Newborn weight loss

[Chardeemacdennis1]

Just looking for a bit of advice.

DD is 13 days old. She was 8lb 6oz when she was born at 41 + 5.

She is breast fed. She has been feeding well having a period of cluster feeding once a day and then 2-4 hour gaps between feeds the rest of the time. She feeds for between 15 and 45 minutes sometimes from both sometimes from just one side depending on how long she feeds for.

Day 2 she had lost 60g. She's been weighted twice again and both times lost a bit more weight. She is on 3% loss of birth weight.

Mw now saying we need a plan in place and I should express after feeds then give her that.

I'm not that happy about doing that. I find expressing painful and I don't want to give her a bottle or cup feed.

Really wanted to know if anyone else had experiance somthing simular and if baby losing weight in the first 2 weeks is really cause for concern. I feel like top up feeds is a bit extreme when she's only lost 3%.

Is there anything else I could do in regards to my diet.

The only thing that seems a bit unusual is my right breath swells with milk and leaks but the left one doesn't. But when she feeds I always hand express a little at the beginning and start and the left does have milk in it. In fact the left squirts out where as the right just seeps out milk.

She does also have oral thrush but doesn't seem to effect feeding.

I’m not trained and you really are better talking to someone who is. You could put a call out for tiktok or call one of the BFing Helplines. Hace you got the numbers Chardeem?

Congratulations on your new LO too

I've got a number for the breast feeding helpline so I'll give them a try.

I just don't really understand why a baby can lose 7%, mine has lost 3% but I'm being told I need to top up feeds.

Maybe because the average is to be back up to birthweight by 14 days, so they would expect her to be starting to put a bit of weight back on by now?

I just don't really understand why a baby can lose 7%, mine has lost 3% but I'm being told I need to top up feeds

Me neither but with the baby being so young I really don’t want to give you’ve any advice, you’re much better off ringing one of the Helplines

This article from Kellymom might help to

I’m wary about giving opinions about such a tiny baby-but I thought up to 10% weight loss was generally not a cause for concern in the first week or so so long as there are plenty of wet and dirty nappies and the baby is generally well and as settled as a new born ever is. It certainly used to be the case that expressing was not recommended for the first 6 weeks because it can upset the supply and demand of breastfeeding. Is there a La Leche advisor in your area?

Is your baby feeling until she falls off the breast content?

Or are you releasing the nipple after say 45 mins thinking that's enough?

When nursing do you see and hear her sucking and swallowing? If not stimulate baby : stroking / tickling / blowing is often enough

After the first breast is emptied, try waking baby with a full on nappy change before offering the other breast. Do this every time to get more milk into your baby.

Most babies have regained their birth weight after 2 weeks, but not all and 3% is very small. You are doing well, make the changes suggested and I am sure the top ups can be avoided if you don't want to give them!

A weight loss up to 10% of birth weight is usually considered ok. However, if a baby is not back to birth weight within 14 days, that may be a sign something is not quite right. Is your baby jaundiced? This can affect feeding by making your baby sleepy. Thrush can also cause problems. Both you and the baby need treating with antifungal medicine. Has anyone checked for tongue tie? This can affect milk transfer. My advice is to feed two hourly during the day, feed even more frequently through the evening and on demand at night. I don't think you need to offer top up feeds unless you are getting less than 6 heavy, wet nappies in 24 hours. An acceptable weight gain is 20g per day. Are the MWs using the same scales for each weight, placed in a firm surface for accuracy? Hope you can get some face to face breast feeding advice soon. Your health visitor should offer you a visit at around day 14. She may be experienced in breastfeeding support. Or if not, she may be able to refer to a specialist service.

@JiltedJohnsJulie

Thanks for the link. It says that the thrush could effect the weight gain and the use of a dummy.

I have been giving her a dummy at night to settle her so I think I'll stop that and just let her nurse instead.

@Happygolucky009

Yep I let her feed for as long as she wants, give her a nappy change then offer her the other side. Her nappy is always wet and she has one big poo a day then lots of little poo farts.

So she's definitely getting plenty of milk.

@BrokenLink

I'm on demand feeding already but I'll stop offering the dummy and just nurse.
She was a bit jaundice in the first week. Got the treatment for the thrush started today.

The first midwife weighed her on the tiled hall floor but the next two put it on the carpet. Been different midwife and different scales every time. When they come back Saturday I'll make sure they weigh on the tilled floor again.

My hv wasn't that helpful I asked about Bf support groups and she had no clue.

Baby should really start gaining weight after an initial loss, this is probably why they have given you advice to give a top up of extra milk. However, as you’ve just revealed you’re using a dummy I’d absolutely stop that and see how you get on. You’ll find baby will be asking for food a LOT, some feeds only 5-10 mins long, some full feeds. It’s all a way of getting your supply up. If you’ve been settling baby with a dummy then your supply probably isn’t as it should be completely at the mo so for the next 24-48 hours until baby is weighed next I’d feed feed feed whenever baby makes a noise. Then see what they say after baby is weighed.
I take it baby isn’t jaundice and is having plenty of wet and dirty (yellow) nappies?

