As a mother who successfully and exclusively breastfed two boys beyond the first twelve months of their little lives, I was confronted time after time by a well intentioned relative exclaiming, "It's no wonder that boy's so fat and round as you're feeding him all the time!"
This exclamation would ultimately be followed by the infamous question every breastfeeding mother learns to dread..."When are you gonna get that child off your breast and put a bottle in his mouth?"
From relatives, pediatricians, and complete strangers on the street, it seems everyone has the perfect advice to offer about your baby's appetite and breastfeeding habits! It can easily be more than a little overwhelming, particularly if you're up every 2-4 hours throughout the night for your little one's wonderful snacks!
For the first several months, both my boys gained weight satisfactorily though both were substantially "smaller" in terms of where the doctor expected them to be on the average growth chart. I even had one well meaning individual question as to whether or not I was trying to "starve" my child. Now, in case you're unfamiliar with breastfeeding, when you are absolutely certain that your wonderful little bundle of joy is enjoying more than sufficient boob tube time, then you really don't appreciate such a cruel accusation! Quite frankly, hormones and lack of sleep have NOTHING to do with that!
Yet, like every new mother experiences it is all too easy to let doubt creep into your mind a little bit at a time. I knew I was doing the best for my baby and I knew everything was ok. But, I still thought a little reassurance would be helpful, particularly since I didn't want to inadvertently deprive my little one of falling short on the percentile rating growth chart that my pediatrician seemed to regard a bit like an Olympic hopeful.
Then I came across an interesting article about breastfed babies and growth charts on kellymom.com - the link is here:
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/growthcharts.html
The article explains in detail why breastfed babies may not necessarily fit the normal (outdated) growth charts that most pediatricians are using as points of reference. The information is enlightening and also encouraging. If you or another new breastfeeding mom is concerned with the weight of your baby, please give this section a thorough read. I found it incredibly helpful to print out the breastfed growth chart and plot my children's growth on this chart instead. I even took one in to show my doctor, pretty much to say, hmph, I'm not concerned anymore. My boys are perfect! (Just like their mother knows they have been from the start!)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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