In hospital urgent advice needed!

[RachaelLaurenDaisyStone]

Hi, my baby is 10 weeks old breastfed only and we've been admitted to hospital for a few days observation as she has had a very slight weight loss since her immunisations 2 weeks ago (lots of dioreah) born 7lbs 6oz. Was gaining along her percentile and only lost 7%of birth weight. Went from 8lbs 15oz to 8lbs 10oz and has gone back up to 8lbs 12oz but they still have admitted us even though I protested. So anyway the advice I need desperately is that I feel I am being bullied into giving her formula, and they are forcing me to wake her up in the night for a feed. She feeds well in the day every 2-4 hours on both breasts and I have a very good supply I express every morning and get 6 oz in about 10-12 mins. But she has slept through the night since 4 days old. This has never effected her negatively before. I really feel the jabs are the reason she's lost the weight and is slow gaining. Can I refuse to wake her up in the night to the doctors? I'm now giving her a 150mls as well with both breasts at every feed I see think that will be helping her gain without waking her up and without giving her formula. Please can anyone give me advice on what my rights as a parent are?! It's not like she's underweight she's still in the 50th percentile!

With kindness op, with your admitted anorexia, your do will be struggling to get all she needs from your milk. Please trust me on this, I suffered anorexia when my ds was slightly older and had to stop breastfeeding him, not only because he wasn't getting what he needed, but also so I could start some medication. Are you in a mother and baby unit? I'm a big breastfeeding advocate, but there are situations,msuch as this, where mixed feeding or formula feeding are much better for all involved. She was a very healthy weight at birth, and that's a huge positive, but now doctors have cause for concern. Have you been frank with them about your anorexia?

OP, I wonder if you are well yourself? Losing weight? Walking/exercising a lot? How do you feel your anorexia is?

In the nicest possible way, anorexia distorts your perspective on food. & nutrition. I'm wondering if this is influencing the way you feed your DD?

She's giving me all the cues she's happy and healthy RE soft spot, developmental milestones strength in being awake for longer now she's older, strengthening her head holding etc. She cooes, smiles and tracks me around the room. We spend our days normally doing activités like tummy time and sensory play which she engages fully. The hv has never flagged up her weight and her red book def says she's on the 50th percentile I just checked. She gained after she lost and she only ever lost 7% of her birth weight everyone has always commented on how alert she is and content. I know early years and I know my baby. She's just small. I know the weight gain is slow some babies just do. There may be an underlying issue RE her thyroid but I wa t them to look into that, watch us feed actually look at her! We are in a children's ward I've only seen a consultant once, the rest if the time just nursery nurses not even a nurse. I ask them what the syringes are I got given to give her, they didn't know. I ask them what it would mean going forward if it's a thyroid problem they dint know as it changes a lot. I said if it changes a lot will it mean her treatment changes a lot, they dint know.

She can't be 8lb 12oz, 10 weeks old and on the 50th centile. One of those is wrong.

To have been on the 50th centile at 8 weeks, when she had her jabs, she'd have needed to be much heavier than 8lb 15.

Well, if nobody's flagged up her weight gain before then you must have your figures wrong. What does she weight now?

The syringes are to top her up with.

She sounds lovely op. This isn't about there being anything wrong with her or you but she should weigh more if she's feeding as well as you describe.

Lovely how much do you weigh. Are you sure they don't want you to limit feeds because you need all the nutrients yourself if you have been limiting food?

8lb 5oz is not enough for a ten week old baby who was 7lb something at birth. Why have you been expressing and not feeding? Is this a way to manipulate your own weight.

Why doesn't your baby have wrist band? That's a,basic when one is admitted to hospital. Why didn't you go for your six week check at six weeks?

I think you need a great deal of support. I say that as a recovered anorexic.

Please accept help and advice.

The gp couldn't offer us an appointment fir her 6 week check until the 20th October (born 31 July) she was 8.15 then lost after the jabs to 8.10 then gained to 8.12 was back up to 9.1 when we were admitted gained to 9.1 Since Thursday with they're feeding it's been only 26gs which dr said he's happy with. They told me I have to express as well so they can see how much she's getting. The syringes weren't top ups they were multi vitamins. Xx

I gained my whole weight in pregnancy going from 7 stone to 14 stone by 9 months. I've only lost a bit going down to 12 stone so not like I'm even losing weight. Never imagined I'd be this big. If I didn't have my newborn and with what it would do to my husband I'd kill my self. But I've obviously got enough fat in store / not underweight. X

www.rcpch.ac.uk/system/files/protected/page/GIRLS%20NICM%20(4th%20Jan%202013).pdf

Hi OP,

I've posted a link here to a copy of the weight chart for baby girls. At 10 weeks the 50th centile line for a girl would make her weight about 5.4 kilos (roughly 11 and 9 pounds). If your DD is 8lb 12oz that makes her about 3.7 kilos so that puts her under the 0.4th centile line so she would be very underweight so something is definitely wrong.

