I produce low calorie milk (hv advice)

[Bringbring]

This is the reason my baby is not putting weight on and why I should start formula. She couldn't provide any evidence for this as a diagnosis except that she ff her own children after having low calorie milk. Is this a thing?

I've done everything I can think of to keep bf (helplines, had latch observed, pumped, co-slept, medicine, skin to skin, diet, asked my dr for blood tests (refused), turned up at numerous groups, feeding every hour) but my baby (15 weeks) only puts on 1oz a week. I feel terrible and I'm just crying non stop because I want to feed my baby myself and I just get fobbed off.

So so sad.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

I have fed 3 tongue tied babies (and one had lip tie too) and have seen literally dozens of professionals who spout all kinds of rubbish and failed to dx it in each of my babies.

It makes them feed all the bloody time, which is hard as they would already feed a lot.

Help was so shockingly crap that for each baby I fed through it and their mouths got bigger and my nipples got harder and somehow we coped.

I would have very little faith in the majority of people who might tell you there is no tt.

[AlfieBear87]

rike maybe, I'm just repeating what the Doc said.

DS2 feeds frequently, for 30 mins at a time and is happy and content in between feeds so it doesn't seem like he needs more milk. I offer the breast at any opportunity but if he's not hungry he won't take it.

But no, the doctor didn't analyse the milk content or anything like that. I guess if the baby seems to be getting enough milk but still isn't growing then the logical conclusion is that the milk content is impaired in some way. But will test his hypothesis and see if it makes any difference at his next pead appt in 2 months time!

[HolidayArmadillo]

Personally I'd report the health visitor for giving out such god awful advice. Seriously. How many other women has she told this too?

[AlbertaCampion]

My DS went from 91st to 9th, but that was due to severe reflux. You haven't mentioned vomiting, so I am guessing it isn't a problem?

I think you have lucked out by being in Yorkshire though. Of you are anywhere near Harrogate Hospital, try to get to see the breastfeeding lady there. Her name is Jo. She is brilliant.

There is also a highly-rated duo of tongue-untiers. I can't remember the name but they have a website and are in West Yorks.

[RikeBider]

Are you thinking of //milkmatters.org.uk?

[Bringbring]

Thank you, here's the stats from my semi-skimmed boobies
1lb5 loss by day 5 (hospitalised and ff)
Regained birth weight by day 15
6oz gain innext two weeks
For next month follow pattern of no gain/3-4oz a week
Then put on 8oz in one week (did not do anything different except give up 1 5oz ff)
Then in last three weeks put on 3 oz

I am topping up with comfort milk 2-3oz but he's not taking from me. I don't want to offer the bottle too much.

Support is not great but I'm pretty resilient! I r had great advice off the helplines and they agree I'm doing what I shod be doing.

[yetanotherworry]

Am I understanding right that the week baby gained 8 oz, you dropped a FF. If so, how many FF are you doing?

[Bringbring]

Yetanotherworry I haven't been ff since four weeks ago (until today).

Before this the baby had a 5oz top up ff every day but was full by the time we gave it so we dropped this feed.

[AlbertaCampion]

RikeBider yes!

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

3oz altogether in last 3 weeks? If so, I think speaking to a BF counsellor would be really helpful.

You will not, however, be producing poor quality milk and your HV sounds in need of some urgent good quality training (please complain about that later after you have the baby sorted out)

[meso]

Just wanted to say that I had the same with both of my babies and was doubly flamed because I was using nipple shields as both my babies were tongue tied and took a while to sort out latches after having tt cut. The also dropped through the weight charts and I got referred to paeds for weight check ups but NEVER got told to stop BFing or even to top up with formula as long as I was getting regular wet nappies and lots of nice yellow poos - which you said you are getting.

In my experience some babies just grow at a different rate - don't forget those charts were designed for caucasian formula fed babies and are the same ones that have been used since the 1950's - look up the info on kellymom linked up thread.

You are doing a great job and need support - do you have people in RL who can help you out? Also make sure you are keeping YOUR fluid intake up too - BFing is thirsty work!!!

By the way I fed my daughter until she was one and am still BFing my 10 month old son and they have both stabilised perfectly well on the weight charts. Hang in there love and maybe stop seeing (or find a different) HV??

[NoodieRoodie]

If you're near Airedale Hospital (Keighley) the Infant Feeding Co-ordinator, Lis, is fantastic.

[NothingsLeft]

I have been told this by both a allergy paediatrician (top one in the country) and a dietician and it is absolute bollocks. Neither of them were able to produce any evidence to support there claims and were just massively ignorant about breastfeeding.

I would get TT looked at again OP,especially if he has symptoms. They are often over looked, we saw several HCP before getting DA's sorted. Do you or your partner have one? They tend to run in families.

[Rulesgirl]

The clinic told me that my son was not putting on weight with me fully breastfeeding him which worried me. I went home on my lovely HV took one look at him and said hes doing fine. Hes feeding, hes happy and hes healthy. She gave me the confidence to carry on and make my own informed decisions. He grown up just fine. Low calorie breastmilk......mmmmm........your breasts make the milk your baby needs at any given time. Sometimes its richer and sometimes its more watery and thirst quenching. Don't worry. She should be supporting you not telling you rubbish.

[IWipeArses]

I had similar issues with my first and was told no tongue tie, but it's obvious having read up that he does. I worked on position and latching and it did stop hurting and he did put more weight on, but it was hard work, so I read up on it and got details for the consultants who deal with tongue tie ready. Fortunately I've not had that trouble with dd, but regular hcps do not have sufficient knowledge of tongue tie ime.
I also suspected silent reflux as an issue, might be worth looking at, makes them very uncomfortable and unable to sleep which affects weight gain.

[RikeBider]

meso - for the last few years the weight charts have been WHO charts based on breastfed babies. Before that they were just all babies I think, breast and formula.

[tiktok]

"In my experience some babies just grow at a different rate - don't forget those charts were designed for caucasian formula fed babies and are the same ones that have been used since the 1950's - look up the info on kellymom linked up thread."

Not correct in UK - that info only applies to UK. UK charts are good.

[tiktok]

PS charts are good, but as ever only part of any assessment.

[NotQuiteCockney]

There are a few things you haven't mentioned trying (maybe you are doing them though?)

• switch feeding - switching breasts often during a feed
  
• domperidone (although maybe this is what you meant by 'medicine'?)
  
• breast compression