sweet.pea

[@llli*sweet.pea]

hi I'm new here worry about the slow weight gain of my baby boy 9/8 born last week was 10.4oz at9weeks bfing with one formula bottle a day only of 3oz not sure should I keep giving bottle or not really keen to bf plz reply thanks a lot

[@llli*aprilsmagic]

Weight history? What makes you think it is slow? Dates and weights are helpful.
What made you decide to give bottles?
Is breastfeeding going well? What do you mean not keen to bf? Are you thinking of quitting, or is baby having difficulty at the breast?

[@llli*mommal]

Before we can say whether or not you should be concerned, we need a complete weight history. We need your baby's birth weight, lowest weight, and weight at each check-up.

Don't worry too much- lots of moms supplement in the beginning and eventually transition to exclusively breastfeeding. You can do it, too!

[@llli*sweet.pea]

sorry i mean I'm keen to bf but he looks hungry after some feeds pulling at my breast n when I squeeze nothing much comes out so I think I m not producing enough then that's why give him bottle but I know that will reduce my supply even more as abt his weight he was 9.8oz born 9.2 in 1st week then 9.10 in2weeks which was great but then he gained like this 5oz in a week for two weeks n abt 6 oz then 3 oz for two weeks.at 9 weeks he was 10.4oz n 56.5inches long do u think its ok for his age

[@llli*MagnoliaHoney]

I don't think there is any way he is 56 inches long-I'm 56 inches tall! lol I'm 4' 8", so are you sure that is his correct weight. and just because they pull off and things and when you squeeze you don't get anything doesn't mean he is not getting things, he knows more of what he is doing. You have to squeeze a very specific way to get milk out. That being said, many babies do that, you just keep putting them back on each time, then after a while they go back to not doing it any more. It's usually due to a growth spurt or such. And that's how they actually get your supply to go up.

[@llli*lllmeg]

abt his weight he was 9.8oz born 9.2 in 1st week then 9.10 in2weeks which was great but then he gained like this 5oz in a week for two weeks n abt 6 oz then 3 oz for two weeks.at 9 weeks he was 10.4oz n 56.5inches long do u think its ok for his age

Length aside-your weight figures don’t add up. I am not great at math, so if I have anything wrong here, someone please correct me! But this is how I figure it-

So-baby weighed 9 lbs and 10 oz at 2 weeks-2 oz above birth weight, with a gain of 8 oz from the lowest weight of 9lbs 2 oz in about one week. Very good.

You say baby then gained 5 oz for each of the next two weeks-total, 10 oz. Add that to 9lbs 10 oz-So at 4 weeks, baby was 10lbs 4 oz.

Then baby gained 6 oz in one week-so at 5 weeks, baby was 10 lbs, 10 oz.

Then baby gained only 3 oz for each of next two weeks, total, 6. That would give baby a weight at 7 weeks of exactly 11 lbs.

Then what happened? When did supplementing start? How did baby lose so much weight and end up at 10 lbs 4 oz?

Anyway, no matter how you slice it, that weight gain is certainly slow. But you and your doctor may want to have a clearer picture of the weight gain/loss picture and what happened and when in order to figure out what is going on.

Did you ever limit feedings? Feed on a schedule? Use a pacifier? Are you on a hormonally based birth control method? Something happened. I find it odd milk supply/weight gain appears fine up until two weeks and then more or less steadily declined.

Anyway-Is your baby under a doctor’s care? Did they tell you to supplement? How much? How are you supplementing? (A certain amount after each nursing, or a bottle instead of a feeding, what?) Do you have a good pump and are you pumping? If a baby is not nursing well, and needs to be given supplemental feedings, mom absolutely needs to regularly pump and/or hand express if she wants to keep her milk supply up. Have you seen a professional lactation consultant? If you cannot afford one, have you talked to your doctor, hospital, WIC office and/or local La Leche League Leader about if there are any free or low cost breastfeeding resources in your area?

I am not a medical professional in any way-but, I looked it up, and, as reported by you, this does appear to be abnormally slow weight gain. Supplementing is something to talk to your doctor or lactation consultant about.

But this does NOT mean you will not be able to breastfeed. If the problem is baby nurses poorly, that is usually fixable. If the problem is you have low milk supply, there are remedies for that. A mothers ability to make milk often can be increased. And even if your supply is never quite enough for baby, why not continue to nurse even if supplementing is neccesary. I strongly urge you, without delay, to have breastfeeding assessed by a breastfeeding professional (preferably a Board Certified Lactation Consultant) if at all possible. Also, please contact your local La Leche League Leader, or any La Leche League Leader, by phone. These forums are very valuble but some situations requre in person or on the phone help to get to the bottom of what is going on more quickly.

