Very Slow to Gain Weight on Breastmilk

I couldn't keep up with my dd's demand (and the WASTAGE at daycare), although her weight was fine. I ended up having to supplement 1/2formula, 1/2 bmilk. This way she got my antibodies to all those nasty germs around, and enough to satisfy her. Don't beat yourself up about using formula, especially if there's a concern. If you're not comfortable with your doc's opinion, find another one.

The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend putting cereal/bmilk or formula in a bottle anymore. However, if doc says it's okay, she can start eating cereal by this age.

My sister's kids were all on the light end. At 1 year, the second girl child (4% on the girl weight growth chart) was still on the "Step 2" formula, and was still on whole milk by the 2nd year, to help boost her weight and fat intake.

My son lost a lot of weight with RSV, so that very likely may be the problem. Before you switch to formula, take your daughter in and check how much she's eating. You weigh her, let her eat and weigh again. Don't change clothes or diaper in between weigh-ins. The # of ounces she gains is the # of ounces she drank. Your doctor can tell you if she's eating enough.

Our son's initial weight problems started with undiagnosed reflux. He stopped gaining at 4 months as well since around that time babies can start to not swallow. That's easily fixed and you should get a hint that may be the problem if she's not drinking anything. Our son was eating like a champ, but drinking less than an ounce of milk at a feeding. Interestingly enough, because of complications with the reflux being undiagnosed, he was suceptible to the RSV.

I don't mean to scare you. I just thought there was too much in your story that sounded familiar, and I wish I had known at 6 months what I know now. Our doctor didn't worry until our son was 10 months and still weighed what he did at 4 months. GL I hope your case is more easily solved.

Hey M.,
Have you tried calling a LaLache League Leader? They be can be very helpful. You can e-mail me off the list for some numbers if you want. It might be something simple. Good luck. L.
____@____.com

Hi,
I too had babies that did not gain "fast enough". I am an OB nurse of 10 years, and a mother of 2 and 4 years olds. Both of my children were "skinny" babies. My daughter was off the chart under for a while. But, they were healthy. Every kid does not fit the mold. As long as your baby is happy and healthy and is gaining, which it sounds like she is, it's ok. My pediatrician agreed, telling me "she's healthy, don't worry about it". I think it would be far wiser to stay on the breastfeeding and not switch to formula. Your baby will be ready to start "real" food soon too, so mayb that will put some weight on. Good Luck! p.s. My son who's 4 is now in the 90th and 85th percentiles, but was very slow to double his birth weight.

If it really bothers you, you can weigh her before and after feedings to see how much she's taking in. If you don't have a scale sensitive enough you can rent a baby scale, usually from the same places that rent breast pumps. Cheaper than switching to formula!

I have heard everything from 4 months to 1 year as the time to double birthweight, so I would say, look at her behavior and trust your instincts. If you aren't sure you agree with your doctor's analysis you can always go for a 2nd opinion.

I had the exact same problem with my second child. I formula fed my first and she was my chuncky monkey and I breast fed my second and she is a little squirt. I spent 18 months getting yelled at by my drs and feeling really inadequate as a mom. But she was always satisfied. Now I will say she was slow by the books for hitting her milestones but I think that has to do with her stubborness cause if you want her to do something she won't. Now if your dr isn't on you and she is satisfied I wouldn't worry about it.

Hi M.,

Don't know if your sweet baby is super active or not getting enough milk. But I know what worked for me to build up my milk supply, so I'll share that here:

I had issues with milk supply with my first child. I found out after struggling for a few months and then going to a lactation consultant--you know, you pump and watch as almost nothing comes out. Poor baby. Anyway, for a month or so, after the first AM feeding, I pumped for 10 minutes on each side. At first, hardly anthing came out, and I did augment with a few ounces of formula after I fed my baby. But within the first week, I was extracting a few ounces of milk after feeding my baby. I also took a ton of fenugreek (a massive dose so that my pee smelled like maple syrup!) and eating malt and drinking lots of water.

All of this helped--helped me know my baby was getting enough, and helped me know that I was producing enough milk. If you don't have a pump, you can rent one from a hospital, or maybe even from your doctor's office.

