Breastfed Babies and Average Growth Charts

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The article explains in detail why breastfed babies may not necessarily fit the normal (outdated) growth charts that most pediatricians are using as points of reference.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!)

Bitesize Chicken Nuggets

Little chicks do indeed grow very fast. Before you know it, they are already pecking away for their expectant meals. Cheep, cheep, cheep! Peck, peck, peck! They may be little, but little teeth hurt too! The rule in my henhouse, if you peck, you're done. It's not open for discussion. The first time I laid down chicken law, the little chick cried real tears. He hollered for a minute, stunned, that I had said no and taken away the chickenfeed. Then, after a few very difficult minutes, he calmed. I won't say there still aren't times when he pecks, particularly when he's teething, but I stick to chicken law. No pecking. No scratching. Or no chickenfeed. There are still a few tears from time to time, but we get along much better here in the chicken house, and the breast piece is no more for the wear.

Late Night Feedings

Every new mother braces herself for late night feedings. We expect them. We dread them. Night after night we somehow manage to pull ourselves out of bed and respond to the starving cries that invade our very short periods of restful slumber.

There are times when I would gladly trade anything I could think of for just one good night's sleep. Despite the incredible sleep deprivation and fatigue, these late night feedings have quickly become my most favorite time of day.

I sit in the rocking chair and cradle a small little person who is crying because he's hungry. He's screaming full steam ahead, yet his eyelids are squeezed shut and he doesn't even seem to be awake yet. His small mouth is moving ninety miles an hour as he snuggles up against my chest to nudge me closer to him faster. A few seconds later, he latches on and settles down instantly. The tension that had his legs and arms clenched just minutes prior, disappears and he relaxes into the nook of my arm.

I yawn and try to keep my eyes open, though I find myself struggling not to nod back to sleep too. I look down at his tiny warm body and notice how quiet and calm he looks. This is the only time of the day when he nurses without looking all around, kicking his legs, pulling at my shirt, tugging on my hair and my necklace, or struggling to get a better view of some other object that caught his attention.

This is our quiet time together. Just us.

As I rock steadily, I watch him. He nurses quietly. He finishes quickly. He unlatches his lips and lets out a very satisfied sigh. He tosses his little head backward and is already soundly sleeping.

Gently, I stand up and set him back down in his crib. I position his favorite blankie in his hand. Five tiny fingers fasten around the blankie as he snuggles the familiar fabric up against his cheek. A smile spreads across his face. I imagine he is off to dreamland somewhere very far away.

Dreamland. What a wonderful notion. I miss it.

Yet, for right now, the child of my dreams is more than worth a few dreamless nights.

The Real Chicken Dance

The real chicken dance is what a busy mother does all day long...run around like her head's cut off. Da, na, na-na, na-na, na...

Fried Chicken

It's after midnight and I'm completely fried. The henhouse never seems to close when you're breastfeeding. Yet, when the little chicks are finally asleep I do enjoy taking in a few moments of silence. I can hear them breathe. They're really cute. All snuggled up in their cozy nests. I find myself smiling, but not too big of a smile. I'll be up again LONG before the rooster crows. Yeah, but being a Mother Hen really is pretty great. Would you do me a favor? Remind me of that around 3:30 am and then again at 5 am.

The Breast Piece: Which Came First the Chicken or the Egg?

As I look down at my happily nursing son, I do indeed feel like a Mother Hen. I may never know which came first- the chicken, or the egg. However, in my crazy cooped up adventures in breastfeeding, there are times when I certainly feel like a fastfood drive-thru window ladling up a heaping serving of, well, me. Then, I pause and remind myself quietly that I'm giving my baby the Breast Piece!