Went to the Dr. today
- Thread starter darkchild16
- Start date
The Dr's like to see babies back up at least to their birthweight by 2 weeks.
hannah was not but they said because she was in the NICU for a week that that rule didn't really apply. by her 2 month appt she was only 12 oz over her original birth weight. At that point I was worried she was not getting the proper nutrition... the Dr said she wasn't TOO worried yet but that her weight was low for her age and birthweight.
hannah was not but they said because she was in the NICU for a week that that rule didn't really apply. by her 2 month appt she was only 12 oz over her original birth weight. At that point I was worried she was not getting the proper nutrition... the Dr said she wasn't TOO worried yet but that her weight was low for her age and birthweight.
Congrats on your precious little baby, Breeze.
I just wanted to ask if you have visited with an actual lactation consultant? If not, and you really want to be successful at breastfeeding, I recommend you do.
When I had my daughter, they were worried about her gaining weight and told me I had to give her formula. I refused. She ended up gaining just fine and in fact, turned out to be quite the little porker off of breastmilk alone.
Remember, this is YOUR baby. Don't feel pushed to give into the pressure by nurses and doctors. I understand it is important to consider her health and weight and I am not against supplementing with formula, but sometimes I think people and doctors resort to formula much too soon.
If you need help, don't hesitate to contact the http://www.llli.org/ It is a breastfeeding mother's BIGGEST resource and support.
Best of luck and remember that you can't breastfeed a newborn infant too often. I basically let my daughter nurse every half hour for the first few months of her life to establish good milk supply and weight gain.
I just wanted to ask if you have visited with an actual lactation consultant? If not, and you really want to be successful at breastfeeding, I recommend you do.
When I had my daughter, they were worried about her gaining weight and told me I had to give her formula. I refused. She ended up gaining just fine and in fact, turned out to be quite the little porker off of breastmilk alone.
Remember, this is YOUR baby. Don't feel pushed to give into the pressure by nurses and doctors. I understand it is important to consider her health and weight and I am not against supplementing with formula, but sometimes I think people and doctors resort to formula much too soon.
If you need help, don't hesitate to contact the http://www.llli.org/ It is a breastfeeding mother's BIGGEST resource and support.
Best of luck and remember that you can't breastfeed a newborn infant too often. I basically let my daughter nurse every half hour for the first few months of her life to establish good milk supply and weight gain.
Again ...supply and demand . She's just over a week old and the good milk doesn't even come in until day 2 . Don't give up !!!! This is the most natural way ..... even giving cereal will fill her when she needs you ! I was the only one BF with my first ....when others started cereal at a month , they thought I was a bad mother !!! Mine never had formula . Agree that some can't .... but very few .
S
Unfortunately DarkChild, formula is nowhere near being good for babies. I actually wish they would tell people the crap and chemicals that are there. Even the organic ones (kudos for going organic though).
What exactly are the issues you are having? Probably the best thing to do is to go and see a lactation specialist if you haven't done so already. If you have and it didn't help, go see another one.
I don't mean to come across negative but I am sure there is something that can be done to help your baby gain weight on breastmilk.
What exactly are the issues you are having? Probably the best thing to do is to go and see a lactation specialist if you haven't done so already. If you have and it didn't help, go see another one.
I don't mean to come across negative but I am sure there is something that can be done to help your baby gain weight on breastmilk.
I am very happy to see so many pro-BF moms here in Chaz. And so many that understand that you dont HAVE to supplement w/ formula just b/c the doc tells you to. They really dont know everything! I know some ppl do HAVE to supplement but I think most docs tell EVERYONE at one point or another that they will HAVE to supplement when it really just lowers your supply. I have no advice b/c I have no baby yet but have you tried just nursing her more often. Like Showpug said every 1/2 hour if she wants to.
Just for the record... the Dr never told me that I needed to feed her formula. I decided to switch when she stopped eating for over a week (by that I mean she would eat ten minutes at a time and would fuss the whole time) she had a lot of tummy issues and was just not happy. And in my experience you CAN overfeed a breastfed baby. I did. Hannah was miserable when I thought she needed to eat more often .. she would feed and then be in pain for quite some time after.
I am definitely pro breastfeeding and I totally understand why you do not want to feed formula... I just know that I felt like a failure when Hannah wasn't thriving on breastmilk because people would tell me it was the only way and there were ways to fix it when Hannah just didn't want to do it.
While I know this is not the case with you... don't ever feel like a failure based on what anyone tells you about breastfeeding or formula feeding. In the end it is YOU who decides and not the Dr or anyone else. if you don't want to formula feed don't. If YOU feel she needs the help do it on your terms.
As for la leche league... I had to pay for a membership to get any help from them. not sure if that is the case everywhere but here I had to join as a member. But my lactation consultant from the hospital was wonderful and called me often to check in. So definitely keep in touch with her.
I am definitely pro breastfeeding and I totally understand why you do not want to feed formula... I just know that I felt like a failure when Hannah wasn't thriving on breastmilk because people would tell me it was the only way and there were ways to fix it when Hannah just didn't want to do it.
While I know this is not the case with you... don't ever feel like a failure based on what anyone tells you about breastfeeding or formula feeding. In the end it is YOU who decides and not the Dr or anyone else. if you don't want to formula feed don't. If YOU feel she needs the help do it on your terms.
