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Infant feeding

BF baby dropping weight - advice please!

2 replies

Huffpot · 22/07/2014 16:53

Hi. My DD is 8 days old and was a hefty baby when born (4.7kgs/10.3lbs) and I'm breast feeding.
She was weighed 6 days after birth (last Saturday)and dropped 10.6% of birth weight so midwife said more than 10% is a concern and to feed every 2/3 hours but she wasn't overly worried as baby was very alert and active and well.
I got a visit today from the midwife and baby has dropped again despite feeding well.
She again recommended feeding every 2/3 hours for 20 minutes on each breast and said if bub drops anymore then it would be hospital.

Bub is feeding very well but (after timing this afternoon) not for 20 minutes on each breast and is active and satisfied and sleeping after each feed.

She doesn't seem distressed in any way and is very alert and is pooing and lots of wet nappies.

I'm a bit upset now as I almost feel threatened that baby will be hospitalised if no weight gain by the next weigh in on Thursday.

This is my third baby and the older two and I didn't get on with breast feeding and I'm so proud of myself and baby for feeding so well.

I don't want to go to formula feeding or combination feeding.

Is there anything or any rights I have to have other factors other than just weight taken into consideration? If I thought she was not well or dehydrated I would take other action straight away and deal with it but she's a happy healthy little baby?

Any help or advice greatly appreciated!

OP posts:
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noblegiraffe · 22/07/2014 17:00

Is she still losing weight? That would be very unusual at 8 days and would suggest action needs to be taken.

How many dirty nappies are you getting each day and what colour are they?

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tiktok · 22/07/2014 17:35

Sorry you are facing this....it's reassuring your baby seems well, but the continued weight loss is (potentially) quite serious - shame the midwife was not able to give you more info on what to do. 2-3 hourly is not often for a baby of this age, and it would normally be better to think of feeding as often as you can, switch nursing (google it) to maximise intake, combined with breast compressions. I don;t know why she suggested 20 mins on each breast - did she explain? The feed lengths are less important than frequency.In any case,it is very dififcult to time the length of feeds as babies stop and start.

You'd be looking for several (3 or more) soft, yellow poos of a good size (hard to measure as it spreads :) but more than just a blob or a skid mark). A baby who is really feeding well at 8 days does BIG poos.

Weighing needs to be done accurately - naked on good quality scales (pan scales are better than hand-held 'baby in a hammock' style scales).

It's good she is being weighed again this week, but maybe seek out further information on boosting her intake?

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