I suspect the dummy is the culprit! You can probably reintroduce it after your milk supply has established at six weeks. Have you tried Googling "baby cafe" to see if you have one you can access? If not, some Children's Centres have breastfeeding groups. Or you could see if you have a La Leche League locally.

She was a bit jaundice but it's gone now.

I was just giving dummy at night to settle her after a feed but I should have probably just let her nurse again. I'll stop using it now and just keep feeding feeding feeding.

Fingers crossed she will have stopped losing by Saturday

Dropping the dummyvand starting on the thrush treatment sound like a good plan. I’d still call the National Bfing Helpline too.

You can find your local BFing Support Groups here.

And La Leche League suppprt.

Has LO ever been checked for Tongue tie to?

Thanks I'm going to look to attend a local group. No LLL near me though.

I don't think she has been checked for tounge tie but she latches and feeds well.

She can stick her tounge out so I don't think she has tounge tie

Have Yiu managed to call the helpline yet? What did they say?

Agree to drop the dummy for now, that'll be the easiest way to get more in. Also the thrush treatment should help. Thrush can make feeding very painful for babies so they only do the minimum. This can absolutely be your plan. If you don't want to top up then maybe say no for now but you'll reconsider once the treatment is complete. This can be your plan.

The ability to stick her tongue out doesn't mean she's not got tongue tie, just that it isn't really bad. It could still interfere with feeding so get her checked.

Fenugreek and oats are usually what's recommended diet wise. I'm not convinced personally but they certainly won't hurt.

From what you've said I don't think they're concerned about weight loss. I think they're concerned about lack of weight gain. If a baby looses say 7% but goes up to 3% then it shows they can put on weight and assumed that they'll follow the same trajectory. There may be a concern that your baby can't put on weight which would indicate a deeper problem that needs to be looked at, but in the first instance there is an underlying assumption that you're inadvertently starving your baby (that's not to be taken personally, I assume there's a statistical reason for it).

I would question the different swelling of your breasts. Do you always feed from the same one first? Are both being drained at each feed? Is the thrush only in one?

Expressing shouldn't be painful. I support your decision not to, bu t that shouldn't be based on the pain. So if you do change your mind and you can afford to, try out different pumps until you find one that works for you, it can be a very personal fit. In my experience hospital grade doesn't mean better.

If your not happy with the advice given by the midwives then you can request a paediatric referral, which would discharge you from their care. But be aware that they will push formula on you.

And finally, we're not professionals but we're here if you need support, advice, or just to rant.

If this is any consolation both my boys took more than 2 weeks to get back to birth weight. My oldest took 6 weeks had jaundice and lost 10% - there was some concern but there were plenty of wet and dirty nappies of the right consitency and he seemed perfectly alert and healthy. He's currently going to bed and planning gaming with younger brother right now.
ALso you seldom produce the same amount of milk from each breast. Lefty was twice the volume of Righty in my case.

If it's any help my youngest (currently 7 weeks old). Lost 9.9% weight in first 5/7 days and only gained a few grams week after. I was struggling with feeding due to cracked nipples and pain but got through it with help of nipple shields and increased feeding frequency.
Took 28 days to get back to birth weight.
So it can take longer than the 2 weeks suggested. Sounds like you are doing the right things. Can you persist with one breast for longer. Or generally increase frequency as I think you've identified.

I always offer both and alternate which side I start on. I'm a bit sore on the right so I think that was had got a bit of thrush.

I'll see how we go and hopefully tomorrow they will be an improvement

Sorry I meant to link to this article from Kellymom yesterday as it explains the quantity of wet and dirty nappies you should be getting.

Like I say, I’m not trained so you really need to speak to a BFC or Lactation Consultant but feeding her every 2 hours in the day won’t hurt.

Have you tried Breast compressions yet?

My dd still hadn't regained birth weight at 4 weeks. Up until then my midwife then hv was quite laid back about it. My daughter was very bloated looking when she was born and I think some of the weight she lost was the bloat. I did give in and top her up with formula from 4 weeks at the advice of hv.

Sounds like you have a good plan with getting rid of the dummy and getting the thrush sorted. Good luck

The other think i’ve Just remembered. Was she very big at birth? My second was huge- but put on weight incredibly slowly. I wasn’t worried because he was obviously doing OK and because he was my second I had the confidence to hold my nerve and not top up. Years later I discovered on here that “catch-down” growth is a thing.......

She wasn't big but had a good layer of chub and was 2 weeks overdue.

Ive woke her to feed her every three hours last night as well which I hadn't been doing before.

Waking every 3 hours particularly at night is fab! Perrsonally I don't think either of you have thrush. Often babies with thrush are difficult to feed due to fussing, arching back, crying and as its a bacterial infection, it normally affects both breasts very quickly with you experiencing deep breast pain.

The soreness on the right breast suggests a shallow latch, trying feeding underarm on that breast using exaggerated attachment to get a better milk transfer as well as more comfortable feed.

Sounds like you are doing an amazing job, keep going and take it one feed at time. It gets much easier in time and is worth the effort!

She def has thrush it looks like it's been snowing in her tounge. It has started to clear up with the gel and I think she is now feeding for longer.

Just fingers crossed for the weightbtoday.