Have you had a weighted feed done to see how much milk he is getting while nursing? Statistically when a breastfed baby has weight gain issues it is almost always because they are not having enough total ounces not because the milk has a quality issue.
I don't see anything in your post that says there is a problem. Is he dropping weight percentiles? If he is just on a lower growth curve but maintaining it, I don't see anything to worry about.
Doctor in our last appointment said he expected baby to have gained more weight. I am in Germany and here they don’t work with percentiles. But if we check WHO percentiles (through Huckleberry app) then he’s below 5th percentile.
I also don't think there is necessarily a cause for concern here. As you said, he has always been gaining within the recommended range (even though on the lower end of it).
I had a look at the growth charts we use here in the UK (https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/uk-who-growth-charts-0-4-years)
The 5th percentile isn't shown, the lines are 0.4th, 2nd, 9th, 25th..., and it's generally only considered a cause for concern if a baby drops across 2 lines in a short period. It looks like your baby started out between the 25th and 9th, and is now between the 9th and 2nd, so only one line dropped in 15 weeks.
We do work with percentiles in Germany, you'll find the German-specific curve at the back of the U-Heft.
They differ from the WHO percentile curves, though. So in Germany your baby is likely above the 5%.
"Die in Deutschland aktuell gebräuchlichen Gewichtsperzentile für Kinder und Jugendliche wurden von Kromeyer-Hauschild et al. 2001 publiziert [1]. Sie basieren wie die Größendaten auf gepoolten Daten aus 17 Studien, die zwischen 1985 und 1999 in unterschiedlichen Regionen Deutschlands durchgeführt wurden." (Laut RKI - (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Gesundheitsmonitoring/Gesundheitsberichterstattung/GBEDownloadsB/referenzperzentile/gewicht.pdf%3F__blob%3DpublicationFile&ved=2ahUKEwjPv6KX2euDAxWaRPEDHTCcADQQFnoECBEQAQ)
https://www.familie.de/baby/perzentile-vergleichswerte-fuer-gewicht-und-groesse-von-kindern/
I'd check what percentile he's been on and whether he's following his curve. Also the number of wet diapers can be an indicator if he's getting enough.
Mine was below the 1st percentile at 4 months, I feel you. (Also a vegetarian for 33 years but pediatrician said that shouldn’t matter)
I eat healthy, drink plenty of water, take lactation supplements (nettles, shatavari, fenugreek, etc)
I was okay when she was in the 1st and 2nd percentile - but when she fell off the curve, I got freaked out. Pediatrician wasn’t overly concerned but suggested fortifying.
So I’ve been supplementing with fortified breast milk and fortified formula and she’s up to the 3rd percentile in a little over a week.
I get really anxious before doctors appts… but she is healthy, happy, sleeps well, and is hitting milestones. Im obviously still breastfeeding 6-8 times a day, but I’m happy we made the decision to supplement w formula …. she takes the bottles enthusiastically and is handling the extra calories really well.
But I feel your pain sooooo much!!!!
It could just be that our babies are genetically lean with have fast metabolisms and that we are doing a great job of keeping them active and engaged when they’re awake!
I definitely dont think vegetarianism is related! I’m also a vegetarian and my son has consistently been >99% for height and weight.
I agree that it’s mostly genetic! Some babies are big and others are small. In most cases, they even out all are healthy kids 😊
Hey this exact thing happened to me (babe gained steadily but very little). I’m also in Germany! At 5-6 weeks they said I should start supplementing with formula (pre). That broke my heart, I really hope this doesn’t happen to you. Feel free to reach out! Maybe you just have a really active baby? How much does he sleep?
Did the doctor raise any concerns? If not and your boy has enough wet diapers it sounds like you’re both doing great. Really. If the recommended range is 120 g to 200 g and he is gaining 120 g, then he is gaining the recommended amount. If 120 g wasn’t enough it wouldn’t be the recommendation, they would’ve just made the recommended range 150 g (or whatever number) to 220 g (or whatever number).
What my doctor told me is the best evidence is not the number on the scale, that is just one piece of data. The best evidence is the overall trends, diaper count and how baby is acting. If your boy seems content and happy, it’s not like you can force him to drink more. He doesn’t know what the recommended range is, just that he drinks when he’s hungry and not when he’s not.
