Very Skinny Baby

[ktod]

I'm getting really down about my baby's size. She's slow to gain weight and has dropped from 25% at birth to 0.2% two weeks ago (which is off the bottom of the chart). My next weigh in is tomorrow and I'm dreading it!!!

On the whole breastfeeding has gone well. The only issue is I believe my baby's latch is shallow due to my nipple being misshapen after a feed, but I have no pain from this. I've tried some deep latch techniques but LO always readjusts the latch herself to how she likes it. I don't really know if latch is the issue, it's just the only problem I can identify from reading all the advice on poor weight gain. We don't have any of the other problems they suggest. Unless I'm just not producing enough milk which could be a possibility but I've tried all the usual suggestions to increase this.

Looking at my daughter, she still has the skinny newborn look. Very skinny arms and legs. I can really tell the difference between her and all the other 10 week old babies now as they have all really chubbed out especially on the legs. It's really upsetting me now and I'm so scared about where she is going to be at tomorrow's weigh in as she keeps dropping down the percentiles every time.

I've been fine about the slow weight gain because I had faith that things would be OK eventually but it really doesn't seem to be getting better so I'm starting to get down about it.

I just want her to put some weight on

 

[wish4baby]

How much does she weigh?

I ask because I've been a little worried about my son, he's the same age (almost - 10 weeks this Friday).
He was weighed a week ago exactly at 8 weeks, 3 days & he was 10 pounds 5 oz - with a clean diaper on, just after a good, long feeding. I think he was probably 10 even that day.
The dr wasn't concerned at all, but he is so little compared to all the other babies his age! When we go out, everyone thinks he's much younger & I get comments all the time (like they disapprove of a newborn going out)
He just still looks like a skinny little newborn...I should add that he was born a month early at 36 weeks & the dr says his weight gain is great (up from 6 pounds 4 oz at discharge), so that's why he's not concerned, but man I wish he would fatten up LOL

 

[ktod]

I've just been to weigh in she's 3.62kg which is 7lb15 and she is now 0.1% she was 6lb3 when born.

I'm going to book a GP appointment but I know there isn't a problem with her, I know if I start giving formula she'll fatten up. It was the same with my son except I moved him to formula within the first 2 weeks of his birth due to his weight. I was so upset about things not working last time I really wanted it to work this time but I can't let my baby go on dropping like this just because I want to breast feed.

 

[wish4baby]

Oh man! I'm sorry...

What does your nursing schedule look like, how often & how long does she feed? Do you feel your milk letting down?

I've EBF 6 kids, this one having the only "issues" (preemie, shields at first, lowest birthweight, etc). All 5 of my other kids were (and still are!) over the 95% in height and weight.
In my opinion, nighttime nursing is the key to weight gain. Can you sleep with your baby, both of your tops off (skin to skin), and just let her have a boob in her mouth all night? Just switch sides whenever you wake & feel empty?

My little guy just got the hang of it (laying down, and w/o a shield), he can can now pop himself off and on as he wishes, I barely wake up. Hopefully he will have packed on a few pounds when we weigh in.

 

[ktod]

Thank you for the advice, it really is great advice but I can't tell you how much I've been reading about poor weight gain! I'm already co-sleeping, I'm feeding 24/7. She is never satisfied I'm still having to feed her like a newborn and it's taking its toll now after 2 and a half months. I've never really got engorged properly or ever leaked and it really wasn't that noticeable when my milk came in. I do have some milk because she has wet and dirty nappies but it's just not enough.

I think I'm just going to do formula top ups now. There is nowhere else to go with my breastfeeding. I realise this is a slippery slope and I'll probably just end up having to exclusively formula feed as I imagine my supply will just get worse with top ups.

I tried and I lasted longer than with my son but I can see the negative impact on my daughter now. She's not happy and I need to change that.

Thank you for your support though, I do appreciate it.

 

[April12016]

Ask the dr about tongue tie and if they have your baby for it yet. My cousin had the same problem with her son. They just found out he had tongue tie. They sniffed his tongue and now he is able to nurse properly. before he could not get a good latch because of his tongue not being loose enough. My niece and nephew were also low weight gain babies. But that was just because of genetics. Their mother was the same way. 15 pounds at two years old. As long as everything else is functioning properly and the baby is reaching all of its milestones and the tongue is not tied down everything should be OK. Other than being really tiny children, my niece and nephew are very healthy at six years old and 13 years old now.

 

[cleckner04]

I had this issue with my first baby. She wasn't even on the chart with weight. I started taking fenugreek and fed from the same breast twice in a row to make sure she got to the important fatty hindmilk. She cluster fed so much and I would be in tears bc it just felt like a never ending cycle. The Drs wanted me to do formula top ups and I did for a day or two and got so sad about it that I stopped and redoubled my breastfeeding efforts. I wore her and was skin to skin as much as possible, etc. She continued her own slow gains. She eventually stopped cluster feeding and continued on her slow curve up in weight and I breastfed for 3.5 years with her. She is still a slim little girl at 7 years old. Her 3 year old sister is only 7 lbs lighter. It's just how she was made and there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. I hope everything works out for you as well, no matter what route you take.

 

[noon_child]

Ask the dr about tongue tie and if they have your baby for it yet. My cousin had the same problem with her son. They just found out he had tongue tie. They sniffed his tongue and now he is able to nurse properly. before he could not get a good latch because of his tongue not being loose enough. My niece and nephew were also low weight gain babies. But that was just because of genetics. Their mother was the same way. 15 pounds at two years old. As long as everything else is functioning properly and the baby is reaching all of its milestones and the tongue is not tied down everything should be OK. Other than being really tiny children, my niece and nephew are very healthy at six years old and 13 years old now.

I agree. While there are medical reasons behind not producing enough milk (thyroid issues or other hormone conditions), the number one reason is babies not latching correctly - and when this is a continuing problem past the first weeks it is often a tongue tie. TT can be genetic too, so baby number one might have had one.

 

[LoveCakes]

Could you express for top ups to build your supply and get more milk into her?
Hope you get sorted it must be so stressful

 

[minties]

Have you taken her to see a paediatrician? I have to say I would be extremely worried. My middle child was 3.6kg at birth.

 

[DaisyDreamer]

I would be worried too and feeling very stressed out. Maybe some top-ups to get that weight up and help baby catch up, but maybe switch to EBF as soon as she gets her energy up and keeping her at your breast as much as possible and skin to skin will help. I had breast surgery and had supply issues so those things really increased my supply, also LO was TT and correcting that helped his latch. Have you gotten a consult yet?

 

[kajastarlight]

Sounds like me and my DS3. I combo fed him until he was 6 months and switched to all formula. Found out one month later that I had very very low thyroid and that was probably my problem. Maybe get your thyroid checked just in case.
BTW, combo feeding was great for us once I let myself be OK with it. (had the guilt big time) I hope you can EBF like you want to but please understand that if you just can't it is OK.