3 weeks and not back to birth weight - support, please

[Pen_esque]

nak...(has anyone cracked how to do this with both hands?)

At my wits end...

DD seems healthy and well, although she may have some silent reflux we're working on that. She eats a lot, and keeps our nappy bucket full, but she's still 3 ounces below her birth weight at 3 weeks. I'm feeding her 10+ times a day. I tried to express so I could supplement her evening feeds, but it was not working. That sent me into a whirl, but the lac consultant said not to worry, and that not everyone can express (?) and I should stick with feeding her every few hours, work on positioning, etc. I have cut out cruciferous veg and soy, and that may have helped with the reflux/colic. Daytime feeds are lovely, but she gets a bit fussy at night and can really give my nipples a trashing (pushing her face in, pulling back...). My supply is def lower in the evening, so I suspect she's frustrated.

Feeling like a failure, desperate to get it right.

She sees a doc tomorrow.

Anyone else have a babe slow to gain?

[myrmom]

Keir lost 11oz and was only up 2oz as of wednesday.....pretty sure he wont be up to birth weight by the recommended two weeks...but i'm trying not to be to worried about it. Both my other boys were small but very healthy. Some kids are just small..though I have to admit I am a bit anxious about tomorrow's midwife visit to see if he is up at least a few ounces.

HOw are her poops and pees?? keir has at least 6-8 wet diapers a day plus 2-3 poops a day so i'm trying to remind myself that, his output is a good indicator of what he is taking in.

[Pen_esque]

Poops are ok now, but could be better. Her poops were worrying at first, just every 4/5 days and then rather explosive, but now several a day, which mw is happy with (they weren't too bothered by the every 4 days as she was weeing lots). Lots of pee now, too.

The lowest weight we registered for her was 7 pound 2 oz, she was 7lb 7oz at birth and has been holding steady at 7lb 4 oz for over a week now.

[daniturtle]

Thalia was not back at her birth weight at three weeks, either. She did dip below the 10% of birth weight that the medical profession consider a red flag (this was at 6 days old) but has been gaining between 1/2 - 1 oz. per day since then though. She also did the no pooping for 4-5 days then explosive thing. My milk took a long time to come in- 7 days so that's what I attributed it all to.

Babies gain weight in different ways, I think. And the charts most docs use are old, and based on formula-fed babies (uh? hello?!). Apparently there are WHO charts that are for breastfed babies. But I have a problem with any charts, really. Pretty much all the breastfeeding advocates I've ever read/heard from are fairly dismissive of them too.

I figure if the baby is healthy then I try not to worry about weight gain, in and of itself. If there are other signs that there's a problem, then I would worry. In fact, I worry more about the reaction of the doctor than anything else! Fortunately, our doctor is pretty chill (she did ask at one appointment whether we would consider supplementing and we said no, not unless it was absolutely, medically necessary and she was good with that answer). I think because there's no other red flags. Hopefully your doc is supportive too!

I'm not sure what to say about the fact that your little one is not gaining at this point (at least she's not losing weight? is that a lame positive?)...but it sounds like you are doing it all right. Keep trying on the night feedings (I find things *much* more frustrating at night so I'm going to send you good vibes to stay positive!) since prolactin is at high levels at night so more stimulation then ---> more milk, as far as I understand it.

I'm sending you lots of vibes for your little one to stay healthy and start gaining weight!!!

[sonshine_rae]

My first kid was barely at his birth weight by 3 weeks old, and gained slowly his whole first year (17lbs at a year), was on the 3rd percentile (whatever) etc.

But he was healthy, alert, had plenty of diapers, and fully breastfed. It's just how some kids grow. We also had to 'learn' how to breasfeed together, so he had some latch issues and what not. But he was and is fine. Somewhere between 1-2 yrs he took off in weight and is now a large/healthy preschooler (40lbs and 41 inches tall at almost 4yrs old).

Ironically my 2nd kid was a champion nurser from the start and apparently very efficient at it, he was only 4oz below his birth weight when we left the hospital and shot up from there, was 17lbs at 4 months (can't remember his weight at a year though).

My third.. I think so far is somewhere inbetween.. he's considered on the 50% at this point, but who knows.. I really don't put much stock by the charts either.

