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February 2013 Moms
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Baby not gaining weight :

mediaperuanamediaperuana member
in February 2013 Moms
This breastfeeding thing has really been a struggle. Our little peanut lost about 10 percent of his birth weight in the hospital, and since my milk didn't come in until day 5, we supplemented with formula for a few days, at the LC's suggestion. I also couldn't get him to latch, so she gave me a nipple shield to use, instructing that it should be temporary, but not explaining how long, exactly, that might be, or how to fix whatever the underlying problem was.

For the last week, I've been nursing him at least every 2 hours, waking him up 2 or 3 times per feeding, bc he always dozes off. I was hoping for some progress, but we put him on the kitchen scale this morning, and he hasn't gained an ounce. :

I don't know if I don't have enough milk, if he's too sleepy to eat enough, or if the shield is disrupting milk flow, but I'm just so frustrated. My poor little guy. :
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Re: Baby not gaining weight :

  • Reyka9Reyka9 member
    I'm sorry you're feeling frustrated. I'm on mobile so I can't see your siggy... How old is your LO now? It's normal for a breastfed baby to take 2 weeks to be back to birth weight. Also, did you have an IV or epidural during your delivery? If so, please keep in mind that the IV fluids artificially inflate your baby's birth weight, making it look like he's lost more weight at discharge than he really did.

    How is your baby's diaper output? As long as he's having enough wet and poopy diapers per day, he is doing fine and should be getting enough milk.
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  • holly321holly321 member

    How old is your lo?  When we went back to the ped, DS had actually lost more weight, but he has now surpassed his birth weight by almost a pound.  Someti es it just takes a little more time.

    Like pp said, if there are plenty of wet diapers, I would try not to worry.  

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  • twirlyjack73twirlyjack73 member

    PP's are prob right but just wanted to mention I have a friend whose milk is more akin to skim milk-according to her lac consultant.  No joke.  She actually had to stop b/c her kids couldnt' gain weight.  It's quite uncommon but does happen.  Point being any which way just keep on top of it with an LC.

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  • sdemilio1231sdemilio1231 member
    Idk if you have read the book baby wise but it says not to worry about weight loss right away. That you should have your baby weighed when you leave the hospital and go by that bc of fluids and the first bowel
    Movement it is typical for babies to lose weight after birth. GL!
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  • mediaperuanamediaperuana member
    He's 10 days today. We took him to the ped for a weight check, and she confirmed that he hasn't gained since we left the hospital a week ago. So we're going to add some formula back into the routine, and I'll be trying to pump some as well.

    Ugh. So much anxiety over something that seems like it should be straightforward: eating!!
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    I like yarn: Learner's Per-knit

    Preggo blog: There's No D#$% Stork
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  • ah625ah625 member

    Nipple shields do reduce milk flow, 40 minutes of nursing with one only provides the amount of milk shield-less nursing would yield in 20 minutes. If you're using a shield you should be offering the breast 4x per feeding or pumping and feeding breastmilk after baby nurses directly.

    It's so maddening that LCs don't provide this vital info to women when they give them a nipple shield. 

    I was not given this info with my son and he also struggled to gain weight.

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