Weight loss in 10 week old

[Gillyweed001]

I've just gotten Ds weighed. At his 8 week check he was 12.5. Today (2 weeks later) he is now 12.3 . I've been really worried about breast feeding, and thinking he is not getting enough from me, and this hasn't helped. He is fine within himself, although today we have been out for an hour and a half, and he doesn't have a wet nappy. In the past 2 weeks there has been some feeds that he only stays on for about 5 mins. Does anyone know if this is normal? The stess is getting me to the point that I feel like going onto formula bottles so I know exactly how much he is feeding. I can't express and feed him, as I don't express enough to feed him throughout the day. Thanks in advance.

[exBrightonBell]

Hi Gilly

Did the health visitor doing the weight check say anything to you about the weight loss at the time? Did they give you any advice on what you could do?

With my ds at about the same age I had slow weight gain rather than a loss. I spent a few days offering feeds at least every 2 hours and generally trying to relax and rest at home. I think it can make a big difference how rested you are to milk supply.

[Gillyweed001]

Hi ex,

They didn't seem all that bothered, and said to bring him back in a month. I guess it doesn't help that I am a natural worrier! I'm going to take him back in 2 weeks instead of a month. I feed DS every 2 and a half hours during the day. He goes to bed sleep at 9pm, and my husband gives him a bottle of formula at about 2am, so I can get a good night sleep. He then wakes at 6am, which is when I start the 2 and a half hour feeds. The other day when we were out though, he slept, so didn't feed for 5 hours. I just don't know what to do, should I top him up with formula?

[exBrightonBell]

The only thing I would say about extra formula feeds is that it could affect your supply negatively. Could you try a few days of feeding a little more often e.g. offer at least every 2 hours throughout the day? You could get yourself set up on the sofa and relax, and try not to do much around the house. When he comes off after 5 mins will he start again or does he show no interest? Do you swap him to the other side?

It might be worth contacting a breastfeeding counsellor to get some more expert advice. The La Leche League have a phone line that you can ring as well as a helpful website.

[exBrightonBell]

I was just wondering about his feeding at night. After he goes down at 9 is the only feed he gets at 2am? I was feeding more often overnight than this (due to my ds waking up and demanding it!) at this age. I have also heard that your milk supply is greater in the night and it helps increase your supply if you feed at night too. Not compatible with sleep sadly...

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Where they the same scales, are they callibrated and are you confident in the person who weighed him?

We had a blip at about this age too and it turned out to be the scales not the baby or my supply .

Feeding for 5 minutes is perfectly normal and could just be because he is older and a more efficient feeder.

If you are worried about your supply, please talk to a BFC. Try the National Breastfeeding Line or your local La Leche League group. They will be able to advise you on how to boost your supply, if you actually need to that is. Have a look on Kellymom too at Low Supply.

Has DS been checked for tongue tie Gilly?

You could try offering feeds more often, say every 2 hours for now, but please don't panic.

[Gillyweed001]

When he comes off, I'll offer the other side, but he screams if the nipple goes anywhere near him! There is a breast feeding clinic tomorrow that I will go to, and see what they say. Re the night feeds, I breast feed him up until 9pm, so he goes through till 2am on breast only. I have fed him through the night, and he still wakes at the same times, but may go back to breast all night and see what happens. Thank you for your advice!

[Gillyweed001]

Hi Jilted, it was my Dr who weighed him 2 weeks ago, so at the same clinic, but not then same scales, so maybe it was just a blip. I think we will see what happens in 2 weeks time. Hopefully he will have gained, and I can relax. I just need to chill out a bit, I think!

[Gillyweed001]

He has also been checked for tongue tie, and he doesn't have it.

[littlemissnormal]

Hi,

I had loads of weight issues with my DS at around the same age. He dropped from the 90th centile to the 2nd and at 14 weeks we were referred to a paediatrician department at our hospital.

They put a feeding plan in place for us where I had to wake him though the night for extra feeds and have loads of skin to skin contact. I was given conflicting advise on supplementing with formula, HV said to offer breast first then bottle. Paed said drop 1 breast feed a day and replace with bottle.

