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.