Baby girl is 6 weeks and has been struggling to gain weight since 2 weeks. Been working with a LC and her and the pediatrician have both checked multiple times for tongue ties or anything. Started triple feeding and supplementing with formula 2 weeks ago and we’ve seen improvement but not “enough” weight gain per the pediatrician. At today’s appointment she asked me to stop nursing the baby and give her pumped milk (and formula) only so that we can see exactly how much she’s getting. I’m heartbroken and feel like I’m losing a huge connection to my baby. In desperate to make EBF work but the doctor is talking about if she’s failure to thrive if she doesn’t start making better improvements. Someone please tell me this is just temporary and we can get back to EBF Also if anyone has any tips. I ordered a wearable pump to make this easier but I’m a single mom with a Velcro baby so I feel like this is going to be so tough to pump constantly.
Edit to add info:
- born at 6lb 7.2oz, up to 6 lb 15.9 oz at 2 weeks, dropped to 6lb 7.2 oz at 4 weeks, is currently 7 lbs 8.9 oz at 6 weeks…
we’ve done 3 weighted feeds- first one she got 25 ml total, second she got 40 ml total, third she got 37 ml on right and 0 on left was super sleepy and needed a lot of prodding
@kars I think it would be hard to say because weight issues is such a spectrum, like are you at the border or is baby really struggling here and on the edge of a hospital stay.
It's a bit unusual to hear that baby was gaining weight fine the first 2 weeks but between weeks 2-6 she has struggled? So for the past 1 month it's not been working?
@randalllee2010 It’s so weird, we’re definitely all in agreement that it doesn’t make sense that she was gaining fine for the first 2 weeks then dropped off
@kars She seems to be doing good recently when looking at the growth curve! My boy had a couple drops then steadily followed his curve. He was 9th percentile (and still is now he’s a toddler)
@kars From what I’m seeing, is baby is treading upward on their own line or at their own pace, my son is 4 and has been negative percentile since the beginning just like you are experiencing. I stopped breastfeeding at 7 months because I thought he wasn’t getting enough and turns out he was getting everything he needed, he was just a petite child! And he still IS! I REGRET stopping SO much! I wish I knew more the first time! Find a new doctor or get a second option! Keep trying and never give up!
@kars Hey, big hugs. I don't have any specific advice, but I wanted to let you know if you didn't already about something called a supplemental nursing system (SNS). It attached to your breast via a little tube and you can control how fast it delivers formula or pumped breast milk, but your baby can still breastfeed.
@kars It is actually a really great idea, as it’s very hard to come back to breastfeeding after a period of exclusive bottle feeding. Honestly I think it’s the best option, this way you can supplement as needed, you still have the connection with your baby and she doesn’t develop a bottle preference.
Also, I looked at the weight curve in one of your reply and your baby is doing great the last three weeks. She is still a small peanut but she is gaining and and almost catching back percentiles. I think your ped concerns comes from that she is at a very low percentile and wants her back at the 25th percentile. That can’t happen in a week and as far as she is not dropping percentiles anymore the situation is not truly concerning.
One thing missing from 95% of the posts about a slow weight gain and pediatricians pushing hard for formula is information about how the baby is doing otherwise. Growing in length? The head percentile ? Hitting milestones or not ? Sleepy or active ? Crying or overall happy ? How is the sleep ? Etc. All these information help to determine if the baby is underfed or if a baby is just growing at his own pace and following his genetic destiny.
@tatan10 Yeah I definitely feel better looking at the chart and seeing her coming back up so I was pretty surprised by the pediatricians reaction today but I want babe to be healthy so I’m trusting her. Baby is growing in length, they haven’t mentioned if her head is/isn’t growing, but she’s been more and more alert and SO smiley the last week. Shes started cooing and tracking a bit too. And she has lots of wet diapers, since starting the formula she’s started pooping less though. She’s sleepy while she eats whether it’s the day or night, but she’s been sleeping pretty good at night all things considered!
@kars Hey just a different opinion, I hated using the sns system. It leaked a lot. If you don’t have much support, I wouldn’t use it until later when trying to reestablish nursing. Pumping while caring for a baby Ali e is going to be a lot already. You can do it but feel free to do what saves you time
@kars There is a good demonstration of how to insert a lactation aid on this page http://ibconline.ca/breastfeeding-videos-english/ would recommend speaking to your lactation consultant as they will have experience with this.
@leahfeamw Came here to recommend the same device. IF baby is able to transfer well at the breast and it is a supply issue an at breast supplementer would be helpful. However, I would be asking for a referral to an SLP they specialize in oral function issues. It sounds a lot like baby has been living off the let down for the first couple weeks, and now that supply is regulating to what baby can actually move, your supply is dropping because baby can't remove milk.
@kars We had a similar experience around 8 weeks. Baby stopped gaining, triple feeding only helped a little, so we landed on pumping and fortifying with formula. Honestly the pumping was easier on me because it saved a little time and I knew my baby was getting enough. She got back up on the growth chart and then we were able to work with the LC to ease back into breastfeeding. She’ll be 5 months next week and we’re back to EBF. It does happen!
@kars I spent hours on this subreddit looking for someone who made it through the same thing, so I had to jump in. It’s so scary when they throw around “failure to thrive.” We even did blood draws and they said we’d be sent for a possible feeding tube after she gained only a tiny bit. Just for her to gain half a pound in a couple days once we switched to pumping! There’s no way to know what the issue was but it could be pumping boosted my supply or supplementing just gave her the strength she needed, or even both! I hope it goes well for you, but no matter what your effort is so worth it!
@e7c7o7 Thank you for sharing your story. We just had the same issue at our two month appointment and are in week two of pumping and supplementing with formula in the breast milk to increase calories.
@kars It was the same for me although our weight gain issues were right from the start. I pumped and bottle fed for a month, but was able to transition back to breast after that once she got back to birth weight. She's now 5 months old and EBF. I had the same fears and emotions, but looking back, it really was just a short blip.
Also if anyone has any tips. I ordered a wearable pump to make this easier but I’m a single mom with a Velcro baby so I feel like this is going to be so tough to pump constantly.