I got loads of advice from people on here and we've come through it. He's now 6 months and weight climbing steadily.

Not much helpful advice from me I know, but please don't worry too much as there are loads of people and ways and support that will help.

[exBrightonBell]

Good luck for tomorrow - hopefully the breastfeeding clinic will be able to support you and offer some good advice. BF is such an emotional roller coaster isn't it!

[ElphabaTheGreen]

A pattern I've noticed on this board is the most anxious mums are those that get their babies weighed all the time.

I think the best thing you can do is follow your HV's advice and not go back for a month like they've said! Even if your baby's dropped an oz, that will make you anxious, so why put yourself through it if the HVs aren't worried at all?

Use the time instead to do lots of skin to skin and offer lots of feeds - maybe even sacrifice a bit of sleep and do the night feed yourself. Because he'll be sleepy, he may be more inclined to take both sides. Did you know breast milk has more calories than formula? Much better if he needs to gain weight, but far more important than weight is: enough wet/dirty nappies? Happy in himself? Presents as generally healthy? FAR more important indicators of health than numbers on a scale!

Take care!

[Gillyweed001]

Thank you Elphaba. Its just hard when you can't see how much they are getting.

[tiktok]

Gilly, no one needs to know how much any healthy baby is getting! The information - if you had it - would be useless and worse that that, misleading. Some babies take a lot of milk; some babies take hardly any; all babies fluctuate.

My favourite study that shows how variable all this is is entitled Volume and Frequency of Breastfeedings and Fat Content of Breast Milk Throughout the Day (you can google it). The amount of milk healthy babies take in per feed varies from between ZERO and 240 g :) :) How is knowing how much a baby has at any feed going to help you when the range of normal is so wide :) ?

Weighing healthy babies more often than once a month tops is useless and misleading. Small fluctuations of scales and accuracy end up worrying mothers unnecessarily. Your red book will state this - no more often than once a month in the first 6 mths.

Your HCPs have seen him, and have assessed him as well nourished. You don't need to do anything. His feeding frequency and length sound normal. His wet nappy quotient sounds normal.

[tiktok]

Beyond the first few weeks, you can't tell much about a baby's health by counting wet or dirty nappies, Elphaba, sorry!

It's normal for babies to poo much less often, and they also wee less frequently as they grow. I don't know of any guide to this meant to 'operate' beyond the first week.

[Gillyweed001]

Thanks tiktok. I just need to start trusting that he is getting enough, and go off of how he actually is. He is currently laying in front of me cooing away and kicking his arms and legs, so that should tell me he is OK.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

That doesn't sound like a hungry baby to me Gilly

[Gillyweed001]

So I went to the breast feeding clinic today. Ds has been refusing the breast in the last 12 hours. He did the same thing in the clinic, so they have advised me to offer the breast first, but if he doesn't take it, to top him up with formula.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Was it a BFC you saw Gilly? Only asking as the only bfing support group in my town is staffed by the HVs who give shit bfing advice

Did they say why he might be refusing the breast? Have you had a look on kellymom at nursing strike? It will give you some tips on encouraging him to nurse.

I'd give one of the bfing helplines a call this evening and talk about the breast refusal, the top ups and how you are feeling. Have you got the numbers?

[Gillyweed001]

Hi Jilted, yes just a normal breast feeding clinic. She spent a long time with me, and at the end said that sometimes babies just go off the breast. I've been reading up about strikes, so have done skin to skin this evening. Normally when I feed him at 7pm, he stay as on the boob, regardless of how he has been during the day, but tonight he refused it completely. I'm going to keep doing skin to skin, and offering the breast first, and see what happens. I'm hoping its just a phase. I do have some of the helpline numbers, so will see how he gets on tomorrow, and take it from there. Thanks for taking the time again to reply.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I'm not trained but I've never heard of a baby just going off the breast. Are you sure she was a BFC?

Hopefully someone will be along soon who knows a bit more.

[Gillyweed001]

He has just woken up, and is now taking the breast! Talk about confusing!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

That's good news