We could do with some slow weight gain support...

[ilovegreenbeans]

...seems there's a few people going through this right now including me!

A bit of my history: DD1 was born at 8lb9 and I was very anaemic after her birth. She lost weight continuously until 4 weeks when we started top ups. She then gained well, but unfortunately stopped bf by 13 weeks. She's now 2 and happy and healthy.

DD2 is 9wks, breastfed and her weight gain has been very slow so far. She was much bigger at 10lb14, but went to 9lb12 at 10 days and basically stayed static until 6 weeks. She then gained 2 oz, 4oz and 4oz again this past week. So she's around 10lb6 now. I've had great support and feel really good to still be bfing her but it's such a struggle. She fed constantly for the first 7 weeks and it's calmed down a bit now, but she's still feeding every 2.5ish hours. She always takes 4 sides at every feed. I think it's a bit of a combination of a low milk supply in me (given my history), and some catch-down growth due to her being so big to start. She's lovely, smiley and alert, lots of wet and dirty nappies, long but not very chubby.

So there's me. Is anyone else in a similar boat wrt weight gain? Want to come join me for some support?

brasso - it's great you found a way to continue breastfeeding. I am an NCT breastfeeding counsellor, and if the counsellor you met expressed 'disgust' then of course you must complain - but is it not more the case the bfc pointed out the possible drawbacks to using shields? I'd hate anyone to worry about contacting NCT about shields for fear they would be disgusted

One of the suggested drawbacks with shields is that they have a tendency to contribute to reduced supply over time. This is not inevitable, but it could be one of the reasons why your baby is unhappy to feed now. I am not saying it is, but any bf supporter you consulted about this would definitely take the use of shields into account when discussing what might be happening here.

Babies do sometimes have a couple of 'mad' days and it's not always possible to know why - they get over it without any ill effects. But to make sure, I wonder if you would seek some real life help with this, to get things checked out?

I just thought I'd add my experiences of using nipple shields.

First a bit of background. I failed to BF my DD- due to lack of confidence and support. I now know I could have easily BF her but a terrible birth, a midwife telling me off for using nipple shields and no BF support from hospital or midwives to help me sort latch meant that it never happened. DD would scream and screen when I put her to my breast- prob traumatised by so many well meaning but hopeless midwives thrusting my breast in her face...so very sadly gave up.

With my DS was determined to do as much as I could to BF. He is 12 weeks and EBF. I have been using nipple shields with great sucess fro about week 1 to week 10. Over the last 2 weeks he has suddenly latched and so we are away!

I know that alot of hcp do not like them as there is sme old research uggesting that they make BF less efficient. I know that they do not work for everyone but as I have a really fast and powerful let down they have been brilliant for me. Now my DS is a bit bigger and can cope with the surge of milk and his mouth is bigger and he can get a large chunck of breast his mouth we don't need them....but they have been fab so Brasso keep using them if they help.

ps my son also took 5 weeks to regain birth weight so do understand weight gain worries.If he had been my first have panic'd as I did with my DD and switched to FF- but I stuck to my guns (with many teary moments) and we seem to have turned the corner.

All the best to all of you

x

Hi, all, we had a couple of very draining days with lots of screaming, lots and lots and lots of feeding (2 bedtimes that lasted from 8pm to 2.30am, yawn!!) and me in such a state that 2 boxes of ready-made formula have been purchased . Not used - yet - as last night went better again. Hopefully it was a growth spurt...

I have to say, I am really enjoying my newfound freedom of not having regular weigh-ins. We went to baby massage course yesterday where he is the youngest baby by 6 weeks or so, and when I see him lying there in the buff he looks fine . Dinky, but perfectly formed IYKWIM.
I am waiting to here from a community BFing adviser to meet to observe a feed because he still takes a very long time for every feed (time I can ill afford with 3 other children) and I just think milktransfer must be really ineffecient.

Anyway, that's me checked in again.
How is everybody else doing?

Welcome Liskey and Brasso!

