Breast feeders...any problems with your milk??
I took Kenzie for her 2 week check-up on Tuesday and she hadn't gained anything since her 4 day check-up. She was like 5lbs. 11.6oz. on her 4 day check and 5lbs. 12oz. on Tuesday. (*ETA-She was 6lbs. 3oz. at birth)
I'm just wondering if my milk isn't good. Because my little girl nurses like crazy. Every 2-3 hours and at LEAST 15-20 minutes on each side at each feeding. Now occasionally she'll only nurse from one side but she'll still spend 15-20 minutes nursing on that one side. She has about 14 wet and/or dirty diapers a day so she's definitely getting enough liquid....just apparently not enough calories.
I've noticed that when I pump and the milk separates after a while in the fridge, there's not a lot of fat content that floats to the top. I'm pretty sure that may be the problem....not enough fat (calories). I know when I BF my last one and pumped, I had a lot more fat content in my milk. That's why I'm wondering if my milk is good enough for her. Seems so far it's not doing the trick. I'm definitely eating enough but maybe it doesn't have enough fat content? I don't know, I'm at a loss.
Anyone else ever dealt with anything like this while breastfeeding? Like your baby not gaining anything at all in 2 weeks? Is there any place that would actually test your milk to see if it's nutritionally OK? The Dr. said that we needed to supplement her with a couple of bottles of formula a day so she could get in some extra calories and I pump when she's getting a bottle. We also have to give her vitamin drops daily...mostly due to the fact that my vitamin D level was so low all pregnancy....and it will help ensure that she's getting all the vitamins she needs.
I'm worried about our little peanut. I just want her to start gaining like she should be and make sure she's getting the nutrients she needs. I feel so guilty because I feel like I'm doing something wrong cuz obviously my milk must suck despite eating healthy and the right amount of calories a day which is hard for me, but I do it for her sake. (and shove it in if I have to! lol)
Any reassurance or stories of a similar cir****tance would GREATLY help me right now. Thanks!
I'm just wondering if my milk isn't good. Because my little girl nurses like crazy. Every 2-3 hours and at LEAST 15-20 minutes on each side at each feeding. Now occasionally she'll only nurse from one side but she'll still spend 15-20 minutes nursing on that one side. She has about 14 wet and/or dirty diapers a day so she's definitely getting enough liquid....just apparently not enough calories.
I've noticed that when I pump and the milk separates after a while in the fridge, there's not a lot of fat content that floats to the top. I'm pretty sure that may be the problem....not enough fat (calories). I know when I BF my last one and pumped, I had a lot more fat content in my milk. That's why I'm wondering if my milk is good enough for her. Seems so far it's not doing the trick. I'm definitely eating enough but maybe it doesn't have enough fat content? I don't know, I'm at a loss.
Anyone else ever dealt with anything like this while breastfeeding? Like your baby not gaining anything at all in 2 weeks? Is there any place that would actually test your milk to see if it's nutritionally OK? The Dr. said that we needed to supplement her with a couple of bottles of formula a day so she could get in some extra calories and I pump when she's getting a bottle. We also have to give her vitamin drops daily...mostly due to the fact that my vitamin D level was so low all pregnancy....and it will help ensure that she's getting all the vitamins she needs.
I'm worried about our little peanut. I just want her to start gaining like she should be and make sure she's getting the nutrients she needs. I feel so guilty because I feel like I'm doing something wrong cuz obviously my milk must suck despite eating healthy and the right amount of calories a day which is hard for me, but I do it for her sake. (and shove it in if I have to! lol)
Any reassurance or stories of a similar cir****tance would GREATLY help me right now. Thanks!
Allie
Mom to 5 cuties!! 
Ages 15, 7, 6, 4 & a 3 month old sweety!
-250 Pounds since GBS!
Human milk is only about 4.5% fat, so you won't see a lot of "cream" sitting on top when it separates. How much you can see also depends on whether you are getting foremilk or hindmilk when you [ump. One of the easiest ways to see how much she is really taking in at each feeding is to get a good digital scale and weigh her before and after a feeding (This is what the LC I consulted did when I was convinced Rowan wasn't getting much milk).
It might be worth supplementing anyway, just to get her calorie count up for a while. What did her pedi say about her weight?
It might be worth supplementing anyway, just to get her calorie count up for a while. What did her pedi say about her weight?
Banded 03/22/06 276/261/184 (highest/surgery/lowest)
Sleeved 07/11/2013 228/165 (surgery/current) (111lbs lost)
Mom to two of the cutest boys on earth.
Thanks for your reply! Yeah, I thought about the hindmilk thing after I had typed this out. I was just kind of comparing the way my milk was with my last baby and with Kenzie and I had a lot more 'fat' when I pumped for him than with her, but you may be right that I just might not be pumping the hindmilk out when I do pump.
The Dr. said that she wasn't getting enough calories, most likely, from my milk. She's gulping the whole time she's eating so we know she's getting the volume. And I stick her on the breast that she fed from last so she is definitely getting any hindmilk that I'm producing. She also watched her while she was nursing and said she was nursing good and she was still gulping after about 15 minutes of nursing (while waiting for the Dr. to get in the room), so she said that it looks like she was definitely getting a lot of milk at a feeding. She said that she would have just thought it was a breastfeeding problem if I came in and said, "Oh, she's only breastfeeding 3 minutes a feeding" or something like that but the fact that she nurses at least 30 minutes total and is gulping the whole time leads her to believe that she's not getting the calories she needs. So, that's when she recommended supplementing.
