Help! skinny baby

[hlt0903]

Hi-
my 4mth old baby does not seem to be gaining weight. He was born at 7lbs 3oz and at the 2 month appt. was 10lbs. I am breastfeeding about 6 times per day and he seems satisfied but he is still only about 12 lbs and even seems to have lost a few ounces over the past couple of weeks. at the 2 mth appt, the dr. said he was fine, he's just a small baby but I am getting concerned that he is not growing. Am I feeding him enough? Do you think I should supplement with formula?

on another note, he still takes 40 minutes to breasfeed, i thought they were supposed to get more efficient on feeding? should i start using level 2 nipples ( i'm using dr. brown level 1 right now)
thanks for any advice!

[daisy1234]

just checking in...How is baby???? Did you get some answers?

[Bean606]

If it makes you feel better, my DS was a very slow gainer, and still is, but he is perfectly healthy at 19 months. He has always been in the bottom 5-10 percentile for weight, and the top 10 percentile for height, and my ped was never concerned, although I was completely beside myself about it for the first 6 months, since I was EBF, and thought I was starving him. I thought I had a supply problem, and did a bunch of things to boost it, but he still didn't gain weight quickly, so I don't think that was the problem. Once he started solids, I calmed down a little because he could indicate when he had enough, and he just is not a big eater. We never moved to a higher level nipple. My ped said it could discourage breast feeding if you went to a faster flow bottle, because it was too easy for them to get the milk out of the bottle vs. the breast. Good luck and try not to stress. If your Dr. isn't worried, and you are comfortable with your Dr., then you should be fine.

[hlt0903]

Thanks for the support! We went to the doctor for our 4 month appt. and she said that our baby needed to eat more. Poor thing, I must have been starving him. I am now supplementing him 2 or 4 times per day with formula. Per the dr. 2 oz, but he takes 3 or 4 oz at times. I really wanted to exclusively breast feed for at least 6 mths but at least I know he is getting what he needs. I don't think I am producing enough milk as his needs increase for some reason. It's only been 8 days, and he has already gained 1 lb and is now at 13.1 lbs! So he's doing much better now!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I bet you could get back on track with full time nursing. I missed this thread originally otherwise I would have said that 6 feedings in a day sounds like it could be too few. I kept a record of how often ds1 ate and at that age he was still nursing 8 times a day. Also, when a growth spurt comes you have to just roll with their demands and keep offering the breast to move your supply up.

I don't know how you are supplementing but I would do it only after a nursing session. Try and pump after you nurse too. Even if you don't get anything the stimulation will tell your body to make more milk then.

Oatmeal and lots of fluids can make a world of difference for your supply.

Keep offering the breast. I bet you can get your supply back to where you need it to be.

Oh, and I highly doubt you are starving your baby! Now, some moms get their babies on some unrealistic schedule and ignore baby's needs or try to hold them off till X time period between meals. But, if you are nursing on demand I would bet that you are feeding baby the right amount.

Finally, consider other things than weight. Look at length, head circumference, diaper count and general mood.

It sounds like you are doing a great job. I hope everything falls into place for you.

Beth

[hlt0903]

Thanks for the advice! I will try the oatmeal as I am already drinking lots of water! I supplement after I breast feed and he seems to be taking the extra milk. I'm trying to pump one side and have him feed on the other so maybe that will help, but so far I haven't been able to get too much milk, so I am thinking that I am just not producing enough. Oh well, he's gaining weight so that's a relief!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Don't worry about how much you pump. Some moms have awesome supplies (baby growing, good diapers...) but can only get a tiny bit of milk out with a pump. Don't be discouraged. Just the stimulation is going to help. GL!

Beth