Breastfeed Baby Not Gaining Weight

Stick to what you want to do... That happened with my son AT FIRST. I never did the formula... and my son grew and grew and was getting so big they wanted me to STOP feeding him on demand...

DO WHAT YOU WANT TO... If breastfeeding is what you thin kis best and what you want to do...STICK WITH IT.

Hi L., I was just curious, where did you deliver. And where do you live? A few things could cause low production, including improper latch, which would make you have nipple soreness most likely. Let me know if you would be interested in a Consultation for breast feeding. J. ###-###-#### cell (I live in Commerce Twp.)

My Daughter is also in the slow to gain catagory. Here are a couple of things that set my mind at ease. First, breastfed babies tend to gain weight slower than formula fed babies. Also if your daughter is being charted on a growth chart she is being compared to formula fed babies, which is like comparing apples to oranges when you are talking about growth.
Also keep in mind that breatmilk is supply and demand. the more you nurse the more milk your body will produce. Make sure that she is getting a good latch and completly draining your breast before you switch to the other side. It is ok if she does not feed from both sides, just make sure that you start on the least nursed side first.
I have found Dr Jack Neuman's web site to be very helpful.
drjacknewman.com
I wish you a succesful and rewarding breastfeeding relationship!
K.

Your pediatrician is has a trained eye for this, whereas your family (I'm assuming) does not. A breastfed baby does not always bulk up the way a formula fed baby would because they get exactly what they need from the breast, and nothing else. The breast is best. Some folks think that since they can see what's going into the baby from the bottle that the child is getting a confirmed amount of food, whereas it's not visible with the breast, it's all psychological. And considering your age, I'm also assuming that your family formula-fed their children, so they know it works... stick with nursing, you will be happy you did. Also, if you are still concerned about it, talk to a Lactation Consultant or your local La Leche League Leader, they will be able to give you some encouragement and confirm whether your baby is getting enough.

I would stick with breastfeeding if that's what you are comfortable with. It is so much healthier for the baby. I'm all for formula feeding if there is a medical reason for it. It doesn't sound like your baby is 'underweight'. Watch for all the developmental signs that she should be reaching. It's hard when you have family telling you to do otherwise, but stick to it. I nursed one of my babies (1st) for 10 months. She was 8lbs 1oz when born and at a year she was 16lbs 12oz. She was little, and healthy, and when I started her on formula she did NOT have a growth spurt so I knew it was just the size she was going to be. My second I was only able to nurse for 5 months because I have medical issues and I stopped producing milk- the medication to help it causes depression- so I opted for formula. He was 8lbs 8oz when born and is now 18months... up until 3 months ago- he was a long string bean. SO what I'm saying is take into account that your daughter just MIGHT be a petite one. Don't fall into the 'fat babies are healthy babies' theme that's out there. Do what's best for your baby, and best for you!

If your doctor says she's gaining okay, and is healthy, I would continue doing what you're doing. My older daughter "lost weight" between her four and six month check-ups, and one doctor was concerned (there are several were we go). At the next appointment, with another doctor, he said sometimes they can make mistakes in collecting the data (wrote it down wrong, weighed her too fast, etc.).

You know, since you are a breastfeeding mother already, that "breast is best." Go with your heart.

When this happened in our family, I pumped the other breast during each nursing to help increase my milk supply. And, you'll have breast milk to give her in a bottle if you need to. I also drank a tea... Organic Mother's Milk, and I've heard that garlic makes them want to nurse more.

When you nurse her for 20 minutes on each side, do you time it? Or do you let her empty the breast? There's the whole issue with foremilk (sp?) and hindmilk.

Another really valuable resource is La Leche League. When I got discouraged, I read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. It helped me a lot!

Good luck with whatever you decide. I'm sure it'll be the best decision for your little one. Don't let negative comments deter you from that decision, be patient, and don't give up. We're here for you.

L.,

Listen to your doctor. As long as she is within a healthy weight range, as stated by your doctor, and has a healthy appetite, which she appears to have, she is fine. My daughter was slow to gain weight, by other people's standards not the doctors. She is now a happy, healthy 7 year old. People think babies should be fat and chubby (my daughter was not), but this could set them up from weight problems when they get older.

