2 months low weight/stressed out

Justone13 · November 2015

Had her 2 months appointment today. She's 10lbs 22 3/4 length. She seems fine to me. She eats until she doesn't want to anymore. And now the dr is saying she isn't gaining enough. So she said to feed her on both sides but after one side she is done. I guess I can pump and bottle feed but when or how I'm going to do that I have no clue because every time I try to pump she starts crying or doesn't sleep. When I pump I get 4-6 oz each side. Surely that should be enough right?

So now I'm stressed out.

Thoughts?

tracij12 · November 2015

How much did she weigh at birth? Are you getting a consistent number of wet and dirty diapers? What was the pedi's reasoning for saying she isn't gaining enough?

My first daughter was a slow gainer and it was SO stressful. I was a FTM and felt like a complete failure. Thankfully my husband was super supportive and I had a very happy baby that helped to keep my spirits up.

I'm obviously not a dr, but if she seems fine to you and there are no obvious signs that she is hungry/not getting enough I would just keep doing what you are doing.

laceymarie3 · November 2015

I'm sorry you are feeling so stressed. Have you seen a lactation consultant at all? They often have a scale that can weigh the baby down to the 10th of an ounce. They will weigh before a feeding and then after to see exactly how much the baby eats. They can also look at her growth and weight and figure out how often she should be eating based on how much she eats in one feed.

Good luck, I hope you can find some support and get some more information to help you out.

Justone13 · November 2015

@tracij12 she was 7.6 at birth 20 1/4 length. Plenty of wet and dirty diapers. She seems completely satisfied after her feelings. The dr said she should be in the 11-13 range. I feed on demand and it seems to be every 3 31/2 hours. She suggested that I try to feed her from both sides switching at 15 minutes. I had read that it was better to drain the one side completely.

@laceymarie3 I had a terrible experience with the lactation department at the hospital. I'll have to see if there are others in the area. Thanks for the suggestion!!

tracij12 · November 2015

So she gained 2 lbs 10oz in 2 months and he wasn't happy with that?

Seeing the lactation specialist isn't a bad idea, but based on what you've shared, If I were in your shoes i would just keep up the good work!!

I had a terrible hospital experience with lactation specialists with both babies as well. I delivered at a hospital that heavily pushes BFing so it was super frustrating.

From what I've read, if you have a strong/over supply emptying one side is better to regulate milk production but if you're worried you are low on supply then feeding on both sides will give baby more and trigger your body to produce more.

klirwin82 · November 2015

tracij12 said:
So she gained 2 lbs 10oz in 2 months and he wasn't happy with that?

Seeing the lactation specialist isn't a bad idea, but based on what you've shared, If I were in your shoes i would just keep up the good work!!

This is not great advice. BF babies should gain around 2 lbs PER MONTH. You may just have a slow gainer but I would certainly listen to your doctor over an Internet stranger opining that everything's fine. Sounds like you have good supply at least!! I second the suggestion to see an LC for a weighed feed, that will rule out poor milk transfer due to tongue tie or something.

tracij12 · November 2015

klirwin82 said:

tracij12 said:
So she gained 2 lbs 10oz in 2 months and he wasn't happy with that?

Seeing the lactation specialist isn't a bad idea, but based on what you've shared, If I were in your shoes i would just keep up the good work!!

This is not great advice. BF babies should gain around 2 lbs PER MONTH. You may just have a slow gainer but I would certainly listen to your doctor over an Internet stranger opining that everything's fine. Sounds like you have good supply at least!! I second the suggestion to see an LC for a weighed feed, that will rule out poor milk transfer due to tongue tie or something.

In case you didn't read my first post, I acknowledged that I'm not a doctor. I would hope no one would fully follow an "internet stranger's" advice, but as a mom who has had a slow gainer and stressed over it every single day for months, I was offering my experience.....that's it.

Justone13 · November 2015

@tracij12 thank you for your response!!. I spoke with a few other friends of mine who had this issue too. I'm going to follow the doctors instructions and feed on both sides for 15 minutes. My dh suggested to give her a bottle of formula every day. I'm afraid of dropping my supply (especially since I return to work in a few weeks) so I plan on nursing on both sides and a few times a day offer formula after I nurse to see if she is still hungry. The doctor wasn't super concerned just said she should weigh a bit more. I think if she was really concerned that I would be going back every week.

@klirwin82 I was looking for other people's experiences. Thanks for the suggestion. She was checked at the hospital by the lc for tongue tie and latch issues. Also by another friend who is an RN that works labor/delivery mother/baby and successfully bf twins. No problems there.

2 months low weight/stressed out

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