I. Give. Up.

[sevenofnine]

I am so tired of this. Between green poo and poor weight gain and latch issues, I just can't get this right.

She won't even latch right onto a bottle. Her bottom lip is always tucked in, and no matter how many times I pull it out, she pulls it back in. No matter how many times I un-latch and re-latch, it doesn't work. That and she still cries for the shield often which just inhibits her from getting milk more.

She's only just 9lbs at 2.5 months... she looks so tiny that I keep getting people saying how well I look for having a one week old baby.

I'm ready to throw in the towel and just start formula. After all, how good can breastmilk be if I can't get her to eat enough of it no matter how hard I try????

 

[LegoHouse]

Is she urinating frequently? My son only went from 8.5lbs at birth to 12lbs at 5 months. We had a horrible latch. It took a really great (and not the first) lactation consultant to fix us! He is huge now, at 9 months he is 19lbs.

 

[sevenofnine]

Is she urinating frequently? My son only went from 8.5lbs at birth to 12lbs at 5 months. We had a horrible latch. It took a really great (and not the first) lactation consultant to fix us! He is huge now, at 9 months he is 19lbs.

She has about 6 wet diapers a day, and 2 - 3 really good poops (though they're green), so I'm quite perplexed why her weight gain is so bad. Her urine has never even been pale yellow... always clear.

She was born at 6lbs, 6oz, and is now about 9lbs.

I'm just worried I'm not giving her what she needs. Her latch is so bad that unless I do breast compressions, she hardly gets any milk.

 

[sevenofnine]

Maybe I should bite the bullet and make an appointment with a lactation consultant.

 

[LegoHouse]

I 100% know how you feel. My son got so skinny, when he went into the bath he would breathe in and I could see all of his bones. I would cry every single day.

My doctors were right though, there was nothing wrong with him. He wasn't getting enough fat to gain excessive weight, but his brain was growing, his bones were growing. Everything else was doing just what it needed, and the fat came when he needed it, too.

Have you seen a doctor? Have they checked that the hole in her heart has closed? I was told that is the biggest concern with slow gainers. Have you seen someone about her latch? Has she been checked for lip/tongue ties? Sorry for so many questions I haven't been on here in so long I might have missed previous information x

 

[sevenofnine]

I 100% know how you feel. My son got so skinny, when he went into the bath he would breathe in and I could see all of his bones. I would cry every single day.

My doctors were right though, there was nothing wrong with him. He wasn't getting enough fat to gain excessive weight, but his brain was growing, his bones were growing. Everything else was doing just what it needed, and the fat came when he needed it, too.

Have you seen a doctor? Have they checked that the hole in her heart has closed? I was told that is the biggest concern with slow gainers. Have you seen someone about her latch? Has she been checked for lip/tongue ties? Sorry for so many questions I haven't been on here in so long I might have missed previous information x

Her heart is good, and no lip or tounge tie! She's doing very well developmentally as far as milestones.

It's just the weight! She's happy all the time, hardly ever fussy, no gas, no colic, sleeps well. She's just super tiny.

I think I am going to make an appointment with a lactation consultant. She has her next check-up with her pediatrician next week, so I'll just wait for that as far as her doctor goes.

I was wondering if she perhaps had a dairy allergy (from the green diapers) and so I am on day 5 of no dairy.

 

[Guppy051708]

Has the baby been checked for lip tie/tongue tie?
Personally, when i hear a mom say about the lip staying tucked under, reguardless of repositioning it, it does red flag a lip tie (though that isn't always the issue)

EDIT*** sorry just saw your post (we posted at the same time). Just ignore my previous comment

 

[LegoHouse]

Sounds a lot like my son. He was super content despite them trying to find something wrong with him. I think a LC is your best bet. I didn't want to give up, but I know how easy it would have been to if I hadn't have been so determined. I hope it works out whatever you decide

 

[Guppy051708]

The green poo makes me think you have high lipase or just overactive letdown. Fear not there are many things you can do to remedy this! But thats what i would lean towards...i would def see a lactation consultant. It could also be dairy related, but many times with over production, green poops are very common.

 

[sevenofnine]

The green poo makes me think you have high lipase or just overactive letdown. Fear not there are many things you can do to remedy this! But thats what i would lean towards...i would def see a lactation consultant. It could also be dairy related, but many times with over production, green poops are very common.

My let-down is very strong... the past few days I started block feeding to see if it would help, but it seems my supply has diminished a bit from the block feeding.

So it seems I will have to pump the other side while I do it.

EITHER WAY, I am going to make an appointment with a consultant. I will call tomorrow.

