thing that comes to mind can be, if you are on a diet or did go on a diet while breastfeeding? my gyno told me that the more calories I consume, the more caloires there will be in my milk. I had 3500 KK diet and did not gain any weight. My baby is 7 months old and 9 kg

Debsdebs, it really sounds as though you're doing a fab job and everything right! I agree with meals, maybe increase the calories in the solids she is taking. My mum swears we thrived on things like roast chicken and homemade gravy, so you could always give that a go?! I also used to find when DS was that age that giving a bigger meal for lunch was a good option as then you can be a bit more relaxed in the evening for supper. Good luck and let us know how she goes

I also don't think you're doing a bad job at all - in fact, you seem to be ticking all the right boxes. Seeing as she's going to nursery and is obviously in contact with lots of other children, have you thought about whether she's picked up worms or another parasite? I know it's horrid, but these things do happen and can affect their digestion. We found out last year that DD had picked up amoebic dysentery - OMG!!! - but it was all very easily treated.

Oh you are SO NOT doing a bad job! What a wonderful job you are doing! Obviously it's not hunger related as she's sleeping through. Perhaps you could look at what solids you're giving her and increase the good fats - I used to cook everything in a little Olive Oil, use lots of avocado, add some more carbs, yoghurts, cheeses etc. Add extra healthy fats and carbs wherever you can to bulk up the meals to increase the chubba. Keep the fruits as after meal sweets and give her time. HTH Don't forget though that she's obviously becoming more active and burning off the calories now! Her weight gain will start to plateau now as a standard.