6 Week Old Son Not Gaining Weight

Hi A.,

My name is J. Simpson and I am a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). First, let me clear up some misconceptions for you (and others) - it is NOT Normal for any baby to lose weight for the first 5 weeks then start gaining. Also, it is not normal for a baby to be only 2 ounces above birth weight at 6 weeks. These are 2 situations that the Pediatrician should be on top of and if s/he isn't - you need a new pediatrician. :) Babies should regain to birth weight no later than 14 days of age (preferably by day 10) and should be gaining an average of 5-7 ounces (or more) per week up until the age of 4 months (when the weight gain starts to slow down a little bit but still continues at 4-5 ounces per week).

You really need to talk to your Dr and or Lactation Consultant about this. Something is up. It may be that your little guy is getting just enough milk to sustain his weight and have the pees and poops but not to gain weight as he should be.

Really - there is no way anyone can determine that your little one is 'just fine' or what your actual situation is through e-mail. You really need to talk to someone. You are welcome to call me if you like at ###-###-#### and I can help you track things down and see if we can come up with some ideas for you. Also, I happen to know a gal in Ukiah -
Nicole Pogrund - Loving Support Breastfeeding
Mendocino County H.H.S.A. Public Health Branch
###-###-####

Call her and tell her J. from Sacramento sent you and ask her for more local resources or if you can go see her or the IBCLC's she works with. You need professional assistance sweetheart. :) BTW - my sister lives where you do...and I know that area well having done some growing up in Laytonville. :)

You are welcome to call me anytime. I can call you back so you don't have phone charges if you need. Free long distance is a good thing! :)

Seriously - you have good cause to be concerned - don't let anyone blow you off...trust your gut. I don't want you to panic, but I do want you to take action now. :)

Warmly,
J.

###-###-####
www.breastfeedingnetwork.net
Breastfeeding Network - owner since 1994

Dear A.,
Congratulations on your little boy!
I believe there is a difference between not gaining weight and "failure to thrive".
Many babies actually lose weight after they are born as their little bodies adjust to having milk and digesting, etc.
The doctor will let you know if there is anything to be concerned about or if you need some alternative supplements to help him gain weight. My daughter weighed 5 lbs 7 oz at birth and only weighed 12 pounds at a year old. I was always a bit nervous about it, but she walked at 7 months and was the healthiest little thing you ever saw. She did get constipated when I supplemented with formula at first, but that was about it. She was very alert, loved solid foods. They checked her often to make sure she wasn't anemic or anything. She was just a dynamo in a small package. (She still is!)
Share your concerns with your pediatrician and in the meantime, try not to worry too much.

Best of wishes!

Hi A.,

I'm always amazed when people respond to someone's medical concerns with " don't worry everything is fine". It can cause people to not trust their own instinct and not get help.

I agree with Jaye, your baby should have gained at least some weight by now and should have a checkup- at least of his vitamin and mineral levels. Babies grow more in the first 6 months than they will in their entire life.

There are some good ideas presented to you so far. Here are some other ideas. You should probably have your doctor check YOUR vit blood levels as well, since your are his source of food.

Anemia (iron deficiency)can cause growth issues/fail to thrive.(Anemia can cause vit A deficency as well.)
Vit B can help with treating anemia. Wallmart carries vit B drops and I think eveyone should take them since our body doesn't store them. Eating organ meats like calf liver can help with Iron deficencies. Brown rice has b vits. (sugar kills b vits).

Choline deficiency can cause failure to grow/thrive. Folic acid deficiency affects choline levels. Choline is in egg yolk,lethicin supplements,butter, peanut butter, bananas.

Maganese deficiency can cause impaired growth. Foods are pineapple, brown rice, romaine lettuce.

But no matter how many vitamins you take, if you or the baby do not have proper absorption in the gut, it will cause vitamin deficiecies. Gut flora can be diminished from taking antibiotics, or having a gut bacteria known as H pylori, or other reasons. You can take Bifido Factor superdophilus to replentish your gut flora to help w/absorption, and also create vit b and K in your gut. A baby can take 1/4 tea. into spring water.

Don't use chloriated water. Get a chlorine filter on your tap. Chlorine kills vit A,B,C,E, flavanoids and omegas 3,6,9, and depletes iodine stores in your body. Iodine stores keep your thyroid healthy- thyroid regulates metabolism.