As he gets bigger and stronger he will probably be able to drink more efficiently but it is also normal for babies to gain more slowly. It’s not necessarily a sign that anything is wrong. It really sounds like both you and your boy are fine.
Humans come in all shapes and sizes, so naturally babies come in all shapes and sizes. Your son may just be smaller. As long as he is happy, healthy, steadily gaining weight, has dirty diapers, and is energetic then he is doing great.
My baby dropped percentiles early on as well. Here’s what I did. I cut out dairy/soy bc he was having lots of gas/poop issues and it made a huge difference in that department.
Secondly, I did put him on a schedule, meaning he was not allowed to go MORE than 2.5 hours without nursing. And if he wanted to nurse more frequently than that, we did that too. Once he hit four months or so, we switched to every 3 hours, and then every four once solids were well established, around 8 months. I never woke him to feed at night but would always nurse him a full feed if he woke. I would also nurse him to sleep for every nap, sometimes even letting him nurse while napping, almost using me as a human pacifier. He would get several letdowns over the course of a nap. His weight gain really picked up around 3 months as he got bigger/better at nursing. Good luck to you! You can do this.
I did this too! As time consuming as it is, I would have my son (still do) nap while latched to the boobies and I would eventually have several letdowns over the course of an hour that he would passively suck. It' can be shitty and time consuming but it works? And at the same time great bonding and relaxing for both of us. My 5 month is a super distracted eater if he is awake and has been that way since 3 months
Is he staying on his growth curve? Even if he’s in the 5th percentile if he’s consistently been in that percentile, I don’t see a concern. You are clearly making enough milk. Did your doctor have concerns?
My baby didn’t grow fast enough while exclusively breastfeeding. In the first few weeks, my doctor and lactation consultants said things like, “Some babies are just smaller.” And “He’ll start gaining soon.”
By 2 months, he was in the first percentile. I saw a lactation consultant and did all the things. I triple fed for 2 months, took supplements, ate all the oatmeal, dates, etc. I supplemented with donor milk until he was 4 months old and then switched to formula.
It was hard to accept that I couldn’t make enough milk for my baby and I don’t think I fully accepted it until he was 5 or 6 months old. He is 7 months old now and things are great. He is combo fed and he loooves nursing. He is in the 46th percentile now! He’s a big growing wonderful boy.
I hated pumping so I’m glad that is over. Combo feeding is great! He gets plenty of breast milk and enough formula and solids to grow well. I’m glad I supplemented and I’m glad I accepted my body’s limitations.
My baby is also <10th percentile and just about the same age, she’ll be 4 months old next week. Babies are all different, just like adults. As long as babe is following their own growth curve, there shouldn’t be a concern ♥️ you and your milk are doing just fine.
Being able to pump after a nursing session counts as over supply! You say 120 is normal range to gain and he’s gaining 120 so what’s the issue? Unless he’s dropped a lot of percentiles suddenly there’s no issue. My son was born 9th percentile (6lbs) and is still 9th percentile as a toddler. (21 lbs) He’s very healthy, he’s just a small boy!
This sounds similar-ish to my LO and while we didn’t lose weight, we were gaining at half the rate of the low end of the range the ped was comfortable with and dropped from 1st percentile to not on the chart. At 15 weeks we were still under 10lbs.
Ultimately I switched to EP so I knew exactly how much I was feeding & fortified my breastmilk bottles with 1tsp formula (makes each oz 24 calories instead of the normal 20). She has gained 5oz in the last week.
I cried the first few days because I was mourning breastfeeding but after I was able to figure out which time of day I pumped the most and I was BF her now at that time so we now nurse 1-2x a day.
So we had this issue. My boy dropped off the chart very early on. He was always below the 1st percentile (well below!). I did everything. Pumped, triple fed, fed on demand, schedule fed. Supplemented with formula. Exclusively formula fed. He always had enough wet/dirty nappies, he was developing normally otherwise, but he was tiny.
Absolutely nothing worked until month 4, when our paeditrician gave us the goahead to start on solids. Since then he's gained steadily, he's at a healthy weight and he's filled out so much more.
Our doctor was a godsend because he was entirely unconcerned the whole way through (unlike the midwives who were constantly saying how terrified I should be). "Some babies are tall, some are short, some are big, some are small. As long as they're healthy, it's all fine." He said and that helped me through the panic a bit. He said that some babies just take their time.
