LO not gaining weight

OnWayto3

This is a new one for me. Sariyah was born small (6 lbs 9 oz) and has lost weight since then, even at the 2 week postpartum mark. She's now just 6 lbs. All sorts of interventions are being discussed, including having me eliminate all cow's milk and soy from my diet (I'm already a vegetarian, so this is troublesome), a potential heart problem (though non is detected), and hospitalization. Have any of you had a baby not gain enough weight, quickly enough? If so, what did you do to turn it around? Or what is/has your doctor recommended? I'd really like some insight from mamas who have been there-done that!

 I've been using a supplementary feeding system whereas a feeding tube with my breast milk is attached to my nipple so Baby sucks and gets a certain amount of previously-expressed milk. This is really cumbersome, but definitely worth it if the process works. However, I'm not convinced this is enough. 

Thoughts?

mvargas12

No experience but wishing you the best of luck. I'm glad to hear her doctors are on top of it. Hope she starts gaining soon!

47923ang

OnWayto3 said:

This is a new one for me. Sariyah was born small (6 lbs 9 oz) and has lost weight since then, even at the 2 week postpartum mark. She's now just 6 lbs. All sorts of interventions are being discussed, including having me eliminate all cow's milk and soy from my diet (I'm already a vegetarian, so this is troublesome), a potential heart problem (though non is detected), and hospitalization. Have any of you had a baby not gain enough weight, quickly enough? If so, what did you do to turn it around? Or what is/has your doctor recommended? I'd really like some insight from mamas who have been there-done that!

 I've been using a supplementary feeding system whereas a feeding tube with my breast milk is attached to my nipple so Baby sucks and gets a certain amount of previously-expressed milk. This is really cumbersome, but definitely worth it if the process works. However, I'm not convinced this is enough. 

Thoughts?

My twins lost more than 10% of their birthweight in the hospital and had to stay an extra night.

I did the supplemental feeding system (with formula) and pumped. For a week they alternated formula and breastmilk.

I didn't love doing formula (mostly because I'm too cheap to buy it) but it was temporary, and I was so focused on fattening them up it was worth it.

We also woke them up every 3 hours to eat.

We are 100% breastmilk now, 99% from a bottle. We had latching problems.

It took them til their 3 week appointment to surpass birthweight.

That's what worked for us. I hope you can find success!

lovethatcolosun

My pediatrician suggested supplementing with formula and pumping after feedings to stimulate more supply. You can easily phase out the formula once the weight is back and your supply is hiked up. I may have to supplement with a little formula as DD is down 10%, but she's eating like a champ now and we have another weigh in on Monday to make sure. The pressure in the beginning is intense. Milk and supply need to come in. Proper latching, clean bill of health. Talk about stress. I feel you girl. Wishing you luck!

mindaa

We started a supplementing too... Hopefully just temporary to give me some time to build my supply.
We've only had to do about 6oz of formula a day, so not a huge expense.
Pretty stressful - GL!

bwow615

My LO was in the special care nursery for a night and he had to show he was capable of eating on his own before being able to come to my hospital room with me. We did the sns supplemental feeding with formula until my milk came in. At 10 days he nearly gained a full pound from his birth weight. We are now feeding only breastmilk, but the stress relief from feeding him anything was much needed. So don't be afraid to supplement.

bosleyb

My DD was born at 34 weeks and was 5 lbs 10 oz at birth, but was 4lbs 14 oz at her lowest. It took her until she was 3 weeks old to get back to her birth weight. I did not have to do any supplementing though that was discussed. Until she was at her birth weight I was to wake her every 3 hours round the clock to feed. For me supply wasn't an issue as much as she was a sleepy little girl ;-)

janat1717

We had to supplement due to a tongue tie causing feeding problems. I started on recommendation of an IBCLC, not just the doctor as the consultants seem to know more. She actually caught the tie and the dr. didn't. I am using donor milk from SIL and a couple of friends currently although using a bottle as we had a lot of trouble with the SMS. It would be better though. Stick with it!!! Still working to get supply up. I feel like I've tried everything. He is up a lb on birth weight now at 4 weeks and he had been down 11% at 10 days

AMNDCHR2

This was our story caught tongue tie late and effected my milk supply. Now we are supplementing with formula and pumping for 10 minutes after feeding. My lactation nurse also suggested taking fenugreek. We find out on Monday if she has put on any weight

janat1717

Good luck @AMNDCHR2 ! Oh and don't worry about catching it late, most don't catch until way later when there are speech problems. That would be worse!

