Breastfeeding - Saratoga Springs,UT

Eat some items rich in Omega 3's. Avacodo (spelling is prolly off) but these are great for you and baby.

Stop the rice cereal... it is taking away from the fat and nutrient rich breastmilk and filling him up with no nutritional value.

Breastmilk is what he needs in large amounts... not solids or cereals. Here is the run down of what breastmilk contains.
...http://www.americanpregnancy.org/firstyearoflife/whatsinb....
...http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/t020800.asp...

How much weight has he 'lost'? Is he more active than the last visit? As in can he roll over, sit up, do more tummy time than before?

Try to contact the local Le Leche League and also look for an IBCLC rather than the run of the mill LC.

Hi--
A few things. First, you can certainly eat more fatty foods like avocados, olives and olive oil, tree nuts like almonds (if you son doesn't seem to react to them), etc. Second, I wonder if you are eating something he is sensitive/allergic to. That would explain the weight loss. If he is having a reaction in some way other symptoms you would see could include the following: puffy or dark circles under the eyes, any type of rash including eczema, trouble sleeping, constipation (defined as not pooping at least once every day--at this age, though, you should be seeing even more then one a day), wheezing or post nasal drip, a random cough, or frequent ear infections. If your son is showing any of these symptoms I can help you further (I've lived through it with both my children and helped dozens other through it).
Finally, do not keep him on a feeding schedule. Let him eat whenever he wants. My oldest ate every two hours until he was nearly a year old.
J.

I agree, talk to a lactation consultant. Maybe contact La Leche League or ask your doctor who you can contact. If you want to continue breastfeeding you need to do this before you start supplementing.

PUMP PUMP PUMP! The more demand, the more your body will supply. You can supplement with formula, but you do NOT have to quit nursing! Up your calorie intact, and get with an LC to see what other options you have. If you do have to quit BFing, know that those 5 months of nursing was a gift to your son... any amount (5 days, 5 months) is huge. Now, your baby needs more. You can still mix breastmilk with the rice cereal he should be starting on around now :) Don't be sad, you've done TERRIFIC :)

NURSE, NURSE, NURSE!! NOTHING will get your supply up faster or better than frequent nursing sessions. I'm not sure there's much you can do to change the substance of your milk though; talk to a lactation consultant.

Also, milk changes throughout the feeding: the foremilk is watery and quenches baby's thirst. Then it gets thicker and creamier. The hindmilk is where the bulk of calories are, so make sure your son isn't just 'snacking', but staying at the same breast for a good 15 minutes to get all that. I know some doctors say to nurse 10 minutes on one side and then 10 on the other. In my experience it's better to let baby totally drain one side first. Often they're satisfied and don't need the other breast until the next feeding.

What did your doctor recommend? Many are now suggesting to introduce solids anywhere from 4 months and on (though 6 months is best), so that could be an option.

Make sure you're eating plenty of protein. I know if I feel like my milk is 'lacking' in any way, I'll eat more protein and my babies seem more satisfied for longer. So you could try that. Also, make sure you're drinking enough water - but not TOO much. Up to 2 litres is great, anything over may be counter-productive.

First, I'd listen to my intuition. Do you feel like your baby is thriving? Or struggling? Here are a few ideas to help your baby gain weight: Many moms have found that letting the baby stay as long as he wants on the first breast (rather than doing equal time on each side) has helped the baby gain weight because the longer on a side, the more fatty, hindmilk he'll get. Also, feed him whenever he wants (as opposed to on a schedule of every 3 hours, for example). You can wear him in a sling or a wrap to give him easy access to your breast to promote more frequent breastfeeding. A lot of moms have also found that taking their little one to bed with them gives him more opportunity to nurse as well, which directly leads to weight gain. Just do it safely. There are plenty of tips online for safe co-sleeping. Last idea is to breastfeed him first when he's hungry rather than giving rice cereal. After breastfeeding, you can see if he wants some solids as supplemental foods. But nurse first to keep his weight up and make sure he gets all his nutrition. By the way, pumping is often not a good reflector of how much milk you're making. Baby is the best milk extractor. An idea to fatten your milk is to make sure you're getting enough calories, especially protein and good fats. But I think you already have it; it's just your baby needs to nurse more frequently and most importantly, stay on the first side for as long as he wants! Don't get down on yourself. You are a great mom and the fact that you're turning to other moms for support is one of the smartest things you can do. Good luck!

Are you letting him finish on one side before switching to the other? You have to let him get to the hind milk... If you are switching sides before he is able to get that milk he won't be able to get the fatty "whole" milk. Plus pumping is not as efficient as he is at emptying your breasts and you may not get the hind milk when you pump. I wouldn't try the formula thing unless the doc lays it down as a last resort because then there may be other reactions and allergies to the stuff in formula.

Plus babies gain and lose weight all of the time, if its not a huge percent, and he puts on weight before the next visit I wouldn't worry.

you can try..never hurts but if your LO should be gaining now...once he starts crawling and walking he will likely lose a little bit.
To fatten him up you will want him to drink you HIND milk...might mean pumping and then let him feed off your half pumped breast..
OR just offer to feed him more often....that sounds the easiest.