L.,

As the previous responder said... seems like you are doing all the right things. Make sure you are getting high amounts of protein and drinking lots of water. Pregnant and nursing mums need abou 80gms of protein per day! That is about double what we normally eat. Cheese, yogurt, meats, nuts are excellent sources of protein.

Nure her on demand...dont' try to put her on a schedule. I would also get in touch with a lactation consultant. They are trained to know how to look for problems. Just because your daughter is at the breast for 20 minutes, doesn't mean she is actually EATING for twenty minutes. They will nurse for comfort, in which case they aren't really eating.

The best way to determine if your baby is actually eating is to watch her suck. Stick your finger in your mouth and suck as if you are sucking through a straw. You will notice your chin drops and there is a pause before you suck again. Your baby should be exhibiting this type of sucking. It will engage the jaw muscles right back to her ears. You typically can also hear her swallowing the milk.

Nursing is not as easy as it looks. It takes some time for mom and baby to really find a rythm. It took my daughter and I almost 10 weeks. We just couldn't get a good latch and I had sore bleeding nipples! We met with a lactation consultant and in 1 hour our problems were solved. A good lactation consultant will be very very honest with you. Mine said there was one case in which she needed to advise the mom to put her son on formula because mom just wasn't producing enough. That is rare mind you. More women overproduce vs. under produce, just so you know.

The hospital where you delivered should have a list of consultants in your area, or as suggested La Leche League.

Good luck!

Stopping nursing is your choice so don't let your family pressure you in to that. I had a preemie and had to suplement with formula as well as nursing so if that's what you have to do to get the weight up then do it if your doctor thinks that is best. Breast feeding has so many bennifits as you already know so keep up the good work and good luck.

Hi L. -

As a first time time, and I would imagine always, it is a scary thing when people or Dr.'s tell you your child is not gaining the appropriate amount of weight. I went through this with my son, now 17 months. The Dr.'s called him a failure to thrive. I was devastated and also started supplementing on formula. Not that there is anything wrong with formula supplementation, but I don't think it is entirely necessary (in most cases), unless it is what you want to do. Your daughter is certainly gaining weight, which is the most important part. Though she may not be gaining as much as your pedi would like to see, the fact is that she is growing. After you feed her, does she seem content and happy? Does she cry to eat soon after you feed her? Have you tried pumping for 20 minutes to see how much milk you produce? That may help ease your worrries as well. If you produce adequately, then I think she is fine. If not, that would be another issue. I know it is hard, but those signs are much more important the the growth charts or expectations of doctors. I learned that the hard way.

After many months of trying EVERYTHING to get my son to gain weight (to no avail), I finally realized that perhaps this was just his body type. And still, to this day, he is in the "7th perecntile" for weight, according to the docs. He is happy, healthy (hardly ever sick) and developing right on schedule.....and now is a WONDERFUL eater! Remember too that those growth charts were created by pharma companies and they push formula b/c they make it. I have read that many formula fed babies gain weigt more rapidly b/c parents can see and monitor how much they eat. And if they have an ounce left, many parents (and I did too!) will try and get them to take that ounce b/c the charts and doctors say they should. They are actually being overfed.

I know when your baby is so small and you are in the midst of it all, it truly feels like such a big deal. I did so much research and stressing about it, it was crazy! And in the end, he was just fine. So many people told me this along the way and it was so hard to believe at the time...but it is true! Unless there is some other problem (milk production, digestive issues your daughter has etc.), I would try and relax and enjoy her as much as you can. Otherwise, believe me, you will literally drive yourself crazy! And if you want to breastfeed, that is exactly what you should do.

Good luck!

L. ~
It's normal for newborns to lose weight after birth, we expect that. That's why we weigh babies every day in the hospital. With breast feeding we don't like to see more than a 10% loss, if we do, then we start supplementing the feedings with some formula. It sounds like your daughter lost about 12 ounces, which is right about 10%. If your pediatrician says she's healthy and she's gaining weight (it seems like it takes forever to gain!), then you are doing the right things. The pediatrician would tell you to stop breast feeding and only formula feed if he thought that was necessary. Make sure you're eating well to keep up with her demands - it takes about 1000 extra calories a day to make the milk she needs. Tell your family that you are doing what your doctor says, he's the one who is trained. You can always try to call the hospital where you delivered and ask if there's a lactation consultant who could help you (if not - email me and I'll give you a number to call), or try La Leche League. I'm sure everything will be fine.
D.

