Moral Support - baby losing weight

[pgfairy]

I'm devastated this morning. After gaining 8.25% of his birthweight in 8 days baby Jason has lost 80g at our midwife discharge appointment this morning.

His latch is still lipstick 80% of the time. His outputs are all still above normal so he is drinking milk and for the first time in 48 hours I expressed off AFTER a feed (which had already deflated both breasts significantly) and pulled off an additional 4oz so I know the supply is there.

Midwife thinks I'm not eating enough and on reflection she's probably right. Explains why he keeps clusterfeeding and increasing my supply if he isn't getting enough calories in a feed?

Feel like absolute crap. Just needed a moan.

 

[noon_child]

I'm devastated this morning. After gaining 8.25% of his birthweight in 8 days baby Jason has lost 80g at our midwife discharge appointment this morning.

His latch is still lipstick 80% of the time. His outputs are all still above normal so he is drinking milk and for the first time in 48 hours I expressed off AFTER a feed (which had already deflated both breasts significantly) and pulled off an additional 4oz so I know the supply is there.

Midwife thinks I'm not eating enough and on reflection she's probably right. Explains why he keeps clusterfeeding and increasing my supply if he isn't getting enough calories in a feed?

Feel like absolute crap. Just needed a moan.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with your midwife. Unless you are actually starving yourself, your body will automatically distribute calories and nutrients to your breastmilk even if your diet is not great. Yes it is important to eat regularily BUT this is for YOUR wellbeing more than to make "good milk"; breastmilk is good quality nutrition in all countries, rich and poor alike, varied and basic diets alike.

Weightloss is much more likely to be a milk transfer issue (ie he isn't able to get as much milk as he needs) even though he's getting enough to pee and poo nicely. My LO was the same, we had a lot of lipstick latches and very slow weight gain (even though she made birthweight by day 8ish), and I was in pain throughout every feed but she pooed frequently.

I'd advise you contact the infant feeding team at the hospital, or an organisation like LLL or NCT who can do a home visit. They can observe feeds, try to help correct the latch etc. I'd also suggest you let them feel LO sucking on their finger as they can tell whether he uses his tongue correctly when sucking.

 

[confused87com]

I agree with above. I dint believe for a second it's due to your diet. I'd be suspecting is a latch transfer issue

 

[pgfairy]

Thanks all. Our health visitor is referring us to a LC for a suspected posterior tongue tie. Having done some research I totally agree with you both, it has to be a transfer/supply issue not a milk 'quality' issue.

Not sure it makes me feel any better.

 

[k4th]

Just wanted to send some

At 10 days ds hadn't regained his birth weight yet, so I know how crappy it feels. I'm hoping he's there at our appointment on Wednesday - fx'd.

When do you see the LC? Hope it's not long & they can find out what's going on x

 

[_Meep_]

Just wanted to say my LO had a posterior tie and you are absolutely doing the right thing by getting it treated early if he has one.

We never had weight issues as I had horrendous oversupply and strong letdowns until about 6 months pp, so my baby was able to ride the letdowns as it were. It's possible your lad is doing this, but is not able to transfer much of the fattier hindmilk, as it is much harder for a baby with a poor latch to squeeze along the ducts. This wasn't a problem for my baby, weight-wise, as my supply was so heavy she was full before she had to extract much of the thicker milk and was able to gain weight on the thinner milk of the letdown alone, but it made her gassy and uncomfortable, and her poor latch meant she swallowed a lot of air too. The strong flow of milk coupled with her inability to swallow quickly enough led to total breast refusal/repeated nursing strikes. She would ONLY dreamfeed. It was hard for me, but somehow I managed to keep her weight up.

Nobody would listen to me when I said she was tongue-tied, though, as her weight was fine, so in the end we saw a private specialist, who treated her at 4.5 months. Since she was 6 months old we have nursed without issue and are still going strong. She's 13 months old today!

I promise you, things can change. Keep on going. The earlier you get it sorted, the better.