Iodine is in seafood or Idoral or Lugol's supplements.There is speculation online that most people are deficient. This is one of those supplements it is said you can take a lot of and still be safe, your body will flush out any extra.

Any kind of reccurent reflux can cause failure to grow. (usually caused by a food allergy to possible soy/bread/dairy.)Any relfux meds or antacids can cause malabsorption of vitamins because they deplete stomach acid- which is needed to digest those vitamins.

Celiacs disease can cause failure to grow. It is an inability to digest gluten (which is found in OH SO MANY foods.)

See your doctor for help.

First, call your pediatrician and ask if this is any reason for concern. I'm sure he/she will tell you this is perfectly normal, and as long as your baby is happy, and is otherwise doing well, there's no reason to worry. If you feel that you have too many questions to keep asking your pediatrician, ask him which of the baby books he recommends: Good ol' Dr. Spock, or Penelope Leach, or Dr. Brazelton, or the "What to Expect" Books-- "What to Expect When You're Pregnant," "What to Expect the First Year," etc. You will feel better with a good reference book on hand.

are his poops yellow or green? my midwife said green is a sign they are only getting the watery foremilk. if he is, you can work on longer, less frequent feedings, maybe even pump out the foremilk ahead of feeding, though i am sure it provides something important too.

Pump and feed so you can see how much he is actually eating. At least 4 oz a feeding if possible. Are you eating enough calories? They say about 500 more calories than you would normally need. It is possible that your milk doesn't have enough fat in it. See what his ped says. They might have you supplement him with formula or rice cereal.Babies always lose the first week then start gaining again so he could be playing catch up still.

Oh I have just been going through this. My daughter was born at 6 13 got done to 6 4 and at 2 months was only 10 lbs. I only nurse also it took her 5 weeks to even get it. She stresses me out since her eating is not good and I have to get her to eat instead of her telling me when she hungry. She is 3 months today and though she is a little eater and has 8 wet diapers a day I see that her legs are filling out. I worry all the time on her weight too, I guess some kids just dont need as much to eat and gain weight slower but their still healthy. She is a great baby also so I guess she is getting what she needs. I read that babies can nurse but there is 3 different parts of our milk and the middle is the fatty part that helps them gain weight. The also gave her a bottle since she didnt nurse well and to keep track of how much she is eating. Best of luck and Congrads!

This happened to my little guy, too! The midwife sent me to the lactation consultant, and it turned out my little guy had a sloppy latch & was getting enough to wet diapers & not be too hungry, but not enough to grow fast. I was also still occasionally nursing his sister (18 mos), so the LC had me take fenugreek caps for a few months just to be SURE I had enough milk for both. But training him to latch better is what did the trick. He's now a happy, 18-pound 8 month-old!

Before you start with formula supplementation, see the lactation consultant! She's the expert on breastfeeding. Many doctors know little beyond what the formula companies tell them! Also, maybe get in touch with you local LaLeche League.

My daugher was the same way, and her nurse was very concerned. However, her doctor never was. She was always very skinny and tiny as a baby, never even making it onto the "charts" until her third birthday, when she was only at 5 percent for height and still off the chart for weight. But now, at six, she is pretty much average with her classmates. She's never shown any other problems or anything else to be concerned about either. I would suggest you talk with your pediatrician. If he/she isn't concerned, I wouldn't worry about it. They all grow at their own pace.

Is the dr. Concerned? Sometimes kids progress at different rates and as long as he is pooping and peeing and dr is not too worried I wouldn't be either. More than anything don't let someones fears start to make you question nursing! Good luck!

