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Infant feeding

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

3 week old losing weight - suggested I top up

51 replies

Underbella · 25/02/2016 15:46

I was advised today to top up exclusively breastfed baby with a couple of 4oz feeds of formula a day.

HV also said that baby looks well, good colour, very alert and responsive. She poops twice a day at the moment and they are big poops. Her wet nappy output has declined a bit I'd say. But she usually pees during most nappy changes. Urine looks fine, pale in colour etc.

She was 7.14 at birth, lost 8% of her weight, she then gained up to 7.8, and today she's 7.5.

Breastfeeding feels alot better now in that it's not painful anymore. I feed baby whenever she shows signs of hunger (all the time when awake).

I'm not keen on introducing formula because I'd have to express while she was getting fed a bottle. I can't do this by myself or want the extra washing up.

So surely if baby looks OK, can't I just keep putting her on the boob?

I'll be contacting breastfeeding support folks in the hope they'll come out and see me.

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Underbella · 26/02/2016 11:50

She'll be getting weighed on Monday afternoon again.

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EustaceTheDragon · 26/02/2016 11:59

My youngest had posterior tongue tie, notoriously easy to miss. She was feeding frequently, yet still losing weight - very similar story to your baby.

My milk supply was slowly diminishing, because she wasn't able to feed efficiently, despite being at the breast frequently. She started off great, but would tire quickly and struggled to coordinate suckling, swallowing and breathing all at once. I ended up pumping 8x day and night to increase my supply and topped her up with about 14 oz total each day. She started gaining weight immediately and after a few weeks was satisfied enough at the boob to not need any more bottles. It was a hard slog.

The frustrating thing was that we had all the signs of posterior tongue tie but none of the NHS professionals caught it. I had to go private and depended heavily on a local LLL leader who ran the baby cafe (which is now shutting down, such a travesty).

After a feed, do your nipples look bevelled like a new tube of lipstick by any chance?

MigGril · 26/02/2016 12:04

Ok the weights defiantly aren't great and we can't see your baby so it is upto the Heath professional to decide on the right way to go. Even if a pedestrian referral may be needed at some point. Yes definitely get as much breastfeeding support as you can.

But really no one else going Shock at the HV weighing on the rug that would have a hug effect of the result you can wipe that weight out of the book for starters. It's not accurate. These are delacate scales they need to be on a flat surface. Baby need to be naked to.

LibertyBelles · 26/02/2016 12:24

My next weigh in is next Wednesday! Being checked for posterior tt the following week too

LibertyBelles · 26/02/2016 12:25

Eustsnce one of mine did at the beginning

EustaceTheDragon · 26/02/2016 12:53

Classic sign of posterior tongue tie, I'm afraid. Only one of mine did, as well, but the tie had significant impact on dd's ability to eat.

Underbella · 26/02/2016 13:57

The support worker has spent awhile with me. So I've a few tips :

I was tending to lean forward whilst holding boob to get baby to latch. Now I lean back, hook baby's bum under my elbow and allow her to latch on herself.

I've to give her a good feed are the one boob and when I think she's finished, I've to express off the same boob. But I've to try and keep offering the same boob.

Latch wise I'm getting the depth but she's not opening her mouth as wide as we'd like. Her bottom jaw is a bit pouty rather than wide open.

In the time she spent with me we seemed to be getting on better with latch but it's not perfect, so I'll be working on that.

Whatever I end up expressing, which will probably not be alot if expressing from same boob she's fed from, I can top her using a baby beaker.

Does this make sense?

OP posts:
Underbella · 26/02/2016 13:58

She looked at nipple Shape on detachment and we seemed to be improving as we got better with the latch!

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LibertyBelles · 26/02/2016 14:01

Yeah that nipple got v damaged too, it's only just healing now... Deep cuts

Underbella · 26/02/2016 14:02

So I'm thinking it's a combination of latch not quite being right, and not staying on the same boob for long enough to get hind milk?

About the rug thing,would that make the baby weigh lighter than she is?

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EustaceTheDragon · 26/02/2016 14:10

If you can feed in a reclining chair or leaning back in bed but propped at about a 60 degree incline with pillows, it might help. Let gravity work for you.

MigGril · 26/02/2016 15:15

I don't know if it would make her am lighter or heavery but it'll just be wrong. You may as well just cross it out.

Sounds like you had some good help with positioning and latch, but normally when they have come off one side on their own you'd offer the other. Trying to keep them on one side only for to long can have the opposite effect and reduce your supply. Switch nursing is great for building supply and increasing weight gain in babies one a good latch had been established.

Read kellymom.com

tiktok · 26/02/2016 15:28

Mig, I posted upthread about the weighing on the rug - it's bad :(

OP - it's hard to comment, but if anything has been said about 'keeping the baby on one side only to get the hindmilk' then I'm afraid all bets are off.

It's absolutely incorrect, and the opposite of what has to be done to ensure adequate weight gain and milk production.

I couldn't believe anything said about latch and positioning, once someone has said that.

It's a sure sign that they should not be helping women resolve breastfeeding problems.

Monkeymonstermum · 26/02/2016 20:15

You've had lots of advice but just an observation - you said urine was pale - apparently tiny babies can't concentrate their urine so even if they are dehydrated it won't be dark - only if jaundiced - then it does go dark (paediatrician told us this). Not sure at what stage they are able to concentrate it though. Better measure is the volume - ie if number of wet nappies has reduced this is potentially an issue, even if the urine is clear.

