Urgent, they want me to put Callum on Formula.. help!!

[sparklygothkat]

Callum has been struggling with his weight gain. He was born weighing 4lb 8oz, and is now 5lb 1oz, 6 weeks later. We have been topping up with a feeding tube, and he gains while we top up but not by huge amounts. He hasn't gained anything this week, even with 2x a day topups. He is feeding every 3-4 hours. The SCBU nurse is getting concerned now and has gone back to the hospital to discuss Callum with a doctor. He also has reflux. She said about formula today, which me and DH don't want to do. help

Are they putting Thick n Easy with the EBM that he is tube fed Sparkly, to help prevent him bringing it back?

Can you express only hind milk so that when he it tube fed, that's what he gets?

bump for you. Can you feed more often, 3-4 hours is quite a long time between feeds for a 6 week old (espcially a small one). Good luck

thing is my milk supply is slowing down, I am struggling to express much now, can get enough to top up the 30ml, but tghats with the foremilk too

here is a link to the ABM, a useful homepage with a telephone AND an e-mail contact line- I would telephone them for advice ASAP Sparkly.

he won't feed if not hungry

Is it possible to feed him more frequently? My LO was only born 3 weeks early, but at that age could only go about 20 minutes without bf.

SGK - I've been following some of your posts and think you have been doing tremendously well - very inspirational in fact.

I think since Callum is a teeny weeny one you probably need special advice from TikTok, but then do come and join our "tiny acorns" support thread for the Mums of slow gaining babies. We are all experiencing similar anxieties as you and it's comforting to talk to others in the same boat.

The only thing I notice from your post is that perhaps you might consider feeding more frequently for a while, if possible? 3-4 hours may not be quir enough.

sorry x posted

sorry x posts with everyone re increasing freq....oops

Talk to GP about being prescribed something to help your milk supply. I was put on Maxilon (anti sickness drug (!) with side effect of increasing milk supply in lactating women) when DS was in SCBU.

Make sure YOU are getting plenty of calories (you look a slim little madam! ) and keeping expressing more often than you are already, to increase the supply and demand.

I feed him on demand, which can be anything from1 hour to 4 hours, but generally its 3-4 hours. He won't wake for extra feeds. I have tried to but he just has a small suck and then falls back to sleep

sparkly, sorry to hear this.

3-4 hourly feeding is not usually enough for babies as little as this. Can you give him kangaroo care which allows him to be close to the breast without the effort of 'asking' for it, and which always results in more frequent feeds?

I don't know the history of what's been going on, so what I say may not be applicable.

2 x top ups a day may not be enough for a baby who's had something of a struggle to gain weight, and he may not yet be strong enough to feed effectively direct at the breast without significantly more top ups. These don't have to be formula of course, if you can express ++++++....think in terms of at least 8X in 24 hours inc at least 1x at night. Use a decent pump and make sure your technique is good.

I would be a bit uncomfortable with Shiny's suggestion of only giving hindmilk - he needs volume as well. Of course this would be a good idea if you are managing to express gallons, so you can cream off the top and still get an excellent volume for him each time.

It's definitely a concerning situation, though, and he does sound as if he needs a lot more calories....but they don't have to be formula.

Hope things get better.

The SCBU nurse just phoned, have to pick up a reflux med today from hospital, but atm, we don't have to FF.

I have my 6 week check this aftrenoon, so0 will ask about about for my supply

I agree try and get him on the boob as often as you can to increase supply every hour if needs be. Also try expressing even more even if you only get a few extra ounces a day it will help.

I think you are doing a fab job though and I'm sure tiktok or some else with more knowledge about BFing premmies will be along soon

www.kangaroomothercare.com/

we were topping up after every feed up till last week, when the SCBU said to reduce them to see if he could do it himself. I will try to increase his feed, and see what happend.

SGK - I was prescribed domperidone this morning to help increase supply, (although this has to go hand in hand with a very frequent feeding or expressing protocol, and for me is probably the last resort after trying other ways to increase supply)

However, I can't understand why a top up of formula would be considered instead of a top up of breastmilk, which is more nutritionally advantageous?

I just meant hind milk for the tubes feeds TikTok, not when Sparkly's feeding him herself. But am no expert.. just going by personal experience.

So I should try skin to skin, to try and increse feeds? He is still sleeping loads atm, as he is so small, so will he wake for extra feeds if I try this.

Shiny, I know you meant the tube feeds! I'd still be worried that he would need the volume of milk in the tube and not be reduced to an ounce of hindmilk...'cos if he gets routinely 2 ounces of top up, the hindmilk will be in it as well as an extra ounce of the rest

But if she expresses a ton, and can cream off 2 oz of fat, then that might be worth doing....do you get me? That may be what you meant, perhaps.

I was just clarifying, really.

Sparkly, there's info at the link I posted, and yes, babies do wake more. Their sleep is not so deep, because they can smell, hear, taste and touch you, and so instincts are stimulated. You can also spot early feeding cues and respond quickly, without the baby cueing a need to feed, and not getting a response, and dropping back to sleep.

A bruiser of a 7 or 8 pounder will not drop back to sleep - he'll eventually yell. But a little dot of a thing doesn't have the energy to spend on yelling, so quick responses to the very gentle cues they make are important....and that's the main reason why KMC (kangaroo mother care) is so useful.

Yes see what you mean TikTok sorry

Thanks girls, am off to BF clinic now, and then have my postnatel check so will be back later

To be honest i am a little that people in RL have not given the OP the kind of advice that is on this thread.

well bf clinic gave me good advice too. so will keep at it!