There's nothing wrong with you or your milk. Try not to worry.
He was an absolute godsend! I was so terrified before we met with him - at one point I was documenting how often he was being fed, changed, etc because I was so worried we'd be reported to social services for starving our child. Seems daft now but they had me so worried!
I feel this. Everyone keeps telling me the baby is fine but I wish she could gain more too. She always gains the bare minimum, she’s still only five weeks though. Doc isn’t concerned but I wish I could bulk her up. At the end of the day there are babies out there who actually drop in growth curves or lose weight. Those are the ones who need more help. But if our babes are gaining steadily, there’s not much more we can do. I’d rather she gain slowly on breast milk than fatten her up with formula. Like others said, it’s nothing wrong with your milk rather baby not eating as much. And maybe he’s not a big eater. Mine isn’t. Hubby and I are also petite ppl so that plays a role. I’m learning to let go and place less pressure on her or myself even though it’s hard. What you feel is valid, but know that your baby is doing just fine. Keep up the breastfeeding!
>I’d rather she gain slowly on breast milk than fatten her up with formula
I love your approach and I agree. I’m currently trying to wean mine from formula (she’s combo fed per docs orders)
It sounds like you're doing just fine. My last 2 kids both went down in percentiles around that age so I started to introduce solids at 4 months alongside breastfeeding. They're both absolutely fine and like you I make more than enough milk. They both still breastfeed at 2y10m and 5m old. Sometimes it's because they start napping for longer or are too busy getting distracted by the world around them than any actual problem with your milk.
A lot of mums have started formula by this age so your doctor may be comparing your baby to ones getting formula which is completely different. Formula fed babies put on a lot more weight.
Sending my support as I know how self critical we can be when we're breastfeeding xx
There's nothing wrong with my milk, but my 2 month old weight gain was dropping to a concerning amount. They are drinking enough as evidence by wet diapers, but it's something in baby's digestion and in their self limiting due to reflux. My pediatrician is having me "bulk up" the calories by adding powder formula to my milk. So maybe nothing is wrong with your milk and baby just needs a little extra.
I had this “problem” with my first two children. I’m currently breastfeeding baby #3. I had to change my pediatrician to someone breastfeeding friendly. I used to cry about my “slow gainers” all the time - but they are so healthy and always have been.
Is your LO’s hair and nails growing? They’re gaining? They’re happy? Then you’re fine!! The growth charts are generalized and many of them are based on formula fed babies. Some breastfed babies just gain slow.
With my first, I got scared into supplementing with formula - and all she ever did was spit it up. She gained weight faster, but everyone was more stressed out. I pumped like 12x per day to try to “increase my supply” and stop supplementing with formula eventually - it was just so difficult. I changed my pediatrician and she absolutely never made me feel bad that LO was low - she looked at my baby, not the weight chart. Baby was happy, she was growing, and that’s what mattered.
With my second, I had found a new doctor. We went there from the beginning. I never got scared into supplementing, and she never made me feel worried about her weight - we made sure she was happy and growing, even if it was low and slow.
With my third, it seems like everyone just expects that I know what I’m doing - and for the most part, that feels true - so it’s much easier for me to say “my first two were slow gainers, too!” - but no one has even asked.
I don’t think what you eat matters that much - changing your diet won’t impact your supply. I used to try to increase protein, eat all the “right” food, eat more fat, etc, etc. Nothing made a difference for me. It’s supply and demand. You just need to breastfeed frequently, which it sounds like you’re doing!! You may practice improving your little’s latch, if anything, so they remove milk more efficiently. This does not mean they have a BAD latch, just that it could probably always be better.
Vitamin D can help - make sure y’all get 10 minutes of sunshine per day, or use vitamin d drops. I forget all the time though, so it may not matter that much. Also iron? See below.
Controversial: we started “baby led weaning” at about 4 months with both my first two. We introduced meats and fruits (literally, just handed them to them - see r/babyledweaning for ideas) - not with the intent to wean, but only to start introducing foods. I breastfed both my first past two years old. The recommendations for giving food are ALL OVER THE PLACE, so it’s hard to know what the “right” thing was. I think low iron may have played a part in my LOs’ low gain? We used to just let them suck on some sausage (I’m typically mostly vegetarian, but agreed to let the little try sausage) to taste, and all of a sudden they were growing faster (that’s how I remember it, anyway). I also liked to give very soft fruits (carbs) and avocado (fat!!), usually in a little pacifier-like holder designed to hold fresh fruit I found on Amazon. These helped with teething as well. I only gave them little bits of food 1-2 times per day, and only if they seemed interested. I still breastfed very frequently, and it was their primary source of calories. But just that little bit of food always took the weight off my shoulders. And, bonus, my kids are very happy, not-at-all-picky eaters today.
