"Thriving" breastfed babies - Page 2

[MangoMommy]

I've had 3 (well working on the 3rd still) slim breastfed babies. DD9 was supplimented and was 6.3 at birth and 18 lbs at 1. DS7 was 5.6 at birth, EBF and 17 lbs at 1. My 8 mo old EBF is about 17 lbs, was 5.11 at birth. My kids have always been long and lean, with chubbs but def more "slender" compared to my friends EBF babies.

DH and I are slender people, he's very tall and I'm petite.

[mntnmom]

I think there are genetic variables to be sure. All of my babes were EBF for about 6 mnths, and got limited solids for most of the first year. They started out over 9pds, but were still only about 20 pds by their first B-day. My 5yr old finally broke 35 pds, even though he's 75% for his height. He stopped BF a long time ago, but he is just skinny! DS2 was about the same weight at birth, BF longer, and though he has almost no extra fat on his body, is more stout and a lot heavier than DS1 at 3yrs.
Some babes might not be getting enough to eat do to bad advice or baby-scheduling, but I think most of just depends on natural body types.

[JessicaS]

I think a lot of it is genetics. Of course breastfeeding does provide optimal nutrition but there is still a large genetic factor.

My dd was a real chunky baby with tons of rolls, she takes after my husband's family. My son is a lot smaller and he takes after my family.

They are siblings and both breastfed.

[moobiegirl]

I have two skinny babies. I remember ds being 18 lbs at one year and dd is 14lbs at 6 months. People often do a double take when I tell them dd is six months old. I don't know if my milk isn't as "rich" but my two nurse(d) all night long. I work full time and I know their daytime intake is not as much on days at daycare. On the weekend they nurse several times at day, but at daycare they want just enough to make it through and then nurse a lot when they are with me. I'm really short and my whole family is short. Dh's family is relatively skinny, but taller. So I also think genetics plays a big part. But my two are thriving even though they started at the average/big range at birth and have both dipped below the 25%. Ds at 3 is now back in the average range.

[GoBecGo]

I've only had one baby as yet. I EBF her until 4 months when supply issues (thyroid) meant i had to supplement. I never got on top of the thyroid issue and had to go completely to FF at 7months. She was always skinny. Born on 75th%ile length and 50th%ile for weight. By 12weeks she was on the 96th%ile for height (i'm 181cm myself) but still on the 50th for weight. She dropped a little when my supply dropped, but supplementing then switching to formula never got her above the 50th%ile for weight. She's never been chubby.

My friend has 2 kids, her little girl was a tiny thing, and still is very slight. She was EBF for 6 months and with continued BF to 19months. Her son is on track to be the same (still BF, at 16 months) and he is MASSIVE. They have the same father, she's not doing anything different with her diet, exercise, nursing patterns or lifestyle. SOme babies are just big and some are small.

[boobs4milk]

my experiences:

dd1: bf until 2 1/2 mos, termed ftt (undiagnosed sphincter issues) switched to formula. birthweight: 7lbs 1 oz weight at 2 1/2 mos: 9 lbs weight at 1 yr: 15lbs 14 oz current height/weight (17 1/2): 6'2" 180lbs

dd2: bf until 6 mos when she bit me (was advised by dr to switch to formula). birthweight: 6lbs 5 oz (35 wks) weight at 1 yr: 19lbs 15 oz current height/weight (almost 15 yrs): 5'11" 185lbs

ds: 30 wkr preemie, received pumped bmilk until age 8 mos, along with fortifier, then over to formula until almost age 3. was also on steroids from birth until age 3. birthweight: 3lbs 6 oz weight at 1 yr: 24 lbs current height/weight (11 1/2 yrs): 5'7" 120lbs

(new dh)

dd3: 37 wkr, IUGR, never got a drop of formula and was EBF until 6 mos when some solids were tried until she was about 18 mos before going over to actual meals. gained weight rapidly until 4 mos (was 14lbs @ 4 mos old). was bf until 26.5 mos. birthweight: 5lbs 1 oz, 17 3/4" weight at 1 yr: 18lbs 2 oz current height/weight (4 yrs): 33lbs 40"

dd4: 35 wkr, 100% bottlefed at hospital release age 17 days. bmilk + fortifiers due to a metabolic disorder. stopped fortifiers and bottles ~6 wks old. birthweight: 6lbs 7.9 oz, 19 1/2" current weight (4 1/2 mos): ~ 14.5 lbs, 25 1/4"

the youngest two were (are) bf the most and on demand. there growth is about the same as my others at this age; the first three when they were bf were bf on a schedule. the other 3 were given formula and were about the same size as dd3 at 1 and she never got formula. what cracks me up is that i was told dd4 wouldn't gain properly on my milk alone because it wasn't enough so we "had" to add the fortifier and carefully measure her intake/output. ha. oh, and my first dh id 6'3" 235lbs, new dh id 6'1" 175lbs. i'm 5'10" 180ish (usually 145-155).

