sudden weight gain while mix feeding

[elliejjtiny]

I was exclusively pumping for DS4 (4mo, born at 35+3) as he can't latch due to cleft lip and palate. He has had weight issues almost from birth, since they took the NG tube out. 2 weeks ago he started losing weight and last week we agreed to give him 1 feed a day of high calorie formula. There were tears (mine) at the hospital appointment and after. They told me to stop waking him up at night to feed as we were both knackered. I was desperate to breastfeed him and when I couldn't I really wanted to exclusively pump for him. This week he has gone from 9lb 14oz to 10lb 10oz. Part of me is pleased. The other part of me is . My milk must be really crap if 1 feed a day of high calorie formula made this much difference.

:( :( ellie :( :(

Your breastmilk will be fine - there are no significant differences in breastmilk quality between women. The usual reason for babies not gaining weight well enough on breastmilk alone is that they just are not getting enough of it. Having said that, high-calorie formula is better at enabling babies to do 'catch up' growth, and when babies need this (and it sounds your baby needed it) it's justified on clinical grounds.

I do agree with you that one day of high calorie formula would not account for the whole 12 oz (!) weight gain - it's far more likely your dedicated expressing and wonderful breastmilk made a huge contribution :)

You could do the maths yourself - work out what the calorie value of a day's worth of infatrini or whatever he was on is, and compare it to the calories value of a week's worth of breastmilk (you'd need to check ; I have forgotten the usual figure) because you will know how much volume he had of both. Most of his calories will have come from breastmilk :)