2 week old has lost weight

[skidoodle]

Can anyone help to shed some light on this?

HV just called for first visit today. DD2 has lost 5.5oz in the last week!

She was 10lb 3oz when she was born and regained that weight by one week. So I was happy and a bit proud of myself. Now it seems she is losing weight, so I'm worried.

She has seemed to be feeding well, but some possibly salient things:

1. I just finished a week's course of antibiotics yesterday
2. In recent days (well nights mostly, but in the daytime today too) she has been coming off the breast and roaring crying and seems to be in a lot of pain
3. She has very long sleeps - hours at a time. In the hospital the midwives all seemed very chilled about this and I assumed it was all fine because she was so big and chubby

My 1st was 9Ib8 and I had to introduce formula top ups at 2 weeks as she lost nearly 10% of her birth weight- she was so hungry - I couldn't produce the milk she needed. i actually stopped the breast altogether at 3 weeks and to be honest she was a much happier and easier baby from that day. The sleeping is normal - at that age 18-20 hrs a day. I know breast is best - but in this circumstance it wasn't - it's a personal choice - although I then felt very bullied by my HV when I decided to stop. She is now a very healthy two yr old. Never mind - due in a few weeks with number 2 - and breast will hopefully be best.

No expert, but now feeding my 5th.

I'd try waking her and offering the breast every 2 hours or less, in the day time. Frequent feeding encourages your supply.

I don't think being a large baby means she needs more than you can produce. After all my twins weighed 10 and a half pounds together and I produced enough for them both.

Oh - if today was the first visit, are they the same scales? Different scales can vary.

I know this isn't really much of a consolation for you but my DS2 lost 20 oz in his 1st week. Obviously it was a nightmare for us, but wanted to try to put it into perspective that 5.5 oz isn't that bad. I'm not trying to be flippant, just reassuring. Keep feeding (almost non stop) and best wishes.

Same scales?

Baby weeing/pooing/alert when awake?

It is normal for a newborn baby to lose up to 10% of bodyweight, but not normal to start losing weight once they've started gaining again. Are you sure it's weight loss ie are they the same scales as the last weigh in with a naked baby, scales on a firm, even surface?

There is no link between weight/size of baby and ability to produce enough milk. And bigger babies aren't necessarily harder to satisfy.

Can you see a breastfeeding counsellor? I don't know about coming off and crying, my dd always passed out in a milky bubble at the end of a feed.

In terms or increasing and maintaining supply it's feed feed feed, especially during the night and probably every 2hrs if you can.

Thanks everyone.

I'm not really worried about my supply. Last time my problem, if anything, was oversupply and as far as I can tell I have plenty of milk.

Waking her up for frequent (2 hourly or so) feeds sounds like a plan. My mum and I just spent 45 minutes trying to wake her up after she'd been asleep almost non-stop for about 2.5 hours. DD1 was a very alert newborn, so it's kind of freaking me out how sleepy this one is. Is it anything to worry about? Until I knew she had lost weight I was just going with it.

They were not the same scales as the last time, but I would hope that midwives/HVs are not going about with scales that are 6oz off. Are they?

ShowofHands she was all milky bubbles until a few days ago, then this pain started. maybe wind? It is quite upsetting when your trump (and pretty much only in my case) card for soothing the baby makes them cry with pain. It's making me afraid to feed her in case it makes her sore

It might be the antibiotics. If she was previously settled and without pain and it has changed suddenly when nothing else has except you taking the tablets.

You'd be surprised how differently scales are calibrated. And if you assume for example that it was the weight a week ago that was wrong, then maybe she hadn't regained birthweight yet and she actually hasn't lost weight this week. This is possible.

But with being unsettled I'd want to speak to a bfc.

Sleeping for 2.5hrs isn't abnormal on its own btw.

Scales I would imagine - they vary so much. My personal experience was that demand didnt equal output - so not to offend anyone - everyone is very different.

maybe what she was ill with and the AB has made her feel poorly? AB are pretty potent even for adults and could cause tummy ache