"WHO" Percentiles

I found this handy little chart today on the CDC website that has weight and length-for-age percentiles for breast fed (BF) baby girls.  This is called a "WHO" chart.  The pediatrician's office combines formula fed (FF) and BF babies charts all into one.  So the results can be a little skewed.

The WHO chart that I found actually shows Marissa's weight percentiles to be higher when compared to other BF baby girls.  On the FF/BF chart, she is currently in the 38th percentile but on the WHO chart she is actually closer to the 50th percentile range, which I think is great!  Her current height on the pedi's chart shows her in the 66th percentile range but on the WHO chart she is in the 75th percentile.  So I think she's doing well on momma's milk!  Not that her scores were bad on the chart the pedi uses, but this reflects a little bit more accurate information and compares her to other girls her age that are BF. 

As a mom, you often wonder if you are feeding your child enough, are they getting everything they need, are you producing enough milk?  I've noticed that the other baby at Marissa's daycare is formula fed.  He drinks 8 ounce bottles at a time, whereas Marissa only drinks 6 ounce bottles at a time (and sometimes it's like force feeding her to finish that).  I started questioning myself and wondering if I should be giving her more.  So I did a little research about BM composition.  A lot of what I have read indicates that BM actually changes over time (I had heard this from lactation consultants but had never done any of my own research on the topic).  The fat content increases which provide all the nutrients your baby needs to grow, without having to add additional ounces (like FF babies).  But many women start to believe that they aren't producing enough milk, so they subsequently start to supplement with formula.  I found a lot of this information to be helpful and informative.  Of course, if Marissa needs more ounces and if she is showing she is still hungry, I will give it to her, but it does help to kind of understand what it is my body is doing.  And that it might actually be doing what it's supposed to be doing!  Whew.

::Disclaimer - if I need to give her formula, I will, but it's more of a last resort for me, just because she is doing so well right now that I don't want to mess anything up.::

It's easy to second guess yourself and I am constantly struggling to ensure I'm making enough for Marissa; I often measure my worth in ounces.  Unfortunately, a lot of things come into play with milk production, like: how much rest you have gotten, how much water you are drinking, your monthly cycle, stress, your diet, how often you pump/nurse, etc. etc.  I guess I have a hard time when people make passive aggressive comments about Marissa needing more food because she is BF.  It's hard to not take comments like that to heart.  There is such a thing as over feeding a baby.  Just seeing her numbers on paper and seeing that her growth is right on track gives me a little more assurance that I'm doing what's right for us.  People who have never BF long term don't really understand, I guess. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is I have a love/hate relationship with BFing.  I will be happy when I can ditch the pump, but it will be bittersweet when Marissa is weaned.  My plan right now is to make it to at least 1 year.  Before I had Marissa my plan was to make it to at least 6 months.  Here we are at 7 months, I've reached my initial goal and each month that I can continue to BF is worth the internal struggles I go through.  :)

In other news, we are headed to the Valley to see my parents this weekend!  It's been a long over due visit, so I'm excited.  I may also stop in to see a friend and her baby who was born on Valentine's Day.  Hopefully I don't get baby fever again. :o)