In the nicest possible way (and I say this as someone who has had an eating disorder in the past) is it possible your anorexia is effecting your milk supply? I think that may be why they are recommending formula. What is your BMI / daily calories intake at the moment?

Can you get one of the nursery nurses and insist that your DD gets a patient wristband now? When I was in hospital with my DS2 it was something that was checked regularly to make sure they hadn't fallen off. He had to have two on at all times. They wouldn't do anything without checking the wristband first.

It sounds like you're getting lots of confusing advice and that it isn't make much sense to you. Can you ask for an expert in breastfeeding to speak to you, a lactation consultant if possible, so that you can get some expert advice? Some of the things the doctors are saying don't seem to make sense to me as an outsider. Do they know you are anorexic and is this something they are taking into consideration?

So she will be nearly 11 weeks old when she has her 6 week check? That surprises me but perhaps some GP s are so busy.

Just do what the doctors say. You are both in the best place. Hospitals are very busy and would not have admitted you if they were not worried. Where is the babies dad, can he help you and bring food in for you?

Sorry x-post. So it's good you are not underweight but are you restricting your own eating at the moment to lose weight? How many calories a day (roughly) would you say you are taking in? If you are breastfeeding you need between 2000-2500 calories a day really.

Sorry If I'm on the wrong track here.

At 10 weeks my dd was in boob almost all the time. Give her lots of boob and see how that goes. I mean lots. Hope shes okay x

Do you not think she should have been more than 8.15 or even 9.1.

I really think she would be better off on formula for both your sakes. You need to demonstrate she's being fed in a quantifiable way.

Your baby's intake needs to be closely monitored. Once she's sorted your own input and output needs to be monitored. You need to stay well to look after your baby.

I was recovered before my dc were born op. I thought I was a bit fat at 7st 10lb, so not even at life threatening levels.

Please accept the help and advice otherwise you are likely to be assessed and possibly admitted involuntarily. They are trying to help you op. Do you have anyone who can be an advocate for you?

Where's your partner or your mum?

I've told them and I've heard that it doesn't effect it and then that it does, there's no breast feeding councilors or lactation experts on at the weekend. I've asked for a hospital braclett every time a nursery nurse comes in and she just tells me she can't do it. It has to be a nurse. She weighs 9.3 now x

Some days I manage to eat a meal some days I can barely manage water. We just moved to Swindon from London so my husband works back home so canonly get to me at like 9pm he brings me a salad x

I'm feeding her at the moment and she's pooing out like water as in feeding her

I would change to formula and mix with my breast milk.

I had to do this with a tongue tie child and I was so upset that I didn't work.

Please do not be a martyr. You are not a failure if you need to go to formula.

I'll go to formula if she has to but I just want them to look st everythung! What if it's something really simple like a TT or I just need more calories / vitamins. They've just been forcing formular on me right from birth when she couldn't latch (forceps) the Ingridents list scares me and the nursery nurse can't tell me what they are. If someone just took the time to tell me what it all meant! All your ever told us breast is best and formula can cause SIDS and poor nutrition. I don't want to start diminishing my supply so that I can replace it!!!?

Okay if she's now 9.3lbs that means she's 4.2 kilos. That puts her just above the 2nd centile line on the growth charts. Since she was born at 7lb 6oz (3.4 kilos) then she was on the 50th centile line at birth so she's sadly definitely not gaining weight in the expected way I'm afraid, as that's a huge drop in the centile lines.

For whatever reason it seems like she isn't able to obtain the nutrition / calories she needs from your breastmilk alone. Sorry. I know that's really hard to hear, but I do think you need to consider supplementing her diet with formula now, and I don't say that lightly.

Some days I manage to eat a meal some days I can barely manage water. We just moved to Swindon from London so my husband works back home so canonly get to me at like 9pm he brings me a salad x

Doesn't sound like you are getting enough nutrition to keep your supply up.

And it does sound like you are struggling to eat properly at the moment too yourself. Ideally you need 3 decent meals plus snacks when breastfeeding, so if you are only managing water some days that's really worrying. Please make sure you speak to your support network (mental health nurse / GP / whomever you trust) and get some advice on your own mental health too.

Some days I manage to eat a meal some days I can barely manage water. We just moved to Swindon from London so my husband works back home so canonly get to me at like 9pm he brings me a salad x

That really is not enough food (and possibly fluids) even if you are not currently underweight. What is holding you back? Not enough time, no appetite or is it because you are anxious about your weight? If the problem is time/appetite you need lots of easy snacks to hand e.g. nuts, cheese. There is no reason to be waiting until 9pm and only eating salad.