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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Not enough milk, again...

19 replies

Breizhette · 08/08/2008 11:22

DS is 2 weeks old and still hasn't reach his birth weight back. I was so happy that bf seemed to start well as I struggled with DD (now 19 month old) and had to mix feed from the start (for 13 months).
Would it be possible that I just don't produce enough milk? I went to see 2 BFC and the latch is good, we co-sleep and baby has at least 12 feeds a day. In the afternoon and evening, I don't seem to have enough though and the poor boy doesn't seem to get satisfied.
I have been prescribed rest and fenugreek. Please tell me that I am doing the right thing by persevering. Can the milk suddenly start flowing?

OP posts:

StealthPolarBear · 08/08/2008 11:24

Is your HV concerned about his weight?
What makes you think he's not satidfied? Cluster feeding in afternoon and evening is normal?

StealthPolarBear · 08/08/2008 11:24

Congratulations BTW

Original poster

Breizhette · 08/08/2008 11:30

I don't have an HV here in France. He weighed 9.2 pounds at birth and is now only 8.8. The nurse said I need to weigh him every day and we'll see how he's doing on Monday. I really don't want to give formula but I feel the pressure.

OP posts:

Original poster

Breizhette · 08/08/2008 11:31

Thank you!

OP posts:

purplejennyrose · 08/08/2008 11:47

Congratulations!
I remember my GP telling me with dd1 that if the baby seems otherwise fine, weight should be looked at over months, not weeks and certainly not days - weighing every day seems excessive and pointless, not to mention worrying, so counter-productive! From your initial description he sounds fine, and if having lots of wet and pooey nappies, there are no 'warning signs' other than he's just a bit slower than other babies to regain his birth weight - so what??
Try and resist the pressure, sounds like you're doing great.

WilfSell · 08/08/2008 11:55

He was quite a large baby at birth and as far as I know it is quite normal for big babies to 'catch down' rather than 'catch up'.

If he's having 12 feeds a day it sounds pretty normal for a newborn: he may be doing this to build up the supply. It is entirely normal also for babies to be fussy in the evenings and feed more to get what they need.

GRadually your supply will increase and he will go longer between feeds.

I can see why you're feeling the pressure: you DON'T need to weigh him everyday and that will just make you feel worse and make feeding harder because you feel you have to perform. Unless he is unwell (and it doesn't sound like he is otherwise showing signs of distress?) why weigh him? Or at least put your foot down and say you will agree to weigh him weekly.

Are his nappies wet and is his poo soft and yellow and frequent? Are his eyes bright and his eyes and mouth damp/moist? Is his fontanelle flat (ie not sunken?)?

Original poster

Breizhette · 08/08/2008 12:00

He does at least 3 pooey nappies a day and he's not dehydrated. It's so hard to be patient and not start obsessing. Must stay strong

OP posts:

TinkerBellesMum · 08/08/2008 12:00

He's just trying to train your body into doing something new. When it's been doing it for about six weeks it will know what it's doing and he will slow down a bit. Think of it as putting a note out for the milkman. Let him on the breast whenever he wants as long as he wants and things will quickly settle down.

Original poster

Breizhette · 08/08/2008 12:02

Poo is indeed yellow and soft.

OP posts:

StealthPolarBear · 08/08/2008 12:12

He does sound fine! Personally I wouldn't top up without at the very least getting some expert advice!

Original poster

Breizhette · 08/08/2008 12:20

I did see 2 breastfeeding consultants who recommended I weigh him every day and reassess on Monday. I'll try and relax about it over the week-end.

OP posts:

prettybird · 08/08/2008 12:21

I had a "catch down" baby who took 6 or 7 weeks to regain birthweight.

He was 8lb 15oz at birth and lost (I think) c.1lb, before very slowly putting it back on again.

He was checked frequently by the miswives and breast feeding support counsellors based at the hosptial (I avoided HVs! )and I did get a referrla to the consultatn paediatrician, but as he was happy, healthy and alert, I was left in peace to b/f. I did supplement for a while with EBM - but it made no differecne to his weight gain, apart from give me confidecne that he was indeed getting plenty.

From 91st at birth, he dropped to underneath the growth chartts, ran parallel just underneath got a while before eventually creeping back in and up the curves, befreo finally stabilising somewhere around the 50th.

If you weren't wegihing and were just observing him and his behaviour, would you be worried?

TinkerBellesMum · 08/08/2008 12:29

Indeed, there are more important factors than weight gain. Input and output, soft spot, bracelets, babies attitude, development etc. If they would drop those awful charts and concentrate on baby it would be a lot better all round.

Original poster

Breizhette · 08/08/2008 12:42

I think he looks fine. He doesn't cry much, but I don't think he is a "crying baby" like DD was. His colouring and skin look very healthy. The consultants I saw were in my hospital. They seem really competent so I'll leave it with them. But it's good to hear positive stories!

OP posts:

prettybird · 08/08/2008 12:49

If you don't want to give formula, then don't.

From what you have described, your baby sounds fine. Just give it time.

Flossyjim · 08/08/2008 13:07

I would continue to persevere for as long as possible. When DS2 was born (over 4kgs) my DS1 was only 18 months - similar age gaps as yours. He latched on from the moment he popped out, for the first week or so I had plenty of milk, but I, like you, felt that I just couldn't produce enough for him and he too was unsatisfied. I put it down to having two babies and being completely knackered. I went on for as long as possible with BFing, but ended up mix feeding from about 6 weeks, and he was much happier. I too live overseas and we don't get any aftercare here, ie no HV or BFC. Once you leave the hospital, you are just expected to get on with it and automatically know what to do.
Just continue as you are, do what feels best for you and baby, as long as you are all healthy. That's the main thing.

Original poster

Breizhette · 08/08/2008 13:31

Thank you. I do think tiredness and stress has a lot to do with it. I want to try and take it easy over the week-end.

OP posts:

weasle · 08/08/2008 14:44

your baby sounds fine to me too.

i had lots of trouble feeding ds1, he had 'failure to thrive' and under pressure i started mix feeding at 3 months. after 3 weeks he was refusing breast. i still find it hard no to get upset thinking about the pressure and lack of support i had, and how i 'failed'.

with ds2 i have had huge lack of confidence in my supply, but he has subbornly stuck to the same centile line throughout (although not weighed very often!). he is now 8 months and we are still going, and it is great! i think the difference is with ds1 i just didn't feed him enough - i didn't really understand that demand feedign might well be 10mins after the last feed! with ds2 he cluster fed lots and we co-slept and i just ignored 'he can't be hungry again; is he having enough' comments.

sorry, not perhaps relevant to you, but just trying to say just because you had supply issues last time does not mean you will now. i did give a few bottles of formula in the beginning mainly as my confidence was so low, i couldn't beleive i could feed him, but i managed to wean those off and just bf.

good luck with it all

prettybird · 08/08/2008 15:32

My breastfeeding counsellors (qualified specialist midwives who worked out of the maternity hospital) wanted to use ds as an example of a non Failure To Thrive baby who didn't follow the growth charts.

Ie illustrating the important ce of looking at the baby and not relying on one (dubious when applied to a single child) set of statistics.

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