Hi. The most important thing right now is that you said he is alert, happy, and seems to be thriving. Those are all very positive signs that he is not having a real issue. That said, if he continues to gain weight at a below normal rate the pediatrician will most likely recommend that you take him in for some tests or try something else. This can be very stressful, because you don't want to put your baby through anything and you will probably worry about the results, but they usually feel they need to do it to rule out any underlying problem (such as celiac disease, just one example), just to make sure. I have been through it all, and you asked for similar experiences, so here it is. My oldest daughter was large at birth but was never interested in food (not interested in drinking much milk, not interested in eating much of anything when she was old enough to start solids. no matter what we tried) so she also gained weight at a much reduced rate compared to other babies. Very shortly she was below the lowest curve in the growth charts and stayed that way until she was 2, when she managed to creep back up to the 5th percentile. In the meantime we did the tests recommended. The tests weren't fun but it was good to get the results back that there wasn't a problem. It also added to the stress to have the doctors say she wasn't big enough every time we went into the office to have a well check - we'd go in feeling fine and leave feeling all stressed and worried. This is where you need to check in with yourself about your son's appearance and demeanor. If he remains alert, active, and apparently thriving, then remind yourself of it and do the tests but take the concern with a grain of salt and try to relax about it a bit. Anyway, the end result for us was that my daughter is now 10 years old, at about the 75th percentile for height and 45th percentile for weight (so still appears slim but not too skinny), very busy with extracurricular activities, and does very well academically, so no long term ill effects. Sorry for the long post, and hope the experience helps. By the way, as a first time mom you might worry that you're the problem, but my experience with my second child was totally different. Sometimes they just are who they are.

I have a 2 month old and my doctor told me they should gain around 4 pounds the 1st 2 months, so I would definitely talk to your doctor. My friend had this problem and the doctor recommended supplementing with formula and I think even rice cereal.

You should ask your pediatrician or midwife to check him out, but all babies lose weight when they are first born then start gaining, so it may seem they haven't gained much but they did have some make-up to do. Your doctor could help ease your mind about this though.

I am also struggling to get my daughter to gain weight. She is 3 weeks old but is always spitting up and not gaining weight. I am also breastfeeding exclusively although her doctor would like me to supplement with formula.I'm not ready to do that just yet. I have been trying to help her with just breast milk.
I went to Sutter lactation center and they weighed her before a feeding and then again after she nursed. It showed that she was getting two ounces of milk which is a good amount. They also gave me some pointers to make sure my baby is getting enough milk through out the day. For instance always offering both breasts, giving a bottle of pumped milk after a feed and waking the baby at night for more feeding.I found the appointment to be really helpful.
Is your son spitting up a lot? Is your sons doctor concerned?
I'm sorry I don't have more advice. I know how frustrating it can be.
M.

Hi A.,
Congratulations! He is fine; just keep breastfeeding. My little one weighed in at 8 lbs. 10 ozs at birth, she dropped weight for the first 5 weeks, and then all of a sudden, she started gaining. I just kept breastfeeding..I was very worried too, but..it just takes time. Your pediatrician will guide you, but don't despair. Just keep breastfeeding! You can always log on to the La Leche League website as well and they can give you more pointers. Good luck! and try not to worry.
J. A.

Hi A.,
Congratulations on your son! When you say he's only gained 2 oz. since his birth, I'm assuming that he's now only 2 oz. above his birth weight, right? And that he lost weight at first so he's gained more weight in 6 weeks than 2 oz.?

Anyway, my daughter was slow at gaining at first as well. She would always fall asleep while breastfeeding. So my lactation consultant encouraged me to express milk in between feedings and give that to her as well in a bottle (because it comes out quicker in a bottle so she didn't fall asleep). The first week we tried this, she gained 9 oz.! We did this for 4-6 weeks and by then she was strong and old enough to stay awake longer. So I gradually "weaned" her from the bottle and nursed her longer.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Peace, B.

I second the recommendations to ask the pediatrician. You may also want to see a lactation consultant. They can weigh your baby before and after you feed him and see how much you are producing. They may also have some tips on ways to increase your milk production and optimize breastfeeding. I had to supplement with formula and my LC came up with some ways for me to do that without having to give him a bottle. Good luck!

Ask his doctor. There may be a problem that needs to be addressed with hormones or meds and the sooner you start the better. Don't freak out - I am sure that he is fine but talk to his doctor just to make sure. If he needs intervention, better now than later.

T.

Hi A.,

I think your baby is fine and he will be going in shortly for a check. Newborns do lose a little weight in the beginning. If your too worried, do call the doc.

Blessings...

call you doc and ask to go in for regular weight checks. we did this with my first every week because he wasn't gaining weight. you can also ask for a Supplemental nursing system. I used one with my first. that way you are still nursing exclusively but the baby can get extra calories at the same time. Good luck.