OnWayto3

Thank you all for giving some suggestions as to what is working for you and what you've gone through. This isn't an issue with my supply (I have too much milk, if anything) but rather that she is a super slow eater, not very efficient, and perhaps is also tongue tied. 

There's apparently a physician who specializes in breast feeding and underweight babies here in Seattle-- one of very few across the nation-- so I'm going to try and make an appointment with her. She can also evaluate for being tongue tied. 

We've tried a couple different feeding systems, but I think that what it really comes down to is that LO is just trying to learn all these complicated things and is slower than other babies to succeed. *sigh* Small mouth = Big nipples = lot's of frustration, even with nipple shields. 

I'm trying to stick with this, but am feeling so emotionally and physically drained!!! It's hard having so many people tell you what to do with your boobs, grabbing them and pulling them, while constantly focusing on feeding... only to have none of it work sucks big time.

Would love to hear more stories of what has worked or just your story. Thank you!

CanadaMom17

May lurker - I had the same thing - dd was born 6.12, went down to 6.1 and then gained s l o w l y.  I was using the feeding tube but was using my finger to feed her when she was super sleepy at night (most of her issue was not waking up to eat) - I'd set the tube on the pad of my finger, put it onto her palate/suck zone and when she'd go to town sucking on my finger/the feeding tube, I'd slowly syringe in the pumped breast milk.  I used the tube on the nipple in the daytime.  Eventually, I left the tube in the bottle of pumped milk on a side table level with her head, and she was siphoning out the milk from the bottle with the tube (she just had to suck harder to get it).  She also couldn't latch on the right side initially (flat nipple and her tiny mouth), so that's where I pumped from.

After 3 weeks of gaining only back up to 6.13, she finally seemed to kick in and start feeding better and finally had a 6oz gain week last Monday!  Things seem to be progressing well still, we have a weigh in on July 3rd again.  

Keep it up!  See a lactation consultant as often as you need too.  I also used herbals and lactation cookies to bump up my supply so that my flow was faster and she'd not have to work so hard when on the breast.  I was also prescribed domperidone, and I do have really good flow now - she's often gulping when she latches on at the start of a feed now.  And, happily, she's latching on the right side now too though it's still more work for both of us.  I've given up the pumping/supplementing, and she just feeds at the breast.

HoosOnFirst

OnWayto3 said:

Thank you all for giving some suggestions as to what is working for you and what you've gone through. This isn't an issue with my supply (I have too much milk, if anything) but rather that she is a super slow eater, not very efficient, and perhaps is also tongue tied. 

There's apparently a physician who specializes in breast feeding and underweight babies here in Seattle-- one of very few across the nation-- so I'm going to try and make an appointment with her. She can also evaluate for being tongue tied. 

We've tried a couple different feeding systems, but I think that what it really comes down to is that LO is just trying to learn all these complicated things and is slower than other babies to succeed. *sigh* Small mouth = Big nipples = lot's of frustration, even with nipple shields. 

I'm trying to stick with this, but am feeling so emotionally and physically drained!!! It's hard having so many people tell you what to do with your boobs, grabbing them and pulling them, while constantly focusing on feeding... only to have none of it work sucks big time.

Would love to hear more stories of what has worked or just your story. Thank you!

My story ends differently... We had latching issues and supply issues. LO lost 15% of her body weight and we moved to formula to supplement. I still had supply issues after that and LO had tongue tie. After 2 weeks of pumping and formula, I called it a day and moved exclusively to formula. I hate paying for it and wanted LO to have breastmilk but I was losing my sanity and having anxiety and frustration making my connection with LO poor. I agree that you should continue on your path with BFing but if it doesn't work out you can join my club!

OnWayto3

@hoodoll82 I feel ya, girl! Seriously. It is EXHAUSTING emotionally and physically. I'm not yet to the point of giving up, but will keep your story in mind if/when I do. I'm glad to hear someone else mention the connection with LO suffering due to the anxiety and frustration. Thank you for sharing your experience.

