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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

3wk old breastfed baby losing weight...

47 replies

saralou100 · 29/12/2006 12:06

ok, ds is now just over 3 weeks and is bf. i had an awful birth which ended in a c-section and now the wound is infected. i'm on my 2nd course of anti-biotics for this. my problem is that ds is now losing weight, even though he seems to have been feeding well.. he was feeding every 1 1/2 - 2 hours during the day and only waking once in the night, the last few days he wants to feed even when he's jst finished.. i did put this down to a growth spurt, but it can't have been if he's losing weight.. not really sure what to do now? any ideas ladies? i tied topping him up with formula last night, but he wasn't keen... could it be the antibiotics doing this?

tia xx

OP posts:
LIZS · 29/12/2006 12:15

How much weight has he gained/lost and are the weighings one in the same circumstamces, on same scales etc to give true like for like. Frequent feeding is the usual way forward but if he is really losing despite this ,perhaps he also needs checking over physically or your latch needs adjusting to make his feeds efficient.

Original poster
saralou100 · 29/12/2006 12:31

when the hv first came at 10 days he had put on really well, was 9lb 2oz (birth weight was 8lb 11oz) and yesterday he was 8lb 10 oz on the same scales. they checked the latch and said it was good, but my boobs just don't feel like they have anything in them, especially when he's feeding so often.

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LIZS · 29/12/2006 12:35

What did HV suggest ?

NotQuiteCockney · 29/12/2006 12:37

I think you might want to try feeding him more often in the night. Losing weight at this age is a bit odd, although of course it may well be down to the infection, antibiotics etc. (Is your infection healing?)

I'd get your latch checked by a BFC and have a chat with one, to be safe. And then consider feeding more often in the night. Are you sleeping together? Is it an option?

Original poster
saralou100 · 29/12/2006 12:40

not really helpfull, she just goes on about his length and that he will want to feed a lot to fill out his frame... he's long and thin! and advised to call out gp if any problems getting him to feed over the bank holiday..

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LIZS · 29/12/2006 12:48

sounds pathetic tbh. Wouldn't be convinced she'd know a good latch or not. You'd be better off calling one of the helplines such as La Leche League or NCT .

Original poster
saralou100 · 29/12/2006 13:01

nqc, infection has improved but not completely gone, so i'm on second lot of antibiotics..

dp won't have him in the bed, plus he's a smoker, so i'd also rather not! we've had a couple of nights where he's fed every 2 hours, bu i also have a toddler, which makes it really hard during the day if i've been up all night (sorry, not realy helping myself here am i?)

he doesn't seem to feed for very long, 20 mins at the most, is this long enogh? when he wants to go straight back oagain which boob do i give him? the same one or the other one?

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NotQuiteCockney · 29/12/2006 13:19

For some babies, 20 minutes is enough. I'd offer the other breast if he wants fed again right away. Given he's not gaining, you should be offering both breasts at every feed, I think.

I'd call the hotlines (NCT/ABM/BFN/LLL) and get some real life support. Which hotline is best for you depends on what part of the country you're in, helpfully.

NotQuiteCockney · 29/12/2006 13:20

Oh, yes, cosleeping is out, because of the smoking, you're right. Is he in your room, at least, so it's less work feeding him in the night?

Original poster
saralou100 · 29/12/2006 13:42

yeah, he's at my side all day and all night

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Original poster
saralou100 · 29/12/2006 13:43

thanks, btw. have just left a message with a local bf councellor, just gotta wait for her to call back!

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daisymlaisy · 29/12/2006 14:35

hi, I'm a breastfeeding councillor, so I will do my best to help you.
I can totally understand that you must be doubting your milk supply, however, don't! try and avoid giving formula top-ups as this will interfere with your supply.
Is your baby having plenty of wet nappies throughout the day? If so this is a good sign and means he is getting plenty.
The cause of low weight gain could be due to poor attachment, get advice on this or read up on the internet or in books and make sure your attachment is effective. Its amazing how many breastfeeding problems are solved once good attachment has been made.
Do make sure that he drains each breast, as the important fatty milk which helps them gain weight is the last bit, so if your taking him off too early and swapping breast too early before he reaches this rich fatty milk, he is only ever getting, starter and main course so to speak and never the real fatty pudding!. So make sure he is allowed to feed off one breast until it is totally empty ( you will know if it is, as he will pull off and when you try and express nothing will come out.)
Aslong as you are feeding every 2-3 hours this should be plenty, and don't discourage the only one wake up in the night, as this is fantastic, certainly don't wake him up for more.
Does your baby have loose green stools? this is a sign that he may be getting too much low-fat milk which is high in lactose.
Definately get him looked over physically to make sure there is no medical reason for losing weight.
In the meantime have total faith in your supply, and concentrate on attachment and emptying your breasts. Good luck.
Where do you live?

