I am breastfeeding my third son. He is 2 months old and weighs a little over 8lbs. His doctor is worried he isnt gaining enough weight. He was nursing with a breast shield up until last friday. He seems satisfied when he is done nursing. I have pumped after he nurses and barely get any milk. I already take fenugreek, blessed thistle, and drink Mothers MIlk Tea. He has enough wet and dirty diapers too. Also if i want to pump if we need to go somewhere I dont get very much maybe a few ounces at best.
Does anyone have these problems too? I could really use some feedback and opinions please! Thank You
He was born at 36weeks but still weighed 7lbs12.5oz. He went down to 6lbs14oz and had breastmilk jaundice. I struggled waking him up he was very lathargic. He was jaundice for almost 6weeks. My other two boys were 7#6.5 and 7#3.5 and were 38 and 37 weeks. My husband and I are bigger than average. He finally got past his birth weight last Sat he was 7#14.3oz. So I am wondering if being off the breast shield is really going to help. He was weighed wednesday and was 8#.04oz. He is getting weighed again today so I am anxious to see the difference. I have been pumping aafter he eats and giving him the little amount that I do get with some powder formula mixed in.
He just got back from his weigh in he is 8#1.4oz today. So he's defintly gaining. I am glad I am not the on;y mom out there struggling with this isssue. Has anyone used Motherlove Mother Milk products???? How does it work???
I took my son to his 2mth check up today. He weighed 8lbs4oz, He gained almost 3oz since friday. HIs dr said she is happy with the weight he has gained sinced last wednesday. He is going to get weekly weight checks until he is at a more healthy weight. The most wonderful news is I dont have to supplement!! YAY!!I really think it was the nursing shield stopping him from really gaining.
Thank You Everyone for your help and advice!
Just because you don't get much from pumping does not mean you are not making milk. What is concerning is your sons weight. Your milk might not be "fatty" enough. Make sure he nurses long enough to get the fatty hind milk. 8 lbs is not enough for a 2 month old. You might consider giving a little formula AFTER he has breastfed so you don't interrupt the nursing relationship.
How much did he weight at birth? How long did it take for him to re-gain his birth weight? Is he on the same percentile as at birth and has suddenly dropped? How big were your other kids....how big are you and his dad?
I agree that 8 lbs. sounds a little light for 2 months, but that really is all dependent on where he started and a lot of other factors.
Once he finishes one side, burp him and put him right back on the same breast before you offer the second side. Alternate which breast you start with. That will help him get as much hindmilk as possible--though dirty diapers would indicate that he is getting at least some. If you are pumping to increase your supply, pump first and nurse second. You can always give him what you've pumped until your supply builds.
I also think you'll notice an improvement now that you've weaned him off the shield. They serve their purpose but can reduce your supply in the long term.
As far as I know, under the best circumstances, a pump will only get about 60% of what is available...so it is good not to judge your supply by what you are getting. Also, if you are only pumping occasionally, your body isn't likely to cooperate.
Just as a note, my daughter was 6lbs. 7oz. at birth (37.5 weeks) and was 12lbs. 4oz. when she was 12 weeks old and was exclusively breastfed. (I, for some reason, can't locate her weigth at 8 weeks).
I have not tried boosting my supply, but am guessing that is not the issue. I agree with the other moms about your son possibly needing more hindmilk. My oldest two babies were very slow to gain weight, and were not on the chart. My third was on the chart, but barely. When my fourth was born on July 2, he weighed 9 lbs 2.5 oz. He's 10 weeks today, weighs15 lbs, and is already wearing size 9 months clothes. The main difference this time is that I nurse on one breast pretty much all day, and the other at night. You may not have to go to that extreme, but try nursing at least two or three times on the same breast. Your son will get more hindmilk, and should begin to gain weight better. Don't worry so much if he is a slow gainer. As long as he doesn't seem hungry, is gaining something, and has enough wet and dirty diapers, he's fine. Are you co-sleeping or using a baby sling? Proximity to mom and the breast can also help with this situation. Not only will your baby possibly feed more often, but it will also help boost your supply. Personally, I would not rely on the pump or supplement with formula. I've known many ladies, who like me, couldn't pump but nursed successfully. I've known several others who kept trying to pump and supplement only to see their supplies dwindle down to nothing. You could always talk with a lactation consultant or your local La Leche League. They are such a wonderful resource. Otherwise, just relax and keep up the good work nursing your son. Best wishes!
B.
First off he started out at just under the 50th percentile and is still on the same line according to the WHO breastfed infant growth chart, so I don't really think it's a problem. Next time you consult your pediatrician ask if he is using the charts for formula fed babies or the WHO breast fed baby chart.
Here is a link you where can print out the charts for your own reference:
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/weight_for_age/e...
IF you want him to feed more, don't supplement with pumped or formula, nurse him more, it will help increase your supply. Nurse on demand and comfort nurse (instead of using pacifiers). Look at the milk you pump, does it look more creamy or watery, if it is watery, you might need to make an effort to get more hindmilk into him.
Remember, how much you can pump is no reflection on how much milk you produce (or how much the baby can suckle out). For example, I had serious oversupply -- to the point that I could hold a cup under one breast while my baby nursed on the other and get a good amount of milk, BUT I couldn't get hardly an ounce from a pumping session :/
I know what you mean by pumping.....I've tried in the past and never seem to get enough out through pumping but the baby is the best to get the milk out. I have noticed that I was not getting enough fat in the milk when nursing and didn't understand and still don't. But, I have noticed that when they turned 3 months I see the decrease in the flow of my milk. With my third, I took Fenugreek to increase it and it did!!! Whoa, but then when he was 8 months it decreased again while taking fenugreek and it didn't happen anymore. But at least my third had more months of breastmilk than the other two. I drank so much water and so forth and it didn't help me much. I believe breastmilk is the best and only best, but if you tried everything including being stress-free and breastmilk is decreasing, then I say breastfeed what you have left in both breasts and then feed formula. That was what I had to do and I have had tried a lot things to get the milk to increase. You are a wonderful mom and keep it up doing what you can and if you need assistance such as formula to add to breastmilk, so be it. But one of the suggestions listed is soooooo good to check into, lactation consultant and La Leche League. They are helpful too.
