24 hour weighing - lost again. What shall I do?

[AlienLady]

Midwife came yesterday - Day 5. DD lost 10% of her weight
Midwife came today and she lost a further 0.3g.
I have been trying to feed her every 3 hours since yesterday.
She seems sleepy today and not that bothered so I’ve had to strip her just to get her to take some milk. Midwife wanted me to give her a top of expressed milk so I got my haaka out and tried expressing for the first time. I got only 10ml out of my left breast. What do I do? It’s my birthday today as well and I am so upset as I thought I was doing a good job. Do I do a formula top up and how?

There's so shame in formula feeding. Do whatever works for you.

I had my first health visit appointment today. Little one has put on 20g of weight in less than 24 hours - so top ups are working.
She watched me feed and said she’s feeding beautifully and latching beautifully. So it must be a tongue tie.
she was really supportive of however I wanted to feed her. If I wanted to introduce a bottle of formula milk, so be it. We need my little one to thrive at this point now.

Fabulous news, best of luck x

I think you are doing brilliantly op. I'm just telling you this because it may help.

DS - I failed at breastfeeding and he had bottles from 6-8 weeks. He had bronchiolitis, developed asthma and eczema, suffered repeatedly from ear infections until he was grommets at 16 months. He was a generally happy chap.

DD I breast fed successfully until she was 8 months. She had bronchiolitis, asthma and eczema (and molluscums), suffered repeatedly from ear infections until she was grommetted at 20 months. She was a very grizzly baby.

The both brought me home a first from Oxford and Cambridge respectively.

Honestly, breastfeeding is a small part of motherhood and you need to do what's best for you and the baby. In a first world country, where hygiene is good and parenting is nurturing, the difference between breast and formula are infinitesimal. People will come along in here with a different views.

So a midwife rang me. The weight from yesterday wasn’t recorded and I assumed she put on weight but I must have not remembered correctly.
shes now lost 13% of her weight. So we have to go hospital. What will happen?

Im surprised there done that for 13% loss but guess depends on baby's starting weight

Good luck OP keep us updated x

Do not panic m
This happened to me a few months ago

When we am went they took a urine sample and a blood test if baby. No not nice but turned out mine had a thyroid issue as results came back within about an hour.

Baby was given a drip and treatment for thyroid( still has treatment) and low and behold after all that stress for about a week we were back home and mine has been happily gaining weight via breastfeeding.

It wasn't nice but it necessary. So don't panic OP could be something as simple as the above

Well they might look at how she is feeding and if she is feeding well and still having lots of wet and dry nappies may do a blood test to find out if her weight loss is due to another reason.

Pack a small bag/suitcase with toiletries and changes of clothes for you and her, spare charger leads, presumably not an emergency so nip to the supermarket for snacks and drinks for you and a book. That way if you have to be admitted you don't need to try and find things.if it's just a day visit leave the suitcase in the car so you can nip out and get it if needed

And meant to say could be a case of yours just needs a little too off for a few weeks to get their weight on

Also is your baby small to begin with? Because they worry more when it's a smaller baby to start with

She was born 3.4g and now she’s 3g
its hard not to worry

How are you getting on OP?

I am okay. I have been breastfeeding and topping up with formula every 3 hours.
i am anxious about tomorrow weighing. But if there’s no gain, i dont know what ill do.
I booked a private tongue tie for next Tuesday. Two weeks is a long time to wait for NHS.
Sometime I just want to give up and fully formula feed. I want to spend some time with DS. I was reading a bedtime story today but she wanted feeding so had to leave him and DH take over. If she was formula… my husband could have just got on with it.
Not sure what to do. I feel like I have no support.

OP I know your pain.

My first son dropped from the 9th to 0.2 percentile and wouldn't take a bottle, I was BF and felt exclusively like all decisions and the stress was on me. It's crushing.

Hang in there I really have been thinking of you.how did the hospital go?

@AlienLady why can't you just feed whilst reading to your other child? I do this every night 5 week old constantly on the boob and a 3 and 4 year old to put to bed

OP can you see if there is a breastfeeding support group of other mums in your area? Most areas have them. I think this would really help you.

There are lots of advantages to formula feeding and it sounds like you're very aware of them. Peace of mind in knowing how much milk your baby is getting, the opportunity to protect your recovery by sharing care with your husband and it's an easy way to make the new arrival less stressful for your older child who is probably the one finding this hardest to be honest. What you want more than anything is two happy thriving children with parents who are as relaxed as they can be. If you think you can see a way to that through bf and your heart is set on it, go for it. To the uninformed observer it sounds like formula is an easier way to achieve it but there are many things I don't know much about and this is one of them.

The NHS worker rang me today saying I need to do formula top ups and express too preserve my breast milk. She was quite dismissive when I told her my child was on the breast all night and wanted me to take her off after 15 minutes and top up and not go back on again. But she was literally crying for my breast after. What am I supposed to do?

I really hate expressing.

Let her stay on your breast. Even with a tongue tie she is probably still stimulating your milk supply.

Have you tried feeding lying down?

Did she explain the logic of not letting her go back on?

I understand them wanting you to take her off and give some formula after a set time. But what actual harm do they think will occur if, after that, she goes back on the breast and it settles her from crying? If there's a reason, they should explain, not just be dismissive.

the reason is she’s burning too many calories so won’t gain weight - to me they want to discharge me as soon as possible so want me to not hinder any weight gain.

I had a similar situation.

I switched to formula and it was like a huge weight had been lifted, baby went from strength to strength and I could finally enjoy being a mother (and could rest too while DH helped)

I did question it for ages though and the guilt was a killer, but once I'd made my decision everything just felt so much less stressful.

I'm not advising you to do the same, it's totally your choice but I just wanted to say what my case was like.

This is a great site for support if you wish to continue to BF, but if you decide otherwise, please don't feel guilty, you are doing your absolute best no matter which way you decide to feed.

Good luck x

How did you do it if you don’t mind me asking?
I am trying not to express but my breasts were hurting so I had to.
how did you achieve it without risk of mastitis?

I just stopped and went cold turkey so to speak.
It was uncomfortable for about a week (and definitely use breast pads because I leaked a lot, moreso at night) but after that everything was fine.

This was ten years ago though and I'm unsure if the advice has changed since then.