All this to say every child, every nursing couple, and every situation is different.. don't let them push you into anything you don't feel is 'right' for you and your little one. ((hugs))

[MamaSong]

Popping in from December DDC. My son did not gain an ounce for 5 weeks. He was born at 7.2 and went down to 6.10 where he stayed and stayed and stayed. I had a scale at home that I borrowed from my MW and I weighed him every day. I was BFAR so I thought that there may be BFing issues. He pooped and peed and nursed 24 hours a day. Finally when I called my MW at 5 weeks and at my wits end I said, "I can't take it anymore I'm going to give him formula" she offered to find someone to come over and nurse him for me. So, that day a woman I didn't even know came over and nursed my son. Once. The next morning he had gained an ounce. And, then, he just started slowly gaining. He has been a slow weight gainer, but other than that totally normal in meeting and exceeding at all the developmental milestones. So, I offer that up to you. It was nerve wracking for me...I could tell he was hungry...but it just took that long for us to get in sync with our nursing. Hugs to you mama, hopefully you will have an easy resolution very soon.

[LemonPie]

nak (also 1 handed )

what is the weight history?

have you tried breast compressions?

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/15bre...mpression.html

more later

[D_McG]

have you done weigh/feed/weighs for 24 hours to gauge how much she's getting? Sometimes slow weight gain is normal and more times it's a weak suck/poor transfer for whatever reason. I would work with an LC to get a good idea of how much she's getting and go from there.

Good luck!

[mkmb129]

Originally Posted by MamaSong

Popping in from December DDC. My son did not gain an ounce for 5 weeks. He was born at 7.2 and went down to 6.10 where he stayed and stayed and stayed. I had a scale at home that I borrowed from my MW and I weighed him every day. I was BFAR so I thought that there may be BFing issues. He pooped and peed and nursed 24 hours a day. Finally when I called my MW at 5 weeks and at my wits end I said, "I can't take it anymore I'm going to give him formula" she offered to find someone to come over and nurse him for me. So, that day a woman I didn't even know came over and nursed my son. Once. The next morning he had gained an ounce. And, then, he just started slowly gaining. He has been a slow weight gainer, but other than that totally normal in meeting and exceeding at all the developmental milestones. So, I offer that up to you. It was nerve wracking for me...I could tell he was hungry...but it just took that long for us to get in sync with our nursing. Hugs to you mama, hopefully you will have an easy resolution very soon.

I had a similar situation with my son, and I am BFAR as well, so of course I thought maybe it was that, and his ped was certain that was it. He did start gaining on his own, and did so very slowly as well. He was about 17.5lbs at a year. Now at almost 2 he's about 25lbs. He was completely okay, pooping and peeing fine. Alert, good muscle tone, had tears, etc etc.

It's so very hard to not worry, though. I was sure it was me, and it caused me so much stress (my son, who was supplemented until 8wks, gained nothing from 8wks to 4mos; then when he did start gaining it was only 1-2oz a week, if that; he was born at 8lbs 3oz and at 5.5mos was about 12.5). I'd try very hard to relax as stress can really affect your supply. I've had a stressful week here, and when I finally was able to relax some my boobs swelled It's amazing how our bodies react to stress. Also, if you're thinking it's a supply issue (big if!) you can try fenugreek to boost it. Oatmeal (the real stuff) is great also. Trust your instinct. If you feel something isn't right, you're probably right. If you feel your little one is okay, I'd go with that. Also maybe find a good LC to see. I felt so much better, so reassured when I met with one finally when ds was 6mos who told me she didn't not think it was quality or quantity of my milk, that he looked perfectly fine to her & to keep on going. I trust someone who's in the business of babies and boobies over a doctor who only deals occasionally with it

[prettypixels]

Originally Posted by Pen_esque

nak...(has anyone cracked how to do this with both hands?)

At my wits end...

DD seems healthy and well, although she may have some silent reflux we're working on that. She eats a lot, and keeps our nappy bucket full, but she's still 3 ounces below her birth weight at 3 weeks. I'm feeding her 10+ times a day. I tried to express so I could supplement her evening feeds, but it was not working. That sent me into a whirl, but the lac consultant said not to worry, and that not everyone can express (?) and I should stick with feeding her every few hours, work on positioning, etc. I have cut out cruciferous veg and soy, and that may have helped with the reflux/colic. Daytime feeds are lovely, but she gets a bit fussy at night and can really give my nipples a trashing (pushing her face in, pulling back...). My supply is def lower in the evening, so I suspect she's frustrated.