@CanadaMom17 your story so closely parallels mine that I'm inspired. There IS hope, eh?! I'm going to look into that prescription you mention. Was that to increase supply or improve flow? I wonder if it's a slow flow issue for me or something about my anatomy or just LO unable to latch and/or suck. Thanks so much for lurking and sharing over here. :-)

queequeg09256

@OnWayto3 I know there is several people league leche here in seattle both south and north sound the south sound has a meeting next friday on friday the 3rd maybe they can help too?

moz3518

LO was 6lb1oz at birth and was down to 5lbs13oz at discharge. At his 3 day checkup he was down to 5lbs9oz. He hit his lowest weight at 5lbs6oz just shy of 2 weeks and barely reached his birth weight at 3 weeks 3 days. He was jaundiced at birth and was really lazy to want to nurse plus me having a low supply was making him not gain. I eventually switched to pumping and bottle feeding him and also supplementing with formula since I don't pump enough for him. I was just too stressed and worried about him not eating enough and he was also having trouble latching on due to flat nipples. I'm still a bit sad that EBF didn't work out but it's more important to me to know LO is getting enough to eat and with bottle feeding I know exactly what he's taking in. I'm still working on building my milk supply up so that I can eventually go to all breast milk feeding but I feel as if nothing's working so I might just have to switch to all formula.
We had a weight check today and he gained 11oz in a week putting him at 6lbs13oz today!! Proud momma moment!!

janat1717

Talking to my Chiro and doing research those of you with tongue tie babies should look up MTHFR. I had done a genetic 23 and Me test a few years back... Looked it up and sure enough I'm heterozygous for one of the main ones.

OnWayto3

@janit368 I'm a little unclear how MTHFR relates to being tongue tied-- mind explaining? I'm seeing info that it's a neural tube defect that increases risk of cancer, hypertension, etc but not anything pertinent to this convo. Thanks!

aj1327

My LO has tongue tie too, but it's not affecting his latch or breast feeding. DH and I had looked into getting it fixed. The LC at the hospital gave us some recommendations of people who would fix it, but our pediatrician said that since it wasn't affecting his eating, she'd leave it alone for now. I was told it could affect speech...anyone have info on this. I'd Google, but Google can be scary. I'll ask the doc at our next appointment but just thought I'd see if I cool get feedback here.

HoosOnFirst

@amccoy129 When we got the tongue tie fixed the doc said it could affect speech later if we didn't, or minimally affect learning foreign languages (rolling r's, etc). Since the procedure was super simple at this young age, we just went ahead and did it.

janat1717

@OnWayto3 Just saw mentions of tongue tie and thought I'd share. MTHR people have trouble converting folic acid to usable form of folate.. Which can lead to neural tube issues. It also can give you anxiety issues (which I have had) etc and knowing this can help you with your own body and also ways to supplement differently in the future. I was taking folate and not folic acid anyways and it still occurred but definitely worth reading up on.

aj1327

@hoodoll82 thanks for the response. After talking to the LC we were planning on doing it, but then our pedi changed our mind. I guess I'll ask more questions at his one month next week. We were also told it was easy to fix.

CanadaMom17

OnWayto3 said:

@hoodoll82 I feel ya, girl! Seriously. It is EXHAUSTING emotionally and physically. I'm not yet to the point of giving up, but will keep your story in mind if/when I do. I'm glad to hear someone else mention the connection with LO suffering due to the anxiety and frustration. Thank you for sharing your experience.

@CanadaMom17 your story so closely parallels mine that I'm inspired. There IS hope, eh?! I'm going to look into that prescription you mention. Was that to increase supply or improve flow? I wonder if it's a slow flow issue for me or something about my anatomy or just LO unable to latch and/or suck. Thanks so much for lurking and sharing over here. :-)

The drug does both - but the goal was to increase flow more than supply - the LC figured if it was coming faster, she'd stay awake and eat more at a stretch.  And, when she does start on the 'better latch side' she is gulping now to keep up, so it does work.  And, apparently, I won't need to stay on the drug, you wean off after a time.  I'll talk to my OB next week and ask about doing that as well.  I want to give up the herbals first since I think the fenugreek makes lo gassy/farty.