What do I do?

Question

I'm so conflicted, hoping someone has been through this same thing and can share their story. 
My little guy was 8lbs 1oz at birth, dropped down to 7lbs 13oz, nothing unusual. I have been only breastfeeding, and he has plenty of wet and poopy diapers. But when we went in for his one month check up, he was only at 8lbs 2oz. This means he only gained 5 oz in a month. 
The pediatrician really encourages breastfeeding so she's had me start drinking mother's milk and staying very hydrated. She wants to see us back in two weeks. Little guy latches well enough and seems to drink plenty, he has alert and awake moments, messy diapers, and feeds roughly every hour and a half or so. He seems to be doing well but that tiny weight gain is so concerning! 
My mom saw him this past Sunday and was concerned about how "scrawny and jaundiced" (her words) he looks. She called me tonight and pretty much put me in a state of panic about his size. Is he too little? Am I doing him harm by not supplementing? Should I stop being stubborn about breastfeeding only? 
Anyone else have babies with a slower weight gain? I thought breastfeeding was always the way to go but I'm worried now.

Answer

My daughter also grew very slowly. Doctors want babies to double their birth weight by 6 months. She barely made it. She was also jaundiced. Make sure you're waking your baby to feed every 2-3 hours to help him gain some and to build your supply some more. We did probiotics and baby massage to help her gain more weight. Rhey helo babies ro absorb more nutrients. Skin to skin also helps. I'm so sorry I know how it is. I've been there. It's a rough road. My daughter is just petite, almost 3 and is HEALTHY. Every child is different, but yeah ideally you want them to steadily gain weight even if it isnt st the rate drs want. Look at your baby, is he healthy? Is he content after feedings? Does he have a good waketime to sleep ratio?

Answer

Literally going through the same thing. After we were told our little one only gained 3oz in two weeks I made myself a lactation consultant appointment. Come to find out he has a lip tie and tongue tie which we think is preventing him from getting enough milk each feed. We did a weighed feeding and he was only getting 1/2oz on each side. Worth looking into a LC visit. Good luck!

Answer

If your doctor isn’t concerned yet don’t let your mom scare or stress you. The doctor will let you know when it’s a concern. As far as supplementing that’s gotta be something you decide. If you want to I’d suggest sticking to a schedule with it. For the first few days we gave formula at night till my milk came in well enough to only breastfeed.

Answer

I wouldn’t supplement right now because that could hurt your supply. I would wake him every 2 hours during the day and 3 during the night and let him eat on demand if he wants it sooner. Humans aren’t an exact science and stressing isn’t good for your supply either. I would listen to your pediatrician and if you feel uncomfortable with his weight, maybe request a 1 week appointment instead to check in.

Answer

Just a personal opinion, when the weight gain is not enough, I give formula after each breast feeding just to make sure he has enough. I only care about weight gain.

Answer

listen to your doctor. i’m sure your little one is fine if they didn’t seem concerned.

Answer

The doctor would let you know if it was a problem. Don’t assume theres something wrong with your milk. Also, its not uncommon for babies to still be jaundiced when they are exclusive breast fed. My pediatrician commented that breast milk jaundice isn’t concerning and will go away by itself. My 3 week old is also still jaundice in the face and eyes.

Answer

It does seem a little low, but listen to the doctor. When was the last time baby had pooped and eaten when she was weighed? That can add at least 2-5 oz depending on how much baby eats in a feeding. 
My baby gained 7 oz in 2 weeks and the dr was not concerned. I know your baby’s weight gain is a bit lower, but my dr said that as long as baby is getting enough diapers (mine goes through 10+ a day) that she wasn’t worried and we will just monitor weight gain. Babies, just like adults, come in all sizes

Answer

Personally I would go get a weighted feed done with a lactation consultant. He could just be slow to gain, or he could not be transferring milk well. But I think getting him looked at would ease your concerns right?

Answer

You could try expressing some milk and then you can see how much he’s having.

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