I had the same issue. I pumped my breastmilk and fed it to my baby at the next feeding. Then he would go to sleep and I would pump again. It took alot longer for the feeding but at least I knew he was getting enough food.

Don't listen to everyone else! If your dr is ok, then keep trying and seek out some breastfeeding support. Have you contacted the leche league? Breastfeeding is the best thing for your baby and lots of moms have trouble at first, but stick to it. My step sister had the most difficult time trying to BF but she stuck to it by getting the proper support (which is not people telling you that formula is the answer). Also check out this web site, its the best and offers lots of information to seek out BF support. The office is located in Ann Arbor,http://center4cby.com/ and they will answer lots of questions over the phone or read through the web site. Really you probably just need some encouragement that you're doing the right thing, as a new mom just a year ago I know we question everything, stick to your beliefs and gut about what is best for you baby. Again I can't stress enough get the support you need.

I hope this will set your mind at ease. I have an 18 month old who is almost 21 pounds. Most 1 year old children weigh more than he does! He gained weight very slowly and I never gave up on breatfeeding. It is so good for them to have as much breast milk as possible. We supplemented with formula too and he turned out great. I brestfed until 10months of age, he weined himself. My son was always low percentiles! The only comment my pediatrician said one time was not to give him anything but milk when he was over 1. Children these days tend to be too heavy anyways and I don't think it's fair to compare them all on the same scale. It is when your pediatrician says something that I would listen. Everyone has their own advice and imput on raising children and I think that you should do what's best for you! If your frustrated by the feedings then maybe you should switch, but also the price of formula is about 100/month! Good luck, it sounds like your doing fine.

R. L

Sounds like she is gaining weeight. Do you ever pump? That way you could see approx how much mild you are making? I would stick to your guns on Breastfeeding. If anything will help a baby gain weight it is Breast milk not formula. Your mild is designed specifically for your baby.

Dear L. W.,

Most hospitals O.B./Gyn. departments have a listing of phone numbers for LaLeche groups in your area. I would call your local hospital and ask for the number of one closest to you and call her and ask lots of questions. I breastfed one of my two daughters and she did not poop for six days when she was a new baby and the LaLeche group I attended knew more than my doctor about some things related to breastfeeding since she used formula to feed her babies.

Ask as many questions as you can think of. If you forget things easily, write questions on a paper before you make the call to LaLeche so you won't forget any that might seem insignificant but actually be quite important.

Write down dates and weights of the baby before you call LaLeche and any info you think might help her when you give her details. I'm sure she can be of help to you.

Make sure you drink plenty of fluids. You will notice if she gets fussy when you eat certain foods and will realize they give her gas really badly and then you can cut down on eating those foods until she gets older. My baby got fussy and gassy from everything I ate anyway, so I just ate whatever I wanted to.

I read that thinner babies don't get sickly as quickly as heavier babies and God gave us the ability to breastfeed because human babies generally do better on human milk than formula. Cow's milk is for baby cows/steers.

Good for you to breastfeed. It is very time consuming but worth the extra effort. Like others have suggested, pump any left-over milk after her feedings and freeze it. It can be added on to previous pumpings and frozen. It is easy to thaw out and warm up in the microwave. Then somebody else can bottle feed her with your breast milk if she will suck on the rubber nipple. My daughter refused to suck on the rubber nipple so she would just wait for me to get home. As soon as she heard my voice, she would cry for me and my milk would let down. Don't worry about slow weight gain. Not all babies gain the same way and with you being a new mom everything is quite scarey. Keep up the good work. You will be glad later.

Hope this helped some.

L. C.

As long as the doc says she's healthy, don't worry about it. My almost two year old is still slow to gain weight, as of this week she only weighs 24 lbs. She has been below the 5th percentile for her weight since she was born. My ped said as long as she stays consistant on the growth chart not to worry, if she drops off the cart completely then well see if there is something else going on.