Only other thing to say: I've had huge feeding issues with all 3 and had to pump to stimulate supply and top up part expressed/part formula. If you do need to use formula it's so upsetting but if that's what's clinically needed (and really is needed after a proper clinical assessment) then just remember that you are doing the best you can and have tried so hard.
Xxx

Runningupthathill82 · 27/02/2016 06:29

OP, I could've written your posts with both of my children.
They seemed to be breastfeeding all the time, no obvious latch problems, lots of wet and dirty nappies... yet lost weight and carried on losing.

With DS, we never figured out why he wasn't feeding properly.
After being sent back to hospital twice - and eventually accepting that breastfeeding wasn't working for us - I started exclusively expressing, with formula top ups at first until my supply caught up. He regained birthweight at 28 days.
Then, at 10 weeks, he suddenly started breastfeeding of his own accord. I'd been trying to latch him several times a day, and then he just did it.
We carried on bfing for a year. He's now three, on the big side for his age, and you'd never know how much trouble we had with feeding at the start.

Same thing then happened with DD, three years later.
Latch looked fine, feeding seemed to be going fine, but her weight fell and fell like her brother. Tongue tie diagnosed and snipped, but made things worse if anything.
She's now ff as - despite trying to pump every 3hrs round the clock - I didn't have the supply to pump for her. Goodness knows why, as last time my supply built up quickly, but this time it just wouldn't.

She's exclusively ff, well above birthweight now (at four weeks old), and is an absolute delight.

The most important thing, IMO, is to feed your child, however that has to happen. Formula top ups now will not necessarily jeopardise breastfeeding. Indeed, I'm convinced the formula made DS strong and alert enough to eventually learn how to feed from me.

Expressing is a pain. I've done so much bloody expressing I could write a book on it. When I was doing it exclusively, I had pumps for home, pumps for work and even a handbag pump. It's the worst of both worlds - all the faff of ff with the huge, leaky, engorged boobs of bf. I fully understand if you don't want to do it. It's a full time job when combined with trying to bf successfully as well. But it's probably time to accept that bf itself isn't working for your DD. You need another way, whether that's temporary formula or temporary expressing til the feeding problems resolve.

Right now it feels shit, I know. I've been there, twice. But honestly, having a well-fed and healthy baby is the most important thing and if you need a bit of formula, temporarily, to help you get to where you want to be (while investigating tongue tie, working on latch, breast compressions, maybe trying expressing etc) then that is no bad thing.

And if your DD ends up ff? She'll be fine. I wept when this happened to my DD. A lot. I felt I'd let her down. But she's thriving and I have to see that as the most important thing.

Underbella · 29/02/2016 16:41

So baby was weighed again today and she has gained half an ounce. She's now 7 pounds 6 Oz.

I'm sorry but my instinct tells me baby is fine. She's producing plenty big dirty nappies. She visibly pees in front of me during nappy changes. She's having wee periods of content awake time.

No doubt I'll be getting hassle when this gets back to my hv. It was a stand in one today that came.

Out of interest I got DD1's red book out and both my girls followed the same pattern of weight gain, although DD2 did start off slightly heavier.

They were both slow to gain. Can't we just continue as normal without all this pressure?

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Runningupthathill82 · 29/02/2016 16:57

Did the stand-in health visitor give you any grief about DD not being back at birthweight, OP? Round here, they send you back to hospital - had it with both of mine Sad

Underbella · 29/02/2016 17:04

No she didn't say anything because I don't think she's getting involved in decisions while my usual hv is on holiday.

She died say she thinks dd of sucking for comfort.

See recommended I contact breastfeeding support again which over done and was meant to do anyway.

I've been expressing when possible but when I give it to dd, she tends to puke it up anyway.

Sick of having my ability to feed dd undermined.

Someone will be in contact running

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Underbella · 29/02/2016 17:05

Apologies for typos, holding dd and pumping and mumsnetting all at once!

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tiktok · 29/02/2016 17:41

It looks like your baby has stopped losing weight, which has to be reassuring.

But this much below birthweight at this age is a conundrum - though the way you describe her, she sounds fine, I agree :)

Birthweight may have been inaccurate, of course.

I think it makes sense to stay in touch with the HCPs, and to be aware that her pattern of growth may be indicating she needs to eat more.

Beyond that, there's not much an internet forum can say.

Hope all goes well.

LibertyBelles · 02/03/2016 20:49

Baby has gained 160g in a week - is that ok? She's now 9 pounds 2 (10 pounds 2 at birth) so still a way to go! Any idea how long is should take to get back up to birth weight? She's 4 weeks

tiktok · 02/03/2016 21:05

Liberty, start a new thread. This is underbella's.

LibertyBelles · 02/03/2016 21:17

tiktok I was just updating people as I've already posted that I was in a similar position ....

tiktok · 02/03/2016 21:35

Yeah, ok, but you asked a question :)

Underbella · 10/03/2016 21:00

Dead chuffed, DD has been weighed and is almost back to birthweight (7 pound 14 ounces) and is weighing in at 7 pounds 13 ounces.

Hv now wondering if initial birthweight was correct! I guess it doesn't matter now anyway.

Thanks everyone for your help Grin

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