I would not worry about it. My 3rd daughter is 4 months old and only weighs 11.5lbs. She is not even on the chart for weight. She was almost 8lbs at birth. She is breastfeeding only. She is gaining weight, just slowly. However, she is already crawling, was rolling over both ways by 5 weeks and is very active. She certainly is not failure to thrive. Just like people, babies come in all shapes and sizes. Breastfed babies tend to be on the smaller size. I have not taken my daughter to the doctor because #1 she is not sick and #2 all they are going to tell me is to give her formula. So, as long as your baby is meeting its milestones and is gaining weight albeit slowly, I would not worry.
Lisa
L.,
Just went through the same thing with my now 3 month old son. He was a little jaundice at birth and literally slept the entire first 2-3 weeks. Wish someone would have warned me how that can derail nursing! I was an avid fan of breastfeeding; I breastfed my daughter. He was barely gaining weight, if at all, so out of desperation I supplemented with formula a little bit and saw a lactation consultant several times (which I do highly recommend). In the end, after two months of not being able to really be successful for a variety of reasons, along with bleeding nipples, supplements, pumping, and a lot of tears, I decided to move to formula. It's weird because I was previously biased against moms who formula fed and felt really defensive about it when people asked about it. I still think everyone should REALLY give it a try but now I also understand that once that symbiotic relationship is off-kilter it's hard to fix it. Bottom line, I got over it and my son is doing really well. Of course if you can turn it around and make it work then that's fantastic. Just saying that if you can't make it for the long haul because your baby is not gaining weight, which of course should be concerning, then give yourself a break and don't beat yourself up over it. Good luck to you and hope that it works out and know that what ever you decide to do, it'll be the right decision.
A nipple shield LOWERS your supply, it does not improve it. If you have not seen a lactation consultant, I would recommend that you do so right away. Also keep in mind that a pump does not replicate what a baby eats when nursing at the breast.
you sound like me! My 3rd baby, a boy, was born June 15. I breast feed fulltime and at his 2 month he weighed 9 pounds 1 1/2 oz. The dr was concerned about his weight but I said he eats and is satisfied and has enough dirty diaper throughout the day so I am not concerned. When I pump I get 4 to 5 oz, but the baby will always do a better job than the pump. My best friends first baby was always small and she breastfed and the drs wanted her to do all kinds of crazy stuff, she refused. Her daughter just turned 5 and is healthy! 90th% for her height and weight! My ex and I are also tall and a healthy weight, my older girls were always and still are in the 90th%. My dr wanted me to give him formula once a day, I told him when my son is failing to thrive I will gladly give him formula, until then I will continue to breastfeed my small but healthy son! My son is responsive, does what he should be doing, he is just tiny! Only do the formula if you really want to. Some kids are just small, my son is in the 5th for height and weight but like I said he is good color, laughs, coos, smiles, follows me with his eyes and looks around to hear, he has rolled over, hold his head up really well.
To add onto B.P.'s answer. I have read alot on here about breastfeeding. Some moms have even pumped right before feeding just to give the baby the fatty part of the milk. Next time he's ready to eat pump first and see how much you get in both and give it to him in the bottle. That way you have a clear glance as to how much milk you're producing. And I would also consider reading on how much milk a 2 month old should be drinking at each feeding.
Just want to let you know that the average amount most women get while pumping is about 2 oz.TOTAL! From both breasts combined so don't worry if you don't get much pumped milk. Your baby is much better at getting milk. Have you seem a lactation consultant? Like La Leche League? Is your pediatrician supportive of breast feeding? Are you nursing on demand? If not then it might be a good idea. And dont take him off after a set time just let him keep eating. Have you checked to see if he is tongue tied??? Just a thought? I agree you could try nursing longer from one side longer so he gets more hind milk. If you are worried you are not making enough milk there are many things you can do to boost your supply.I don't know how much fenugreek you are taking but you have to take enormous amounts. I take 3 pills 3x pre day. I eat lactation cookies all day (http://realilfemum.blogspot.com/2010/08/lactation-cookies...)
and eat oatmeal every day. Plus water, water, water and mothers milk tea.
These products seem great (but I have not used them) and would probably help but they are expensive and you have to take a lot of it. But it is for your baby so do what you think is best.
You are doing a great job! Nurse on demand, eat healthy and eat enough, drink lots of water. It sounds like you have a healthy and happy, well fed baby. Don't worry about pumping, I can barely get an ounce out even before my baby nurses. He is off the charts, at 4 months he wieghed almost 17 lbs. I would forget about the formula, but thats just my opinion. Why introduce a foreign substance into your baby's system if it is unnecessary. Again, just my opinion.
Good work, Mama!
When you go today, don't feed him first and ask if they will do a feed weight check. Weigh - feed - weigh, and they can tell how much he is eating. Because he is wetting and pooping, it could just be his metabolism. How often is he eating? Is he an enthusiastic eater?
You can also try pumping before you feed him. Do you feed from both breasts? Do you stop him from the first side to switch him? If so, try feeding on just one side until he is done, or complaining that there is nothing there. That will help you create more, and let him get the hind milk that has all the fat.
