Big Boy not sure whether getting enough

[sassie23]

hey ladies need advice please. Big lovely boy 10lb 8ozs born on Monday lost 10% of weight by day 3 and we ended up back in hospital for monitoring and bloods. He was only slihtly dehydrated and bloods all clear but we were advised and have started to give him a top up with FF after breastfeed started with 40 ml and now reduced to 20 ml which seems to be working he gained 80 grams by day 5. Problem is im worrying my supply will be harmed by this it wasn't great with last DS. Tried expressing the other night with medela swing but no show whatsoever, what could i be doing wrong don't other people express this early?? Also sometimes he gets so agitated he won't latch on or will latch on and off for ages before we get going. Im just feeding as much as I can but would really like to get rid of the FF altogether. DH is really really supportive but think he is happy for us to give him FF to give me a break as I had a bad tear etc etc. Sorry so long just really want this to work and need an expert to advise me thanks so much

getting worse now had to give him FF this afternoon would not latch on at all is this the end of breastfeeding at all??? anyone

Hi and congrats!

In the first instance give one of these
Breastfeeding helplines a call for expert advice.

National Breastfeeding Helpline
0300 100 0212
National Childbirth Trust
0300 330 0771
Breastfeeding Network
0300 100 0210
La Leche League
0845 1202918
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers 08444 122949

Suggest in the meantime you go to bed with him and do some skin to skin (just snuggle up naked). Bring him to the breast at every little squeak or when he shows a desire to feed.

If you are feeding the formula through a bottle, you might like to try a cup so that he doesn't get confused between the breast and bottle.

Can you call you mw and ask them to adivse and watch you feed so they can check how he is latched on ?

Oh and just because he's big, doesn't mean you haven't got enough milk - it's about supply and demand after all.

Sorry for rushed post but just about to serve up dinner.

Good luck

this website is great!

wot crikey said

Congratulations :)

I had a big boy too, 11lbs 14oz and we did give formula for the first 2 weeks - drs recommended it because DS had low blood sugar and jaundice, and wasn't latching on well at first.

I used the tommy tippee bottles and gave him some formula after every bf so he'd always have boob first.

I wouldn't bother expressing now tbh, you must be exhausted. Let baby do it for you by giving him plenty of chance to feed!

I was really worried about dropping the ff but at day 14 DH went back to work and I basically couldn't be arsed to make the bottle myself, so I just fed him more. Had 1 day of constant BFing and then it was fine, and still going strong at 14 months :)

People often assume big babies need extra but it's not true IME.

Also, you must make sure you're looking after yourself! Plenty of water and rest, and lovely food :)

"I was really worried about dropping the ff but at day 14 DH went back to work and I basically couldn't be arsed to make the bottle myself, so I just fed him more. Had 1 day of constant BFing and then it was fine, and still going strong at 14 months"

Lol nice one

well had about 5 hours of skin to skin yesterday evening and we tried to shape the nipple better as recommended by clare byam cook's book and the latch seems to have improved. Also started to give the 20mls top up with a syringe which he is actually very good at. Managed to get about an ounce and a half this morning to things may be on the up??? At the minute its taking an hour to feed him taking in changes and the top up so probably 40 mins on the boob, should I now start expressing between every feed scared I'll not have any milk for him when it comes to feed time sorry feel totally clueless at the minute

You'll always have milk sassie23- it never runs out.

Just feed frequently-(2 hourly if you can IMO) offer one side, then offer the other breast. If he takes it that's fine, if he's not interested that's ok too.

The more you feed,- the more milk your breasts will be 'ordering' for next time.

Have you seen a mw again yet?

Here's a good link too www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enough-milk.html

I can't really say don't bother expressing, because I'm not a mw or a hv, but your baby will remove the milk more efficiently than a pump.

5 hours of skin to skin sounds blissful btw, keep it up!

sassie that sounds fab. great idea to express but don't let it stress you out. you'll probably find you get more and more actually as your supply should adjust to all the feeding... but really don't worry if you don't. like crikey said, your baby will remove milk more efficiently than a pump and the more you feed the more you will make, and if the latch is better too that's great...

well done well done keep going keep going

Just to note that Clare Byam-Cook's book is not that positive for breast feeding, I was lent a copy (without asking for it!) after my DS was born and found it very negative.

Please ignore anything she has said about the amount you express bearing much relation to the amout that you produce, or the baby is getting.

She has this bit about giving the baby a bottle of EBM (or even formula??) and then pumping to see how much your breasts contain when 'empty'. They don't get empty, they just keep producing milk while the baby feeds, although the flow may be slower after a while I believe.

Sorry, for this ramble, the book really upset me at the time , even though I knew in advance it wasn't the best for bf!

Congratulations on your lovely DS btw :)

have had the same problem with the latch this afternoon, just like yesterday afternoon got really fussy over the boob and wouldnt latch on got himself so agitated and svreaming eventually. Just keep going putting on the boob when he relaxed slightly, not easy and then topped him up with formula only 25 mls from a syringe he's sleeping now but he was on and off screaming quite high pitched could it be colic this early???

They do have fussy times sassie- typically afternoon or evening.

Could you try and get him on to the breast at v.early hunger cues so that he is not getting worked up.

See some useful stuff here and here

thank you so much crikeybadger that really makes me realise its not abnormal and it isn't all my fault when he is being fussy. He has been an angel all day so it will be interesting to see how the rest of the evening goes. Those articles really helped wish I had read themm first time round with DS1. Feel much stronger now.

Good stuff- yes, it's amazing what I've found out since DS1 was born (mostly on mumsnet )