Feeding issues for 11 week old - looking for reassurance

[stillsleeptraining]

My 11 week old has had feeding issues for about 6 weeks, which has spelled the end of breastfeeding and she's currently only taking about 60% of the NHS minimum recommended amount of formula. I've been begging for help from doctors and health visitors and then randomly spoke to a breastfeeding specialist today who said that it sounds like her tongue tie has reattached. It seems so obvious now, so we've booked someone to come on Friday to assess and potentially snip again.

My question is whether anyone's had feeding issues but their LO has turned out fabulously- I am craving some reassurance that she'll be ok and it won't affect her development.

Also any tips on how to get her to take bigger feeds would be appreciated!!

Absolutely. Tongue tie here, had to stop BF and felt horrendously guilty but a little relieved as it was incredibly painful. Anyway fast forward to an almost 4 year old who's thriving, intelligent, curious, met all milestones etc.
Only issue he took a little longer to 'like' eating food but by 18m/2yrs he was like any other child.
Honestly in the grand scheme of things you'll look back and wonder why you ever worried!
If she's growing along her centile don't worry about amounts, they are very arbitrary and not a one size fits all which maybe is where the health professionals are coming from.

Thanks @SlB09. That's good to hear! And your DS sounds wonderful!

Did you have weight loss too? She's gone from the 75th percentile to 25th and is dropping. I only know that because we have scales at home - nothing's open because of Covid and we haven't seen or heard from any HV since week 2 apart from having her 6 week check and jabs.

Not as much as that, I think he only dropped one perhaps two centiles. I do know other babies who went below 25th centile though with bf issues and it did eventually even out with formula add on or having to move to exclusive formula and they are fine now.
Definitely definately keep pestering the HV and leave a message if you havnt already saying she's dropped that much, I'd also want the GP to be ruling out other causes of weight loss but I assume she doesn't have any other symptoms and is otherwise we'll? If no response from the HV then ring PALS and complain, you need guidance and advice even if they are not concerned you deserve and explanation of why they are happy (or not).
How long ago did you switch to a bottle? Wet nappies/poos etc?

Been to the GP a few times and she's been diagnosed with oral thrush but that's it. Plenty of wet nappies and a dirty one every day. She's been bottle fed since just after Easter, firstly with expressed milk.

Finally got an appointment with HV next Thursday and getting the tongue tie snipped on Friday.

Just hoping that it's not going to affect her long term because it's been going on so long.

We had aaaaallll the feeding issues here. Tongue tie which was snipped but not fully. Baby went from 30th to 0.4th centile in 4 weeks. BF was really not working despite input from multiple lactation consultants but I absolutely flogged it for 5 months (breastfeeding plus pumping to increase supply plus formula top ups - absolute nightmare - if I have another I'd give BFing 6 weeks and if it's not working then just switch to formula, it's really not worth it). We then ended up with a bottle feeding aversion (I think in part caused by pushing the feeding too much). Awful. Anyhow, baby is now nearly 9 months, feeds well, doing great with solids and generally pretty perfect (well, apart from her sleep 😭).

My tips would be

• consider changing the bottle (mam anti colic worked for us in the end)
• Google silent reflux and/or CPMA
• don't put too much pressure on her to feed
• keep an eye on weight (don't weigh more than once a week though - we did it every day and became a bit obsessed) and nappies and if you're really concerned and not getting anywhere with HV or GP then consider A&E (I don't say that to scare you, but it's always an option and they have to see you and take you seriously)

Feeding difficulties are really horrible I know, but she'll be fine long term

@PumpingPamela - oh wow, you really had a time of it!! Poor you.

I got to 13 weeks of at least combi feeding with my first (also tongue tie issues and an awful time including getting sepsis from mastitis). I started pumping when she rejected the boob to at least give her breast milk for the same amount of time, but it was making everyone miserable. I decided that PND was more harmful to both children than DD not having breast milk, but of course it feels shit.

Really glad to hear your daughter is doing so well.

Sleep is a b*tch!!

My youngest was born on the 50th centile and dropped completely off the charts altogether.

Wasn't picked up until her 8 week check and by the time paediatrics saw her and posterior tongue tie picked up she was 12 weeks. Very dangerously underweight was how the paediatrician put it, there was nowhere on the chart to even put a dot.

Feeding, I felt, was fine, she had lots of wet and dirty nappies, sucked, swallowed fine, no breastfeeding issues, fed on demand etc etc, no weighing because of pandemic. Only sign was that she just would not settle at all and all the professionals told me it was normal, just colic. The guilt I felt for ignoring my instincts and 'overconfidence' being 3rd time breastfeeding stayed with me for ages.

She was put on Similac and piled it back on, we combination fed until 28 weeks but she preferred the bottle from the start. She started thriving pretty much as soon as she transferred to formula, 10 months now and happy, healthy and exactly where she should be!

I was told that feeding was really hard work for her, so taking bigger feeds would not happen until she got stronger, ie put more weight on. She would struggle to take bigger feeds, be too hungry to sleep well, but too fatigued to fill up sufficiently. I definitely found this to be true, once she got back onto the 9th centile she started taking bigger feeds and just shot up from there.

I take it they will weigh her again and if deemed necessary they should prescribe for her?

@De88 That must have been so difficult for you all. So sorry you went through that - I feel really emotional reading it.

That's great to hear that she's so well at 10 months. Fingers crossed we will be too.

I've been really pragmatic about all the shutdowns so far, but it's hard not to be angry and bitter about the consequences of just shutting down all these vital services with - apparently - little thought to the safety of babies and mums.

Thanks it really was awful looking back, so I try not to! At the point we thought she was getting "more settled" it turned out she was actually too weak to cry. That still makes me wobble.

However having had a happy 2 hour nap, baby is presently gabbing on with herself while cheerfully wrecking the place, polishing the floor by dribbling and crawling all over it

I totally agree with you re shutdowns and consequences, I feel the same way. I am glad you've finally managed to get somewhere!