so i've had really skinny ff babies, one chunky ff baby (he was on steroids, too) and skinny-then-chunky-then-skinny bf baby!

[Dahlea]

My son is a big fat boy too-born at 7,12 and hit 20 lbs at 3 months and 30 by 7 (no solids whatsoever) and is 32.5 at 15 months. I really think most of it is genetic but some formula babies can definitely be overfed.

[EmilyG]

I think it is al mostly just genetics. People who were bigger as babies have bigger babies themselves, no matter how they were fed. My EBF 5 month old was 19 pounds 8 ounces yesterday at her check-up, DH and I were both big babies. My sister, who was 18 pounds at 18 months, though we were both EBF by the same mommy, also has small EBF kids.

[Lineymom]

Originally Posted by MamaChicken

I had DD a month after a good friend - we both EBF and started pumping when we returned to work. For the whole first year or more, her DD was thinner than DD and quite a bit lighter, too. One day we compare our expressed milk, mine had 1/2" or more of fat on the top, her looked like skim milk (complete with the blue-ish tinge).

Both girls were healthy and thrived quite well.

Kids are different, but so is each mama's milk.

That is very interesting... I thought that all breastmilk was composed of the same % fat etc. Maybe I do have richer milk!

[Sk8ermaiden]

Originally Posted by Lineymom

That is very interesting... I thought that all breastmilk was composed of the same % fat etc. Maybe I do have richer milk!

Oh definitely not! I have used my own milk and milk from at least 6 other moms and they range from almost completely fat, to a millimeter of fat on top of a 5 oz. bottle/bag. Mine is on the skim side, unless I only pump after feedings.

[Blessed_Mom]

Originally Posted by Sk8ermaiden

Oh definitely not! I have used my own milk and milk from at least 6 other moms and they range from almost completely fat, to a millimeter of fat on top of a 5 oz. bottle/bag. Mine is on the skim side, unless I only pump after feedings.

You mean - almost all of 5 oz of fat?

[Blessed_Mom]

Originally Posted by MamaChicken

I had DD a month after a good friend - we both EBF and started pumping when we returned to work. For the whole first year or more, her DD was thinner than DD and quite a bit lighter, too. One day we compare our expressed milk, mine had 1/2" or more of fat on the top, her looked like skim milk (complete with the blue-ish tinge).

Both girls were healthy and thrived quite well.

Kids are different, but so is each mama's milk.

Was this before the milk settled? Because when I express it first looks like all thinnish milk then settles to almost foremilk and 1/4-1/2" fat on top after sitting for a while. Unless I let it sit it has no fat on top. Isn't this normal?

[Sk8ermaiden]

Originally Posted by Blessed_Mom

You mean - almost all of 5 oz of fat?

Yup! like 4 oz. worth. She had a chunky baby too!

and yes, I at least have to let it settle.

[MamaChicken]

Originally Posted by Blessed_Mom

Was this before the milk settled? Because when I express it first looks like all thinnish milk then settles to almost foremilk and 1/4-1/2" fat on top after sitting for a while. Unless I let it sit it has no fat on top. Isn't this normal?

We looked at them after 2 days in the fridge.

I don't know but both girls did great!

[Blessed_Mom]

Originally Posted by Sk8ermaiden

Yup! like 4 oz. worth. She had a chunky baby too!

and yes, I at least have to let it settle.

Aaargh....how I am green with envy here..... why couldn't that have been me? Sniff

[NSmomtobe]

My son was 7 lbs, 11 oz at birth and his weight decreased to 7 lbs, 1 oz at 5 days, before my milk came in. He is 1 month old now and weighs 10 lbs, 2.5 oz. He has grown a LOT in 3 weeks, and people are amazed to find out that he is exclusively breastfed. He went from 15th percentile at 1-week doctor's visit to 63rd at 1 month. We'll see how he continues to grow in the months to come.