The other thing is if you want to breastfeed, then breastfeed!! My daughter was on formula and she was still a slow grower. It's possible that your daughter is just going to be a small person....Hope this helps!!

have you talked with a lactation consultant? Try not to give in to the pressure of formula if it's not what YOU want to do. You don't want to look back w/regret. i had a friend that had this same problem w/her child and it was b/c the baby wasn't latching on correctly. once she finally got it my friend thought "oh! This is it!" and she had even nursed 2 other children b/f. The baby was fine after that and she was able to nurse her exclusively. Unfortunately, if you start supplementing formula 2 things can/will happen: 1) your milk supply will decrease 2) the baby may begin to prefer the bottle and only take that. I don't want to worry you, just giving you information. If you'd like some help, please call me. ###-###-#### I'd be more than happy to help.

Hi L.,
Your little girl sounds like my daughter, who is now a 15 yo. H.S. student. She was ~7 lb. @ birth and was in the 4th-5th percentile both in height and weight most of her childhood. She is now a petite High school sophomore that has excellent grades, many good friends, and loves life. I Breast fed her for almost a year. My opinion is so many babies are fed formula and they grain so fast that is what people think that is the norm. But the normal child/baby should not rolls of pudge. If she is growing and developing on time then just enjoy this time with your "little girl" while she is little. Because my "little girl" will be off to college in two more years --M.

I agree with some of the others that you should check your supply so that you know how much you are producing. Ultimately you need to make sure your baby is getting enough and understanding your supply will help you. But I wouldn't quite breast feeding until you have to, I would just supplement with formula as your doctor recommends. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and other liquids and eating enough. You can also try Mother's Milk Tea and Fenugreek to increase your supply. It is hard to get your supply back but you can try to increase it some or maintain if that is the issue. You should talk to a lacation consultant or sometimes your pediatrician or nurse can offer advice. I breastfed both my children adn had to supplement much earlier with the second one. Both of kids gained weight slowly but were and are healthy, even now that they are older they gain weight slowly even though they are good eaters. So don't panic just keep a good eye on what your baby is taking in, keep in touch with your doctor about the babies weight, do the best you can with breastmilk and supplement what you need to.

L.,
It sounds like you are doing a great job with your little one! I have a 8 month old baby that has been exclusively breastfed from day one. She was 6lbs 13oz at birth and now, nearly 9 months later is still only approaching 15lbs. Even still, I struggle to produce enough to feed her while I am gone (pumping only an average of 1 oz from each breast!) God has a way of providing you with just the right amount to nurture your baby girl so have faith that what you are doing is what is best for her! This is the first of many things you will encounter in her life that you will have to trust your instincts on to do what is best for her! You can do it! You have been doing a wonderful thing for your baby. Keed up the good work...it will be challenging and you will have your doubts but trust your natural God given instincts your baby will thrive! If you need support on how to increase your supply or just need to try kellymom.com or LLLI.com. Hang in there!

I agree with Mary if the doctor say's she's healthy then don't worry too much. She may just not gain weight as fast as other babies. You may have to change your diet to make your milk more potent for the baby. I breastfed my son for 7 weeks, he never gained an ounce he lost a pound, my milk wasn't strong enough for him and he was allergic to mother's milk. Unfortunate for me I had to change him to ProSobee formula. Then and only then did he start gaining weight. But he was always a small baby, he stayed small right until he was about 6 years old, he was the size of a 3yr old at 6. He's perfectly healthy, normal grown man with his first baby on the way. Good luck

Continue to breast feed, and if she acts hungry, then supplement, it may be your milk supple is just not built up yet. Breast feeding is a supply and demand type thing, the more she breast feeds, the more more milk you will produce. you can also ask your doctor to prescribe, breast milk fortifier, which can be added to breast milk to give it more calories, to help baby gain weight. Also ask your doctor if perchance your baby could be a failure to thrive baby, which just means you need to work a little harder at breast feeding and other caloric intake. Hope this helps.

Hello. I don't have any advice re: slow weight gain, but when my son was a newborn, he was always hungry. I nursed him constantly from both breasts. Even so, this was not enough for him. So, my husband fed him from a bottle. Everyone knows about the benefits of breast milk. If you can do both, then I guess my advice is to nurse your daughter as often and as long as possible, and let your husband supplement her feeding with the bottle. That way your baby gets as much as she needs and you both get to participate in her feeding.

