Dwindling supply and baby is losing weight...

[MrsClark24]

When DD was born, I had a massive case of oversupply. For weeks and weeks, so much so that I have milk in the freezer from the day after DD wab born! She was 6.6lbs when she was born, and gained weight amazingly fast to start with.

Fast forward. She's 16 weeks and I took her to get weighed this week, she's only 10.3lbs. WHHHHAAAATTT??? The HV told me that she has dropped a percentile and I have to take her back in two weeks to make sure she is gaining enough weight. When I told her about my concerns about my supply she didn't offer any advice and told me simply to pump more. She wasn't helpful.

For the last week (before getting her weighed) I felt like I might be not making enough milk, but I wasn't sure. And over the last few days DD is coming off both boobs looking for more and I just don't have it to give.

I've just rented a Medela Symphony to try some industrial strength pumping, but even with the hospital grade pump I only get .5oz from each boob, if I'm lucky. I'm off to town tomorrow to get some fenugreek and brewers yeast too.

What have I done to decrease my supply? I feed on demand, I eat well.... I just don't know what I have done and why it's happened. I'm absolutely gutted, I want to breast feed my daughter!! Please, any advice or tips or ideas are gratefully received.

 

[summer rain]

Dropping a centile doesn't mean losing weight, it means not gaining as quickly, if your baby has only dropped one centile it isn't a major cause for worry-its if they lose two or more centiles in a relatively short space of time that it's a problem. Some women don't respond well to any pump including hospital grade pumps. Roughly 4lb in 4 months is on the low side but it would still entail a gain of an average of 4oz a week which is within the normal range. Also many babies become more active around this age, my second youngest was permanently in motion and so they don't really gain much because they burn much of their calorific intake off this way. My second youngest dropped a centile and did physically lose weight at that age because he would be moving every minute he was awake, he did gain 12oz over the next 10 days to make up for it but after that went to gaining 2-4oz a week and between 6 and 7 months gained nothing at all. From experience I think you shouldn't worry yourself too much xx

 

[x-li-x]

Hi

I'm going through the same right now my son is 19 weeks and weighs 11lb 12 born at 6.15

He was the same as your daughter great gain for the first 2 months and on the last two months has only gained 4oz , the 4oz he gained in the first month and in then second month he gained nothing , didn't loose didn't gain. He's gone from the 25th febrile to the 0.4th.
I have the hv moaning am me too, I have this strange feeling she is going to push formula. I could tell she wanted to this week but I just in no way am i giving formula. My son is a happy healthy boy, never crying starved, meeting all his milestones ok, no sunken soft spot etc and lots of wet and dirty nappies.
Dirty nappies have slowed down in the last week to once every day or every couple days but I'm not worried as it use to be 4 times a day which was apparently a lot.

The hv wants me back on tues to recheck his weight and go from there, but I will still be sayin no formula!

However unlike you I didnt think my supply was low, but invade I have starter eatin a med/big bowl of porridge every morning and I'm definitely feeling a bit more filler during the days now, so maybe that could be something you could try too? Feenugreek is good too.

As pp said a drop in centile isn't a drop in weight and if you think your little lady is fine then try not to worry. I've told myself I'm going to keep going as I am , maybe just take a bit more note of how long he's feeding and how often, and try not to worry if there's actually a drop in his weight.

I also read on several online pages that breasted babies tend to put on weight fast in the first couple months then that slows right down , and sometimes they will drop on centiles and we shouldn't take this as baby not getting enough the idea is too look at baby themselves to know if something is wrong. Hv tend to forget this with breast fed babies and expect them to grow like formula fed babies who tend to keep at a steady grow and be bigger than breathed babies after the first initial months. Obviously some breasted babies are not be bigger side but it just comes down to the fact that evey baby is different.

Hope things go ok at next weigh on for both of us x

 

[x-li-x]

Sorry of there are any mistakes on that reply on my phone and its not the best to see and constantly changes my words