Slow weight gain in newborn

[Mammie81]

My one month old DS has only gained 80grams weekly (almost 3 ounces)

I feed on demand and hes been cluster feeding in the evenings, so theres not really much time in the day to feed him more because hes pretty much always on the boob?

Is there anything I can do to up the calories in my milk and get him to beef up a bit. Hes still not back at birth weight and hes a teeny 6lbs still

If this is normal and Im freaking out, put it down to first time mum nerves! The midwife hasnt said anything but I havent been discharged from her care yet which makes me think they are quietly keeping an eye on it.

Hi Mammie

Wanted you to get some reply (I'm sure more will on in the morning).

It baby seems over wise fine, then I think MW are right to not worry but still keep an eye out. I think this is a good thing.

Have you studied how your LO is on the boob, do you feel like is he actively drinking and not sucking for comfort or falling asleep.

How do your nipples feel, does it still hurt to feed?

Have you tried switch feeding, i.e. when he loses interest swap sides and keep repeating (even if it's 20 times)

Have you spoken to a lactation consultant or been to a local BF cafe? Are the midwifes happy with your latch. If it were me I'd want to speak to someone more clued up on BF (as unfortunately midwives aren't always) and generally get another assessment of latch etc? Failing that you can ring up one the BF helplines (or both). Online, we're of limited use until things have clearly been ruled out. Then we're great for support if your LO is a natural slow gainer.

Does he have any reflux symptoms i.e. posseting a lot?

Finally, congratulations on your lovely DS

As far as I am aware, milk is milk, you cannot change the calories it contans by altering your diet.

I agree with above poster regarding seeking help. Best of luck to you and LO. :)

It's normal for me, each of my 4 dc were slow to gain in the first four weeks and then crept up. I think each time we did not have a deep enough latch and they weren't efficiently emptying the breast.

Definitely call in some expert help re positioning and switch feeding

You can probably tell Im abit of a stress bunny, Ive read so much on this on Kellymom. Ive been to breastfeeding workshop and been told by 3 of the Councilors there that my latch is good. Ive never had any pain when feeding either (except a blocked duct last week which he cleared in a night with some hot compress)

I switch when he falls asleep and does that fluttey tongue thing. I wind or change him before going to the other side so he wakes up and takes more and I change over loads. I was also told to blow on him which helps sometimes.

Hes possetted only once in his life when we had to give him a bottle.

We get many many wee's each day, but a poo maybe only once every other day sometimes more. MW is coming back on weds, fingers crossed!

It is stressful when they gain more slowly. My DD gained well in the first month and then didn't put on more than 3oz a week.

The things you say are good signs, but whilst slow to regain isn't un-normal it is more unusual, so it's good that it's being kept an eye on, just in case.

It always worth if you see people just getting another opinion.

Good luck on Wednesday.

Hes not gained enough at all. MW told me to introduce one, maybe two formula feeds per night and BF in the day. I know this will eventually faze out my milk.

Im abit devastated tbh as I love breastfeeding so much, but I want to do the best for DS and it will ease the pressure on us both I guess.

Theres no reason why I cant continue to feed him along side the formula in the evenings too, is there? Will a baby take a breast if hes totally stuffed full of formula? Might he just nibble? Its the bonding part that I want to keep up.

I am not an expert- hopefully someone else will be along shortly- but that doesn't sound right to me, as I believe the night feeds are particularly important for increasing your supply. Could you speak to one of the BFCs you've seen before?

Breastmilk on a night is much better than formula and will help your supply.

Has he gained at all? Some babies just gain very slowly. Is he alert when awake? You say he wees lots and bowels are fine?

If he gets formula first he is unlikely to want to breastfeed after I'm afraid.

If you really want to go down the formula route I'd BF first then top up.

When feeding do you let him come off the breast himself? When babies do that fluttery thing it means they are taking in the fatty hind milk, the flutter cos it's harder to get out, kind of like sucking butter through a straw! It's important to keep them at the breast while doing this so they get lots of it rather than taking them off.

If you don't want to top up they can't make you if you're confident he is gaining albeit slowly and alert.

I like the fluttery thing !

I had trouble keeping my DD awake too and I had to strip her off for feeds for the first month, at night down to her t-shirt to keep her awake and she remembered to suck when I blew on her face. What I have found is that the obvious swallowing occurs for my DD when she's getting foremilk and the flutter hindmilk thing means there isn't much audible swallowing, so perhaps you could keep going more on each side rather than swap to get him to have more fatty stuff. Kellymom states that evening milk is fattier than morning milk in other words an emptier breast contains fattier milk than an engorged one. This indicates that you could take the pain and wake him up more at night until he starts to pick up a bit. I'm sure he'll catch up with himself.

You want to make sure your still doing the middle of the night feeds as this is great for boosting supply I've heard. i.e. you don't want him being so filled with formula that he sleep through and misses some middle of the night feeds.

Have you considered other options of giving formula other than a bottle?

Have you rang the BF helplines for further advice about what you've been told by the MWs.

This doesn't have to be the end of BF if you get enough information.

Just an update, spoke to a councillor and she said do the two feeds over 12 hours so that when I express I maximise the amount I get, and I give the boobies a chance to recover.

Midwife is coming to weigh him on wednesday but a friend has recommended a BF clinic within walking distance which I didnt know existed. We are going on monday so he'll be weighed then.

He does feel less bony though, and his poo-ey nappies have increased to 2 a day. The wee's have gone from about 6/8 a day to possibly 12-15. The nappies are drenched through. I assume this is good news?

Also, everyone at the NCT and the councillors ive spoken to, have said that its early days, I can still go back to just breast once his weight is up and not to give up. I do feel much better about it all.