A.,

Call a La Letche League leader ASAP. You need someone to check your latch. Contact info:
http://lllnorcal.org/groups/OaklandBerkeleyCA.html

You should see your physician and see what else could be causing this lack of weight gain. You baby should be gaining a minimum of 1/2 ounce a day...6 weeks is a long time to not gain the minimum weight.

For example, your baby could be tongue-tied, which is simple to diagnose and fix.

Pumping is not a good way to see how much milk you are producing as the baby is more efficient than the pump.

You need to always weigh your son on the same scale.

When you weight a baby before and after a feeding, start with a dry diaper. Feed the baby. KEEP THE SAME DIAPER ON WHEN YOU WEIGH THE BABY AFTER YOU FEED HIM. If the baby pees or poops when you are breastfeeding, then you have a wrong number for how many ounces he has taken in if you re-weigh with a dry diaper. Many lactation consultants get this wrong, and insist on a dry diaper before and after feeding. You should start with a dry diaper and keep the baby in the same diaper while you feed him and when you weight him after he eats.

If you go to the Alta Bates drop-in lactation group, focus only on your nursing and getting help. Only use your doctor's scale. Scales can be way off.

The lactation consultants at Alta Bates use the CDC growth charts, which are based on formula fed babies and not breast fed babies. You can get help with breastfeeding technique at the Alta Bates drop-in clinic, but don't let the lactation consultants guilt-trip you into using multiple scales to weigh your baby.

You can go to the drop-in breastfeeding clinic without weighing your baby. If you weigh your baby, you may focus on the number on the scale -- which could easily be way off from your doctor's scale. You should be seeing your doctor ASAP and regularly until your baby starts gaining the minimum amount of weight.

Stick to your doctor's scale and focus on number of wet diapers and how the baby looks, and make sure your baby is gaining at least 1/2 ounce a day.

Was your baby a C-section baby? If so, what you think is the birth weight may not be, as babies absorb some of the fluid from the mom's IV's.

Is your baby sleeping well? Babies need sleep to grow.

One last tip: try one-sided feedings. When you first start to breastfeed, the baby gets foremilk. After a few minutes, the baby gets hindmilk, which is thick, creamy, and filling. The more hindmilk, the more baby sleeps. Hindmilk also has more calories.

You get conflicting info from lactation consultants. At Alta Bates, I was given a nipple shield to use only for one side -- it was a disaster. Other bad advice I got was to always offer both sides at a feeding. Try one sided feedings and see if your son sleeps more between feedings.

Your baby should re-gain birth weight by 3 weeks. Not gaining by 6 weeks is something to be concerned about. You will find La Letche league really helpful. Call a leader and they will call you back for free (really!).

Enjoy your baby! Let us know how he does!

I agree 100% with Jaye S. It is not normal for a baby to have gained only 2 ounces at 6 weeks of age and if your pediatrician isn't all over that then it's time to find a new pediatrician. I would recommend you see a lactation consultant (to check latch, see how much milk he gets at a feeding, etc) and a pediatrician, and I would monitor weight gain every couple of days for awhile until you're sure he's solidly gaining. I had this situation with my oldest -- poor latch and a weak suck - getting barely enough to maintain weight. Everything turned out completely fine -- we fixed the latch, but even with tons of pumping (and fenugreek, etc), I could never get my supply up quite enough to compensate for the fact that he didn't have a strong suck. I ended up needing to top him off a little bit with formula after every feeding, after which he started gaining normally. BTW, this doesn't mean I had to stop breastfeeding -- I nursed him until he was 15 months old. Also, it didn't mean that I had a 'nursing problem'-- my second was a voracious eater with a terrific latch who gained weight like crazy. Don't worry, just trust your gut and stay on it.

Best,
D.

Is his doctor concerned? When my son gained only 2 ounces in a month, his doctor was very concerned and I started to supplement with a 1 oz bottle of formula. I was still able to breastfeed, and even though adding the bottle was a pain, it was exactly what he needed to gain weight. I only had to supplement for a month or two, then was able to increase my milk supply. My son was still on the low end of the growth curve, but he was gaining weight while following the curve. You may not want to supplement, but talk to his doctor--it might be what he needs.