2 Month Old Not Gaining Weight Well

I strongly suggest going to The Pump Station for help. They offer lactation consultant 1-1 appointments, breastfeeding support groups, weigh-ins and more. They sell products designed to help increase your milk supply (mother's milk tea, supplements, and more) and are so incredibly helpful. They can also help wean you from the shields.

I used to go to the Santa Monica location, but there is also one in Westlake Village that might be easier for you to get to. Here is their website: http://www.pumpstation.com/pumpstation/text_1.asp?s_id=0#...

There is a breastfeeding support group tomorrow. Technically, it's not the right age group for you (it's 4-8 months), but you might want to check it out anyway since you need to take action quickly. No need to register, you can just show up (though you may want to call to confirm that it's taking place)

Breastfeeding Support Group
•Mon. 1pm ages: 0-4 months
•Weds. 1pm ages: 4-8 months
Village Glen Plaza
2879 Agoura Rd.
Westlake Village, CA 91361
###-###-####

Good luck!

What I did was allow my DD to nurse with it to start and then took it off after the letdown. Take a breath and don't stress. See a Lactation Consultant about her latch and your bleeding. You shouldn't be bleeding. Make sure the dr is using a breastfed baby chart and not a formula fed one. They are different. You might also try nursing her when she's tired and swap out the shield. Do not feed into the guilt. You are a good momma. Every kid is different. Find out what works for you and yours. Remember that demand = supply.

Ways to maintain for me included being hydrated, drinking Mother's Milk Tea and eating oatmeal cookies.

I am sorry you are having trouble. As long as she is gaining weight, don't pay attention to the charts and the pedi on this . Every baby is different. As far as milk supply :fenugreek and mother's milk tea are excellent. Oatmeal is very good for milk supply. Google power pumping :) It can help. Relax and drink a large glass of water every time you nurse. Things will get better. Don't panic and don't supplement with formula---it will only make your supply go way down. You can sucessfully bf with the shield. It just may take a little longer to nurse. Offer the breast more frequently to see if she will nurse. Good luck!

Please see a lactation consultant - take Mommyc's advice and go to the Pumpstation, or another lactation consultant. Where ever you are most comfortable. They will help figure out what is going on with the baby's latch that is causing bleeding so you can get on the right track. Please go ASAP.

The support group is also a great idea. Or look online and find your local Le Leche League and attend their next meeting. There is a lot of help out there, and you need someone who can actually look at you and your baby to figure this out. That is really hard to do through cyberspace - you need in-person advice. Don't be shy, go and do it!

If you express some milk when you start to feed her it will make it easier for her to latch on. I'm sure you have had someone show you how to get her to latch on correctly and if not get a lactation person to help you. Then the more often you feed, or the longer she nurses it produces more milk but you don't want more than she needs. Pumping makes more milk but then it's harder for her to latch on if you are too full. I would just work at getting her off that shield and have someone work with you at first. Then when you get her latching on right it is going to pick up fast and she should get enough and grow right. Ask your doctor where you can find someone to help with that. It does take work with some babies and if this is your first you need to have help. You need her to empty your breasts too and suck right so you don't get a breast infection, mastitis.

Hi, I had serious latch issues (we tried everything from lactation specialists and tubing through the shield along with many a night of crying FROM ME on feeling like a failure that I could get neither of my daughters to latch) so I had to supplement with both of my children. My first daughter was not getting enough to eat because I was using a shield and she just couldn't get a good latch without it. This isn't for everyone but what I ended up doing was using a breast pump. It was A LOT of work but a way for both of my daughters to get x amount of breast milk so I knew what they were getting. With my first I did not make enough milk because I didn't realize she wasn't getting enough and wasn't gaining weight properly so her pediatrician suggested supplementing with formula along (I had a hard time with this as I didn't want to do the formula route at all) with my expressed milk. With my second, I tried breast feeding again with no luck and ended up exclusively breast pumping and made lots of milk! I also have to supplement as I cannot keep up with my 3 months old demands. I hope you are able to figure it out :) Best of luck!

Here's a link for info on nipple shields:
http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/1...

And I would really go see a Lactation Consultant.
It seems to be a must.

Your baby's latch, also has to be checked and made sure that she is latching on properly. It should not hurt, nor should your nipples be bleeding due to nursing. A proper latch, will not make nipples bleed.

Nurse her on demand, this is also another way to make sure your body is producing enough milk for your baby and that baby is getting enough intake.
Keep hydrated, drink water.

If a baby is not latching on properly, they will not be getting adequate intake. Thus, go and see a Lactation Consultant.

I don't know if this helps but I was told by a group of ob/gyns that I needed to eat fat & protein (for me, a good burger) & to really concentrate on relaxing. When I did this, nursing was much easier and my milk supply became overabundant. I hope all improves!

Updated

I don't know if this helps but I was told by a group of ob/gyns that I needed to eat fat & protein (for me, a good burger) & to really concentrate on relaxing. When I did this, nursing was much easier and my milk supply became overabundant. I hope all improves!

I don't know about the nipple shield, but my son was a slow grower, he stayed under 10%, well, always (he is now 4). He always gained at the same amount, and that was what my pediatrician cared about, the fact that he was still growing. Figure out the nipple shield with help of a lactation consultant, but really, her weight is probably just fine. Oh, and for maintaining supply, the best way to get more milk is more nursing (I actually relactated after not nursing for a month not long after my son was born, and nursing, with a supplementer at first so he got something, is how I got my milk supply back up from nothing).