Breastfeeding Question - Pataskala, OH

Some breastfeeding mothers are against this but I found it so extremely helpful. I breast and supplemented. I would breastfeed first, then give him a bottle and allow him to drink from the bottle after we breastfed. I would try to get someone else to feed him, because while he was bottle feeding I would pump. This way my supply would match his needs. It also helped because then I could give him the breastmilk in the bottle he was supplementing with verses having to buy formula. Also, what about cereal? Have you started him on cereal yet? Unless he was premature or has other health problems he should be able to start cereal slowly at this point. Ask the doctor what he/she thinks would be best, but breastmilk is the best for a child if available. 5 and half months, you have truely done a wonderful job thus far! Congrats on that! :) Don't let a low weight gain bring you down! Best wishes!

Hi! I'm a postpartum doula. I strongly recommend that you see a lactation consultant. You can look one up online (search for IBCLC) or in your local phone book. They are breastfeeding experts. A lactation consultant also has very sensitive scales and if you'd like to see how much the baby gets when you nurse, you can weigh him on their scales before and after nursing and the difference will be what he ate (you really have to use a good, sensitive scale for this to work). The lactation consultant can listen to all your feeding details and routines and observe a nursing session and then truely give you an expert opinion that will help you succeed in continuing breastfeeding succesfully. Best Wishes!

J.

D.,

I use both the bottle and the breast since I'm a working mom. I found my daughter was doing the exact same thing and was not getting as much milk as she should and only the fore-milk (her pooh was greenish). Once I started her on the bottle as well, I was able to pump all the milk from the breast each time so she was getting the hind-milk. I would suggest doing the same even if you are a SAHM. Using the bottle will allow for others to help in the feeding (which can give you a nice break!), not to mention the fact that it's far more acceptable to give a bottle in public so you can relax more when you go out with your little one (which we do all the time).

By the way, my little girl is also off the charts for length (>95th%) and in the middle for weight. My pediatrician isn't concerned, so I don't worry. I would only be concerned if your child fell below the chart on weight.

I would suggest consulting a Lactation Consultant at the hospital where you delivered, or really any hospital nearby. They are always willing to trouble-shoot with nursing Moms, and help them to have a successful and rewarding nursing experience! Also try www.lalecheleague.org for local contacts that can help you. I especially used the insights of the Lactation Consultants at OSU Med Center for both my son and my daughter, who are now 4 and 2.

Hope this helps!

Hi D.,

There is a breastfeeding support group that meets at the Fairview Wellness center in Fairview Park 3 times a week (Monday, Wed, Friday from 1-3:00). There are one or two lactation consultants there at all times to help you out. They also have a hospital grade scale where you can weigh your baby, then feed him, and weigh him again after to see how much he eats.

Also, by 5 months the little guys get pretty efficient at emptying your breast and it may only take 5 minutes.

My daugter is almost 5 months old and I've been exclusively breatfeeding her because she has reflux and an allergy to dairy (so I am also on a dairy-free diet-and I LOVE cheese!) Anyways, she isn't on the charts for height (she's smaller) and she's only in the 5th% for weight. Her doctor has no concerns because she is gaining weight at each visit and we're not big people. But while breatfeeding I have found that as she gets older it is harder to keep her attention to eating. Sometimes I find it helpful to cover her with a blanket so she isn't stimulated and distracted. I also found that she somehow manages to fill up with air and will stop eating as if she is full. I spend a lot of time burping her, then offer her the breast again, and usually she takes it. They get deep seeded burps that can make them feel full. Try burping and then offering the other side. Although I do have a lot of friends whose children can eat in 5-10 minutes and be done. He could be a good sucker and really 10 minutes is all he needs. (Don't forget that we live in a over-weight country, babies instinctually know what they need).

If you feel like your supply is good. Maybe it'd be best to pump and then let him eat from a bottle that way he can get more and you'll start producing more.

But it'd be best to ask your ped.

Just try to bfd at least 10 min. on each side at each feeding. Feed every 2-3 hours if necessary. The charts the ped refers to are based on formula fed babies... not bfd babies. Therefore many exclusively breastfed babies are not on the charts or lower on the charts. Formula fed babies tend to be "fatter." As long as your son is gaining I wouldn't worry:) He will soon be getting solids as well so he may start to gain more at that time.

start pumping it, its a pain buy its a good way to give him independents and get him to eat more.good luck and ttyl.

First, I have a couple of questions- is he wetting at least 6-8 diapers a day? Do his poos look seedy (frequency of poo is not much of an indicator- my daughter only pooed once a week and was perfectly healthy)? If both of those things are true, he's more than likely getting enough. A good way to find out how much your son is getting from you is to weigh him before he eats and immediately after he eats... You can also contact a lactation consultant, who can give you a few more ideas. I wouldn't take what he took from the bottle as a measure of what he really needs- babies often overeat from bottles, since it's so much less work than breastfeeding.

