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Infant feeding

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

Worried about weight gain and milk supply, EBF 6 week old

3 replies

MochaLove · 24/01/2024 21:19

Sorry that this is a bit long!

My DD is 6 and 1/2 weeks old. She was born weighing 7lbs 15oz, but dropped 10.2% of her birth weight after 3 days. I had a very long latent labour that ended in EMCS and my milk didn’t come in properly for 7-8 days. The midwives plan then was feed 3 hourly/on demand, but to give formula top ups if no weight gain in 2 days. Luckily, she gained and since then has not lost weight but has been quite slow to gain. She was 10g off birth weight after 3-4 weeks. We did give the odd top up (maximum of about 5 in total since birth).

Baby is EBF and feeds very frequently in the day, probably 1.5-2 hourly and becomes cross very quickly if not fed immediately! We have gone the occasional night of 5-6hr without waking for a feed - I obviously won’t let her go this long overnight for now. Breastfeeding was very painful for a good 4 weeks, but has started to improve. I still feel like a lot of the time, we don’t get a good, deep latch and wonder how much milk she’s getting. DD has been checked for tongue tie by a trained midwife. I also worry I have a low milk supply, as I very rarely leak and I can never express much at all - the most I’ve got is about 20ml total using a haakaa. We are having frequent wet nappies and around 3 dirty ones per day. She is alert and active at times between feed/sleep.

DD was weighed last week as had a hip scan, but it wasn’t charted in my red book. We went to get her weighed this week (6 days later) at the drop in clinic so the HV could chart it, and she’s the exact same weight as she was nearly a week ago. She has been a bit fussy on the breast over the last few weeks, sometimes pulling away and getting frustrated which I’ve normally put down to her being overtired. She’s now 8lbs 5oz, so not that much more than her birth weight really. She’s dropped one centile, and HV wants weekly weights. I’ve asked to see the infant feeding team again, but wondering if I need to see an actual lactation consultant at this point. Am I right to be concerned about the little weight gain? Or do some babies just need more time and will catch up at their own pace? I really want to continue to EBF and am willing to exhaust all options to be able to.

Thank you if you made it this far 😅 would really appreciate any insight or advice, from a slightly worried FTM 😬

OP posts:
Preggopreggo · 04/02/2024 11:21

also worry I have a low milk supply, as I very rarely leak and I can never express much at all - the most I’ve got is about 20ml total using a haakaa.

None of these are an indication of supply 😊 20ml from a haakaa is typical as it does not actively pump

Sounds like a check on your positioning and attachment would be helpful - can you get to a local group?

Your infant feeding team should have referred you to a lactation consultant by now, push for this if you can

Maybe you could call the national breastfeeding helpline to chat it all over?

you’re doing amazingly, things will get easier

Preggopreggo · 04/02/2024 11:23

Poos sounds great, good indicator of her getting a lot.

Did you have IV fluids in labour/birth? This can artificially inflate birth weight

seven201 · 04/02/2024 11:36

Sort of similar to us except my milk came in fine after c-section. She lost 11.5% and was jaundice so did have to give some
Formula after a couple of weeks of
Continued loss. For us it was instantly obvious after then that baby was so unsettled and angry as she was never getting full prior to the top up phase. Did have tongue tie snipped at 5 ish weeks and that made it less painful and I assume more efficient for her. I get hardly any when I pump but that shouldn't be an indicator. I do have mothers tea from Amazon and I do think it might be helping my supply a little. I would push for a lactation referral or ask about local drop ins. My dd is now 3 1/2 months and hasn't had any formula for 6 weeks now. When at your stage we were told to not let her sleep more than 3 hours between feeds as we were on the cusp of needing to be admitted back to hospital.

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