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Attachment Parenting
ShannonSky
member
Weight gain issues and BLW?
ShannonSky
member
OK, this is probably going to be long-winded, I apologize in advance and appreciate any insights you fine ladies can offer.
My first DD was born 6 weeks early and between her prematurity/inability to nurse and my PCOS, I was unable to nurse her past 4 mos due to low supply. I'd thought things were going much better this time around until we found out recently that DD2 has also stopped gaining (didn't gain an oz in 3 weeks - she is 4.5mos old and isn't mobile at all yet).
Through various pedi/LC visits, we've kind of deduced that a) she has a bit of a tongue tie, but not enough to effect her latch; b) I have low supply due to PCOS; c) her bout of RSV in December probably made her lose a few oz as well as hurt my supply. I have been told to supplement with some formula, but baby absolutely refuses (and I really don't want to give it to her as a long-term solution, anyway). I have been put on domperidone, metformin (for my PCOS), and More Milk Special Blend and have been pumping after feedings. After ~4 days on this full regimen, DD was up about 1oz (was measured on a different scale, though, so there is a margin for error).
The pedi now would like me to add solids, but I really don't think she's ready. I had planned to wait until 6mos this time (started solids around this time with DD1, since she had similar weight gain issues - starting the solids DID NOT help, but it didn't hurt, either). I was planning to do BLW. If this is best for DD, obviously I'm going to do it, but I'm just not convinced by the pedi's argument. The LC basically said it was up to me, that it would definitely get her more calories and help to fill her up, but it would not correct the BFing issues we have going on (obviously).
WDYT? CP on BFing, too!
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Re: Weight gain issues and BLW?
We saw a pediatric dentist who thought that she should have both her tongue and top lip clipped, but did not think it would improve her BFing issues (her latch is fine). And the procedures will cost $1000, which is a lot, considering it likely won't help.
I'd be leary of food for weight gain at her age. No matter he weight she won't be eating enough to bulk her up and if you don't think she's ready then she's definitely not going to eat enough to add weight. If you do decide to give it a try I would start with avocado, it's a good starter food and calorie dense with good fats and a far amount of nutrients.
Have you done a weight check with a lactation consultant to see how much she is getting in a feeding? When I did that with my oldest it was very eye opening. Best possible way to really see how much she is eating and if you truly need to be concerned about your production and if it is effecting her weight.
The problem with adding solids for weight gain is that it tends to end up subbing low calorie food (rice cereal) for high calorie food (breastmilk).
You could seek breastmilk donations on a site like Human Milk for Human Babies (on facebook) or Eats on Feets. You have to be comfortable feeding your baby another woman's milk, but the upside is generally it's donated directly to you for free. If you find a woman to donate to you on an ongoing basis, it's polite to supply her with some freezer bags, but that's about it.
If you do end up spoon feeding for a few weeks, you can just migrate to BLW when she's ready. It's not the end of the world, and you can still do it when she's sitting.
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DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
I think I remember reading somewhere that BLW was not recommended for premature babies. I don't remember the details but you might want to look into that. I would probably do a combo of BLW and spoon feeding but focus on higher calorie foods.
We did BLW (LO was gaining well by then). It took several weeks for him to get much food that way. I'm not sure it is the best route when weight gain may be an issue.
It is a very long story that I won't type out right now but suffice it to say my LO had extreme issues gaining weight for the first 2 months of life. I tried everything -- cup feeding expressed milk, supplementing with a tube at the nipple, on and on. Domperidone and a large handful of supplements every day. Nothing and I mean nothing worked until I gave in and gave formula. I cried for weeks about it but while I was crying my baby was finally gaining weight. I couldn't even bring myself to buy formula, I made my husband do it. I was embarrassed by it. In the end it was such a relief that he was gaining weight and healthy. That's all that matters. Explore all your options but a little formula isn't the end of the world.
That gets more complicated if the baby won't drink it, though.
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It's more a question of if it's affecting her sucking ability, if her latch is "fine". She may be able to make a solid latch but not function her tongue properly to suck deeply. That's why I was suggesting a breastfeeding MD or an occupational therapist who specializes in infant feeding.
One way to tell is to find out how much she's getting in a feed. (weigh her, in ounces, immediately before and after a feed.) if she's getting a "normal" amount (and there are charts on what is "normal" for a BF'ed baby), then yeah- not the tongue tie. If she's not, it could be that *or* a supply issue.
4 days isn't a long time to work on supply - unless she was dehydrated or showing signs (other than on a chart) of being constantly hungry - I'd keep trying those things for at least two weeks. (I've heard the dom can take at least a month to fully kick in.)
As other people have noted, started solids often LOWERS the amount of calories they consume, because they fill up on a volume of food, but almost all foods have lower calorie densities than breastmilk (which is, iirc, around 22cal/oz). If you do start introducing solids, you'd want to be very selective about what you introduce.
Jumping in late her - but I second the weigh before and after breastfeeding suggestion to measure how much BM your LO is getting.
And I also would be hesitant to supplement with "real" food - or purees/cereal - before doing this. BM is very high calorie and just the right fat - I would be afraid of lowering her caloric intake with food.
I went to a lactation support group that did the weighing and it was great because you get an idea of how much your baby is actually eating. We had latching problems from the start. It's amazing how much they can get without you realizing it.
Also, I think BF babies tend to taper off on weight gain after the first 4-5 months regardless of if they are crawling/active. Check the WHO charts, which are more accurate for BF babies. Most US pedi's don't use them and aren't aware that BF and formula fed babies gain differently.