I agree with the nursing on demand. Also, don't worry about switching sides. I would nurse my son on one side until empty, then if he was full I just pumped. If they aren't finishing then they aren't getting the thick full stuff that comes with your letdown. (I think that's what it is from ) :) Good luck and don't listen to your family. I got a lot of flack for breastfeeding my son from my in-laws, no one in that family had ever breast fed and they were uncomfortable with it. Good luck

An important thing I have learned since having my kids ( son,5 & daughter 2 1/2) is that children develop at different rates. Just because your little one is not gaining the "average" amount of weight expected does not mean that you are doing anything wrong. Breastfeeding is not only beneficial in building your daughter's immune system, but also strengthening the bond between mommy & baby. When my daugter was breastfeeding, she also gained her weight back slowly, she was 5lbs. 7oz. at birth, then dropped down to 4lbs. 8oz. It took 6-8 weeks before she even came close to her birth weight. I was stressed over it, so I got some advice from a lactation consultant. For me, stress & hormonal changes hindered my milk production. I wasn't producing enough to keep her satisfied. I had to begin giving her formula as well as breastmilk. To be honest, I felt like a failure. The consultant told me not to get discouraged and that even though we had to start with formula, my daughter had a great head start from breastfeeding. Now she's above average in height & weight and is happy & healthy.
Being a new mom can be frustating at times, but it's also important to trust your own judgement. While support & advice from family is great, you & your hubby should do what's right for you.

L.,
sounds like you are doing the right thing. Don't let your family members bully you into something you don't want to do.
Your doctor says that she is healthy and that is what counts.
I have 4 children and breastfed them all (we alternated fomula with breast milk so dad could help out and babysitters could feed them as well).
My last two were a set of twins and they nursed just fine.
Stick with it. You have plenty of advice here, and these ladies are telling you the same thing - stick with it as long as your daughter wants to nurse (mine all weaned themselves by 1yr). Enjoy it while it lasts.
K.

Congratulations on your baby girl!
We went through this with our now 2 year old. It's so hard with your first, because it's too easy to second guess your gut. Casey was a slow gainer at first too and it stressed me out. Our dr was supportive though and we also got help from a lactation consultant. I agree with lots of the other posts - one thing that helped my supply was that we continued the formula supplemnt until about 2 months but my husband would feed him while I pumped, so my body didn't miss the feeding. So eventually I was able to keep up with his needs and we had a nice start to the collection in the freezer for an occasional babysitter to use. Just be consistnet so your body understand the needs and trust your gut. I am sorry your family is giving you a hard time - its incredible the way people share their unsoicited opinions with new moms!
GOod luck - hang in there!!

Have no fear. I have been where you are, and recently. My son was born last July at 7 lbs 8 oz. He was 3 weeks early. He did not gain well with breastfeeding alone either. We supplemented with formula. It's OKAY if your baby is low on the weight curve. The idea is to stay on whatever curve he/she is on. I breastfed AND formula fed for nearly 10 months. My son just weaned from breastfeeding (his choice) and is fully on the formula. Personally, I think your child will benefit from breastfeeding as long as you can. There is no reason your child can't do both for as long as he/she wants to.

Your child will gain antibodies, close bonding with you, and comfort from breastfeeding. It also releases stress releaving hormones in YOUR body when you nurse. It also forces you to take a break to have personal time with your baby.

Now, my baby is starting to fall off the charts for weight, and he is only on formula. I wish I was still breastfeeding. Formula is not a guarantee. But, your milk can provide great nutrients depending on what you are eating. I recommending eating salmon and foods rich in omega-3. This is EXCELLENT for brain development in your child. I think flax seed has it too. Your child may need more calories. Now, my doc is asking me to concentrate his formula a little to provide higher calorie content in the bottle. Of course, this should only be done with doctor supervision and recommendation to get the amount of concentration accurate for your child.

I hope this helps. DO not let your family tell you what to do. Opinions are nice, sometimes. But, in the end, this is about you, your husband, and YOUR child. You and your hubby (and your doc) are the ones who can make the best decision for your child. Stay strong!

