supply problem?
I'm after some advice please!
Beth is 18 weeks, for the last few weeks she's been very slow at gaining weight and has slipped from the 25th to 9th percentile. She's had a cold and a few teething pains so haven't really been worried about it. But the last couple of days she's been fussing at the boob a little, so tonight I offered her some ebm after her normal night time feed. She took nearly 4 oz! So now I'm feeling really guilty in case she's been going hungry all this time.
Do you think this sounds like a problem with my milk? and if so, what should I do? My current plan is to focus on getting food, drink and sleep for myself, express after every feed and also offer her extra after each feed. Does that sound reasonable? Has anyone else experienced this and got back on track? I really don't want to give up bfing
Sorry for all the questions!
Beth is 18 weeks, for the last few weeks she's been very slow at gaining weight and has slipped from the 25th to 9th percentile. She's had a cold and a few teething pains so haven't really been worried about it. But the last couple of days she's been fussing at the boob a little, so tonight I offered her some ebm after her normal night time feed. She took nearly 4 oz! So now I'm feeling really guilty in case she's been going hungry all this time.
Do you think this sounds like a problem with my milk? and if so, what should I do? My current plan is to focus on getting food, drink and sleep for myself, express after every feed and also offer her extra after each feed. Does that sound reasonable? Has anyone else experienced this and got back on track? I really don't want to give up bfing
Sorry for all the questions!
0
Replies
it doesnt sound like a supply problem per se, as she doesnt seem unsettled in other ways....?
What you're planning sounds good for now, and if it doesnt get better within a week or so maybe you could start thinking about possible weaning....... ?
xxxx
You sound as if you are doing everything right. If you are getting milk when you express then you obviously making enough milk. I was getting about half an ounce in 20 minutes when I tried at this age. As you say, the cold and teething will affect her weight gain as well and she would let you know if she was hungry all the time. Oh, and bf baby's weight starts to decrease at 4 months compared to bottlefed as well.
You are doing a great job, hope her weight gain improves, xxx
I'm not getting a lot of milk at all when I express, maybe an ounce or two at best... but on the other hand I have offered her ebm after feeds today and she hasn't taken it. Also, as you say Stephe, she isn't unsettled- she's always been a smiley contented baby and certainly isn't screaming as if she's still hungry after a feed. I guess it's just one of those things, hopefully it will start to pick up soon.
6oz is a good gain, have you been given the chart for BF babies? It annoys me that they automatically put a FF chart in the little red books. When I went to the doctors about the reflux, she said have you tried changing her formula? HELLO? How about I'm might actually still be giving my baby the milky goodness that you pushed so much before she was born, but now you forget existed! You can probably tell it winds me up! Off my soapbox now lol
Corinna x
Yeah, I've had a look at the bf charts on the WHO site, Beth has still slipped down a little compared to those charts but nowhere near as much as the red book ones- so that made me feel better.
I hope Teagan's weigh-in goes well tomorrow, let us know how she's doing!
I got my HV to give me the correct graph for a BF baby this week and she's much more consistent on this chart for her weight gain, I wish I'd had the graph from the start!
How are you getting on Poz, has feeding settled down again now?
Corinna x
Things seem to be getting better with Beth, she's still fussing at some feeds but I've been feeling a bit fuller, so I'm pretty sure that all the expressing has worked. I'm away for Christmas so it'll be 2 weeks until the next weigh-in- I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be a good gain. Oh, and I'm using the whole supply issue to eat as much as I want over the holiday!