Original poster
saralou100 · 29/12/2006 19:02

thanks daisy! we have lots of wet nappies, and quite a few poo's too! poo is orangey and very liquid, midwife said he may get diarrhoea with the antibiotics..

i've been timing all his feeds this afternoon,mostly their only for 10 mins and it's been every hour or even less, i never take him off my breast, wait for him to take himself off.. mostly he falls asleep, then when i move him he wakes up and starts requesting food again.

this feeding business is hard!

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ChicPea · 29/12/2006 19:32

Babies get quite warm and comfortable when snuggling up to their mums so you could try undressing him to wake him up so that he feeds for longer. My maternity nurse used to change the nappy mid feed rather than before the feed so as to wake my dd. Daisymlaisy looks as though she knows what she is talking about so hopefully she will keep posting. Congratulations and good luck.

tiktok · 29/12/2006 19:32

daisy - can I ask who you are a breastfeeding counsellor with, as not all of what you say is stuff I would agree with 100 per cent, sorry.

sara: it's certainly the case that attachment can lie at the root of many bf difficulties, and improving this is a sensible move.

Jalexandra · 29/12/2006 20:01

Hi saralou, My dd was a slow weight gainer. She too in the early weeks would only put on a couple of ounces every week and on a couple of occasions had lost weight. I was demand breastfeeding, but she only fed every 3 hours for about 10-15 mins at a time. She also slept for 12 hours at night and only woke then because I couldn't let her go any longer without a feed. My HV just said don't complain about the sleeping as it was a good thing and not to worry about the weight gain. Obviously I worried myself sick, but she is now 17 months old and is fine. She is still small for her age but is healthy.
I think it is down to genetics. Some babies are hungrier and bigger than others.
Try not worry. As he gets bigger he will seem less delicate and you will feel better.

daisymlaisy · 30/12/2006 09:45

Tik tok could I ask you what you don't agree with and I will try and explain it better

daisymlaisy · 30/12/2006 09:46

Are you are bf counsellor also Tik Tok and who do you work for out of interest? sorry if i'm being too nosey!

Debbsyandson · 30/12/2006 21:21

Hi Sara i know this may sound like a silly question and i am no expert first time mum but ds has feeding off me constantly for 2 days and i mean constantly i could nt even put him down yesterday without him crying even though he pulled himself off boobs felt empty.And at 2am this morning when i couldnt take anymore we gave him a dummy within half an hour he was fast asleep and bbemn much more contente today,been feeding for 20 mins then going to sleep.So do you think your ds could be using your nipples as comfort? because thats what my ds seemed to be doing.

tiktok · 31/12/2006 13:44

daisy, I am with NCT...and you?

It's a bit like high-jacking the thread, so I won't go into detail about your posts, sorry, but I was surprised you thought feeding 2-3 hourly should be plenty, as it may not be for every baby.

daisymlaisy · 31/12/2006 16:44

no your right tik tok, At times of growth spurts and if your trying to increase your milk supply then yes you should feed more frequently than 2-3 hours, although as a professional breastfeeding councellor for unicef and I work with the Nct every 2 hours should be satisfying your baby, if its not then the problem does need looking into, for if your baby requires more regular feeds than this, there is usually a problem of poor attachment or something else.
Which area are you a breastfeeding councellor for? I may know you?

tiktok · 31/12/2006 17:26

I didn't know unicef employed breastfeeding counsellors, daisy. Do you work in the UK? I have not heard of this.

I don't know of any evidence that a baby who needs feeding more often than 2 hourly 'usually' has a problem. There are lots of aspects to feeding, anyway, and looking at feeding frequency only can be misleading.

Debbsyandson · 31/12/2006 17:55

tik tok sorry to crash this thread but you did give me some advice before.I have started to express fed ds at 2pm but not getting much milk have to keep swapping breasts can you give me some tips please on expressing?

tiktok · 31/12/2006 18:10

Debby - start a new thread

That way more people will see it and chip in.

Meantime, try these i) check your pump is working properly ii) try hand expressing iii) try swap expressing ie going from one side to the other more than once, twice ot thrice.

Original poster
saralou100 · 31/12/2006 18:19

hi... been trying so hard to follow the lovely advice given! it is hard work though!

debbsy, i have invested in a dummy, but ds1 keeps stealing it and running off with it. he does it with a big grin on his face and it's kinda cute, but ds2 definitely likes to suck himself to sleep!

i expressed for the first time today aswell, got a total of 4oz out after2 feeds! he quite happily guzzled the lot and was nice and chilled out for a couple of hours after!

so attachment is definitely going wrong here, unfortunately with this bloody new year thing no-one can help me till tuesday it seems (i've phoned some local bf councellors) so i'm gonna persevere until then with dummy and expressing a couple of times a day.

i don't think it helps that i'm very very tired today, wound hurts alot and i really hate my dp... woe is me!!

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