[@llli*sweet.pea]

sorry again I was typing too quickly so made some mistakes n thanks for answering me I tell all details again he was born on 12/9 weighed 9.8oz,on17/9 he was7.2 1/2, on27/9 was 7.10 1/2, on 5/10 he was 8.1oz on 12/10 was 8.6 oz on 25/10 was 8/12 oz on 2/11 was 9.7 oz on 9/11 was 9.13 oz on 16/11 was 10.4oz n 56.5cm tall.do u think that's really slow weight gain?I give him formula once or twice a day when he doesn't seem satisfied n he takes 3-4 oz at one feed. Hv is happy with his weight but he looks tiny n I'm definitly worry abt him otherwise he is a happy baby. He spits out a lot too but don't wanna give him any med.do u think 2 feeds of formula a day will reduce my supply even more or its ok n u think I should worry?really thankfull for ur replys

[@llli*MagnoliaHoney]

To me he is gaining weight and happy then you should be good. Happy is a big thing, babies who are not getting enough will be very fussy, and lethargic, even-sleepy not able to wake, etc.

As for supplementing with formula, YES every time you give formula instead of your breast milk you are compromising your supply, you are telling your body you don't need to make the amount you are feeding him in formula. Plus that is waaaaaaaaay too much to give AFTER breastfeeding as well, that would be a FULL meal. Babies will often take a bottle even if they are not hungry cause they want to suck and the bottle just drips the milk in there no problem. If he's still hungry keep putting him to your breast after a few days your breast will get the signal to make even more, you are NEVER empty though so he may be a little fussy the first few days but milk is still in there and he is getting it, just slower then when you are making even more. BUT, if you persist at putting him to the breast during those times, then in a few days you will be making more milk and it will come out faster for him like he probably wants. This is the babies way of helping you make more milk.

[@llli*LLLKaren]

sorry i mean I'm keen to bf but he looks hungry after some feeds pulling at my breast n when I squeeze nothing much comes out so I think I m not producing enough then that's why give him bottle but I know that will reduce my supply even more as abt his weight he was 9.8oz born 9.2 in 1st week then 9.10 in2weeks which was great but then he gained like this 5oz in a week for two weeks n abt 6 oz then 3 oz for two weeks.at 9 weeks he was 10.4oz n 56.5inches long do u think its ok for his age

sorry again I was typing too quickly so made some mistakes n thanks for answering me I tell all details again he was born on 12/9 weighed 9.8oz,on17/9 he was7.2 1/2, on27/9 was 7.10 1/2, on 5/10 he was 8.1oz on 12/10 was 8.6 oz on 25/10 was 8/12 oz on 2/11 was 9.7 oz on 9/11 was 9.13 oz on 16/11 was 10.4oz n 56.5cm tall.do u think that's really slow weight gain?I give him formula once or twice a day when he doesn't seem satisfied n he takes 3-4 oz at one feed. Hv is happy with his weight but he looks tiny n I'm definitly worry abt him otherwise he is a happy baby. He spits out a lot too but don't wanna give him any med.do u think 2 feeds of formula a day will reduce my supply even more or its ok n u think I should worry?really thankfull for ur replys

I'm very confused... First you said he was 9 lbs 2 oz at 1 week and 9 lbs 10oz at 2 weeks, then gained slowly. But in the second post you said he was 7 lbs 2 oz at 1 week and 7 lbs 10 oz at 2 weeks, which is a 25% weight loss in the first week, but the numbers show good weight gain after that.

If his lowest weight was 9lbs 2oz at 1 week, then to be at 10lbs 4oz at 9 weeks he'd have an average weight gain of around 2 oz per week, which is very slow.

If his lowest weight was 7lbs 2oz at 1 week, then to be at 10lbs 4oz at 9 weeks he'd have an average weight gain of around 6 oz per week, which is about average. But to go from 9lbs 8oz at birth to 7lbs 2oz at 1 week is a pretty alarming weight loss. I'm sure your HV would have had something to say about it.

I would strongly recommend you get some one-on-one, in-person help to make sure everything is on track, and to help you come up with a plan to phase out the formula supplements. You can look for a board certified lactation consultant (professional, costs money) here:

http://www.ilca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3337

Or find your nearest LLL Leader (volunteer, free) here:

http://www.llli.org/webindex.html