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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

What have I started to do wrong (lack of weight gain, prem baby)

20 replies

helenlouisey · 27/01/2009 18:51

Hi - my little boy has been putting on between 8 and 12 ozs every week since leaving SCBU, he was born 7 weeks prem and is exclusively breast fed. He's only put 4ozs on this week so has now dropped off the 3 percentile line he's been following :-( I don't understand what I've done wrong. He's not a good feeder so most of his feeds are expressed breast milk, so I know he's still eating the same amount as usual, I just don't understand why he's put on a half or a third that he usually does. With him being so small he can't afford to just put this amount on each week otherwise we'll be sent off to see the Doctor :-( Feel so despondant :-(

OP posts:
madmouse · 27/01/2009 18:55

hey hun calm down he has gained a respectable amount of weight still.

I think we need to know how hold he is (actual age)

madmouse · 27/01/2009 18:55

make that how old

Original poster
helenlouisey · 27/01/2009 18:57

He's 16 weeks actual age.

OP posts:
differentID · 27/01/2009 19:00

Is he becoming more active? Kicking more and waving arms about a bit?

Original poster
helenlouisey · 27/01/2009 19:03

yep, he's definitely more active, he doesn't stop kicking, waving and chatting when he's awake! now, this has probably started in past couple of weeks!! Maybe that's itm he's burning more calories, what do i do about getting more cals into him to compensate?

OP posts:
differentID · 27/01/2009 19:08

Are you able to express any more, or give him a shot at latching on when he's not desperately hungry? This in turn should increase supply, in theory.

I'm not an expert, just have paid attention to what some more experienced posters have said. If he's becoming more active, then he will be using up more calories.

madmouse · 27/01/2009 19:10

now I am no expert in premmies, some will come along later (hope tiktok is around) but 16 weeks in a full term baby is a normal time for a slowdown of weightgain.

You do mention he is still taking the same amount. Might he need a bit more? It is hard work to up your supply when expressing.

Btw you have done an amazing job bf 16 weeks so give yourself a pat on the back

Original poster
helenlouisey · 27/01/2009 19:26

There is always more milk on offer at each feed (I usually have about about 40ml left over at the end of each day which try and freeze) he just purses his lips shut as soon as he's had enough and that's that. If I try and feed more frequently usually he just ends up taking less at each feed, I don't seem to be able to get more than about 700ml plus 2 breast feeds in him a day and this hasn't changed over the past few weeks. Do you think my milk is no longer good enough now he's got bigger, more active and needing more calories ?

OP posts:
differentID · 27/01/2009 19:27

What the more experienced posters would say is OF COURSE YOUR MILK IS GOOD ENOUGH.

Is your hv sympathetic or would she try encouraging early weaning?

differentID · 27/01/2009 19:28

Just remember your body makes the milk he needs at each stage of development.

Original poster
helenlouisey · 27/01/2009 19:32

My HV has said we need to see what happens next week, but I'm just worrying and don't want to wait another week, wanted to see what I could do to maybe help before then? I know prem babies should be weened earlier, the info leaflets provided by Bliss recommend 5 - 7 months, due to baby missing out on nutrient received during later stages of pregnancy that a prem baby misses :-(

OP posts:
differentID · 27/01/2009 19:34

YOu've said yourself- he is becoming more active. The best thing is he is still gaining weight albeit more slowly than before.Are there any strategies in the leaflets to get him more hungry for a feed?

differentID · 27/01/2009 19:35

what weight is he now?

Original poster
helenlouisey · 27/01/2009 19:50

He's now 9lbs 4ozs. Have tried changing him half way through the feed especially during the night when he's a bit sleepy, I can't seem to find any more info on how to get a baby to drink more milk. Was much easier when he had feeding tube in

OP posts:
differentID · 27/01/2009 19:58

that's a pretty good weight for a 7-week prem baby.
Do you feed on demand, or do you wake him for feeds?

Original poster
helenlouisey · 27/01/2009 20:18

During the night I feed him on demand, during the day I try to feed him every 3 hours, or more often if he wants it. Do you think I should wake him and try and get more feeds in him during the night? He;s in a pretty good routine at night and feeds at 10.30pm ish, then at about 4 / 5am and then wakes at about 9ish, am considering waking him a bit earlier tomorrow, at about 7.30ish to see if I can extra feed in him a day.

OP posts:
cmotdibbler · 27/01/2009 20:18

Babies don't grow in straight lines, they grow in spurts, so this week he hasn't put so much on, next week may be more.

Your breast milk changes as he gets older, so he won't need increasing volumes of it.

If it was really thought that he needed more calories, then offering more feeds would be the best thing. When you bf, do you do switch nursing/ breast compression ?

Prem babies shouldn't be weaned early - just not corrected totally to their gestational age AFAIK

cmotdibbler · 27/01/2009 20:24

How about trying a sort of dream feed in the morning iyswim ? Wake yourself up at 7, bring him into bed, and snuggle and bf while he's sleepy

differentID · 27/01/2009 20:28

Don't disturb his sleep routine, but see if you can find a lady on here called sparklygothkat. She has experience of breast feeding prem babies.

Original poster
helenlouisey · 27/01/2009 20:47

Thanks everyone, will see if I can find sparklygothkat to see if she can help at all.

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