Hi there
bit of back story, started topping up DD at 6 weeks as she was always cranky, slow-gaining and was staying with my parents who persuaded me (regret it now).
She piled on weight at about 7 Ozs a week from then on, was generally happier until about the 10 week mark when she started breast feeding for shorter and shorter periods - nipple confusion.
After seeing BF supporters I started using a supplemental nursing system and expressing after every feed. Was really hard work but after 4 weeks I had weaned her off it and she has been exclusively BF'd from then apart from a bottle of mised EBM and FF before bed (can't express quite enough).
I had her weighted 2 weeks ago and then again today and she has only put on 3 ozs in 2 weeks which isn't in the normal range.
She is feeding every 3 hours (sometimes a little more often, sometimes a little less). Longest feeds 15 mins - usually more around 10. She is very distractable (but am already feeding her in quiet, dim room wherever possible) and has always been much less interested once the flow slows down. She has both breasts - I offer her the second when she gets fed up with the first (she's very impatient once flow slows) comes off on her own, I offer first breast again until she gets really cross and then I sit her up.
She doesn't ever seem hungry, she wees and poos fine (we've had 1 green poo over last couple of weeks all the rest nice and yellow) is very content and smiley and alert.
She has also started dropping all the night feeds. We were down to 1 at around 4am, but last few weeks she has dropped that 3 nights in a row. The last 3 nights I have soothed her back to sleep without feeding her if she woke (to see if it was habitual or if she needed it) (after first night this has only taken a couple of mins) and she has gone back to sleep and frequently had to be woken at 7am.
I guess what I'm thinking is that her weight gain isn't enough so I'm worried and really don't want to start topping her up again. But she doesn't seem like she wants more food and surely wouldn't be so content in day and sleeping through often at night if she was hungry?
So any BF experts can you help? I plan to start expressing again after each feed to try and get supply up, try and feed her as much as I can during the day and keep her on as long as I can.
But, should I start messing with the nights? Obviously if she seems hungry at night I'll feed her, but if she doesn't I confess that I am enjoying the extra sleep and would love not to have to force night feeds on her if she isn't really asking for them.
I wondered about doing all I can in the day for the next 2 weeks, having her weighed again and if it hasn't gone up enough then introducing more night feeds.
Any advice really appreciated.