Hooray for the long weekend. We're off to see the in-laws and show off the dds to the relatives.

I feel so much better this week after a good weigh-in... and Pacific, I know what you mean about the freedom. And she feels heavier and slightly more padded this week. So much of this is in my head, coupled with hormones and lack of sleep, but when it's good I grab hold and run with it!

About inefficient milk transfer: I try to get a really deep asymetric latch and find that holding on to dd across her back keeps her in place better. Latch has been observed and okayed recently. I also use breast compressions when she's not drinking but sucking. Is there anything else I can do? It takes minimum 30 minutes and 4 sides for a feed here, but often runs into 45 minutes if I'm not watching closely IYKWIM. That still seems long to me, but maybe she'll get faster as she gets bigger?

just marking my place no weigh in this week so no anxiety etc.one bright happy petite baby.

Absolutely no one will remember but I haunted this thread for about six months agonising about my DS who is now almost nine months old. I cried over his weight, I worried myself sick, I fed him constantly and couldn't understand why he was such a wee thing (6 pounds 5 at birth which was three weeks before my due date; he then went down to 5 10 and took four or five weeks to creep back up to birth weight.) I took him to the doctor a couple of times after being freaked out by the HVs on more than one occasion. I was determined to BF but sick with guilt about depriving him. We had tried supplementing him with FF (six times a day in his second week, down to two in his fifth, one until he was about nine weeks and then BF all the way). It made NO DIFFERENCE. The doctor I saw when he was 4.5 months told me he was healthy but slender, far more active than many babies, and burning up what he took in unlike the 'buddha' babies I was envying. I relaxed a tiny bit and decided to stop worrying so much. I even stopped getting upset when other mothers were surprised at how small he was.

But here's the thing: as soon as he got the hang of solids, I realised he has the metabolism of a humming bird. He eats more than the other babies in my NCT group - about twice as much. He still BFs enthusiastically which is one of the best things about being a mother! He has put on a decent amount of chub and now weighs around 17lbs - not sure exactly where he is on the charts, but heading towards the 25th centile the last time I bothered to weigh him. He is healthy, happy and all the things he always was, but pretty small, all things considered, especially compared to some of the giant babies out there. But he is fine. I needn't have worried.

Get them checked out, make sure you are happy with BFing/FFing and comfortable in yourself, be reassured by this thread and its members, and have faith. They will all do fine!

Thank you so much for sharing your story, Mooma! It is good to know that just being small does not mean anything else is amiss necessarily .

And, yes, welcome, liskey and Brasso, I forgot the last time I posted, sorry.

My announcment of the day (you will be sorry you came to read this thread ) is that Joe's poos have become yellow!! Only in the last 24 hrs or so, but hey, I'm happy.

Paeds appointm is on 23.June; he will have had his 2nd lot of jags by then.

ILGB, I have no idea what else you could do. Personally, I never felt that breast compressions made any difference . Feeds here also last forever; on some days I cannot answer the question 'how many times a day do you feed him?' because one feed blends into the next, gah! And I am still getting blocked ducts at the rate of one a week or so, grrr.
I am also still totally stuck at having to feed him to sleep lying next to him which is really quite limiting. Last night I went to bed with him at 8 - and awoke still fully dressed and with teeth not brushed at 11 - not a good look...

We are off today, bank holiday, lovely sunshine, family out in the garden .

Have a good one everyone!

yes, Mooma* for sharing

Everyone out enjoying the sunshine? I know I am!

I mean, thanks Mooma

Some fantastic support today from my mum... she got out my weight card (yes the woman hoards everything!) at 19 weeks I weighed 10lbs 11oz! That would suggest that my LO is actually bigger than me at the same age and I had some formula!! I am now a 5ft 1in healthy woman so the future looks good for my weeny one! It also gives me great 'ammunition' for the HV. Feel much happier now.

at your mum, Brasso, that's phantastic.

Bad day with poor sleep here today.... just having my dinner whilst DH deals with screaming DS .