My daughter is 2.5 and weighs 23lbs! She was breastfed until 20 months and the doctor was never concerned. She initially dropped off the charts at about 4 months old, but then continued on her growth curve after that. She is lively, healthy, rambunctious and a joy to be around! She met all her milestones early and continues to amaze us! I would not give up breastfeeding!!!! If she seems content and healthy then there should be no reason to supplement except for baby food. My daughter still eats like a horse, but seems to burn it all off! Good luck and definitely stick with breastfeeding!

I have 5 kids and have breastfed 4 of them for at least 1 year and the 5th one is almost 8 months old and I am still breastfeeding. My experience has been that they don't gain weight as quickly. My doctor was never worried, he said it was because all of my babies have been normal to small and me and my husband are not large people. I think every baby grows at a different rate and as long as she's gaining any weight at all, she's fine as long as your doctor is aware and thinks she's fine. Also, they do tend to lose a little weight when they are sick. My 4th child was only 16 pounds at 1 year old and previously she had been over 17 pounds, but then she got sick right before her appointment. The doctor said that breastfed babies tend to weigh less at 1 year than formula fed because your breast milk loses calories. I think if she's eating regularly and gaining any weight and your doctor is not worried, then you are probably fine. I have had some kids that always measured very close to average and 1 or 2 that were as low as the 5th percentile.(That means that 95% of kids her age were bigger than she was.) I would really just talk to your doctor, let him know of your concerns and see if he is concerned. Best of luck!

My girl will be 10 months on Tuesday and she only weighs 14.6. She has always been a tiny baby; was breastfed for the first six months, then breast milk plus solids plus formula for two months, now just solids and formula. I wouldn't worry too much - especially since your ped says she is healthy and she is reaching all her milestones. Mine is totally healthy too; a very active girl so she burns a lot of calories and our ped assures us she is fine. She is my second; my first was a total opposite; same thing happened to my sister with her second girl and she really just now started growing at the age of 7 years!! The beautiful thing about babies is that they are all different - don't worry!

I had a similar issue with my baby though not for as long as you have. What I did was after she ate I would pump and in between her meals I would pump. I would take all the milk I had pumped at night and add two scoops of formula to it (if there is enough) and let daddy give it to her in a bottle. She put on weight rapidly and my milk supply doubled. In about 2-3 weeks I was able to go back to just breat feeding. Hope this helps and keeps you breastfeeding. I believe that is the best dinner Any Kiddo can have. If you have any questions about really good pumps let me know. ____@____.com.

Here are some ideas to give you peace of mind. You can visit a lactation specialist or rent a scale from one or from a pharmacy. Weigh your baby before and after feeding her to see how much she is eating. Be sure you weigh her naked, even without a diaper. You can look on line or ask your doctor how much she should be eating now. Your doctor may even weigh her before and after feeding for free.

I did this and did have supply issues. I had to feed my daughter a bottle - but only at night, after we were done nursing for the day. I also figured that was when my milk supply was lowest. When offered the bottle, she grabbed at it eagerly. I used Playtex vented bottles with a small nipple. She really had to suck hard to get the milk. Since it was hard, she didn't hold off nursing to get the easy meal.

There are also supplements like fenugreek that are supposed to increase milk supply, but they didn't work well for me.

For extra support find your local Le Leche League chapter. Breastfed babies do not gain weight as fast and growth charts are largely representative of formula fed babies so I wouldn't pay much attention to those charts. A quick google search for breast fed baby charts should bring up some more accurate charts than the ones your doctor is probably using. If your baby is happy and healthy she is probably fine. Kuddos to you for feeding your baby the best food for her - Momma's milk!

For your own supply, you should be drinking a gallon of water per day. Also, go into a healthfood store and try to find tea or tincture labeled "more milk", these contain herbs that encourage your milk to come in more. Also, if you try to pump in between feedings, it will send your body the signal to supply more milk. If you do pump and/or give the baby formula, I would suggest adding a high quality fish oil or flax oil(also available at healthfood stores) to the bottle. This is good for your baby and will help her put on weight. You can also be taking fish and/or flax oils in your diet. These fats are good for you and will not encourage weight gain in yourself.
Good luck!

I nursed both of my children for 13 months. well, I am still nursing my 13 month old. I nursed them on both sides every 2 1/2-3 hours. It helps keep up your milk supply. But, you have got to drink a lot of water and eat a lot more yourself. I know it is not very fun to sit down and nurse every 3 hours but it is what is the best for your baby. plus, it will help you loose any baby fat you might still have! Keep it up breast is best.

