I just found my prenatal and birth and postpartum records from Casey's homebirth: I thought I would share his incredible rate of growth here!
Birth: 11 lbs
3 week check up: 14 lbs 10 ounces
6 week check up: 17lbs
Yes, I am serious. There are one year olds who weigh 17 lbs. Must have some good milk.
See, this is what I don't get: I read lots of articles about how the growth charts at the doctors are so terrible, so outdated, and based on this unrealistic even growth rate of formula fed infants. That many breast fed babies are ending up off the charts for being too small!!!
It is my experience that brestfed babies get REALLY HUGE, REALLY FAST and then slow waaaaaaaay down by age 1 or 1 1/2. My older kids are skin and bones now but they were all the fattest roly-polies ever when they were newborn.
I know many exclusively breastfed babies who are just enormous right out of the gate, 20 pounds by 3 or 4 months old, even if they were 7 or 8 lbs at birth. I shudder at the thought of the weary new mothers being, instead of praised on high for doing such an amazing job and growing their wonderful babies, instead being tsk-tsk'ed and admonished for their babys thriving growth. Being told to add in dangerous water/pacifier/cows milk and other practices that can prove disastrous to an early nursing relationship such as ignoring their infant's communication in the form of withholding breastmilk and cuddling!
Bless all the mamas and their sweet babies who walked right out of their doctors office and went home to have a luxurious fattening nursey afternoon together.
Peace.
1 comment:
Well written article.
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