Hi, I'm so glad I found this thread. Hope you don't mind if I join in?

DD2 is 7mo and weighs about 14pounds. She was 7 pounds 15 at birth (2 weeks overdue), which I think was on the 50th centile. She's now dropped off to the 10th.

She is being seen by a dietician at an allergy clinic and they suspect food intolerance, as her poos are usually very runny and soak into the nappy.

She is bf, having some solids but not that interested. She gags when I feed her from a spoon, so have been BLW instead. I'm only giving her very bland food, no dairy, gluten, eggs, nuts (although skin prick test showed no allergies). Dietician is putting pressure on to switch to formula so we can get a better picture of any food intolerance. I've been trying for over a month now to get her to accept a bottle but she just refuses. It's very frustrating! In the meantime I've given up dairy, gluten, soy and am eating a low food chemical diet (most fruit and veg are banned, no herbs and spices etc) to see if she is reacting to my breastmilk.

Just wanted to ask, those of you who are breastfeeding - what sort of consistency are your babies poos? And when you talk about lots of wet nappies - how many are we talking about? How often do your disposable nappies get filled if it's just a wet one? I do wonder if this is a supply issue, but bf feels like it's going well.

DD2 is a gorgeous happy baby, and very active, meeting all her milestones. But it's worrying all the same isn't it?

Sorry for the long post and thanks if you've read it!

Hi Bunkers

My LO's poos are dark yellow and quite runny. They do seem to be getting a little bit stickier but she is only 4months. We change her about every 2-3hours and her nappy is usually wet. (Although she is very good at weeing on the changing mat too!)

Weight update here my LO is 10lbs 12oz today so 1oz bigger than I was when I was a week older, hooray - feel like I can compare now!

Welcome, Bunkers !
DS's dirty nappies have been green/dark green/light green/khaki for 11 weeks. In literally the last 3 days they have become yellow . No idea what that means.
Still v runny and tend to almost entirely be soaked up by nappy.

How are you managing on the going dairy etc free? Must be v restricting.

CMPI is on our list of possibilities as well but an impromptu trial of going dairy-free I lasted exactly 4 days ... So I am now waiting to see paeds first and hopefully get some dietician input if they feel I should restrict my diet (gawd, I hope not!).

Well done, Brasso's DD. What age is she now?
My DS was 10lbs 10oz 2 days ago at 12 weeks.
So brilliant that you mum kept your weight record !

Hello again - I'm in Australia so bit of a time delay!

Thanks Pacific and Brasso. Sounds like the poos are fairly similar then.

Going dairy free is bloody hard. But I'm finding the food chemical (ie. flavour) one is the hardest, because it's the natural flavours - salicylates, amines, and glutamates - that you have to avoid high amounts of. Pretty much everything has flavour in it, so the list of things I've cut out is vast. I can't even have a cup of tea. So it's black decaff coffee for me at the moment.

Anyway, really glad Brasso that your dd had a good weigh in.

Pacific - hope your ds has been a bit more settled today.

And good luck everyone else with your lo's!

hi bunkers and welcome
DD2's poo is yellow and liquid, sometimes with seedy curdy looking things in it. But not watery, more soupy- yuck! Also, I probably change her every 2-3 hours and her nappy is usually fairly wet. I think 6+ heavy wet nappies per day is normal. Do you get that?
Happy weekend everyone. We're going to enjoy the sunshine tomorrow and the thunderstorms on Sunday .

Hello ladies. Had to add something here after the things I've been thru with DD2.

She was born 8 weeks prem, on 50th centile, dropped down half a lb at 3 wks old when she got hypothermia and we nearly lost her. By 5 wks old she was well and back home. But wasn't gaining weight well.

Was forced to give top-ups for 2 weeks but she gained less than she'd done on just BF so I stopped and she started gaining better. It wasn't till she was 6 mo that she was discharged from the SCBU nursing team.

