Trouble nursing 3rd baby after first two EBF (with LMS)?

[@llli*eblairj]

My newest DS is 10 days old. He was born weighing 10 lbs, 15 oz. I received some fluid at birth but not a whole lot. He was born with an anterior tongue tie. I perceived that he was having trouble latching the first two days, although he was making adequate diapers, especially poop. To make a long story short, he was having some increased respirations and ended up being admitted to the NICU for observation (not related to feeding). He spent 3 days there and they never did reach a conclusive diagnosis. I did breastfeed him in the NICU although I had to fight pretty hard to do so and there were times I was not allowed to hold/nurse him (I pumped during those times). His tongue tie was clipped at the hospital although I would like to follow up with a pedi ENT who is more of an expert in these things.

We went to his first pediatrician appointment on Friday (at 6 days old). He was 10 lbs 2 oz. My pedi was not concerned because he had been through so much in the NICU. We returned the next day for an antibiotic shot and he had lost a little more than an oz (so he was ~10 lbs 1 oz). Third day, he was also 10 lbs 1 oz. In between the second and third day I started More Milk Plus and Fenugreek. I also stepped up on breast compressions and started nursing him in two different positions at each feeding (football and cradle, this was at the suggest of a IBCLC to make sure all the ducts were getting drained).

Our next appointment is a week from tomorrow. I am just so paranoid about getting him gaining. He weighed in at 10 lbs 1 oz on our scale at home today--of course it's a different scale so who knows how it compares to the one at the doctor. I really need to see that number going up.

My first daughter I EBF while taking domp. We had a rough start and she did not nurse (much) until 4-5 weeks, but after I got her back to the breast she was exclusive. She was a slow gainer but met milestones etc. My second daughter didn't poop much in her first couple of weeks and was slow to meet birth weight, but EBF/never even had a bottle. With her I took More Milk Plus/Fenugreek for the first few weeks until she reached her birth weight. She was also a slow gainer but met milestones.

I really thought this time it would be easier but with our rough start I am just so scared. I know I have time for the scale to start moving, but what a relief it would be if it just shot up so I could start breathing again! I also wonder if there could be some anatomical problem--another TT that is undiagnosed or a lip tie??--that could be affecting things. We are nursing on demand every 2-3 hours (I wake him up at 3 hours if he doesn't wake first) and I hear lots of swallows, but I do not get a "suck suck swallow" pattern. I feel like he has to suck more than twice to get a swallow even when my breasts are pretty full. His latch has been checked multiple times by multiple IBCLCs so...?

Has anyone EBF two children and had a lower supply with the third? I guess that is what I am worried about. I do have PCOS but I know I have built tissue from feeding my other kids. Plus I have always somehow made it work in the past. I really don't want to supplement (even with my own milk or donated milk) if I don't have to because I know from my first daughter that supplementing can complicate things and I found it very stressful. That being said, I will do anything to keep my boy healthy.

Thanks for letting me vent. I welcome any feedback you may have.

[@llli*inkedstar]

Oh my mama what ALOT you've both gone through!!

One thing I'm going to suggest might sound strange but it might actually help in the long run if you put the scale away. Or at least hide it and weigh every few days. Watching that scale is only going to make you more nervous AND it might be all for naught if you return to the Dr. and his scale says otherwise...

You've got a TEN pounder there mama, and not just that but you've both been through the ringer recently and need some time to babymoon. Allow yourself to decompress from what you went through. Do lots of skin to skin, offer the breast often and make sure that he feeds well (doing breast compressions towards the feed's end when he slows in order to make sure he's thoroughly draining the breast too!).

NICU life is intense..weights, monitors, procedures, constant supervision etc. It can be a shock to get away from it all and difficult to regain confidence that everything is ok.

Watch his diapers and follow your gut but really try and step back, breathe and then act. Bonus if you can have someone around to help with the other LO's (bring meals? do some laundry for you? etc).

HTH and you've done a great job advocating for your guy (so happy that he is ok!)

[@llli*joe.s.mom]

I think it's a great idea to just spend a few days nursing as much as possible and then weigh him. He hasn't even hit the two week mark and you two have been through a lot. If diaper output remains good, then you know he's getting milk and all is well. Relax and nurse nurse nurse.

I do think it's a good idea to follow up with an ENT though, especially if his weight gain remains slow or you have pain. He could have a posterior tongue tie that is harder to see.

[@llli*eblairj]

Thank you for the reassurance! So nice to log on just a couple of hours later and get words of advice. We do have more than adequate wet and poopy diapers right now so that's reassuring. I think we had about 15 today combined including plenty that were soaking and/or super poopy (not just skidmarks). I have seen diaper output go up in the past 2-3 days since starting the More Milk Plus/Fenugreek regimen. I'm just nervous. It's like my kids like to hover right on the cusp and it makes it hard to know when to worry. He definitely looks good (and the NP at my pedi agreed), appears well-hydrated (I know all the signs of dehydration) etc etc. It's true that the time in the NICU seriously undermined my BF confidence, too. I am trying to remember too that babies grow in spurts and now regimented amounts every single day. I think I just expected it to be easy peasy since he was my third and I nursed both my girls until 2 years +.

Thanks again and I will update when I have more info. I hope it will be a positive update!

[@llli*joe.s.mom]

With diaper output like that, I bet you will have a really positive update for us in a couple of days! Hang in there, mama! You can do this! I had a moment of anxiety over weight gain with my little one, who is my second. My first baby gained weight really fast, really early, so I didn't expect that. I just took her home and nursed all the live-long day for a couple of days, and she plumped up really well. She did have a tongue tie, though, so getting that clipped was important for getting us on the right track.