New mom w Late Preterm baby -need a pep talk

[@llli*jessicanewmom]

Hi.
I'm a first time mom to baby Lolly. She was born at 35w1d and weighed 6lbs 8oz. At day 3 she was down to 6lbs1oz. At day 7 (yesterday) she was at 6lbs 3 oz. so we're headed in the right direction. I had fluids during delivery.
She was jaundiced and we were pressured to supplement which we did with a syringe & cup for 4 days (about 10ml after feeding at the breast).

Lolly is a lazy eater and often has to be cajoled to keep sucking for more than 10 minutes. I can usually keep her going for 20 with some prodding (annoying her, changing her diaper, blowing on her, etc).
Her poops are ok.
Day 2: 4
Day 3: 2?
Day 4: 2
Day 5: 6
Day 6: 8
Day 7: 11
Today: 3 so far at 1 pm

I'm flipping back & forth between thinking we're doing great, and worrying that she's not eating nearly enough. Our pretty-laid-back pediatrician seemed a little concerned by her one week minimal gain. I don't want to ignore a problem, but also kind of feel like everything is fine. Yesterday she ate so great & I was feeling really confident, but today she's being lazy again & I'm talking myself into seeing a problem.

I could use someone talking me back into sanity. Or suggesting solutions...?

Thanks!!

[@llli*krystine]

My twins were 35w3d this summer and it sounds like you're doing well. Expect her to really wake up more after her due date. I wouldn't call her lazy, just still should be inside of you so she is having to do a lot.

Are your numbers/days her poops?

[@llli*jessicanewmom]

Are your numbers/days her poops?

Yes. Those are poops.

I know she's not really lazy

[@llli*maddieb]

Is baby still getting supplements?

It's entirely possible the 6lbs 1 ounces was NOT the lowest weight. She might have gone even lower, which would make the weight check at day 7 seem even better. Also, since the rule of thumb is baby back up to birthweight by 10-14 days, and baby was 6lbs3 on day 7, so only has 5 ounces to go to get to birth weight, and a baby will often gain an ounce a day after the first week or so, (up to day 7 or so gain is usually slower) it is entirely possible baby is 100% on track for gain. When will baby be weighed again and will it be same office, same scale?

Poop output sounds fine, and as pp suggests, some oversleepiness is entirely normal the fisrt two weeks or so even with term babies. Frequency of nursing is probably more important than how long baby nurses each time. How many times about in 24 hours will baby nurse? Do you have to wake her to nurse? Anything else going on to concern you?

[@llli*jessicanewmom]

No supplements after day 4 - that's when my milk came in and her poops picked up. It's hard to say exactly how many times a day she's nursing... It's every 2-3 hours during the day more or less. At night it's 10 minutes on 10 minutes off for hours at a stretch. Those aren't really distinct nursing "sessions" though.
I guess it's just the weight gain & our pediatrician's concern that I'm reacting to. The doctor had her at 6lbs3oz yesterday & then had us weigh her at home on the kitchen scale to make sure it's measuring the same (& it is). We'll weigh her again at home on Friday & go in on Monday if she hasn't gained at least 2-3 oz. Otherwise we have a 2 week visit next Wednesday.
I know I should just be patient, but I'm overthinking this!!

Edited to add: I should add, the pediatrician had asked us to supplement as much as possible until the one week check up, and we obv didn't do that. I felt like she was eating well & seemed satisfied and was getting more alert & pooping well. But I think the doctor was... Not disappointed, that's too strong a word. But I think she'd have preferred that we take her advice and supplement those additional days.

[@llli*jessicanewmom]

Krystine: any tips for keeping them awake? I can *not* imagine surviving twins. You're a champ!,

[@llli*anet88]

Alguien que me ayude como puedo hacerle paea plantear mi problrma

[@llli*krystine]

My babies were just so sleepy, it was really hard and they did not do nearly as well as your baby at first. They had 13 days of NICU then still a lot of sleepy time till their due date. I had to pump a lot bc they could not remove milk well enough which does not sound like an issue for you at all, yay! I would change diaper before nursing and that would wake them somewhat, I think you are on the right track with tickling, give lots of skin to skin time, hold her as much as possible, she really does need to sleep a lot and we would wake to feed. Congratulations!

[@llli*maddieb]

Well, I do not understand why you had to supplement at all. First off, it is not always the best course of action for early jaundice, which is very common and typically clears out with poop, and nothing helps a baby poop better than breastmilk. Second, babies known weight loss was 7 ounces in 3 days- or, 7% of birthweight, which is within normal parameters as far as I am aware.

I suggest, don't obsess over weighing baby if you can stop yourself! Give it a few days. Just enjoy your sweet baby and nurse nurse nurse.

[@llli*maddieb]

Also here are tips for waking a sleepy baby: http://www.llli.org/docs/00000000000...py_newborn.pdf