Weight loss

[mummaJC]

Get ready this could be quite a long message!-my 3mnth old is exclusively breast fed and has put on a steady 5-8oz a week since birth. That was until this week. We don't get her weighed every week any more as didn't feel it was an issue but she has started to be REALLY miserable in the day (has never been an overly content baby and has always whinged on and off!!), so mentioned it to the GP who suggested seeing the HV who suggested weighing and hey ho my daughter now weighs 2oz less than she did 3 weeks ago. We are devestated and the knee jerk reaction was to give her formula as presumed she's not getting enough milk. However have not done this so far even tho the GP thought it was a good idea. The thing is, even tho she is grumpy in the day she still sleeps throught he night (12+hrs) and seems healthy otherwise. Is she unhappy cos she's hungry ?? Am really reluctant to give formula-does anyone have any ideas on how to boost milk supply??

Hello, sorry your LO isn't feeling tiptop. I'm sure some mnetters with more bf expertise will be along soon, but FWIW More Milk Plus tablets (you can get them online) were recommended to me by a bf counsellor and my supply is much better now. Though TBH I think the real reason mine got back on track was ds feeding lots! Can you feed her more often, even if it means waking her in the night (I know, I know )? Might have the dual effect of boosting her weight and your supply? Good luck

Hi MummaJC, firstly was your baby weighed on the same scales as before? Different scales can make a difference. Secondly, had she just had a big poo? A baby weighed one week with an empty bowel versus next week with a full bowel can also make several ounces difference. Weight isn't a terribly reliable indicator of health in a breastfed baby. Is she growing in length? Some breastfed babies do "plateau" for a couple of weeks - the lines in the charts are based on bottlefed babies.

However you say she's miserable. Is she hungry? When she's miserable during the day will she take a feed, is she on her 12 week growth spurt and trying to kick up your milk supply? Like you I suspect she wouldn't be sleeping 12 hours at night if she were very hungry. If she isn't interested in food is she teething- some babies do get teeth at this age? In which case is the miserableness not hunger but pain from teeth?

Sorry this is lots of questions rather than answers really but supplementing with formula is rarely a good first response to one "unsatisfactory" weigh-in. As you've fed for 3 months already, your milk supply is likely to respond quite quickly if you increase the number of feeds that baby is having. If you want to talk it over the NCT Breastfeeding Line can be really helpful 0870 444 8708 and can also give you the number of a local breastfeeding counsellor who will support you in whatever you want to do.

There's some really good stuff written on milk supply by Jack Newman, a Candaian paediatrician.
www.breastfeedingonline.com/4pdf.pdf

Hope this helps.

Jenny
www.natality.co.uk

mumma, the only sure way to get more milk into your baby is to feed her more often

Like Jenny, I would be sceptical of the whole weighing business - this is 2 oz in an otherwise healthy 3 mth baby, and it could easily be operator error/scale error. However, no harm will come from simply offering her the breast many times in the day and at least once at night.

Giving formula is really pointless if all we are worrying about is getting more milk into the baby - you have the milk! She just needs to get it more often

Thanks for the replies, you've all compounded what i already felt, sometimes it's just good to hear it! ChasingButterflies-I have just ordered the More Milk Plus (hope it works), glad to hear it worked for you. Natality-not sure if the scales were the same, maybe you have a point? Am trying to feed more often, the problem is she has got really squirmy at the breast so makes it difficult. Am also expressing to demand more so will hopefully increase my supply. In regards to teething, we did wonder as she seems to spend alot of time dribbling with her hands in her mouth but calpol/nurofen doesn't seem to help and would she be sleeping through the night if she was in pain? If only babies could talk, i'm sure it would solve all our problems!!