Feeling like a failure, desperate to get it right.

She sees a doc tomorrow.

Anyone else have a babe slow to gain?

Hi there mama, I am not from your DDC but I couldn't read this and not reply. Did your LC do before and after nursing weights? Most LCs don't have much experience with true low supply, which is frustrating; because low supply is pretty rare. Most women who nurse on demand will produce enough milk, but some won't. No clue which category you are in but I will say this... Well actually I will say a bunch of things.

First, breastfeeding does not have to be all or nothing, and supplementing as needed DOES NOT necessarily mean the end of your breastfeeding relationship. My daughter still nurses now at almost 2 and she has been fed 90% formula since she was a little teeny.

If you do supplement, you might want to try supplementing a few times a day with formula via an SNS... that way your baby gets what she needs to grow and get strong to nurse better. Bad cycle there; baby who is not gaining properly frequently does not have the strength to nurse effectively (even if they seem strong in other ways).

I waited until 6 weeks to start supplementing my daughter and I wish I hadn't. I really wish I had known that it would be ok to supplement. My baby girl was under her birth weight at 6 weeks! It was awful.

Oatmeal and fenugreek are a couple of natural and easy ways to boost supply. Also pumping after she feeds, but that is brutal hard work... but still, try to pump as often as you can to keep the stimulation of your breasts high.

Do some before and after weighings on a scale that measures to tenths of an ounce... so at least you know one way or the other what is going on.

Please PM me if you need help with this or just an ear. Also consider posting in breastfeeding challenges!

Mama!!!! I'm so sorry you are going through this!

[prettypixels]

Just need to add that I vehemently disagree with people saying not to worry about weight gain. Weight gain is the gold standard for supply, and the first rule of breastfeeding is to FEED THE BABY. If a child isn't gaining weight properly at this age it could affect their brain development. I don't mean to scare you mama, but I think that you are right to be concerned and I hope you follow your instincts on this. My instincts told me that my supply was low but EVERYONE else said don't worry, it's fine... I wish I had listened to myself at first. It's clear you are concerned or you would not have posted.

[pcasylum]

My dd took 2 months to get back to her birth weight. She was also just fine. However, I did discuss it with her dr at the time, and she said that my dd was obviously thriving, had plenty of wet/poopy diapers, and just seemed to be a slow gainer. Turns out my very bright almost 9 yr old now is just a very petite girl, like her aunt. She finally hit 20 pounds right before she turned TWO. But again, her aunt is the same way. (Certainly didn't get her petite body type from me! lol)

My point is, definitely watch it, but it doesn't *always* mean there is a problem. I'd see what the dr has to say, and then go from there. All my kids were fussy on the breast at night, but it was just their fussy time.

Oh, about expressing: the lactation consultant was right. Not every woman can express. I've breastfed 3 kids (4 if this one is ever born! lol), and they've all nursed like champs for years. However, I cannot pump or express anything. Well, maybe a few drops. If I used that as a guage of my milk supply I'd have given up with my first. No breast pump can do what a baby can do. The true test of your supply is how your baby is.

[JBaxter]

Jack is 12 weeks and we arnt back to birth weight either but my ped was happy with him being at his discharge weight. Are you close to that? I KNOW i have low supply Ive been taking fenugreek and blessed thistle eating tons of oatmeal and drinking lots of water and am actually considering reglan.

[mkmb129]

[QUOTE=Baby_Makes_5;12525436
Oh, about expressing: the lactation consultant was right. Not every woman can express. I've breastfed 3 kids (4 if this one is ever born! lol), and they've all nursed like champs for years. However, I cannot pump or express anything. Well, maybe a few drops. If I used that as a guage of my milk supply I'd have given up with my first. No breast pump can do what a baby can do. The true test of your supply is how your baby is.[/QUOTE]

Ditto that. I couldn't get hardly anything out with a pump, but ds got enough, and so far so is dd. I haven't tried pumping this time, mainly b/c it was such a waste of my time with ds and now I've got two kids to deal with and haven't the time to pump!

[sonshine_rae]

Originally Posted by JBaxter

Jack is 12 weeks and we arnt back to birth weight either but my ped was happy with him being at his discharge weight. Are you close to that? I KNOW i have low supply Ive been taking fenugreek and blessed thistle eating tons of oatmeal and drinking lots of water and am actually considering reglan.

You did mean 2 weeks.. not 12 right?