Hi L.,
I am still breastfeeding my 1 yr old however for quite a while I have also been supplementing with formula because I don't have enough milk for her. I have not had the weight gain issues but if your baby drinks the formula right down I would give it more formula. Try to keep breastfeeding though as it is the best food for your baby. You may also see a milk increase later on and be able to cut back on the formula. Also if the baby and you enjoy the breastfeeding try to keep it up as long as possible. You might be producing less milk right now due to stress factors. I myself am experiencing that right now. Feel free to keep in touch. I hope this encourages you.
E.

Hi L., My name is M.. I am a mother of 3 (Breastfed all of them for over a year) and also a pediatric nurse for a very busy practice. Please,please don't stop nursing your baby. No matter what family members say. Breastfeeding is the best thing for both of you. I had a slow gaining baby until he hit about 4 months old, then he started to put some weight on. Nurse every 3-4 hours for at least 15-20 minutes on each breast if baby will go that long. Make sure that you are eating a well balanced diet and drinking enough fluids. Remember that everytime baby nurses, you need to replace the fluids back in your body to produce milk for the next feeding. Another thing you can safetly try is adding brewers yeast to your diet. This has been know to increase breastmilk production. Enfamil also has marketed a capsule for breastfeeding moms that increases the DHA and RHA which are nutrients important for brain development. We get samples in the office in our breastfeeding kits. I would figure that the capsules could be purchased over the counter. Follow your heart. If you really want to be sucessful in breastfeeding don't give up. Supplementing with formula once a day may help to increase babies calories, you could even add 1-2teaspoons of infant rice cereal to the formula( check with your Dr. first) Make sure that baby gets mostly breast so your milk supply stays built up. Good luck

My son was a slow gainer also. He still is and he has been on formula since he was 4 months old. If you are worried and want to make sure she is getting enough you can always pump and feed in a bottle so you can measure what she is getting. If you doctor isn't worried though don't dwell too much on what your family thinks.

Keep breastfeeding and if you feel she needs formula to supplement than go for it.

Breastfeeding has sooo many nutrients that you won't get in formula. You'll find your baby will get sick less and you'll create a bond that the two of you will share. You'll also most likely lose the baby weight faster.

When baby starts to move a bit you'll get a much needed break while you nurse!

Contact a local La Leche Group if you are looking for support.

I had a similar experience with my daughter. She is now almost 4.

She was born 7lbs 5 oz--50th percentile and went down to the 3-5th percentile for weight by 1mos. I exclusively breastfed her. The dr's had me all worried about her weight. Saying she should be consisitent at the 50th mark and they worry any time a child gets below 10%. I had to keep a log of how much she was fed (what time, how long she ate etc.). They wanted me to suppliment with formula. Yeah right, my daughter was soo use to breastmilk she literally woudln't take it. I still remember it. She was soo hungry she was crying and my poor husband is trying to give her the formula. After her first taste of it and realizing it's not what she is used to, she refused to take the bottle and wailed. Needless to say, we went back to breastfeeding.

When I told my OBGYN about it, he said from his experience, at birth the percentile is generally a factor of how well the mom's nutrition is. Then, after birth it's more a factor of the child and their "natural tendency". As long as she was progressing he suggested not to worry.

Anyways, that seems to hold true for us. My daughter is still a peanut--31 lbs and almost 4 years old. The down side is it is very hard to find pants to fit. She needs a size 3-4 for length, but they are HUGE in the waist. I have shorts for this year that are 18mos-2T.

Just wanted you to know you are not alone and try not to stress (like I did) about it. As long as she is progressing, interacting etc. Things are most likely fine.

K.

Hi L. - congratulations on your lovely little girl! IF the doctor says she is healthy and she is gaining weight do your best to relax and ignore your family. If you can find another nursing mom or a lactation consultant at the hospital where she was born - or the doctor's office if they have one - they will be a good, encouraging support for you. Nursing is so odd because you really can't tell how much they are getting except to note if they are gaining weight (she is) if they seem satisfied (sounds as if she is, especially if you have to wake her up sometimes, which is a whole other issue) and if she can sleep for a good stretch most nights. Sounds to me as if she is doing great. I wouldn't give her anymore formula each day if I could help it - the more you supplement the less you produce. Make sure you're drinking tons of water every day, I felt as if I sloshed every time I moved! Keep up the great work. Sometimes family feels left out of this wonderful feeding time, maybe you can find things for them to do when they visit that will fill the feeding void for them! All the best to all of you. B.