Has your son reached any new activity milestones? Their gain really slows down when they become more active, so that could be a reason. Also, has your pediatrician been supportive of breastfeeding? Sometimes, they get so tuned into their graphs that they lose sight of the fact that the baby is doing fine.

Does your son seem satisfied when he's finished nursing, or is he still giving your hunger cues? 10 minutes is a perfectly good amount of time for an "older" nursling. They get much more efficient as they get older...

Anyrate, good luck! Please feel free to message me with any more specific questions you may have.... I volunteer as a breastfeeding mentor, so I've come across a few people with the same issue you're having.

Hi Dianah,

I breastfeed my son until he was 8 months old. He was smaller too-5o% for height and 25% for weight. I supplemented with formula about 4 months when I started feeding him cereal. He was always hungry when I breastfeed alone. You may want to want to offer the other side after a break, say 10 minutes or so, or a bottle of formula or breast milk if you have extra. My supply went down so on a daily basis I offered him half breast milk half formula at around six months old. You can call your local hospital's lacation specilist for advice too. Have you started cereal yet? Sometimes the amount they drink lessens when soliods are introduced. Ask your peditrician for advice too. Good luck!

Supplement... if he is getting more from the bottle, then pump and give him the bottle. My son is four monthss old and he was a lazy eater. I had enough milk for a village! So we started pupin and he feeds that way. I still breastfeed him some, especially at night...for the closeness and bonding.

Also, rememeber that the doctor only sees you child once every so many months. He or she is not he expert...you are. He is your child. He may not be a super fast grower or a big child. Every child is unique. As long as he contines to grow and develope normally, he should be fine. If you are still concerned, he is at the age where you can feed him solids or you could supplement one feeding with formula.

Also, my doctor said breastfed babies often have vitamin deficits if they are breastfed because mom's diet may not be the best. Once a day, give him Tri-Vi-Sol baby vitamins in the recommended dose.

Hope this helps!

A.

I breastfed my son until he was 6 months old. My Dr said that if he is growing, pooping and peeing a regular amount don't worry about how much he is getting, because he is obviously getting what he needs. I quit breastfeeding because he would not nurse well when he was teething and it became too frustrating for both of us.

NEVER give BOTTLES!

It worked for me - we have three happy healthy kids! I breastfed for at least 15 months each! I'd never give bottles unless I didn't have the NATURAL option!

Call someone from LaLeche League - they have all the answers or get the book from the library called.. The womanly art of breastfeeding. It has every answer to any question you will have in the next year.

The La Leche meetings are great! I attended before I had my first baby to figure out what and how I was supposed to feed our baby - and to get to know what to ask or figure out most everything before I got into the dilemmas.

Email me anytime if you care to - I love to help!

Try pumping your breasts! You will be surprised how much they let down actually - even in 10 minutes and it may give you abetter sense of what he is getting while he nurses. and what you think may be non-nutritive sucking may actually be the time your boobs take to let down more as he is asking. Let him nurse for as long as he likes. If he is 5 1/2 months old he could probably be started on a iron fortified baby cereal wet down with breast milk. (I liked Earth's best for that) and little by little introduce other soft foods as well.

The length of time a baby breastfeeds is going to be different. I breastfeed both my babies, and they were completly different. My first son would actively nurse on both sides for 20-25 minutes a feeding. My second son, nursed 10 minutes a side and was done. I know doctors worry about weight gain, but as long as he is gaining and growing and thriving that should be your main concern.
You might want to try nursing more often. Stick a 2 more feedings a day in and see what he does. I know it's hard when you have no idea how much milk you child is getting from you. Good Luck! You're doing a great thing by giving your child all the health benefits of breast milk.

I never formula fed, but I believe that formula-fed babies drink more than breast-fed babies. I remeber that when my daughter was in daycare, she was content with four-ounce pumped bottles while I saw formula-fed babies drinking twice that amount.

My best is advice is this: you know your child best. Are you concerned about his weight? Both my girls were big babies at birth (over 8.5 pounds), and both my girls dropped down to a low percentile between six and nine months (5th percentile and 12th percentile). What I did was offer the breast more often (perhaps add another feeding to your normal routine). When he starts eating more solids, offer as much as he will eat. This is all we did with our girls despite our first daughter's doctor's advice to put her on a "failure to thrive" high-calorie diet. My oldest is three years old now in the 50th percentile. My youngest is 18 months now and almost weighs as much as her sister! Everyone grows at their own pace.

As long as you and your doctor are not alarmingly concerned, I would just feed him as much as he'll take! Good luck!