Callum isn't gaining weight, have a hospital appoinment next week, should we ask for tests?

[sparklygothkat]

Callum was born 7 weeks ago weighing 4lb 8oz, he is now 5lb 1oz, and only gains small amounts when we top up his feeds with EBM down his feeding tube. He was born on the 50th percentile and is now on the 0.4th. Should we ask for tests? Or just hope he starts gaining soon?

How odd...
You have loads of milk too don't you?
Have you tried one of the helplines for expert advice?

Assoc/ for Breastfeeding Mothers

08444 122 949

sorry i have no words of advice so doing nice big BUMP

Sweetie - go see your gp for reassurance. I couldnt say what is normal for a prem baby.

Was he tested for cystic fibrosis at birth? I know a few areas (but not most) test routinely.

he was tested for CF but the results were 'not supected' Apparently there is many different versions of CF and they only test for the most common ones. I did wonder about CF (possibly scaring myself.

Have plenty of milk.

SGK - I have no advice re him being prem but you could ask for something to add to your EBM to increase the calories (if they think there's no other reason for his slow gain) dd had maxijul and calogen as she needed little volume but lots of calories.

Hi Sparkly.
My DD1 was 6 weeks prem weighing 4 lb 9 oz.

To be honest she gained weight rapidly, leaving hospital at 10 days weighing about 5 lb 3 oz.

By her due date (at six weeks old) she was over 6 lb.

I don't mean to worry you, at least he's not losing weight, I'm just telling you my experience.

Sorry to be ignorant but why does he have a feeding tube?

he has a feeding tube, because if we don't top up, his weight either stays static or he loses weight

have asked about added something to the topups but the SCBU nurse said they don't give it anymore

I have been in your shoes although admittedly my son was a little older, but still soley breastfed. He was born on the 50th centile and at about 7 months, fell off the bottom of the chart Having been in your position, I wish I had pushed harder at the start of his faltering growth

It is standard practice for them to run certain tests, urine, stool, sputum, & bloods are all normal tests for what they will refer to as Failure to Thrive (Don't let that term get to you, it is not reflection on you, it is nothig you are doing wrong). They may want to do a sweat chloride test for CF as well. Get them to do pulse oximetry (I am sure I don't need to mention that to you really). I agree that speaking with a professional breastfeeding councillor might be a great help.

I really hope it turns out to be nothing that isn't eaily fixable.

Oh, and congratulations on the birth of Callum!

Important to keep pn reminding yourself thoguh that breastmilk is the best thing for him.
You know that thoguh.

if he hasn't gained tomorrow he will fall over the chart

Meant to say, we had to resort to bloods for the CF test as ds had terrible eczema and they tested for the 29 most common strains of CF.

off the chart

I am NOT giving up BFeeding, I know my milk is ok, and I know I have enough for him, so formula will not be entering this house..(unless he gets ill)

I have licked Callum he doesn't taste salty..

Good on you Sgk! I was the same, knew I had plenty of milk, ds had plenty of wet/drity nappies, he just wans't gaining the weight. If it makes you feel better, we never did supplement, he never had a bottle and we carried on breastfeeding for 3 years! You know that your milk is the best thing for him. Come on little Callum, put some weight on for your mummy.

Lol! I did that loads with ds2! He was never salty either

oh every nappy is dirty and wet..

Have they checked for an infection? DS2 gained no weight. At 6 weeks he was skin and bone and still at birth weight- when they discovered he had a cord infection. He wasn't outwardly ill. One course of antibs and he was well away.

cord infection? his cord fell off weeks ago while in scbu.

So what should I ask the consultant?

Callum does have a net weight gain though, that must mean something? Being such a wee boy he can't feed as strongly as a full-term baby...can you put more in his tube? Is there a limit to how much you are allowed to put in? Has he been gaining, however slowly, all the time since birth?

DD1 was born at 5.11, at 41 weeks, and over a period of 4-5 weeks dropped to 5.2 - she wasn't a good feeder and I (as it turned out) didn't have lots of milk (we were in the US and you don't get the NHS-type support there you do here). At 5 weeks the loss was picked up, just in time , and she was put on formula and then finally started to gain.

I was told to wake her every two hours for the first few weeks. As she was prem she was very sleepy so I had to wake her every two hours to be fed. Absolutely knackering!!

Where you told this?

He may surprise you though....he could have gained loads by next week!! Seriously, if he's at his EDD now he might start piling it on! My DD put on a pound a week at one point once past her EDD!

we can't put too much in the tube as he has reflux, currently topping up 30mls a feed. , he feeds well, and can hear the milk going down. he is on meds for the reflux and have found that if I put him into the sling upright for 1/2 hour he isn't sick.