HELP - should I top up with formula? 6wk old DS has only gained 2oz.

[SeaSalt1]

I'm really concerned about my DS's weight and would appreciate any advice you could give me. My little boy is now six weeks and three days old and was 4.05kg (8lb 15oz) at birth. He initially lost 8% of his weight (which I understand is within the normal range) and has been slowly creeping his way back up. Today he was weighed and is finally above his birth weight, weighing in at 4.12kg (9lb 1oz). In the last week he has put on 120g, which is his biggest weight gain yet. On the graph in the red book he has, however, dropped from around the 80th centile to the 9th in terms of his weight, which is massively concerning me.

I am exclusively breast feeding him but am considering topping up with formula. Is this a good idea at this stage or should I persevere? I am really worried about him but don't want to move to a mixed feed unless I really have to. I'll do whatever is the best thing for him but I don't know what that is. Please help!

[SeaSalt1]

bump. Any ideas anyone?

[maja00]

How often does he breastfeed? Are you offering at least 2, if not more, sides per feed? Are you feeding in the night? Has his latch been checked - is feeding comfortable for you? Tongue-tie? Can you hear him swallowing during a feed? Is he content and alert between feeds?

[NightScentedStock]

Hi seasalt

I would perservere.

My ds2 went from 9lb 11 to 8lb 4 in two weeks after his birth. Then very very slowly crept up. Midwives were insistent I give formula, at 2 weeks, but I refused, and with the back up of hospital registrar carried on ebf on demand succesfully. The doctors at the time said not to worry too much, just keep a close eye on weight gain for a few weeks, and review if weight dropped again.

If you want to ebf I would say definitely carry on as you are, it is the perfect nutrition for your ds, and try not to worry too much as long as your baby is feeding well, looking well and well in himself, and has lots of wet/pooey nappies.





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[SeaSalt1]

He has about a 2 hour gap between feeds on average, though this can vary a bit - the gap can be as little as an hour or occasionally as much as 3 hours. I always offer both breasts. A feed usually takes 40 mins to an hour total, though the other day a single feed took 2 hours. He will usually have a 4-5 hour gap in the night from c.11pm/midnight to 4am/5am. His latch has been checked and appears to be fine. Feeding is mainly comfortable now; it wasn't to start with but the last few weeks have been fine.

Re: tongue tie, the breast feeding support lady checked him and was uncertain, DS has been referred to the hospital but there is a c.6 week waiting list, the appt is in early Aug. I can see him swallowing the milk I think, and he has plenty of wet / soiled nappies. He is generally content and alert between feeds but will sometimes put his fist in his mouth to show he wants more (in which case I latch him back on). Sometimes it feels as though I can't really satisfy him but sometimes he looks very content and is in a little milky stupor after a feed. Any ideas?

[SeaSalt1]

Thanks Night, that's really encouraging to hear. He is a happy, alert and healthy (if slightly thin-looking) chap, so apart from the weight gain issues he is doing very well. Was there a point where your little one's weight started piling on?

[NightScentedStock]

Also i think charts have their place but I took the view that babies grow at different rates, and trusted my instinct that ds would be fine with just breast milk. I did have to give up trying to do more around the house and pretty much devote myself to breastfeeding for a while. Do you have help at home so you can take it easy, be handed good nutritious meals and take as much time as you need with ds?


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[northender]

My ds lost over 10% of his weight initially and I had real problems feeding him but it was something I really wanted to do (lots of other things about the birth having gone not how I wanted them iyswim). I persevered in the face of pressure to top up and he made it back to his birth weight only at about 6 or 7 weeks.

I can remember obsessing about his weight for at least the first 3 months when I really should have chilled a bit.

Ds is now a very happy, healthy 11 year old

Hope that helps

[maja00]

His feeds are pretty long still, I would want the tongue tie looked into. Maybe look into getting it sorted privately?

Was the breastfeeding support lady qualified? It sounds like you need some specialist advice, and maybe someone to watch a whole feed. Have you called any of the bfing advice lines?

If it's just that he needs more milk, then getting more breastmilk into him would be the first solution rather than adding formula milk - so offering more sides each feed, feeding more often (if you can fit it in!) breast compressions. Or you could think about expressing some milk if you want to?

80th to 9th is a big drop - are you being referred to a doctor at all?

[freelancegirl]

I think you have had some great advice about persevering but if you do want to go down the formula route it doesn't have to be permanent. I had to mix feed did I my DS losing over 10% of his birth weight and bf all the time to no avail. I mix fed for a couple of months and eventually managed to EBF and he is still EBF (apart from food obviously) at 12mo. I know some people say there's something to be said for the 'Virgin gut' but there can be a lot of positives in mix feeding for a while if needed and that this way you might be less likely to give up all together and could easily go on to EBF again.

[NightScentedStock]

Sounds like you are doing brilliantly.

I think the weight gain went up pretty steadily after those initial few weeks, but I measured it by ds growing out of babygrows rather than at weigh ins... he was in plaster for club feet for 4 months from 3 weeks old so it was impossible to get an accurate weight except on plaster change day, and I mostly didn't do it then as he was upset at just having casts sawn off. He is 3 now and big for his age...he started to look very bonny from about 4 months I think, really chubby!

DS3 hasn't been weighed since he was 6 weeks old, he is now 2, bf for 14 months. Again, I just trusted that my body would give him the nutrition he needed and watched him grow.

Mine were sometimes restless after feeds during growth spurts, especially at 6 and 12 weeks.

[mrsmartin1984]

I would try to carry on. My littleun lost 11% of her birth weight and took a while to regain it. I was in the same boat about obsessing about her weight when she was born and I was taking her to be weighed 1-2 a week. Is he feeding ok? Lots of wet nappies? And is he ok in himself? Relax and try to stop worrying