Is it possible that I make "skim" milk?

GibsonGirl620

My DS2 is struggling to put on weight. He is dropping in percentiles and we don't know why. My full story is here: https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12234735/a-slow-weight-gain-puzzle-any-insight#latest My supply is fine. I've tried every approach to ensure he's getting hindmilk. He has been transferring well. (I will be double checking this at another weighted feed tmrw.) DS1 had the same issues with wt gain. So one LC has suggested that I have low fat or "skim" milk. Everything I read says that is unlikely. BM is supposedly the same composition in every woman, regardless of diet, etc. Has anyone ever heard of this? Is it possible?

Lena122

I don't necessarily think the composition is the same in everyone. For example, I've heard that preemie moms tend to make more hind milk because their bodies know that their babies need more calories.

That said, I have no idea how common it is to make only fore milk.

GibsonGirl620

Lena122 said:

I don't necessarily think the composition is the same in everyone. For example, I've heard that preemie moms tend to make more hind milk because their bodies know that their babies need more calories. That said, I have no idea how common it is to make only fore milk.

I should clarify. I know that BM changes to meet the needs of your baby over time. However, it shouldn't vary greatly from mother to mother.

GibsonGirl620

AmyG* said:

I answered you on October board I think.

if you had no body fat and did not take in enough fat in your own diet then lower fat milk might happen.  otherwise it would be pretty rare.

ask for a creamatocrit of your milk to measure the fat/calories.

then consider renting a hospital grade scale to do weighted feeds for all feeds in a day for several days and see where you stand

 

Yes, I saw your response in O13. Thank you. I'll take a look at your link. I'm definitely not skin and bones and not afraid to eat fatty foods (unsaturated and saturated). Ironically, I'm eating more fatty foods because I'm so stressed about DS2 not gaining wt. He's not, but I am, ha.

opheliainwaders

FWIW, I've read the opposite - the fat content of milk CAN vary mother to mother. I also notice quite a difference in the fat content of my own milk when I eat enough fatty foods (I try to find "good" fats as much as possible) - I was having trouble with supply following a long round of stomach bugs, and went back to drinking whole milk myself, eating lots of avocado and nuts, etc., and I've actually noticed that the apparent fat content of my milk (based on the thickness of the "cream" layer in the fridge) actually has increased. Anyway, I don't know what your diet looks like, but I find that I'm eating a lot more calories than I would have anticipated (and while I'm not losing any weight, I'm not gaining any, either).

stacers33

My best friend has this issue... It is definitely a possibility! They supplement with formula bc of it

GibsonGirl620

gulickr said:

FWIW, I've read the opposite - the fat content of milk CAN vary mother to mother. I also notice quite a difference in the fat content of my own milk when I eat enough fatty foods (I try to find "good" fats as much as possible) - I was having trouble with supply following a long round of stomach bugs, and went back to drinking whole milk myself, eating lots of avocado and nuts, etc., and I've actually noticed that the apparent fat content of my milk (based on the thickness of the "cream" layer in the fridge) actually has increased. Anyway, I don't know what your diet looks like, but I find that I'm eating a lot more calories than I would have anticipated (and while I'm not losing any weight, I'm not gaining any, either).

Do you mind sharing where you've read about this? Thanks!

GibsonGirl620

theresat858 said:

Have you done weighed feedings to make sure your LO is getting enough BM?

I doubt that you have "skim" milk. This is highly unlikely.

This was my thought, too. I just did another weighted feeding today. He took in 2.3 oz from one breast. Fits into the average range. I had the LC check his upper lip tie, but it doesn't seem like its enough to impair him from eating. Especially seeing that he transferred well today. Another thought was maybe it was just in our genes for the boys to be slow gainers. Except this week he had formula instead of BM bottles while I was at work and he gained 10 oz. We switched it out ounce for ounce, but he gained significantly more than he had been.

GibsonGirl620

@theresat858, that's what AmyG* suggested in my O13 post. I was a little leery about the amt, but he was distracted in that setting. I was hoping he transferred even more when we nurse at home. Thanks so much for your advice!

ncbelle

Do you nurse one side or both?  How frequently do you nurse?  It's not that you can make "skim" milk but rather that the fat content of your milk varies during a feeding and from one feeding to the next.  The longer a baby nurses one side, the fatter the milk baby gets.  The more frequently you nurse, the fatter the milk baby gets.  If you go a long time between feedings, baby will get more watery fore milk.

So if I were in your shoes, I'd nurse more frequently and try nursing longer on just one side - it's fine to do one side per feeding.

GibsonGirl620

@ncbelle, that's great advice. We've already been there, done that though. I had OS and have done some form of block feeding since then. It's a lot better now, but I still typically nurse on one side.

GibsonGirl620

8-10 feedings/day, That includes 2 bottle feedings of 4 oz each on weekdays.

emcgra

I have been wondering the same thing about my BM.  There is barely any fat in it.

Af1004

I'll say we joke that I make whole milk. There is a lot of fat in my refrigerated milk. My DD eats 3.5 oz bottles every 4hrs while I'm at work and nurses every 4 hrs when I'm with her too. I do eat way more junk food and candy than I should.

GibsonGirl620

Breaking it down like that is helpful. He is guaranteed to get 8oz (4 and 4) from two of those feedings. So he needs to get on avg 17oz from the other 6-8 feedings, or 2.1-2.8oz per feeding. Of course, that is just for the average of 25oz/day. I've debated buying a scale from Amazon, so I may just do that... On another note, what are your thoughts on his big wt gain this week? He gained 10oz in 8 days (as compared to <3oz/wk) and the only difference was that we transitioned his bottles to formula. Same amt of ounces as when he got BM. Nothing else changed. Not that I want to believe something is wrong with my BM, but that strongly suggests that the formula is higher in calories or fat. Thoughts? :-/ ETA: Just a reminder that this same exact scenario happened with my older son two years ago...

GibsonGirl620

He is only getting two 4oz bottles, a total of 8oz/day, while I'm at work in the am. Those bottles used to be expressed BM. This past week they were formula. All other feedings were at the breast. I pump while I'm at work. This past week, instead of giving my expressed milk to him the next day, I have been freezing it for later use. Does that make sense? Only 8oz of his daily feedings have changed.