Doctors and Baby Weight

Joshua had his 9 month checkup a couple weeks ago. We go to a rather large practice and typically I make sure that for well checkups we're only go to specific doctors. This time all my favorites were booked until January, so I went ahead and tried someone else... bad idea. First the doctor insisted on rechecking his head measurement because his head size was off the charts, which had me in my usual rambling of "but our whole family has big heads, please take out the big head chart, look at his sister and brother's charts, etc" She didn't seem to be listening, but thankfully we didn't walk out with a neurologist referral as we did with Sarah. Then on to his weight. He hadn't gained enough in the past 6 weeks (only 7oz, despite having the flu). She insisted that my 20lb 9.8oz (50%) baby needed to come back for a weight check in six weeks. At that weight check she would also recheck the fluid on both his ears.

This is when I'm thankful that Joshua is #3. I have learned that (1) it is normal for breastfed babies to gain less weight after 6 months and (2) that fluid on the ears turns into an infection in a few days or hours, six weeks would mean nothing for his ears.

So I smiled and nodded at the doctor and walked away refusing to go in for a weight check.

Flash forward to this week and on Thursday night Joshua spikes a fever 0f 104 which is gone by the next morning. I take him back to the doctor (although this time to someone I have seen before and approve of). He's gained 9oz in two weeks, has a double ear infection, and pneumonia. Thankfully with the antibiotics his pneumonia should clear up and the ear infections are not too bad (he's still sleeping well at night).

So, what's my point? Probably that I am thankful Joshua is my third child and not my first. Also, that I think it is crazy that doctors are pushing healthy infants to gain more weight and then they'll turn around and complain about childhood obesity. I put no effort into getting Joshua to gain those 9oz. I pushed no food on him, didn't change his diet one bit. Babies grow in spurts, as they need. I know there are some babies that need more, but there's way too much pressure put on moms for their babies to follow the growth chart exactly.