Vaguely concerned

[Mels27]

Hello,

So I have a three month old, he was very small when born only 6.4lbs and he's gained weight steadily and well. But at his 6 week check the doctor said his head was too big and she wanted to keep an eye on it. Nobody is really telling me anything they just keep continually asking me to come back to get him weighed and his head measured and every time I do they basically say 'there's nothing wrong his weight is catching up we just need to keep an eye' but it feels like that's not the truth.

Last time he was weighed he was around 12lb putting him at the top end of the 25th-50th weight centile and his head circumference was 40 putting him bottom end of the 75th centile for that.

Has anyone else had experience of intense weight and measureing monitoring? It's really making me quite stressed out. I google baby head too big religiously and then freak myself out. Do you think it's acceptable next time to ask them to either explain why I need to keep doing this and refer me to a paediatrician or stop with the constant weighing and measuring?

Thanks

[Thingandgeorge]

You have a right to know who is going on. Perhaps politely ask what their concerns are. I think they are scared to say what the issue is (if anything) in case they are wrong and you then try to sue them! Tell them you understand theit suspicion might not be true but you still want to know

[roxannacar]

The reason they keep checking is because it's the only way to assess growth - measurements over time. Even if you were to see s paediatrian they would still want to see serial measurements as this tells them if things are progressing on the same centiles. Of course you have every right to talk about your concerns but I do not see why they should/ would lie to you, as that is really of no benefit to anyone

[Mels27 in reply to roxannacar]

I do understand that need, my point is more it's every week and every week is 'nothing to worry about but come back next week'

If there was really nothing to worry about I wouldn't need to go every week. I'd just like so more transparency about what they think might be a worry, but I also don't want to put unnecessary stress on the NHS. But it just feels like I'm not getting the whole story. No-one else I know with a baby is being asked to go every week. And then told each week nothing to worry about but come back next week..

[roxannacar in reply to Mels27]

Every week is quite a lot... I only got my daughter weighed weekly when she was loosing weight but once she was gaining we went down to monthly as really it's difficult to assess these things on a weekly basis as children don't change that quickly

[Hidden]

Phone your health visitor today and tell them you have been looking at Google and got yourself all worked up over what might be wrong and would like to know what they suspect and have more information.

[claire16c]

Why are you getting him weighed every week? If there's no issue with his weight then once a month is fine, have they said to go every week?

All centiles are normal. And height and weight ones won't always tally. I am rather surprised they are still saying keep going back and measuring his head. I have a friend whose baby had a head that measured large but I think it was more like the 99th and to this day as a toddler he's fine he just has a slightly large head! She never went every week though!

I think you are right I would say you are happy to come every month and if they are worried they should be referring you x

[Mels27]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for responses, sorry for being late to reply. You've made me feel much better about things and I am going to talk to them about he measuring next week. If they still really think there's a need I will of course continue to go, I would just like to have an explanation and I'm weary of over measuring as various people I've spoken to have said that doesn't actually help.

Like I say thanks for the support and advice. Also Claire, I have a big head, nearly 2 cm's bigger then the average for a grown female. Which I said to them! And my sisters was massive (pictures of baby her are hilarious). My partner also has a big head, so it's fair to say poor Finley is probably not genetically blessed in the head size stakes!