MSE Parent Club - Part 2

SeptemberBaby_2

Sami_Bee wrote: »

Krystal - does ur top secret source know if they were thinking of making it more explicit that those growth charts are based on formula fed babies?
I'll be gutted if they stop running weekly baby clinic here and I honestly don't know what they will do either because ours is sooo busy, my GP practice has 12 doctors so you can imagine how many babies and toddlers are registered there!
I find it comforting to know that if I'm worried I can pop over the road on a Monday afternoon and see the HV with out having to wait for some kind of appointsment

Lu - around here the HVs get notified of all preg ladies because they come to see you before your due so you know who they are before bubs arrives

I was really surprised that the charts were based on FF babies considering the recommendation is to BF. I'm taking a guess that its due to being able the record how much formula a baby has taken which can't be established with BFing when compiling the charts?

Our Dr's has a drop in baby clinic on a Mon afternoon and the Surestart also has a Baby Club also run by HV's on a Wed. They discuss a baby topic each week, which apparently is a prerequisite of them being allowed to run the club, and baby can be weighed at the end. Some do and some don't. I'm aiming for every fortnight as I just want to know what he weighs (read as nosey!).

I must say my HV's are lovely .

xx

SeptemberBaby_2

Thanks everyone for the replies re eye testing. I'm not worried at the moment (she doesn't miss a trick! :rolleyes:) but I just want to bear it in mind due to family history.

xx

Sami_Bee

SeptemberBaby wrote: »

I was really surprised that the charts were based on FF babies considering the recommendation is to BF. I'm taking a guess that its due to being able the record how much formula a baby has taken which can't be established with BFing when compiling the charts?
...
xx

I always assumed they were based on a mixture of both BFed and FFed babies until I was looking into breast feeding this bump.
I find it really annoying that some BFing mums are pressured into formula top ups because their baby doesn't match the chart when the chart isn't even relevant to them and the HV doesn't know it :rolleyes:

Becles

I hardly had Charlotte weighed at all. I don't agree with constant monitoring of weight, and would rather just go with the flow. As long as they are feeding well and in good general health, then I'm not concerned.

SusanC_2

I don't think the charts were specifically based on formula fed babies but the method of feeding was just whatever the sample of people were doing which means since most people formula feed (I believe less than half are breastfed by 6 weeks and by 9 months it's just 13%) the results are strongly skewed towards formula feeding. I'm glad they are cutting down on routine weighing of babies with no other indications of a problem as I believe that frequent weighing causes more problems than it solves unless there is a specific reason for weighing.

We aren't planning to register with the HV next time as we have found it completely unecessary. Apart from the initial two visits at 10 and 16 days where Alice was weighed (which I presume you would get anyway as we hadn't registered her for it then anyway) all we've had is a visit about weaning and a check up at 9 months. I did my own research about weaning anyway and at the check up the things they asked questions about were all things I was aware of anyway. If I thought there was a problem I would just go and see my GP and I don't have much confidence in a HV who suggests switching a child to forward facing before she has reached the minimum legal weight.

lwcus78

Is there much difference in weight gain of BF babies compared to FF babies? Do BF babies then catch up? When does this usually happen?

ps just quick note about eye testing again. Someone mentioned that they were long sighted and had astigmatism. It is important that this is to be checked in a child if there is family history of it. Often parents think there is no problem as child sees well enough. Occassionally there is a prescription in the 1 eye only, so they see perfectly well with 2 eyes open but the eye with the prescription just gets weaker and weaker if its not corrected. The earlier this is picked up the better the outcome. So if you as a parent and you have a prescription, I assume you regularly see optician anyway, I would ask the optician when they think you should bring child in for eye test. If there is history of squint, lazy eyes, or a large long sighted or astigmatism correction I would advice a sight test around the age of 3ish or before if you think there may be a problem.