Have you been tracking your calories? We have to maintian our calories while we breastfeed. Try Babyfit.com. They have a program that will tell you how many calories you should be eating on a daily basis while you are breastfeeding and a chart that you can use to follow how much you are getting. I was amazed to figure out that I was not getting enough calories. I hope things work out. I am sure she is going to be great. If you are getting enough she is probably just burning them like the doctor said.

I agree that if she is developing well and thriving, you need not worry. I think formula is NOT the way to go. Keep up your nursing relationship. Perhaps consider YOUR diet. I know it's not popular to say, but nursing moms NEED fat. Healthy fats from good sources, that is. That gives the baby plenty of fat for her own development.

Don't beat yourself up. Children grow at all different rates. I was a HUGE baby, but now I'm a small woman. My daughter remains low on the charts for weight, but if she's on the charts and hitting her milestones, she's fine. Your daughter appears to be between the 5th and 10th percentile for her weight according to her age. That means she's on the charts! If she's not wanting more than what you're giving, it doesn't sound like she'll benefit from a switch to formula. Also, a lot of breastfed babies have a very tough time switching to formula. It can be very hard on their tummies for a while, and the taste is very different. After 6 months of mommy's milk, she may have a hard time switching and lose more weight in the process.

It sounds like (other than the RSV) you've got a happy, healthy, 6 month old. She's just little! You're doing great! Try not to be so hard on yourself. And good for you for making the tough choice to breastfeed. It doesn't work out for everyone, but even for those that are able to do it, it's not the easiest thing. At your baby's 9 mos well baby check up, her doctor should see a better pattern of growth. If he's not concerned, trust him. He went to school for it!

I am assuming this was already discussed with the Dr., but I am sure she is ready for solids if you haven't already started.

Please do not switch to formula. YOu are doing such a great thing by breastfeeding. Do not focus on numbers. IF your child is thriving and doing everything developmentally like she is suppose to, then relax. but if it is reallly improtant for you to see weight gain, then look at what you are eating. Are you eating enough fat, protein and carbs? The baby will take what you eat. Dont deprive yourself, because it will go to the baby.
HAve you heard of a drink called AMASAKE? it is found in the health food stores and it is an wonderful breast milk enhancer. by drinking that drink, it will not only increase the amount of milk you produce, it will enrich it too! No worries, you are doing fine.

Hi M.,

Don't worry, she's getting enough to eat, and is eating the very thing perfect for her: breast milk! If she's hitting her milestones, is healthy and happy and not losing weight, she's fine.
I had this same thing happen with my son, and he is healthy and happy at 20 months. Keep on keeping on and remember that formula is more fattening, sugary and not the perfect food for your baby. You're doing great!

M.

I'm glad your doctor is not chained to a weight chart! Now it's time for you to trust your body and your baby's appetite, too.

The first and best way to judge if your baby is getting enough to eat is to count her wet and poopy diapers. The number she should have differs depending on whether you are using cloth and disposable diapers, and whether those disopsable diapers are "extra absorbent."

It's been years since I've needed to know these numbers, so please look them up yourself on the La Leche League website at http://www.lllusa.org.

Whether your baby breastfeeds or drinks from a bottle, there will be times when she eats more and times she eats less. If you are breastfeeding, you will notice her nursing more and more just before a growth spurt. She is building up your milk supply for that spurt. Then, just when you have a ton of milk, she will finish her growth spurt and start nursing less. Then you will be saying, "Hey! Full of milk here! What am I supposed to do with it???"

It sounds like your baby is in great shape right now. And remember -- if she suddenly starts nursing a lot, she isn't starving. The more she nurses, the more milk you will have. And if she starts nursing less, but still has a good number of wet and poopy diapers and is acting healthy, there isn't anything wrong with your milk -- she has just finished a growing phase.

hi--my son was always a good nurser but still remained in the 5th percentile for weight during his first year. We started solids at 5 months and he ate everything but still didn't gain much weight. At 12 months, he was 19.5 pounds so he did not triple his birth weight (7 pounds) like most do. He is now 13 months and finally is starting to look chubby. The doctor has always told us not to worry because he hits all his milestones, has normal wet/soiled diapers and is average in height. I know he eats way more than a lot of babies his age so he must just have super fast metabolism. I've worried often but in the end, I'm glad he'll be a "lean and mean" toddler and child.