 

[sevenofnine]

Has the baby been checked for lip tie/tongue tie?
Personally, when i hear a mom say about the lip staying tucked under, reguardless of repositioning it, it does red flag a lip tie (though that isn't always the issue)

EDIT*** sorry just saw your post (we posted at the same time). Just ignore my previous comment

Well I will definitely have her re-checked for lip tie when I go to her next appointment... maybe they missed it when she was so small?

Thanks!

 

[LilMrs224]

I wouldnt throw in the towel til you talk to a lactation consultant and make sure when you do talk to one that you feel comfortable with her/him. I have some issues with the two I am seeing.. I like one and not so much the other but they work together with every client. Anyways me and my LO really struggle with latching. She is only just now almost 4 weeks and her latch was/is so bad that at 3 days PP she drew blood on my nipples (ouch!) between that and jaundice they recomemded I use hopsital grade pump and pump to bottle feed but keep trying to latch. Well now she s finally starting to latch!! Not every feed and she has to be calm and not "starving" but we are making more and more progress every day. My point is if I hadn't gotten help and advise from the lactation consultants then we would have never even gotten this far. You have hung in there this long so its obviously something you care about... talk to someone who can give you the best advice hun

 

[sevenofnine]

Sounds a lot like my son. He was super content despite them trying to find something wrong with him. I think a LC is your best bet. I didn't want to give up, but I know how easy it would have been to if I hadn't have been so determined. I hope it works out whatever you decide

I am pretty determined... which is why this is even more frustrating!!! Thank you for your help.

I am going to try my best NOT to give up. I just needed a good rant

 

[sevenofnine]

I wouldnt throw in the towel til you talk to a lactation consultant and make sure when you do talk to one that you feel comfortable with her/him. I have some issues with the two I am seeing.. I like one and not so much the other but they work together with every client. Anyways me and my LO really struggle with latching. She is only just now almost 4 weeks and her latch was/is so bad that at 3 days PP she drew blood on my nipples (ouch!) between that and jaundice they recomemded I use hopsital grade pump and pump to bottle feed but keep trying to latch. Well now she s finally starting to latch!! Not every feed and she has to be calm and not "starving" but we are making more and more progress every day. My point is if I hadn't gotten help and advise from the lactation consultants then we would have never even gotten this far. You have hung in there this long so its obviously something you care about... talk to someone who can give you the best advice hun

Ouchie!

I have been putting it off because I really don't like going to the hospital (they make me nervous for no good reason) but I am calling to make an appointment with a consultant.

It seems like it has helped a lot of people!!

Thanks

 

[LegoHouse]

Sounds a lot like my son. He was super content despite them trying to find something wrong with him. I think a LC is your best bet. I didn't want to give up, but I know how easy it would have been to if I hadn't have been so determined. I hope it works out whatever you decide

I am pretty determined... which is why this is even more frustrating!!! Thank you for your help.

I am going to try my best NOT to give up. I just needed a good rant

You can do it! If you go through my posted threads you'll see how many times I said I can't do this anymore and that I am failing. We are still going at almost 10 months!

 

[LilMrs224]

Sounds a lot like my son. He was super content despite them trying to find something wrong with him. I think a LC is your best bet. I didn't want to give up, but I know how easy it would have been to if I hadn't have been so determined. I hope it works out whatever you decide

I am pretty determined... which is why this is even more frustrating!!! Thank you for your help.

I am going to try my best NOT to give up. I just needed a good rant

You can do it! If you go through my posted threads you'll see how many times I said I can't do this anymore and that I am failing. We are still going at almost 10 months!

I think everyone has been in that place atleast once where you just want to say I am done lol

 

[LegoHouse]

The most frustrating part for me, was that if he was gaining weight as they wanted him to, there would have been no problem at all lol

 

[Monalissa]

My LO has been a slow gainer while she was EBF and even once we started combi-feeding. So formula isn't always the "answer." Some babies are just slow gainers! If you enjoy BF and she's content then I think you shouldn't quit. A visit with an LC can be a huge help.

 

[SpringerS]

Just on the weight issue, it sounds like she has put on nearly 50% of her birth weight in nearly 2.5 months. That seems really, really good to me. She is most likely just growing in correct proportion to her size.

 

[Hangin_On_AGS]

I was gonna say what over pp's have said green means she is getting to much foremilk not enough hind milk. She probably isn't gaining weight because the hind milk is where the nutrients are the fore milk is really for hydration, I had the same problem. I also have extremely forceful letdown which can make LO choke and than she and I both get frustrated and she doesn't want to stay latched. I've found for myself that pumping between an ounce and a half and 2 ounces depending on how full I am reduces my outflow rate enough to where she can handle it and i've also removed alot of the fore milk so she gets enough to keep her hydrated but isn't getting full or overwhelmed before she can get to my hind milk. With doing this we now have beautiful full orange seedy diapers and a content full baby.

Good luck!!!!