This happened to me also. Have you been pumping at all to see how much milk you are actually producing? My milk supply was low to begin with but continued to decline, without realizing it. My son was feeding all the time and never seemed satisfied. Finally, at 9 weeks, I pumped and found that my milk supply was unbelievably diminished. At that point, we started him on formula and any remaining milk I could pump until I was completely dried up (only two weeks later). I would start with checking your milk supply. Then either supplement with formula or switch to formala. Good luck!

Good Morning

My first child was also a girl. She also had trouble gaining weight. She was 7 lbs 7 oz at birth. She did not gain any weight also when I tried to breast feed. She had a large heart murmer that the doctors never told me. At her 6 month check up (only weighing 10 pounds) my doctor discovered the loud heart murmur. She had a lot of tests at U of M Motts Children Hospital and at 8 months of age she had to have open heart surgery. She was born with a hole in her heart. At 8 months of age she only weighed in 12 pounds. I had to quit breast feeding and do formula for the sake of her little life.
She continues to see the cardiologist every six months and is on heart medicine. She is 12 years old now. She will be 13 on June 13.

A little about me. I am a stay at home mom and 43 years old. I also have a 9 year old and a 7 year old.

Chris K

Congrats on your committment to breastfeeding. Even though I only did it for 12 weeks, I'm so glad that my daughter got at least 12 weeks of breast milk. It's well-known that breast-fed babies tend to be a little smaller than formula fed. And if you doctor isn't concerned, I would gently tell the rest of your family to back off. Perhaps your baby is simply a smaller child... If family members give you a hard time and are steering you toward formula against your will, I would simply tell them that breastfeeding is shown to have excellent health advantages in the long run and that your daughter's doctor has said she's perfectly healthy in her small size. It's amazing how family members can automatically become the expert on your child when everything isn't status quo. Keep reminding yourself that you know best and that if you're willing to breastfeed, it's a wonderful gift you're able to give to your daughter. Best of luck!

Some thoughts

1. Is she a "spitter"? If she spits up a lot she could be spitting up her calories
2. How is YOUR fat intake? Try boosting your fat intake with healthy fats, like nuts, avacado, flax seeds etc.
3. I know you are nursing every 2hours but is she an effective nurser? I mean are you completely empty when you switch sides? (easy way to test this out is to weigh her before she nurses and after she nurses you can estimate how much milk she is getting by the weight change)
4. Are there any allergies or Celiac disease in your family? Sometimes babies who are effected by allergies and sensitivities have a hard time gaining weight.

Good for you for making a commitment to breastfeeding! Getting enough nutrition into your baby so she can grow is the main thing right now. Sounds like you have a supportive doctor which should help you deal with your family as you work all this out. You should feel free to contact your hospital for a referral to a lactation consultant. I strongly recommend LaLeche League as well. Just talking to a leader and attending a meeting of women in your area will give you a lot of help and support. You should also buy THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING, available at most bookstores. It's by LaLeche League. And you can read about specific breastfeeding issues on www.LLLI.org,too. Allowing her to empty one breast before switching to the other will help her get the richer hindmilk and also encourage your milk supply to increase. Nurse her as often as she'll feed. What a loving mom you are to put the effort into giving her the very best you can! In the short-term, a constant effort to help her grow is necessary, but, in the long-term, she will likely be able to totally breastfeed once her weight is increasing continually and consistently. Hang in there!

Hey, if your doctor says that your baby is healthy, then there doesn't seem to be a problem. My infant, who I breasfeed exclusively, had only doubled her birth weight at nine months old. She is 11 months now and has nursed every three hours since she was two years old. Babies who get breastmilk tend to stay lean, in my observations. You are doing the very best thing for your baby and it sounds like she is eating well. Whatever you do, DO NOT be discouraged from breasfeeding. You are doing a fine job, and it sounds like your baby is fine, too.