How big are you and your husband? Try to remember that some babies are smaller naturally. I really wouldn't switch to formula as breast milk is the best thing you can give the baby. Are you starting solids? You can always try a little cereal with breast milk for an additional few ounces. If your doctor isn't worried, then you shouldn't be either. Worst case, get a second opinion or ask that some blood work be done. good luck!

M.,

Instead of going to formula, try pumping for 5-10 minutes after you nurse. You won't get much milk but it will help increase your supply. Any milk that you do get, you can give to her in a bottle. If she's content and your pediatrician says she's okay, she probably really is okay. If she were hungry she'd be fussing and wanting to nurse more to stimulate your supply. Some kids are just smaller than others. My first son was below the 5th percentile for height and weight until he was 3. Now he's at the 25th percentile so he's still small. My second son has been at the 50th percentile pretty much forever. They are all different. Your daughter is probably the perfect size for her.

:-)T.

M.,

My son was the same way. One exception was that he had diarrhea from birth. The pediatrician ignored my concerns until it became evident that he was gaining r e a l l y slow. Then, they only "watched his weight". A year ago we found out he's intolerant of cows milk (the proteins) and gluten. Less than one week after we took all cows milk (casein & whey) out of his diet he got better. Our new doc asked if his pediatrician ever told me to remove cows milk from my diet to see if it helped him. The answer was an emphatic no.

I have been told (and now whole heartedly agree) to not introduce solids until they are at least 12 months old. Their undeveloped digestive systems just don't handle it well. They are less likely to develop allergies, diabetes and other health issues if you keep them on breast milk alone.

Don't let the media and everyone else convince you that we "need" cows milk to be healthy & survive. My son gets all the nutrients he needs from other foods. (we've had his nutrient levels checked more than once).

Anyway, just my two cents. I'll climb down off my soap box now. :-)

God bless you as you attempt to do what's right for your child and your family.

T.
colorado springs

Hello,
I breastfeed My daughter until she was 10 months old. Around 6 months I started to introduce dead water and goat milk, It comes in powder or liquid she gained allot of weight can get the goat milk at whole food.

Goat is the closest build to humans.
For you to produce more milk you want to drink protein shake drank at least two a day

A.

I had breastfed all 3 of mine and they were all underweight almost 3 months behind average, sometimes their weight didn't change for a couple of weeks or went down for a day or two, but they showed no sign of any real worries, and grew up fine. And I had no problem with smaller babies. I am totally against formula unless you have health issue to continue breastfeed. Formula might put enough weight on your baby but do you need that much weight? I don't think weight is the quality of the baby's health. Each baby has different growth pattern and I am sure you are doing a great job for your kiddos!! Believe in yourself (and your breast milk!!)

I am a mother of two wonderful girls (4.5 and 1.5). I didn't have any problems breast feeding each of them for an entire year. I worked full time, but pumped during the day. I have a twin sister who did the same with her first child. Her second child had the same problems you are having. By the time her little girl had turned 6 months, she hadn't gained much weight at all. The doctor tested her breast milk frequently and there was nothing wrong with it. The problem was that her daughter had the failure to thrive condition. Her doctor told her it was fine to continue breast feeding, but to also try supplementing with formula right after each feeding. She had to go to the doctor every week and then every other week for weight checks. My sister also had to eat a lot of extra calories just in case. They both stuck through the first year, with a lot of worries and not a lot of weight gain. Right after my niece turned one (about 14 months), she started to grow and eat better. Even though she seemed to be eating and brest feeding fine during the first year, she liked sleeping better. Out of the blue, she just started growing and overcame her condition. She is now almost 3 1/2, and doing great. Hang in there. Hopefully your daughter will get through her lack of weight gain. I hope you can stick with breast feeding if that is what you want. My sister never gave up with that and had enough milk to last 12 months. Good Luck!

You might want to meet with a lactation consultant. If you haven't already done this at home, they can determine how much milk you're producing and compare that with the amount baby needs. I had done this with my first child and they determined I had low milk production so for a while I was using extra-good techniques pumping after feedings to boost my milk supply until it matched what baby needed.