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May 2012 Moms
Anyone else supplementing?
Beck was born 8lbs 12oz and was 7lbs 12oz at his 5 day check up and only 7lb 14oz at his 2 week check up so his doctor told us to breastfeed like normal (15 min on each side) and then offer him a 2oz bottle.
It has been night and day! The first two weeks were really rough. He seemed to want to BF all the time and I was getting worn out and raw. If he wasn't asleep he was rooting around and crying. Once we offered him a pacifier it seemed better but it still seemed like he was always hungry. I could see milk and he would eat the whole time so I just figured he was a very active baby.
Since he has been taking the formula he is so much more content. He actually has happy awake time and he is sleeping so much better (5 hours last night!). He has stopped rooting unless it is getting time to eat and he isnt interested in the pacifier much at all.
I was sad at first because I felt like I had starved/neglected my baby but now I am just happy he is doing so much better. We go back to the doctor tomorrow to re-weigh and talk about the plan for the future.
Anyone else going through this? I don't know if I am not producing enough milk or if it isn't fatty enough?
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Re: Anyone else supplementing?
Yes! We had a similar situation of not regaining enough weight. Our pediatrician recommended the same thing, after nursing offer 2oz of formula. However she also recommended that every time my daughter takes formula I should pump for at least 10 minutes (only 2-5 minutes if nothing is coming out). Her reasoning is that the pumping will stimulate milk production to increase my supply.
We've been doing this for more than three weeks and my daughter now only wants about 2oz of formula once every couple of days. She did take 4oz of formula a few days ago, and some days she doesn't want it at all. Best of luck!
HI!!! I have not been on the bump for awhile, but I just read your post. I'm sorry you were having such a hard time in the beginning but happy that things are going much better for you. I just noticed something, and I hope you don't mind a suggestion....You mentioned that your doctor told you to breastfeed like normal, which is 15 minutes on each side. I just want to share some info that I heard and go by. Never limit a babies time at the breast. Let them finish the first side (they will fall asleep or pop off) and then offer the second. This is because the first minutes of feeding is the foremilk. (think 2% milk). And then the hindmilk comes in (think half in half and then cream). The foremilk quenches babies thirst. The hindmilk makes them gain weight and fills them up. It may take more that 15 mins for your hindmilk to come in.
this book saved my sanity. Breastfeeding made Simple: 7 natural laws for nursing mothers
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. As a first time momma commited to exclusively breastfeed, I never would have made it without it. Linc was 8lb 10oz at birth and 9lbs 4oz at 4 day checkup. The doctors were amazed. I wish you best of luck with whatever you decide!!!
I had a very similar situation....
Our son weighed 8lbs 8oz when born June 1st. He was jaundice while at the hosptial and when we left he weighed 8lbs 2oz. On June 3rd our first night home our little guy just wanted to eat and eat and I was BF. He made me completley raw and was kind of fussy all night long I couldn't understand why so the nurses at the hospital gave us some formula to supplement just in case!! Well that sunday night we gave him a bottle and he DOWNED IT.... I felt like such a failure... I cried my eyes out and said I was a bad mom because I didn't even realize my child wasn't getting want he needed... (it was all hormones and read it happens to most first time moms). My guess was my milk didn't fully come in and being he is a bigger boy he just wnated to eat... DH and I decieded to go with formula 1. cause my boobs hurt so bad I couldn't imagine putting him up to them again, and 2. we both felt more comfortable knowing he was getting a certain amount of food and we can SEE it!
When we took our little guy to his 2 week appt he gained 2lbs from the time we left the hospital... He now weights 10lbs!!
I"m sure you will find what works best for you....
This!!! I'm surprised your doctor didn't say anything about this. Part of the issue could definitely be that your baby's missing out on the hindmilk.
I have started pumping to build my supply for when I go to work, and it's fascinating to see how the milk starts off so watery and after a few minutes gets whiter and then in the end is thick and creamy. Definitely let your baby finish up one one breast before offering the other.
Ditto all this. Hindmilk is very important. My LO will sometimes spend 20-30 minutes on one side before she is done. Wait until they fall off naturally, not a certain time.
You can also try pumping to verify how much you are producing if that makes you feel more comfortable. At 6 weeks my LO seems to eat between 3.5 and 5 oz in one setting, but at younger ages the will eat less.
All of this! No wonder you need to supplement of your limiting time on one side. My kids have never nursed off two sides per feeding but in the start they'd be on one side for 45 mins or so.
Viv wouldn't latch - it wasn't that she couldn't, it was that she would latch and then spit my nipple back out. She lost weight in hospital and was jaundiced and every single attempt to feed ended in tears for both of us. We started supplementing when we were discharged and I started pumping as well. I now pump exclusively, and she is on 100% breastmilk. It took about 10 days before I was pumping enough to meet her needs, but I kept at it and now I have a stash.
It was such a relief when we started supplementing, because she was finally eating and not losing weight and not crying in frustration. I am glad I am able to pump enough to give her breastmilk though. Nothing wrong with formula! but this is working for us. It's just great to see them thriving no matter what.
Gabriel Ross - August 24, 2009 * Vivienne Rose - May 1, 2012
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