Slow Weight Gain in New Born

Stick with breastfeeding for as long as you can, you will not regret it! Weight loss is normal in the hospital and sometimes takes little ones a while to catch back up. Just make sure you have a good support system & pediatrician, which is sounds like you do. Some babies are just petite and this is okay. Here is some helpful info I hope you find helpful & encouraging:

All growth charts available at this time include data from infants who were not exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months (includes formula-fed infants and those starting solids before the recommended 6 months). Because many doctors are not aware of this, they see the baby dropping in percentiles on the growth chart and often come to the faulty conclusion that the baby is not growing adequately. At this point they often recommend that the mother (unnecessarily) supplement with formula or solids, and sometimes recommend that they stop breastfeeding altogether. Even if mom realizes that her baby is perfectly healthy and doesn't follow these unnecessary recommendations, she ends up worrying for no reason (and moms don't need anything extra to worry about!).

More info here: http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/growthcharts....

My friends have experienced that.

The MAIN thing is this:
1) upping milk supply can take time.
2) Meanwhile, an infant needs to have a certain amount of daily intake 24/7, day and night. IF not, then they will not gain adequate weight and nutrients... and be hungry.

For my friends: one of them, their baby almost got failure to thrive.
For another friend, the baby was always fussy/not gaining weight and was basically hungry all the time... because he was not getting enough intake. For another friend, her baby was also not gaining weight and got dehydrated....

Bottom line is, in tandem with trying to up your milk supply and/or getting baby to latch on properly, an infant NEEDS to get intake. Adequately and to keep pace with their growth-spurts. which in an infant, they have growth spurts every 3 weeks.

Not every baby, will/can latch on properly to then suckle effectively to drink from a breast. Meanwhile, it does affect their daily intake..... and your milk supply. Since milk production is also by supply and demand.

Do what is best for baby.
Do you know how long it will take to get her to latch on properly or 'not' be a lazy feeder? Do you know how long it will take to up your milk supply? If not, and still.... a newborn needs to have adequate intake... for growth/weight gain/development and to prevent dehydration.

I breastfed both my kids. But I also believe, that a Mom has to do whatever they can.... so that their infant DOES get adequate intake. Daily. 24/7. Day and night. THAT is the primary importance.

all the best,
Susan

Just throwing this out here as an idea-what about pumping just a bit before you start a nursing session to really get the let down started and pop her on the boob. That way the milk is flowing and she won't have to work as hard to get it going. If that works, then as she gets the hang of it better you could stop the pumping before the session?

I have no idea if it would work but if she's lazy making it a bit easier for her in the beginning might make things go smoother.

My son had failure to thrive but I was able to continue BF anyway. I had to attempt to feed him every 2 hours around the clock, try to keep him from falling asleep while nursing, rent a baby scale and weigh him before and after each feeding. I kept a journal of when and for how long each time I fed him or how much he drank from a bottle, and how long and how many ounces each time I pumped. I got help from the lactation consultant, but my pediatrician was not supportive at all- he thought my family was pressuring me to BF.
I am happy with my decision to continue. My son had other health problems that may have contributed to the poor weight gain, and formula wouldn't have fixed those problems. (Much later we found out that he had elevated blood calcium, a hole in his heart, and Aspergers/ADHD)

I would try to pump a little after nursing to increase your supply. If your baby is gaining, that is good, even if it's small.

Fenugreek can help you increase your milk supply as well as fluids, and rest (no that's not a sick joke!) I had a lazy eater too and he just stayed so small but he did gain steadily so it was okay and now that he's 2 he's the best eater, but he's still thin so it's him not b/c I was not producing much milk, although I second guessed myself.

I know some people (many actually) who have had trouble because they didn't understand that the hind milk is the fatty milk, so the baby needs to empty one side as much as possible before moving to the other side. The first milk is watery to satiate their thirst, and then the last milk is the cream so to speak and is vital for them. The last milk to come to the baby is high in fat and really awesome stuff. Nursing on one side for an hour can be much better than nursing on 2 sides for a half hour each. Your BF consultant may already be saying this, but just in case I wanted to mention it.

Since you don't want to go from BF to formula you might try to get your hands on a commercial pump. The hospital can check one out to you, your ins. might pay for one, if you qualify for WIC you can get one free, (to check out) and you might be able to borrow one. I wouldn't waste my time with a hand pump. Women who can use a handpump don't usually have any problems unless it's surplus of milk. pumping after nursing can increase your supply. pumping before can get the milk flowing faster so your little one might nurse a little faster and stay awake.

I wish you the best, I say don't give up because it's worth overcoming difficulties, not because you're stubborn or selfish, but because it's a good choice. if your baby seems unhappy, cries all the time, seems hungry, than maybe you have a serious problem, but babies usually have growth spurts at 2 and 4 wks, or 6wks and so i'd give him a couple weeks and see if he gains a little more. Even though the chart is smooth, baby growth is not consistent and symmetrical. They gain sometimes and they plateau sometimes for days. I think you need to assess your sanity, the babies temperment and see what you think is best. After a couple days you can reevaluate...

Best Wishes!

My duaghter lost a full 10 % of her birth weight and did not gain it back until her 4 week check up. My pediatrician was very supportive and we had extra weight checks at one week and two weeks. He was fine and said that as long as she was gaining weight steadily (which she was), not falling of the curve (she didn't) and producing plenty of wet diapers, I should not worry. He was very supportive of me breastfeeding and dispersed all my doubts during those early weeks.
I think I have mentioned it to you before, if there is a true concern about failure to thrive, consider getting an SNS (supplemental nursing system) and supplementing that way, so you can keep working on your milk production. In the end, you want your baby to thrive and there are ways you can introduce formula to help her, without giving up breastfeeding!

Good luck!

My 10 week old son is only in the 5th percentile for his height and weight and we full time breast feed and have no issues at all. My older 2 daughters were and have always been in the 90 to 95 percentile. My best friends oldest daughter was extremly small and she bf full time with no problems and her daughter is fine, now her 3 month old daughter is almost 15 pounds and she bf full time too! All babies do their own thing and grow at their own pace. If your having low milk supply then pump pump pump to build it up! Make sure you eat and drink enough! If you want to get a better idea of how much she is eating then pump and give her a bottle of bf instead of nursing her. I would also try to feed her alot more frequently during the day, you can get a baby scale, but i dont see why you couldnt weigh yourself, then hold her and take the difference to monitor her weight better. Good luck!

Give her some time. My 3 month old was quite the lazy eater up until a week or so ago, although she still seems to relapse from time to time, and she has gained weight beautifully. She is actually a fairly large baby for her age... at least it seems when I see other babies her age. My best advice is to let her feed on demand and allow her the time she needs to finish without feeling rushed. This is the best time to take a breather, relax, read a book, caress her skin, and enjoy her while she is small. If you have trouble with breastmilk production, try increasing your water intake and take nutritional yeast flakes. These are staples in my daily diet. Feel free to write me if you still have questions/concerns. Our little lazy eaters are precious and there is nothing better than mommy's milk. :)

Not a bad idea to express milk just before feeding either.