As for la leche league... I had to pay for a membership to get any help from them. not sure if that is the case everywhere but here I had to join as a member. But my lactation consultant from the hospital was wonderful and called me often to check in. So definitely keep in touch with her.
You are 100% correct. There are so many things that can go wrong when supplementing with formula is tossed around like it's no big deal, it is. Breeze, this isn't directed at you, or any of the Moms that for one reason or another had to go that route, but I am seriously tired of the so called medical field claiming that "breastmilk is best" and yet at the very tiniest of hiccup, they push formula supplementation like there's no tomorrow. It needs to stop and they need to be panicking to get that Mom in with a lactation consultant. For new Moms, this can be very stressful. You want what's best for your baby and you worry about their weight, but you KNOW there is nothing that can compare to the endless benefits breastmilk can offer. The list goes on and on and on in regards to the differences between something natural and perfectly adjusted for YOUR baby compared to commercially made, artificial ingredients.
Breeze, if you have to supplement, pump while you are supplementing. DON'T miss that feeding. You need your milk supply to go up, not down. If you give formula instead of a feeding from the breast even one meal per day, your body makes that much less milk tomorrow. If you want to breastfeed your baby, stay strong and stick to your guns. My nurses were evil when I told them no, but it was MY baby and I was determined to raise her as if formula was never invented.
Best of luck and hugs!
Breeze, if you have to supplement, pump while you are supplementing. DON'T miss that feeding. You need your milk supply to go up, not down. If you give formula instead of a feeding from the breast even one meal per day, your body makes that much less milk tomorrow. If you want to breastfeed your baby, stay strong and stick to your guns. My nurses were evil when I told them no, but it was MY baby and I was determined to raise her as if formula was never invented.
Best of luck and hugs!
I feed her the formula in with her regular feeding so that it doesnt affect my supply for that feeding. And I am talking to the consultant and doing what she said. She actually told me that it is ok the way that I am doing it for now but to keep it that way and with the amount that they gave me. I think Im going to stay the course for the 10 oz. because I think she needs to gain it too and Im hoping this way she will gain more. I am feeding her whenever she is hungry but Im not waking her up every half hour to feed her if shes not hungry. But thanks for the tips and last I looked to join my areas LLI you have to pay a fee too and as a single mom I have to decide where my money is best spent and its not with them.
There you are! I was waiting for you to respond to this thread. I posted a thread looking for you in General Dog Chat: http://www.chazhound.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=3
The medical community agrees that breast milk is best. However, in a lot of cases, feeding the baby is more important than feeding the baby an ideal diet. Medical literature, as well as current practice, teaches that breast milk is by far the best option.
The medical community agrees that breast milk is best. However, in a lot of cases, feeding the baby is more important than feeding the baby an ideal diet. Medical literature, as well as current practice, teaches that breast milk is by far the best option.
S
Lots of places will offer free lactation consults. If a lactation consultant is telling you that supplementing with formula is ok then I am not sure what to say other than to change lactation specialists. Being a doula I would only recommend formula in extremely rare cases.
Can you explain more how your feedings with baby are, how often, how old is baby now, what did she weigh when she is born and what does she weigh now. Some babies just don't gain weight as fast as others and that is just that. Also lots of babies lose weight after they are born too.
I have to agree with showpug. Trying to feed her more (even when she isn't hungry) will do more good than supplementing with formula.
I am not being grouchy or trying to tell you what to do. For some reason no matter how I write this is sounds b!tchy....but it isn't. I honestly want to help you with this.
And please do not feel like a failure. SOOOO many women have issues with breastfeeding. Actually having no breastfeeding issues is rare. Sometimes all it takes is a little tweek in position for success.
Can you explain more how your feedings with baby are, how often, how old is baby now, what did she weigh when she is born and what does she weigh now. Some babies just don't gain weight as fast as others and that is just that. Also lots of babies lose weight after they are born too.
I have to agree with showpug. Trying to feed her more (even when she isn't hungry) will do more good than supplementing with formula.
I am not being grouchy or trying to tell you what to do. For some reason no matter how I write this is sounds b!tchy....but it isn't. I honestly want to help you with this.
And please do not feel like a failure. SOOOO many women have issues with breastfeeding. Actually having no breastfeeding issues is rare. Sometimes all it takes is a little tweek in position for success.
Just do the best you can !!!! Never think that you don't have enough BM to feed her !!! Hopefully she will have gained by Monday . I didn't have ANY help !!! ( I don't know if you read my post that the hospital actually wanted to give me a pill to dry me up !! ) If you're stress by the end of the day ...have a beer !! I had a friend who bottle fed her 1st 2 and wanted to BF her 3rd ..... felt she didn't have enough for the evening feeding until I suggested the beer ............ check with your doctor though ...... this was 45 years ago !!!
All bf babies lose weight after they are born. They should be back at their birthweight by their two-week appointment. It's nothing to worry about. Quite normal. I'd get a second opinion unless you are wanting to formula feed her. If you just want to supplement her then you should bf feed first and then 'top off' after to supplement. Fiona was back to her birth weight before the first week was over but all babies are different. How often are you getting her up to nurse? maybe your schedule needs tweaking?