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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Can someone please advise the best way forward?

19 replies

rpickett · 10/01/2011 12:52

I wonder if any of you can help, my DC was 6.8lbs at birth and at 9 weeks she is 8.15lbs she was putting on roughly 4oz per week but has slowed down to 3oz, she was born on the 25th percentile and has now gone down to the 2nd.

My HV has told me this is because I'm not eating enough (I'm very slim) and calculated my calorie intake of around 1000 per day and told me I need to either eat more or put her on the bottle. I can't force myself to eat when I'm not hungry but I will gladly eat when I am, I sit and eat mainly at night but never in the mornings (if thats relevant?).
I can't get on with my pump to increase my supply, I really hate pump in so in turn can't get anything out.

Any advice or suggestions please?

OP posts:

DullWomenHaveImmaculateHomes · 10/01/2011 12:55

As far as your eating goes, the really important thing is that you eat regularly and spread the calories out rather than eating them all at once IYSWIM.
At one stage my DD was feeding every 2 hours and my HV said that I should also be eating every 2 hours, even if it was a banana and a biscuit each time I sat down to feed her.

If you can't do that then I would suggest adding a bottle as a top up. Are you sticking to a routine or are you feeding on demand?

Original poster

rpickett · 10/01/2011 12:59

Thanks for your reply I do try to eat but what with feeding baby and running around after 2 toddlers I dont find time/feel hungry until after they go to bed.
I am feeding on demand but she wont feed for long during the day only 10mins or so at most and sometimes only 5mins, she goes about 2hours during the day between feeds though and sleeps 6 hours at night.

OP posts:

MoonUnitAlpha · 10/01/2011 13:00

You don't have to eat more to increase your supply, and you don't have to eat every time you feed. Unless you're severely malnourished it doesn't make a difference - just eat to your appetite!

Some babies are small though, someone will always be on the 2nd centile, so I don't see why that itself is an issue? Your baby is still gaining weight.

If you didn't know how much she weighed, would you worry? Does she seem alert, content?

MoonUnitAlpha · 10/01/2011 13:02

Though an intake of 1000 calories a day can't be good for you - could you sip on smoothies or soups in the day?

crikeybadger · 10/01/2011 13:10

'eat more or put her on the bottle'- well that's a helpful approach from your HV isn't it

This is a myth that doesn't seem to go be going away- as Moon says- unless you are seriously malnourished then the quality and quantity of your milk won't be affected by what you eat (or drink or how much you rest for that matter). Your HV is showing her lack of bfing knowledge here.

Are you offering both breasts at each feed?
Would breast compression help?

HTH

lowercase · 10/01/2011 13:14

im thinking, small mum, small baby...

like moon says, if baby is alert, reaching the milestones, wet nappies etc. then i would not be worried.

Original poster

rpickett · 10/01/2011 13:19

I'm glad to hear my diet won't affect DC's weight, I do offer both breasts but I'm not sure what breast compressions are?
She is producing plenty of wet and dirty nappies and is very alert.
As for me only intaking 1000 calories that is only some days, other days it can be a lot more.

OP posts:

MoonUnitAlpha · 10/01/2011 13:24

Take care of yourself though, your body will prioritise making milk so if you're not taking in enough cals for you too, you could end up ill.

crikeybadger · 10/01/2011 13:39

here is the info on breast compressions.

It may be helpful - just depends if you are worried about her weight.

crikeybadger · 10/01/2011 13:41

Oh and don't forget that you only need to get her weighed once a month once she's reached birth weight - it saves the anxiety.

tiktok · 10/01/2011 14:44

It's disgraceful your HV is so poorly informed - your 1000 calories a day will not affect your body's ability to make milk at all. Please ask your HV for her references on this - she will not have any.

And Dull - you're perpetuating another myth, as well, that it matters when you have your food. Not your fault,as it seems you have had an equally rubbish HV.

If she thinks your baby needs more calories - and nothing you have said indicates she does, as a drop from the 25th to 2nd centile is within normal - then why does she not suggest you feed your baby more often? You have the calories for her - in your breasts :)

Of course it's very likely your dd is fine.

And that the HV has made you worried for nothing.

DullWomenHaveImmaculateHomes · 10/01/2011 16:50

tiktok are you a HV by any chance?

Sorry I gave you wrong advice rpickett

NotQuiteCockney · 10/01/2011 16:52

If you're naturally slim and small, your baby might be too! I wouldn't fret about this at all. Best to avoid your HV though.

tiktok · 10/01/2011 17:07

No, not an HV!

I am a breastfeeding counsellor.

poppydog10 · 10/01/2011 17:35

Agree with Tiktok. Whilst it is important for you as a person to have a well balanced diet with enough calories, this does not affect the quality of your breastmilk.

1000 calories doesn't sound like enough calories though. I though a women should be eating around 2000 calories and I think BF does an extra 500 calories.

poppydog10 · 10/01/2011 17:43

Dull - there shouldn't be any need to add a bottle top up. This is detrimental to BF.

If there is a real weight concern, then best thing for OP to do is to get the baby to feed more by responding to every feeding cue, switch nursing (right breast, then left, then right again) and lots of skin to skin, not necessarily taking her top off completely, but allowing baby lots of relaxed time at the breast, so when she does want a feed she is able to.

There shouldn't be any need to pump. Pumping can make you unecessarily doubt your supply and pumping is not as effective and your baby sucking.

Do you have a local Baby Cafe near you? Best thing is to contact a real life BF counsellor to support you with this.

Original poster

rpickett · 10/01/2011 18:05

Thankyou everyone for your replies and especially crikeybadger for the link, thats what I have been doing I just didn't know the name for it she does "open mouth wide?pause?then close mouth type of suck? alot of the time which is causing her (I think) to fuss and thats why she doesn't feed for long, I keep hoping she will improve in time but I'm just getting so disheartend by the lack of weight-gain.
There is a breastfeeding group near me but unfortunatly I can't get there with my 3DC's at the moment as I am literally housebound with them due to logistics.

OP posts:

foxytocin · 10/01/2011 18:18

on the calorie thing, a woman doesn't really need 500 calories to make enough breast milk.

one effect of lactation is that it makes women use food more efficiently so only a small increase in a normal day's intake will be sufficient with most women.

as you say, plenty of wet and soiled nappies and a content baby who is reaching her developmental milestones will tell you a lot more than a scale will.

Ivette · 10/01/2011 19:08

its been said, but I will say that again. Dont listen to your hv, she is stupid cow. There is nothing wrong with your baby, your milk or you. I must admit, I never worried about centils tbh. If she is sleeping and eating well, dont worry about the rest. My DD wasnt eating that much but she was gaining weight in her own pace

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