When she had her last cons app she was 11.5mo, wasn't crawling, rolling or cruising. Also wasn't babbling at all and weighed only 15lb7oz. They had me in a tizzy when she got reffered for physio without my knowledge.

Since then she's crawling, cruising, rolling, she never stops babbling- can say dada, mama, keke for DS aswell as having that cute baby language! We're still waiting for that physio app but her next cons app is next fri, and I can't wait for her to show em what she can do! She's still only tiny, 17lb at 15.5mo which should be 13.5m, but she's doing enough to not worry me in the slightest now! Today I found myself buying her 6-9 clothes to last the summer! She's my perfect little pint-sized princess!

After 2 99th centile babies it's very different but she's setting her own goals and doing fab!

Good luck to all those of you with slow gainers, have more than been there myself so understand all the worrying!

Thank you cantmummyhaveabreak. So glad your dd is well and growing!

Can I just share a proud moment with you all? DD2 is 12 weeks old today and I'm still breastfeeding her!!!!! I feel really good about it and whatever happens I know I'm going to keep on going with it.

Hello all,
just wanted to show some support for your litle acorns.

My LO was born last October and it took him 6 weeks to reach his birth weight.

At a weigh in in Jan, he had lost loads of weight and dropped back to below his birth weight.

OK, so after some very anxious times, a stay in hospital and that gut wrenching label of FTT....we are actually back on a centile!!

So (sorry for the lengthy post), with the amazing help and support of a brilliant infant lactaction consultant (nhs) we tried-
-switch nursing,
-breast compression

• 2 hourly feeding
• expressing and using a supplemental nursing system to top DS up with

-babymooning, fenugreek, skin to skin....basically you name it, we tried it.

The paediatric appts. dragged on with him saying that DS was healthy and probably just small.

I started blw at about 24 weeks- lots of avocadoes, cashew nut butter, cheese, cream etc and his weight is now on the up. He's still small but now he is small and CHUBBY!

I'm still breastfeeding regularly and still loving it!

Anyway, hope this helps. Good luck

Sounds like you've been through the mill crikeybadger. Well done sounds like you're doing a great job!

Oh, thank you so much for all the positive stories . It is lovely to hear that there is very likely to be a good outcome in the end no matter how much we fret now.
And I love the image of little acorns growing into strong oaks .

Congrats, ILGB, on reaching 3 months milestone, well done you .
I remember with DS3 2 years ago when I was hellbent on giving BFing a right good go after 2 disappointing experiences with the other 2 (mixfeeding with rapidly declining BFing and exclusively expressing, gah!) that I said from the start: I'll just do the next feed and then we'll see. And it was tough (lots of blocked glands/ducts) but before I knew it he was a year old ! And we stopped when I was ready for it and he did not mind at 14 months.

Good day here, hot, BBQ, friends round, happy baby most of the day who fed and slept (v v unusual for him) and was delighted to be passed from arm to arm .
Maybe I just bore him??

Interesting PacificDogwood - mine has just eaten a weeks worth of food in one meal in the company of friends and a handful of older children. Might start feeding her in front of the tv!

Thanks ILGB and well done with your bf milestone. I change dd2 about 5 times a day, and although wet, nappies are not always heavy. Am concerned that we have a supply issue rather than food intolerance. Stubborn little monkey will not accept milk from any source other than breast atm!

Yes, the positive stories are so helpful!

Had to go to gp to get my domperidone prescription renewed. I'm going to try to wean off it now, or at least wean off it partially. Snuck in to clinic room and she's put on another 7oz in just under 2 weeks! GP was so encouraging, saying how good DD2 looks and how well I'm doing. Makes up for the crap nights. I just long for some unbroken sleep.... oh well, 16 weeks here we come (my next bf milestone)!

Oh, you're taking Domperidone too, ILGB? I was feeling stupidly embarrassed about mentioning it ...
How much are you taking now? I am on 20mg twice daily (sometimes foget the second dose) which is quite humble, I think, for the purposes of increasing supply.

I have reasonable nights and crap days.... There is just no pleasing some people (me!)