My LO has gained less than 1lb in 12 weeks ...

[Peppermint Poppies]

... and I'm worried. She's falling off the curve very quickly, and is only gaining about a quarter to a third of what kellymom recommends.

I struggled with low supply with my DS and it seems like it's happening again. I don't want to have to supplement, but I don't want my gorgeous girl to be getting insufficient nutrition either. The paed thinks she is dairy and soy intolerant and I've already taken those out of my diet. She's a happy chucker - I wish the vomiting would stop as it's all wasted calories.

She loves breastfeeding, is fed on demand (10-12 times per day). After the trauma I went through with DS (which ended up causing PPD), I don't have the heart to go through all the extra pumping, SNS, bottle-feeding breastmilk etc.

Neither DH nor I are small, nor are our families (quite the opposite), so I don't think she's genetically small.

Should I be worried?

[CrunchyChristianMama]

Oh mama I'm so sorry! It sounds like it may be low supply, but I would be worried about switching to formula if she is sensitive to dairy and soy. Hope someone can offer you some help! Can you find a good source of donated bm?

[paulamc]

Maybe you could try domperidone and see if it makes a difference. I really don't think I have low supply, though my baby is super small (I was too as a babe, and I was formula fed) - but just in case, I got some domperidone and it really seems to be making a difference. You can get it from the following website.


You can get it online at:
http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/general/motilium.html

Edited to add: Just noticed you're from the "land down under" - you might be able to get it with or without a prescription there. In the US you can get it with a prescription only at compounding pharmacies, and only if you tell them you need it for gastrointestinal problems rather than breast feeding.

[shelbean91]

rent a baby scale and weigh before and after feeds for 24 hrs. You'll see exactly how much she's getting and can decide where to go from there. good luck

[alegna]

Originally Posted by shelbean91

rent a baby scale and weigh before and after feeds for 24 hrs. You'll see exactly how much she's getting and can decide where to go from there. good luck

:

And if she's puking a lot, I might try to weigh that too... Wipe up with a prefold, weigh a dry one, weigh the wet one?

If she's taking in enough, just puking it back out, I would try reflux meds to try to keep more down.

-Angela

[notjustmamie]

I don't have any ideas for you, but I wanted to offer as I went through this with my DD as well.

I hope you are able to find a solution that works for your DD and for you!

[PatioGardener]

How old is your baby?

I'd get yourself to a good LC asap. It may have been a milk transfer that caused low supply - like tongue tie.

Would you consider SNS if it was donated breastmilk you were feeding (that would mean you didn't have to pump or bottle feed)?

[Peppermint Poppies]

She's 12 and a bit weeks old. It took her 6 weeks to regain her birth weight, and her weight gain has slowed even further since then.

I'm already taking domperidone (we call it motilium down here) - my GP gave me a prescription for it - and I'm taking the maximum dose, as per Kellymom's recommendations.

I'd consider SNS with donated breastmilk, but there are no milk banks in Australia that I could access, and any breastfeeding friends would have to cut out dairy and soy to help out, which is a big ask.

I'll do some ringing around tomorrow and see about hiring a baby scale. I'm feeling scared about what it might reveal

[paulamc]

Originally Posted by Peppermint Poppies

I'll do some ringing around tomorrow and see about hiring a baby scale. I'm feeling scared about what it might reveal

FYI, we bought a baby scale off Amazon for around $85. It's been helpful to be able to weigh him every couple of days to make sure he's gaining, and to monitor the effects of changes in his feeding/ eating schedule, introduction of solids, etc.... (we never scheduled in the sense of limiting nursing of course, but now that he's on solids - he's 10 months - I have to be careful to ensure he nurses before eating, yet not TOO close to time to eat to make sure he gets maximum calories from both). Anyway, the scale seems to be very accurate. We usually get the same readings at home as at the doctor's office. It weighs to the half ounce, so I believe this is the same sort of scale others have recommended you hire. We like it a lot and it's definitely been worth the cost for us.

Just thought I'd raise this (buying rather than renting) as an option, as it has given us some peace of mind to have the scale on an ongoing basis as opposed to just using it one day to check milk transfer. Knowing what's happening helps, whether the news is good or bad. We took DS to the ped at 7 months and discovered he'd only gained three ounces in the previous month. After that we decided we didn't want anymore surprises. In case you're interested, here's the link to the one we bought, after reading the reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...9D79VD37N7WNTY

How does your baby seem otherwise?

In our case, DS was 6 pounds 9 ounces (15th percentile) when he was born, declined to 6 pounds 1 ounce by 4 days PP, but did regain that weight within a couple of weeks (I don't have the records on me right now). He started out around the 15th percentile but soon dropped off the chart. (My sister's babies did the same, and so did I as a babe.) He's always seemed super healthy in every other respect. Never been sick, strangers constantly remark on how alert, interested and happy he seems, and he's progressing well with his milestones though I wouldn't say he's meeting them early. His iron level is VERY good, maybe because his cord wasn't clamped early and he breast feeds of course. His head circumference is around the 25th percentile and his height around the 15th as I recall. He just turned 10 months and weighs 14 pounds - way below the chart.

We're not worried about him but are doing all we can to maximize his calorie intake. His ped has never once suggested supplementing with formula.

I don't know if this is helpful, reassuring or even relevant. DS did not spit up much at all. Also, because I don't have his records with me at the moment I have no idea how much he gained in the first 12 weeks, so I'm not sure if our situations are comparable. I hope it is of some use.

