A specialised 4–6 week intervention for babies with faltering or concerning weight gain
For over a decade, I’ve worked specifically with babies whose weight gain is slow, inconsistent, or dropping across centiles. I support babies who are breastfed, bottle-fed, combination-fed, and those receiving NG feeds, working alongside medical teams where appropriate.
Often, families arrive having followed standard feeding advice without clear results or with conflicting guidance that hasn’t made sense of the growth pattern. My structured support exists for situations where growth needs to be interpreted repeatedly over a short window, with the same clinician throughout.
The Approach
Standard feeding plans often focus on gradually increasing volumes or top-ups until weight gain appears. In practice, this can miss a critical factor: babies vary widely in how efficiently they feed and how much energy feeding costs them. Because of this, two babies can be on the same plan and still grow very differently if one is expending significantly more energy to get the milk than the other.
My approach doesn’t stop at what goes in – I explore what energy your baby expends, their digestive patterns, and 24 hour cycle, to tailor a plan directly suited to your baby’s needs. The aim is to improve the balance between intake and effort, rather than assuming that more volume alone will resolve faltering growth.
Where breastfeeding is part of the picture, this approach aims to protect it wherever possible, rather than undermining it through unnecessary or poorly targeted supplementation.
Who This Is For
This support is usually appropriate when one or more of the following apply:
- your baby’s weight gain is faltering, dropping centiles, or not following an expected trajectory
- feeding changes have been tried, but the response has been unclear or short-lived
- feeding feels increasingly difficult or resisted, particularly where efforts to increase intake have coincided with faltering growth
- reflux, discomfort, or unsettled behaviour is tangled up with intake and growth
- your baby is breastfed, bottle-fed, combination-fed, or NG-fed and weight remains a concern
- you feel caught between being told to wait and feeling that waiting carries risk
This support is designed for situations where growth needs to be actively managed over a short period, rather than reviewed occasionally.
It is also often the right fit if:
- you were given a plan to push weight up, but no guidance on how to step back safely
- top-ups were introduced to address slow gain, but reducing them now causes weight to fall again
- you feel stuck on a plan that no longer feels right, but are unsure how to change it without risk
In these situations, the issue is rarely that the original plan was wrong.
More often, the exit hasn’t been managed.
If weight is stable and your concern is mainly reassurance, this is not the right support.
How It Works:
This is a staged intervention, with intensity front-loaded when decisions matter most.
A typical flow might include:
- an initial assessment
- a 48-hour check-in to interpret early response and tolerance
- a 7-day review to assess whether growth is responding at all
- a structured check-in
- a 14-day review to interpret trajectory and sustainability
- a 28-day review to confirm stabilisation or identify the need for escalation
Exact timing depends on your baby’s starting point and response.
The point of this structure is that you are not left deciding alone whether a change is working, whether to wait, or whether to act. Reviews and check-ins are timed to catch drift early, before another week is lost guessing.
The Breakdown
Full feeding and growth assessment
A detailed assessment to establish what is actually driving the picture, not just what it looks like on paper.
This includes:
- feeding mechanics and milk transfer
- intake patterns and feeding efficiency
- energy expenditure and compensatory behaviours
- oral function, including tongue function where relevant
- history, birth factors, and previous interventions
- growth data and trajectory interpreted in context
You leave with a clear plan and clear priorities.
Planned reviews across the support window
This support includes two to three formal reviews across the 4–6 week period.
Reviews are used to:
- assess whether weight gain is responding appropriately
- interpret the quality of change, not just the numbers
- adjust the plan when needed
- decide whether progress is sufficient or whether medical escalation should be considered in line with UK guidance
Structured check-ins between reviews
This support includes two structured check-ins between reviews.
Check-ins are used to interpret response and decide whether action is needed, rather than to reassess the whole picture.
They are completed via WhatsApp voice note or message, with clear guidance on what to send so response can be interpreted properly.
If something needs closer attention, a review is brought forward rather than adding unlimited check-ins.
How This Fits With Medical Care
This work sits alongside standard UK clinical guidance.
Where growth patterns meet recognised referral criteria, appropriate medical referral is advised, with feeding support continuing in parallel. Feeding input does not delay, replace, or override medical care.
I regularly work alongside paediatric teams where growth concerns require shared oversight.
What this support is not
- a replacement for urgent medical care
- a guarantee of a specific outcome in a fixed timeframe
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a check-in and a review?
A check-in is used to interpret early response and decide whether action is needed.
A review involves stepping back and reassessing the whole picture, and may result in changes to the plan.
Does this replace NHS or medical care?
No. This work sits alongside standard UK clinical guidance. Where referral criteria are met, medical input is advised, with feeding support continuing in parallel.
This is a fixed support service delivered over a defined period. Once support begins, the full fee is payable.