Moving from breast to formula due to baby losing weight...

[MummyViola]

My DD will be 4 weeks old tomorrow and has continually lost weight since birth. She has fallen from just over 8lbs to just under 7lbs. I have been bf, which was going ok, I thought. HV referred us to doctor last week, who advised us to introduce 1 or 2 formula feeds a day as well as bf every 2-3 hours rather than on demand (all the time), to encourage my supply to build up.

I am now so concerned with DD weight loss that I am considering switching to formula completely, or possibly also topping up with formula after each breast feed.

Has anyone else been in this position? I want to keep bf but need to do whatever will get dd to gain weight.

I'm no expert, but I thought that breastfeeding on demand was how you built up supply.

I hope someone comes on with advice for you - it's all so hard at the start.

Hi MummyViola, congrats on the birth of your DD :) Sorry to hear you've been having problems. Did you tell the doctor that you have been feeding very frequently on demand? Feeding less than you are will not help your supply.

Have a read of this- it suggests finding a local IBCLC (or you could find a breastfeeding counsellor) that will work together with your doctor to help your baby to gain weight.

You say your DD is feeding all the time- are the feeds comfortable? How does your DD seem, health-wise?

Try contacting your local LLL or NCT or calling one of the helplines.

Call one of the bfing helplines. You need to get your latch checked ASAP.

If you introduce formula you're supy will diminish. If you can't get seen urgently then perhaps one or two formula feeds may be needed. Signs of this are a dehydrated (sunken fontenel) ot especially lethargic baby. However it isn't ideal.

You should continue to feed on demand in the meantime but ensure you go no longer than 2 hours between offering. Better if you offer every time you sit down as well. A bf baby with unlimited access to the breast will feed on average every 24 mins.

Hth

dont switch. get another opinion from a different doctor. Keep breast feeding/ there are very few incidences in which breastfeeding is contra indicated.
She may be losing weight for other reasons. does she vomit a lot? there are other, mechanical reasons, and breastfeeding isnt the first thing on the differential diagonosis. go to breastfeeding counsellors by all means, but, get another opinion from a different doctor

All the advice I got was that on demand builds supply, but Dr thinks dd is grazing and not emptying each breast, so not getting the fatty milk. I think dr's theory is by leaving dd to get proper hungry she will be more efficient, and I will become fuller also. I just feel like I will go crazy if dd doesn't start to put weight on soon.

Would block feeding help with that?

Okay, we in that case the dr is talking absolute bollocks and his reasons are nonsense. Bfing doesn't work like that.

How many breast do you give with each feed?

Do you feed on one side until it slows and then switch to the other and then switch back etc.?

i think that the doctors reasoning makes sense, and you could try it out for a day or so, but, i also think that you should get another opinion. as those other reasons really do need to be excluded. If she is only four weeks old, you can still go back to the hospital ward where she was born for advice.

whilst i am a huge advocate of breastfeeding if you really truly are at the end of your tether, then give her to your partner or mother or osmeone else, let them give her a bottle, and go and get your hair done, or your nails or something like that. then, when you are back, feed her yourself again. she needs a calm and happy mother.

EauRouge - dd seems healthy, peeing, pooing, gazing adoringly at dh etc. She does have reflux, but isn't really sick much, although she has been a bit more sick on the formula.

There is so much conflicting advice on bf, it's so hard to know what to do.

Dr told me this too and that just about when I lost all faith in him!

My DD was not losing weight but putting it in very slowly which was a concern as she was already tiny.

After lots of advice from a local breastfeeding group, a helpline, lactation consultant and on here she has started to improve.

Basically we have been switch feeding on demand. Doing breast compressions and had her tongue tie diagnosed and sniped ( wasn't picked up by hospital, midwife, HV or GP!)

Your breasts won't 'get fuller' if you wait longer between feeds, all that will happen is that over time you will make less and less milk. Your dr doesn't know how breastfeeding works.

Do you have a Breastfeeding group in your area or is there a lactation consultant you can see?

Are you offering both or even several breasts per feed? If you keep putting baby back on the other breast when baby has come off and is ready she will get fattier and fattier milk. You can offer 2,3 or 4 breasts, there is no limit!

You should get your latch checked to make sure baby is removing milk efficiently. Has she been checked for tongue tie?

Tbh that Drs advice is quite frightening. On what basis/evidence did be make those recommendations?