I really believe our son is healthy and that the slow weight gain is just how he's wired. Do you have your own pediatric records? When I checked mine, it all started to make more sense.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by Peppermint Poppies

She's 12 and a bit weeks old. It took her 6 weeks to regain her birth weight, and her weight gain has slowed even further since then.

I'm already taking domperidone (we call it motilium down here) - my GP gave me a prescription for it - and I'm taking the maximum dose, as per Kellymom's recommendations.

I'd consider SNS with donated breastmilk, but there are no milk banks in Australia that I could access, and any breastfeeding friends would have to cut out dairy and soy to help out, which is a big ask.

I'll do some ringing around tomorrow and see about hiring a baby scale. I'm feeling scared about what it might reveal

Awww, Mama hang in there! You need to feed your baby! It sounds like if you supplement you will have to go with an elemental formula because of baby's allergies. And if baby is growing so slowly, it really does sound like you'll have to supplement . What about feeding the supplemental formula at your breast? That way baby gets all your great immune supporting, brain building breastmilk, she gets the extra needed calories and some nutrients from the formula, and you both still get to breastfeed? SNS/lact-aid is a lot of work, but it would mean that you don't have to worry about bottles.

I hope it goes as best as possible for you.

ps. Did you get her checked for tongue-tie? That's the only other thing I can think of.

[the2amigos]

Nothing to add to pp other than maybe adding a fish oil supplement to your diet? My LC had me take a good fish oil supplement (with omega 3's, etc) to increase the amount of fat in my milk. It did seem to help with DS. Just another thought....

[shelbean91]

my ds1 had feeding issues- when we did the scale thing, we found out he was taking in very little- had a very bad suck. We ended up finger feeding from 1 month until 4 months old to retrain his suck. It was hard, but do-able.

Good luck.

[Megan73]

It really sounds like you need to start supplementing now. If you're not willing to pump then I agree with Patio's suggestion of feeding elemental formula in a SNS or (better yet) a Lact-Aid.
Good luck, mama. I know how discouraging it is but the most important thing is to feed the babe.

[Peppermint Poppies]

OP here.

Thanks ladies. I have added EPO to my diet, 3 capsules a day.
And, even though I swore last time that I would never do it again (I even donated my 2 pumps), I went out and bought another pump and have starting pumping 1-2 times a day. The paediatrician gave me a prescription for neocate (elemental formula) JIC, even though she didn't think it was crucial that I start using it, so I've filled the prescription. My LO refuses to take a bottle from me, but DH got 1oz into her last night, so we'll keep trying. I've got a stash of breastmilk in the fridge too, about 7oz, so we'll start topping her up with those too.

I guess I could consider a SNS. I just need to make sure I've got all my supports in place first, so I don't crumple in a mess like I did with DS. I ended up weaning him at 4 months because things got so bad, and I definitely don't want that to happen this time around, so I need to be cautious about how I approach things.

Something else I realised this morning. DD has a funny kind of rash on her legs/vulva/bum ... pretty much exactly where her nappy covers. It's not a normal nappy rash. The skin feels tight, dry and crinkly, almost like a healed burn, and then it peels off in places, like old sunburn. It's happened with both cloth nappies and sposies and I haven't been able to figure out what it is. Do you think it could be something else in my milk that she is reacting to? If I could figure out what she's reacting to and cut it out of my diet, maybe she wouldn't vomit so much, and then she's be benefiting from more of the calories of my breastmilk.

[moondiapers]

I don't think you have low supply, it's probably the vomiting that is the problem. I'd really consider reflux meds.

[PatioGardener]

Just sending you big s and a kind and gentle wish to take care of yourself in all of this.

[bethrw]

I knw your pain! I've had huge supply issues, and it took my dd 8 weeks to regain her birth weight. I did supplement and still do, but have worked really hard to increase supply. She was also tongue tied, which was affecting things.

I might be in the minority here, but it is important she gain weight even if it means a little supplementing. Some of us have low supply and it is not related to not nursing enough or drinking enough or eating enough, etc.

However, the thing that has helped me the most is something called megamam. You can get it here:http://www.birthwithlove.com/categor...gaMam-TRILIGHT

It took my babe from about 6-8oz of formula a day down to about 3oz - the best thing for increasing supply I have seen . . . and I've tried ALOT.

[baileyandmikey]

sorry, I am no help, but a friend of mines little one is gaining weight very slowly too... even with supplementing, keep at it, hopefully it will get better soon

[Parker'smommy]

Yes, it sounds like babe is throwing up a good amount of her food...and then of course, not gaining. You've got to figure out how to keep her food down! Many reflux meds can help with that. Ask your Ped. asap.


Also, many reflux babies eat REALLY frequently....they eat, vomit, and then need to eat again because they are hungry AND the milk soothes their little throats.

[jecombs]

Originally Posted by Peppermint Poppies

OP here.

Something else I realised this morning. DD has a funny kind of rash on her legs/vulva/bum ... pretty much exactly where her nappy covers. It's not a normal nappy rash. The skin feels tight, dry and crinkly, almost like a healed burn, and then it peels off in places, like old sunburn. It's happened with both cloth nappies and sposies and I haven't been able to figure out what it is. Do you think it could be something else in my milk that she is reacting to? If I could figure out what she's reacting to and cut it out of my diet, maybe she wouldn't vomit so much, and then she's be benefiting from more of the calories of my breastmilk.

I'd contact my ped about this... It could be a simple yeast rash or it could be something more serious. My DH has a similar rash that turned out to be a skin strep infection. It could also be staph. Get it checked-out, just to be safe.