DD weight loss from low (BF) milk supply

MuddyInsignia · March 2013

It turns out I am about 8 weeks pregnant. DD just turned 6 months today. Over the last month, she has lost 1.5 lbs and is in the 12th percentile now for her weight.... She has been EBF, but started acting very needy and had a lot of trouble STTN--likely when I got pregnant. I am a SAHM, so she generally drinks her breast milk straight from the source--no pumped milk in a bottle.

At DD's doctor's appointment this past week, we discovered the weight loss--and now that we are pregnant, the lowered milk supply makes more sense. We have been told to supplement with formula--which I both hate giving DD formula, but know I need to because I hate the idea of me starving her even more. Anyway--she will not take formula from the bottle and still holds out for me to breastfeed her... But I am not giving her enough nutrition in my breast milk.

We just started introducing solids this past week--but that is obviously a slow introduction--and taking time to get much in her.

How can I help feed my baby what she needs? Did anyone have any experience with this?

sooner1981 · March 2013

Keep up with the formula, and don't worry about feeding it to your daughter. It could be that your anxiety about giving your LO formula is what is causing her to be so wary of the bottle--they are good at picking up our signals!

Remember that formula today is better than it EVER has been in the past! It is chock full of nutrients, and will help your LO gain weight appropriately, so that you can focus 100% on her other needs and on growing your new little one.

Good luck!

jesselayne8 · March 2013

Maybe try introducing a straw cup or sippy cup? A syringe or SNS?

sosoph · March 2013

I don't have advice really, but want to say that any BM gives your daughter all the immune and nutritional benefits of bm, so just think of formula as extra calories. Good luck -

MitoRachel · March 2013

I ended up in a similar situation. I don't have any advice, but maybe a little encouragement... with DS it just sort of clicked one day after not really working before and he started guzzling from the bottle and hasn't looked back! FWIW, we ended up switching to goats milk at about 8 months. He was eating a lot of solids by then, but otherwise we would have had to add something like nutritional yeast to the milk to add B vitamins.

okate0213 · March 2013

I'm so sorry, this must be really hard time seeing your baby and feeling like your're not providing for her. I would continue to nurse whenever you can, eating extra colories for yourself, new baby and nursing. You can try a supplemental nursing system that you can add either Breastmilk or formula during your lo's nursing session. Also try eats on feets for donor milk or human milk for human babies.

Is LO more active lately, crawling and such? That could also mean slimming down and growth slows after the first couple of months.

Hugs to you! And congrats!

www.eatsonfeets.org

https://www.hm4hb.net/

jaymiegerard · March 2013

Lots of womens' supplies drop right in the beginning and pick back up until about the 5th month of pregnancy or so. Keep nursing as much as you can, and you can try things like mother's milk tea and eating oatmeal every morning to help boost the supply, Good luck!

norbert5 · March 2013

My supply dropped a little in the beginning but then picked back up. It all worked out.

DD1 never took a bottle but did do a step 1 or phase one tummy tippy cup when she was 6 months old.

shotzie · March 2013

As a few others have mentioned, you could try a supplemental nursing system. You can get one from Amazon. It would give LO the formula supplement while you are nursing.

You could also try More Milk Two by MotherLove. It's an herbal supplement that's safe for pregnancy, that can help increase milk production. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water and eating enough calories too. Oatmeal is also a natural supply booster for some women.

You can also try posting on the Breastfeeding board, if you haven't already.

carabear80 · March 2013

My milk supply also dropped off when I became pregnant, it was one of the first signs that I was pregnant. My DD was used to a bottle though from daycare, but she had been still getting breastmilk. When I started to introduce formula, I would mix it with half breastmilk so it wasn't such a change for her. I also made sure it was warm like breastmilk is because if it was cold, she either wouldn't drink it or take longer to drink it. Now she is 100% on formula and loves it. I thought it would be hard to wean her but she's been great. So maybe check the temperature or mixing it with your breastmilk. It may also be the type of bottle. Try other bottles and various flow nipples to see if others work better. Good Luck!

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