Does he normally make clinical decisions in this way. I.e his own ideas/whim rather than training?

fbnomore why would you say the dr makes sense when he is talking rubbish? Op has stated she wants to carry on bfing if she can. Encouraging her to leave the baby and get someone else to give baby a bottle is only going to be detrimental to her supply. The best thing to Sonia to stay close to baby and feed as often as possible.

The only thing I do agree with is that baby needs a happy relaxed mother but there are other ways of achieving this. Helping her to believe in her ability to nourish her baby without needing formula would be one. Her family taking care of all chores and giving her time to feed baby whilst relaxing might be another.

No breast feeding group here as out in the sticks. I haven't got on that well with hv's... they are not the most supportive bunch to say the least. Hence why seriously considered the formula as I def. need more support with bf.

I tend to offer one side until dd starts coming off, then offer her the other. She usually finishes by falling asleep despite being stripped and blowed on etc to try to keep her awake.

The best thing to do

Where did 'Sonia' come from

Don't give up. Get your latch checked ASAP from a breast feeding expert. Has she been checked for tongue-tie?

Hi, I was in this position and I disagree with most of the posters. The most important thing, above all else, is that the baby is getting enough milk and doesn't become malnourished.

I followed my HV advice and bf (very frequently) followed by a top-up of formula (given by my DH or DM) while I expressed to up my supply. It meant for a very tough first few months but my supply did eventually increase so that in the end my DS didn't need formula. In the meantime I knew that he was getting enough nutrition from the formula.

In advance of any advice that it was my latch that was the issue, I honestly don't think it was as I attended bf cafes and was checked by bf counsellors and HV there as well as at home and was always told the latch was ok.

It's normal for them to fall asleep as the hormones in your milk knock them out for a while After a little while, maybe 10-15 mins, if baby wakes then try offering again. Of course sometimes baby wont wake for a whole and will have a proper snooze. Your breasts will never become empty so you can offer as often as you like.

The emptier your breasts are, the faster your body makes more milk.

If there is no group in your area then I would suggest calling
La Leche League 0845 120 2918
or
National Breastfeeding helpline 0300 100 0212

Here's a list of lactation consultants, take a look and see if there's one near you or one you could call.

The only thing you need to do to if you want to breastfeed is access proper support. It is annoying that the proper support isn't available in all areas but it is out there

simonscat there's nothing wrong with the advice you were given. It's not so bad giving formula as a top up if you are expressing so it doesn't affect your supply. The OPs dr didn't tell her to express though, he just said to give formula and go longer between breastfeeds which is altogether a different scenario and one that will not help supply at all.

Where is Tiktok when you need her?!

Because she sounds stressed out and at the end of her tether, and I know what that feels like. The best thing i ever did for my 7 week old son was to leave him in my room crying on the bed, and go watch tv in the living. I say watch, I was really crying my eyes out at my own inability to cope with him. When i came back half an hour later, he was asleep, and I was feeling a lot lot better and was able to give him what he needed, which was love, comfort and food.
I think the op needs a second opinion from a doctor, or other medical professional, not random, questionably qualified strangers on the internet. I think its best if she continues to breastfeed but there may be other, mechanical reasons why her baby isnt putting on weight and they need to be investigated and sorted, tongue tie and vomiting are the least scary of the things that are in my head. I wont terrify anyone by voicing or typing them. She just needs to get it looked at, rather than be here on mumsnet. Lactation consultants are brilliant, assuming there are no other issues.

fbnomore I know what it feels like too. Both my ds's had problems gaining weight and the first one saw every health professional imaginable.

I understand what you're saying but just because leaving your baby for a little while helped you cope (nothing wrong with that and I have done the same myself on occasion) it doesn't mean that the best advice is for her to go out and leave someone else to feed the baby.

I'm just bearing in mind that her basic goal is to breastfeed her baby and of thats what she wants to do, the best thing is to give her all the resources to be able to do that. I know there may be other reasons her baby is not gaining weight and maybe a dr can look in to that by doing blood tests and taking stool samples etc but it doesn't mean she has to follow advice that is quite simply incorrect from the dr in the meantime.

A lactation consultant helping with her latch and giving her correct Breastfeeding information and facts will not get in the way of a dr investigating any other issues. It will simply make sure her supply is the best it can be and baby is getting as much milk as she can.

This is not a situation for a talkboard - apart from to get support and encouragement. This baby is losing weight. This is an urgent situation. OP you desperately need a second opinion from someone who understands bf and how to move back to full bf after some formula.

There may be a bf specialist in your area or call any of the helplines and find out where to get expert help in person.

Hope you get good help soon - don't leave it at this.

Agree with tiktok.