Wasn't such a quick note after all.

nadnad

lwcus78 wrote: »

Is there much difference in weight gain of BF babies compared to FF babies? Do BF babies then catch up? When does this usually happen?.

my HV told me that bf babies put weight on more quickly at the start but then it levels out whereas ff is the other way round. -dont know if this is correct or not, but my lo did have really good weight gain after the first couple of days (he lost 10oz from birth but gained it and more back within a week), and from about 6 weeks old it slowed down.

many ff babies are def more chubby than bf babies (well any i know are).

nadnad

i've been ill all weekend with a stomach bug and it was just like when i had hyperemesis when i was pregnant, i felt AWFUL. and i suddenly had a realisation that there is no way i could put myself through that again - for one thing if i was that ill i couldnt look after Oz. I always said i wanted at least 2 children and had thought i might get pregnant again this year, but if i was that sick i couldnt cope. Am now thinking that maybe Oz will be an only child which I don't want.

Don't think theres any advice on this quandry but just thought I'd share!

SusanC_2

nadnad wrote: »

i've been ill all weekend with a stomach bug and it was just like when i had hyperemesis when i was pregnant, i felt AWFUL. and i suddenly had a realisation that there is no way i could put myself through that again - for one thing if i was that ill i couldnt look after Oz. I always said i wanted at least 2 children and had thought i might get pregnant again this year, but if i was that sick i couldnt cope. Am now thinking that maybe Oz will be an only child which I don't want.

I know what you mean. The day after Alice was born I told OH I'd rather give birth three times than be pregnant again. I'm planning on having a larger age gap so that if I am that ill again, Alice will be able to do things for herself.

lwcus78 wrote: »

Is there much difference in weight gain of BF babies compared to FF babies? Do BF babies then catch up? When does this usually happen?

Although there is obviously spread in both BF and FF children and obviously some overlap, there is a significant difference between the average weight by age 2 (so a girl on the 50th centile on BF chart would be marginally above the 25th on the regular chart). I believe there is concern that the use of charts mainly based on FF babies as the standard (as opposed to comparing them with BF charts which should be the standard) is resulting in pressure for children to be heavier and gain more weight and might be contributing to the rise in obesity. (I am a weirdo who reads all sorts of obscure things about breastfeeding and weaning and weight charts etc. - there's all sorts of interesting stuff on the WHO website for example.)

Lu_T

lwcus78 wrote: »

ps just quick note about eye testing again. Someone mentioned that they were long sighted and had astigmatism. It is important that this is to be checked in a child if there is family history of it. Often parents think there is no problem as child sees well enough. Occassionally there is a prescription in the 1 eye only, so they see perfectly well with 2 eyes open but the eye with the prescription just gets weaker and weaker if its not corrected. The earlier this is picked up the better the outcome. So if you as a parent and you have a prescription, I assume you regularly see optician anyway, I would ask the optician when they think you should bring child in for eye test. If there is history of squint, lazy eyes, or a large long sighted or astigmatism correction I would advice a sight test around the age of 3ish or before if you think there may be a problem.

Wasn't such a quick note after all.

Thanks lwcus - it was me! I normally get my eyes tested at an optician near work rather than home and I won't be due again until she's gone three, so I'll make a call and find out what they advise.

Please keep everything crossed for my SIL. She's had a series of miscarriages and nearly-pregnancies - the last being a horrendous roller coaster of "it's fine", "no it's not", "it's fine", "no it's not" every other day for about 10 days until she eventually miscarried. In the last year she has lost 3 or 4 babies all at 6-7 weeks.

The last time she was only 2 weeks behind me so we both feel the loss even more keenly.

Anyway, great news is that she's just txted me to say she's 8 wks and having a scan on Weds :T :T I am trying really hard not to get excited til we know all's well, but just can't help myself. Nearly cried at her text this am and don't think I'll be able to stop myself if all is well on Weds. I'm welling up just typing this (bloody hormones!)

Also, anyone got a nice fabric/wooden height chart and alphabet chart/frieze? I'm on the lookout for both for Imogen's room.