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March 2016 Moms
katy0990
member
Weight/Feeding Concerns
katy0990
member
My son is 17 days old. His birth weight was 8 lbs 2 oz. By his 1 week check up he was down to 7 lbs 5.5 oz, which the pediatrician was happy with. However, by his 2 week check last Friday, he was down to 7 lbs 2.2 oz. I was told to make sure I fed him every three hours and to wake him for feedings, if necessary. I was also advised to pump after feedings in order to build my supply and so we could see if there was any milk left. Well, after 5 days for following these instructions and getting anywhere from .5 oz-2oz at each pumping session, he was down to 7 lbs 1.5 oz today.
The pediatrician now wants us to supplement with 2 oz of formula after each feeding. We go Friday for another weight check. I am just so frustrated and confused. I see him swallowing when he nurses, I leak milk, I see milk on his chin after he eats, and I am still able to pump milk after I feed him, so it does not make sense to me that he is not gaining weight. I will do whatever I need to do so that he grows, but I would still like to make breastfeeding work. Does anyone have any suggestions?
The pediatrician now wants us to supplement with 2 oz of formula after each feeding. We go Friday for another weight check. I am just so frustrated and confused. I see him swallowing when he nurses, I leak milk, I see milk on his chin after he eats, and I am still able to pump milk after I feed him, so it does not make sense to me that he is not gaining weight. I will do whatever I need to do so that he grows, but I would still like to make breastfeeding work. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Re: Weight/Feeding Concerns
I had convinced myself that I was doing everything right and every time my baby would cry I would nurse. He seemed content and happy.
BUT: he wasn't gaining and that means he was NOT getting enough food.
I finally went to a lactation consultant who weighed him in grams during his feeding and realized that after an hour of nursing side to side he was only able to get 1.25 ounces. He was burning so many calories to get the milk that he was not gaining.
Give him the formula to supplement. I promise you both of you will be much happier. My son is now thriving and getting rid of the anxiety has helped me increase my supply.
Im still doing both and I'm happy knowing that we are gaining and he is growing.
I feel for you. I truly was losing my mind.
also try and do a weighed feeding somewhere like pp mentioned.
I know it's frustrating (ds3 was a slow gainer his whole first 6 months, turned out to be a reflux issue) and stressful but hang in there, you'll get it worked out soon!
I am just wondering if anyone has any supply building suggestions. I started drinking mothers milk tea today and I ordered some fenugreek. I drink over 100 oz of water each day. I am wondering if any of you ladies could offer any tried and true supply building methods. I am feeling a little overwhelmed by the 45 min nursing session followed by the 20 minute bottle feed and the 40 min of pumping/ pump cleaning. It is especially hard to care for the baby or get anything done when I spend hours each day tethered to this pump.
ETA: I did not mean to sound so negative, I am so grateful for my healthy little boy and he is so worth all of this. I am just feeling a bit overwhelmed as I know once I take this pimp off I have 90 minutes until I have to start this whole feeding process over again.
Hang in there! Pumping is hard and not fun. If you can get past it, breastfeeding alone will probably seem so easy! And if not, that's okay too. But props to you for trying so hard, it's not easy and you're doing an awesome job. Good luck!
Hang in there. You're doing great.
I felt the same way you do: tied to the pump all day. I felt I had no time to get things done or to just BE with baby. I got an infant carrier and that helped me a lot mentally! While I was cleaning pump parts or other things, I had LO right there next to me in the carrier.
Pumping for 5 minutes longer after you see the last drops of milk should increase your supply. Also, apply a warm compress for 5 minutes before you pump and massage during pumping.
Other things I've heard: eat oatmeal, drink red Gatorade, avoid peppermint.
Big hugs to you all that have gone through this, it's so stressful and worrying.
We visited the LC twice after the appointment where the Dr. wanted him supplemented with formula because I had hoped that maybe we could figure out what was wrong and get off the formula supplements. Even though he was sucking, we could hear him swallowing, and the frequency and duration of nursing was appropriate on two separate weighed feeds with the LC, we found that he was only transferring 1-2 oz nursing for 40 minutes. Just not nearly as much as he needed. And we didn't really figure out why - tried some things the LC suggested and on the weighed feed re-check, still no luck.
But, when I pumped, there was plenty of milk for him - he's just not able to get it out of me. So, I pump before his feeding times and we give him a bottle that has both breastmilk and formula in it now (yes, I know that most people don't do this for fear of baby not finishing the bottle and having to throw out precious breastmilk, but Dr. says its okay to mix as long as you follow safe handling guidelines, and I've found that "the mix" is best for his stomach and keeping him "full").
We still nurse occasionally because it comforts him and he likes it - but I don't count nursing sessions in for his total oz consumed per day because I just assume that what he's getting is negligible. I have had a pretty "whatever will be will be" attitude about feeding and am comfortable with the content of the formula I've selected so I've tried not to be too upset about this - and remind myself that he's gaining now and was not gaining before. He needed a little something extra.
What we did do:
Ended up giving daughter bottles after breastfeeding until 3 months when she refused the breast because it wasn't happening as easily as the bottle.
Purchased a Lactaid Supplemental Nursing system at this point, and am still using it with my 8 month old, 5 times a day. No bottles!
The great thing about this system is:
* You can put the tube up to your breast and cut off milk from the bag until baby empties your breast, then unclinch the tube and the milk begins to flow from the bag. So, your breast is emptied and baby gets plenty of food
* You don't need to pump anymore if you use this exclusively
* Easy to use out in the world (I put it in a mason jar with ice)
* No bottles=no breast rejection
* supply goes UP UP UP with this!
Also, take Mother Love's More Milk Supplement "Special Blend". This worked really well for us.
Wished we had done:
Bought Lactaid system at 2 weeks when we realized little one wasn't gaining enough. Would have saved me so much worry about "is she going to reject breastfeeding today?" or "is she getting too much from the bottle and won't be hungry later?". Use this system! You can put up to 7 oz of milk into the bag that hangs around your neck, and it's super easy. Easier than bottles, in my opinion, and you get that breastfeeding relationship for so much longer.