I know she's getting enough milk and the Dr. thinks she's getting enough milk....it's just the caloric value that the Dr. is concerned about. Because she should've at least gotten back up to her birth weight by now and she hasn't.
Hopefully supplementing will work....I hope!
The Dr. said that she wasn't getting enough calories, most likely, from my milk. She's gulping the whole time she's eating so we know she's getting the volume. And I stick her on the breast that she fed from last so she is definitely getting any hindmilk that I'm producing. She also watched her while she was nursing and said she was nursing good and she was still gulping after about 15 minutes of nursing (while waiting for the Dr. to get in the room), so she said that it looks like she was definitely getting a lot of milk at a feeding. She said that she would have just thought it was a breastfeeding problem if I came in and said, "Oh, she's only breastfeeding 3 minutes a feeding" or something like that but the fact that she nurses at least 30 minutes total and is gulping the whole time leads her to believe that she's not getting the calories she needs. So, that's when she recommended supplementing.
I know she's getting enough milk and the Dr. thinks she's getting enough milk....it's just the caloric value that the Dr. is concerned about. Because she should've at least gotten back up to her birth weight by now and she hasn't.
Hopefully supplementing will work....I hope!
Allie
Mom to 5 cuties!! Ages 15, 7, 6, 4 & a 3 month old sweety!
-250 Pounds since GBS!
Don't foget that babies lose weight in the first few days. She could have lost weight and then gained it back by her 2 week check up. I know my daughter was 7lbs 5 oz at birth and got down to 6 lbs 9 oz then at her 2 week check up she was back to 7 lbs 4 oz. Just a thought.
Tami "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me!" Philippians 4:13
Thanks for your reply Tami!
Well, she was 6lbs. 3oz. at birth, was 5lbs. 11oz. (or something close...her discharge papers said 5lbs. 13oz. but that was her weight from the day before we left because we were initially going to leave a day early) when we left, at her 4 day check she was the same initially 5lbs. 11.6oz., and then at her 2 week check she was 5lbs. 12oz. So, she hasn't even gotten back up to her birth weight yet, which she should have by now. With my other 4 kids they were WELL back up to their birth weight (or over...lol) by their 2 week check. I'm guessing that Kenzie wants to do her own thing....lol Such a girl! he he I'm hoping that by supplementing like the ped. suggested, she'll get in enough calories. I just don't want to have to stop nursing altogether. I'd do it if it was what was best for her, but I'd be pretty heartbroken thinking I couldn't even provide her some simple milk (or that my milk wasn't good enough). Plus this is most likely my last go at breastfeeding. Breastfeeding didn't last too long with the other 2 that I tried to breastfeed. Mastitis saw to that.... :o(
How are you and your little girl getting along?
Well, she was 6lbs. 3oz. at birth, was 5lbs. 11oz. (or something close...her discharge papers said 5lbs. 13oz. but that was her weight from the day before we left because we were initially going to leave a day early) when we left, at her 4 day check she was the same initially 5lbs. 11.6oz., and then at her 2 week check she was 5lbs. 12oz. So, she hasn't even gotten back up to her birth weight yet, which she should have by now. With my other 4 kids they were WELL back up to their birth weight (or over...lol) by their 2 week check. I'm guessing that Kenzie wants to do her own thing....lol Such a girl! he he I'm hoping that by supplementing like the ped. suggested, she'll get in enough calories. I just don't want to have to stop nursing altogether. I'd do it if it was what was best for her, but I'd be pretty heartbroken thinking I couldn't even provide her some simple milk (or that my milk wasn't good enough). Plus this is most likely my last go at breastfeeding. Breastfeeding didn't last too long with the other 2 that I tried to breastfeed. Mastitis saw to that.... :o(
How are you and your little girl getting along?
Allie
Mom to 5 cuties!! Ages 15, 7, 6, 4 & a 3 month old sweety!
-250 Pounds since GBS!
VEry true as well, in the last 2 weeks she may have lost and then regained as 8 oz, maybe more. Rowan's weight was tracked carefully because we had quite a few Dr visits the first few days after he was born because he had some jaundice. He was 8lb 4oz when he was born, he had dropped to I think 7 lbs 10 oz by the time we left the hospital 2 days later. I think he went down for another couple of days before he started to regain it.
Banded 03/22/06 276/261/184 (highest/surgery/lowest)
Sleeved 07/11/2013 228/165 (surgery/current) (111lbs lost)
Mom to two of the cutest boys on earth.
I was telling Tami that with my other 4 kiddos, they had more than regained all that they had lost initially by their 2 week appt....some more than others....LOL (some liked to eat...A LOT! lol) Kenzie was 6lbs. 3oz. at birth, was about 5lbs. 11oz. when we went home 3 days later, was 5lbs. 11.6oz. at her 4 day check and then was 5lbs. 12oz. at her 2 week check. She should've gained back that lost weight by now. Kenzie is just bound and determined to do her own thing I guess...lol She's doing everything TOTALLY different than my other 4. Hopefully she'll start gaining what she's supposed to with the supplementing and the vitamins. *cross my fingers*
Allie
Mom to 5 cuties!! Ages 15, 7, 6, 4 & a 3 month old sweety!
-250 Pounds since GBS!
Most Active
Recent Topics
