Baby loosing weight.... lost 3 ounces over last fortnight, but lost every time I have her weighed

[ivedoneitnow]

My dd is 15 weeks on Tuesday and since 5th jan (she was 12 lb 11 then) has been loosing weight, to 12lb 9, then to 12lb 8 today. (I know its only 3 ounces, but she should be gaining more than she has lost!)
I spent the weekend resting, drinking and eating well, feeding dd lots and lots and she was loving it! She usually feeds every 2.5 hours during the day, and at night, bed at 8pm, sleeps till 8am with feeds at 2ish and 5ish usually.
She is fed on demand, and has really just fallen into this sleeping pattern! I have tried expressing, and can only ever get less than 2 ounces (that is from both boobs). I have been told to try and express after a feed to help my boobs to increase their supply, but get only a few mls out, nothing more!
I have always just fed one side at a time, and have tried offering the other side when she is finished the first. Despite this, still no weight gain.
I feel so guilty that she is not putting weight on, and a bit stressed to be honest.
She is alert, and cooing/talking and so pleasant, with wet nappies and pooing OK too.
My HV said to continue and come back in a week.
What else can I try???

Not sure there is anything to try.

3 ounces is very little (90 grams, about 3 slices of bread!)and it seems you are having her weighed a lot. Weighing frequently distorts the picture. Growth is a big picture thing.

Please that your health visitor seems sensible (sometimes it seems 90% of them would have shouted for the ff by now)

It does not sounds like your supply is to blame as far as I as non expert can tell.

I would just carry on feeding as often and as long as she wants for two weeks then look at the picture again.

has she been ill at all? is there anything else gong on that might be related to it?

btw I would carry on with the expressing, and also offering both sides.

but see how she goes.
has she been weighed naked every time? and on the same set of scales?

Hi. She hasnt been ill, and was on same scales and naked each time! I feel like I would have been better not having her weighed in the last 2 weeks as it has really dented my confidence!

that's why my ds does not get weighed very often. He is light but so active bouncy (literally, like tigger) and bright that I know he is fine, but when I see the numbers on the scales i get this niggling worry...

I would stop getting her weighed.

Ask yourself, if you didn't have her weighed, would you be worried? If she is feeding well, dirtying nappies well and bright in herself (not ill) then why weigh her?

If she is offered the other breast and does not take it your supply will be fine, she's satisfied with the one side I would've said.

Mine are weighed at birth and never again.

it's all well and good to say don't get baby weighed etc etc. but the thing is there COULD (and I stress the could) be an underlying problem

if baby wasn't being weighed and this was the case then you wouldn't notice until baby was ill, or you could visibly see the weight loss.

it's easy to be too blase I think.

I would see if there is a BFC in your area you can talk to and see what they say about it.

breastfed babies do plateau, and it is ok for them to gain slower, or not gain for a while. but personally I would be not necessarily concerned, but def keep an eye on a baby that was actually losing weight.

what was her weight gain like before?

thisisyesterday, I only suggested postponing weighin for a few weeks, for exactly that reason. If baby has lost more in that time it may be time tocheck things out.

Try expressing before feeds not after, cos the baby is better at sucking than the pump, so let the pump have the easy stuff at the front and let the baby suck to increase supply. Do you feed her what you express?

Have her weighed again next week, feed her whenever she wants and hopefully she will start to gain again. As you say there are wet and dirty nappies and she seems happy so it is likely just a blip. Good luck!

Nothing significant in that weight record - at 15 weeks, weighing every week is not really informative, and this is why no one seriously suggests babies are weighed as often as this, especially not healthy babies and especially not at this age.

Good idea to offer 2 sides if you are concerned, though, but can't see the point of expressing - hard work and you may as well just feed your baby if you want to make more milk.

Not sure why your HV says to come back in a week - maybe she is just concerned that you are worried about it.

I agree that if a baby seems unwell and looks like they're losing weight then of course get them checked out.

OP has not been having such issues and I really don't think it is blase to have faith in your own abilities to feed your baby yourself, which is what she now seems to be doubting.

A different HV could worsen the situation by suggesting ff top ups when it wouldn't be necessary simply on the basis of a little blip in growth.

I can of course only speak for myself, but I feel confident in my ability to feed and nourish my children myself.
If they were weighed regularly I possibly wouldn't feel as confident, worrying unnecessarily about whether they were in the right centiles and all that other rubbish etc.

Trust your instincts OP, you will know your baby better than anyone.