Oh my! Stick with the breastfeeding. It's better for you and your baby. The gaining weight thing has always been an issue with breastfed vs bottle babies. Breastfed babies might not gain as fast because there is so little waste in breastmilk. You probably noticed a change in baby's bms when you started supplementing.....that's just junk from the formula. I would get rid of the formula, make sure YOU are eating well and getting plenty of liquids and nurse ON DEMAND. At 7 weeks old she needs to eat frequently and you need to feed her frequently to establish your milk supply. Good job for sticking with it...she will be fine! You might want to contact a Le Leche League Group Leader. They can certainly reassure you about the issue. Breast is Best!! Good luck.

I had the same problem when my daughter was born. I had to also supplement and give her those horrible vitamins. She finally started to gain weight at around 8 weeks. Keep it up, if your doctor is watching the weight and he says your baby is healthy, I am sure there is nothing to worry about. Good luck!

i only breastfed my daughter and she is 1 now and only weighs 17 lbs. from 2 to 4 months she only gained a few ounces. it is not how much she gaines but that she gaines weight. if you don't want her on formula don't put her on formula. as long as she doesn't lose weight your breast milk is fine for her and you do not have to supplement.
i sometimes wounder if it is an excuse for moms to not want to breast feed anymore to just put their baby on formula.
good luck either way

Good for you for breast feeding. I breast fed both my girls, first one until she was 13 months and my second is still nursing in the morning at 13 months (trying to wean). As everyone has said, don't worry about what the family says, listen to the dr. My daughters didn't gain weight very fast, but they did gain in height. My first child was 10lbs 8oz and thank goodness, she didn’t' double her weight until she was almost a year. Second one was 4 weeks early - 6lb 18oz. At 12 months she was only 19lbs. but very long.
Suggestion, don't feed on both breasts at one feeding. Nurse on only one side to make sure your daughter completely finishes with that side. The hind milk has the most calories and the most nutrition. When she's done, pump both sides. This will tell your body to produce on both sides with each feeding. Hopefully, you will produce enough to nurse and feed a bottle without having to buy formula. PLEASE don't wake your child to eat. She will eat more during her waking hours to make up for what she's missed while she sleeps. You want to teach her good sleeping habits now.

You're doing great! Don't stress too much. Eat healthy and drink LOTS of water. GOOD LUCK!

Good for you! Stick with the breastfeeding - it really is best for the baby. If the baby doesn't appear unhappy, and the doctor is not worried about the baby, I wouldn't worry. Stay strong and tell your family that you want to breastfeed because it's best for the baby - and the baby is fine.

L.,

You've already received some great advice from the other mothers. I just wanted to tell you to trust your instinsts. As a new mom we're always concerned that the babies aren't getting enough to eat. Relax, take a deep breath. You may end up having to tell your family that you need their support not extra stress by them pressuring you to stop nursing.

My daughter (now 6 years old) doubled her birth weight (6lbs 2oz) in the first three months and then slowed down and only weighed 17lbs. when she turned a year old. Every child is different. My son (now 4 years old)was well over 20lbs by the time is was three months old. He's still much bigger than she is currently. Same parents, but different children.

We were a little concerned because she was small so when I quit nursing at 11 months we did give her iron supplemented formula for another six months (our decision). Trust me, nursing is much easier than bottle feeding and stains are much easier to get out of clothes.

Good luck and hang it there. I'm sure she's doing fine. If you need to talk to another mom don't hesitate to send me a private message. Nursing is much easier when you have good support.

Stick with nursing, it's much healthier. As long as she seems happy and her weight is moving in the right direction, you should stick with it.

Is your milk coming in okay? When she starts to nurse, you should begin to feel the milk let down in your breast. Also, much of the nutrients are at tne end, rather than at the beginning.

Drink lots of water and eat healthy foods to keep up your strength and milk supply. Definitely contact the local La Leche league.

Good luck!

L.,
I am sooo glad I decided to check this before bed.
Listen~ if your pediatrician is not concerned, and you are supplementing with formula, then just let what the family says go in one ear and out the other with a gracious smile.
It's your baby. It's your once in a lifetime (with first baby) to have this special time. Don't let them discourage you. Call a lactation consultant and they will have you feeling confident in no time. If you are a praying person~ then pray and ask the Lord to give you peace and clarity.
I wish you the best! And in light of what has just happened to the Chapman's little girl, I say treasure each moment.
Johnetta