If you do go the formula route, it will affect your milk supply and in all likelihood your breastfeeding will be like a sinking boat. If you are willing to go the extra mile to pump and if your baby takes a bottle, you can supplement with your own breast milk. Its possible he doesn't not have an effective suck (thats what happed with both my babies). However, since you are just now experiencing this, its likely that he's just to busy and distractable to eat. If you pump after each BF session and give him the expressed milk in a bottle, he will get those extra calories and it won't be detrimental to your milk supply, but will increase it. Pumping is a major pain though. At this age, I think if you can pump 3 times a day and supplement with that milk he should gain. Absolutely get going on the rice cereal as well. Also, Dr.s are notorious for sabotaging good breastfeeding. Make sure you seek help from a lactation consultant also.

DON'T give him any formula, your breastmilk is enough. And honestly, I'd switch doctors if I were you, I can not believe that your doctor acctually recomended formula over breastmilk. That is just SO wrong. First of all, the percentile growth charts that doctors use are based on average weights of babies that are, for the most part, fed formua. Breastfed babies tend to be leaner which is normal and healthy. When a baby is in the 100th percentile that does NOT mean that he is 100% the correct weight, it just means he is bigger than average. Likewise, when a baby is in the 10th or 15th percentile it just means he is small for his age, not nessesarily that he is unhealthy. Does your son spend any time scooting or crawling yet? If so then he is probaby not gaining as much weight because he is burning lots of calories with his movement. Another thing to consider is his attention span with nursing, does he try to stop nursing so he can look around the room or play? Sometimes as they grow it is harder for babies to take a big chunk of time out from their play to nurse. More frequent nursing sessions can help with that problem. Don't nurse on a strict schedule, but offer him the breast more often. It sounds like you are making plenty of milk, but his latch could be off, you can see a lactation consultant to have that looked at. WIC, La Leche League, and your local hospital are good places to seek help; and WIC and La Leche League will help you for free. I think that your baby is probably completely healthy! I have 3 children who have all been on the small side, they are now 8, 5, and 1 years old and are thriving but still small for their ages, my doctor said it is nothing to worry about because they are strong, healthy, have good iron levels, are active, etc. They all started out in like the 50th percentile as newborns, but as they grew they found their growth curve at around the 10th percentile. So being int he 10th percentile or even below for weight is not a bad thing! I wish I could say I am in the 10th percentile for weight as an adult but I am so not! Good luck, trust your body to make the BEST nutrition for your baby and relax, stressing out over this will just hurt your milk supply. Happy nursing!

What did the doctor recommend?

Sure you can supplement with formula but if you want to continue BF that should not be an issue. Is he on solid foods? If you don't want to go the formula route...make sure he is eating rice cereal and veggies now...He is old enough and is sure to gain some weight.

I would talk to a certified lactation consultant about your options. While you don't want him losing weight, there could be a lot going on, and many people supplement vs giving up on breastfeeding entirely. Could he have, for example, started a new skill like crawling or rolling? What is his output? Does he seem hungry all the time or not? Do you nurse on demand?

I was just telling my sister that it's hard when you don't see the input and you guess. Nursing is so different than pumping. I could nurse DD and she'd be fine, but if I pumped I might get 3 oz double pumping. It doesn't mean I didn't have milk. It just meant the pump was less effective. And depending on the time of day it might be thinner or fattier. Did you know that when it's hot out, your milk changes to keep baby hydrated?

When you start solids, don't put cereal in the bottle. Feed it from a spoon and consider skipping rice and going straight to oatmeal.

It'll be alright. Get some more advice from people specializing in nursing and see if you can't find a solution you can work with.

Oh, I remember these days. I am expecting my second in another 2 months. My first was a hardcore breastfeeder. He came out of the womb with the perfect latch and he never stopped!! I fed him whenever he wanted, as much as he wanted, and we both enjoyed the experience. Why am I telling you this? After doubling his body weight almost immediately... he steadily lost ground on the percentage charts. Over the source of the year of breastfeeding, he didn't lose weight, but he lost on the percentages until he was down to maybe 10%. I started him on solids around 6 months.

So, I am not a doctor, but I think it can be normal. Each child is different. If the doc says to start him on cereals, then start with the Happy Baby whole grain cereals - there may be other brands, but it's better for your baby than the white rice. There is no scientific reason for going with white rice.

My baby wouldn't take formula, period. He'd starve first, I am sure of it.

I bet if you ate more fats like dairy/cheeses you would have more fat in your milk. I did this and didn't have a lot compared to my neighbor - you can tell by the way it seperates. She was a lot skinnier than me, didn't gain much (enough?) weight during her pregnancy and ate low fat all the time. I did the opposite, in every way, and had less fat in my milk. Maybe it depends on your body, I am not sure. Goat's milk is higher in good fats though - you can try goat products in your diet.

Good luck.

You can pump sometimes and add formula powder to your breast milk to add calories and fat. Maybe just alternate breast feeding with bottle feeding (breast milk with formula powder) until he gains enough weight. I had to only pump with my first son because he was born with a cleft palate and couldn't suck. He was very thin for the first three months until I added formula to my milk and he gained weight so quickly, and has had a perfectly healthy weight ever since!