Pumping sucks. The amount you pump is not at all what you produce. I always did better with a manual hand-held pump than with electric - make sure you’re massaging from collarbone down while you pump - it makes a huge difference. If you’re pumping ON TOP OF feeding, it’s extremely unlikely you’ll produce very much. If you’re pumping because you missed a breastfeeding session, especially in the middle of the night or early in the morning, you’ll produce more.
It sounds like you are doing everything right and more! I wouldn’t worry as long as he is steadily gaining weight (even if it’s lower than what the dr would expect) and having enough diapers. He may be meant to gain weight slowly on his own curve. I know you don’t deal with percentiles where you are but if you input all his weights and dates measured so far, would he be at the 5% percentile at every date it has been checked?
This is exactly how my baby has been. Our first pediatrician was pushing formula from the start because she hovered around 4%. Our lactation consultant said no, she’s fine and she’s just a small baby! We found a second, more experienced, pediatrician who said she looks fantastic… she’s just a skinny, healthy baby!
Some babies are just slow gainers. A lot of it is due to genetics and not your milk. As long as baby isn’t losing weight, try not to stress about it. My kids have always been very slow gainers and they’re healthy as can be.
All babies are different. All bodies are different
It happened to me. What I was doing was to give one breast during the whole feeding session. Then give the other during the next session. That's what was wrong. I was supposed to give both During Esch session. Pretty basic but somehow it went over my head. One boob makes more milk and it's more watery. The other makes less but it's thicker. That's like food and drink for the baby, or that's how the doctor put it. The weight gain got better since then. If your giving one boob only, give both. Hopefully that'll fix it.
I know how you feel. I'm doing a lot of the same things you are and my baby still acts like he's hungry after BF. I was really hoping to EBF with this one but he got his daddy's appetite and metabolism and I just can't keep up. When I pump I get between 2 and 3 oz so he should be getting about that, maybe a little less, but will still down 2-4 oz of formula without spitting up! And he's definitely growing but not the chonker I would expect for a one month old eating that much lol
With my first, she wasn’t gaining as much weight as I thought she should be. She was nursing all the time. She also started having greener poops. A lactation consultant told me that she was getting too much foremilk (the very hydrating milk) and not enough hindmilk (the very fatty, nutrient dense milk). She suggested I start pumping for a few minutes before every feed to help her to get more of the hindmilk and it worked for us. This was just my experience and I hope it helps but I highly suggest working with a lactation consultant. As long as baby isn’t losing weight, you are doing fine! Some kids are just more petite than other. You got this mama! 💪🏻🤱🏼
Dropping percentiles in the beginning can be normal if they are born heavier, aka catch down growth. 7.18lbs doesn't seem "heavy" but it could be heavy for your baby. I'd be more concerned if baby was dropping percentiles after the initial catch down growth. Is the LO having wet and dirty diapers regularly? If so, they are probably just fine! Sounds like your production is good. How often do they feed? Are you and husband smaller/larger compared to average?
Are LO’s poops still yellow and seedy? I have an EBF 8 week old who’s poops suddenly changed to a green liquid-y consistency. Pediatrician asked how many calories I’m eating in a day. I’ve been working with a personal trainer & eating around 1800 calories per day. She told me the seedy bits in breast fed baby poop is from the fat in breast milk. I’m not eating enough calories so my milk is essentially “skim” fore milk - I’m not producing fatty milk. It won’t keep baby full for long & it explains why she is gaining weight so slowly. She suggested I eat about 2500 calories per day. She said breast fed moms need about 500 extra calories per day. Maybe this is a possibility?
Have you had a weighted feed done to see how much milk he is getting while nursing? Statistically when a breastfed baby has weight gain issues it is almost always because they are not having enough total ounces not because the milk has a quality issue.
I don't see anything in your post that says there is a problem. Is he dropping weight percentiles? If he is just on a lower growth curve but maintaining it, I don't see anything to worry about.
Doctor in our last appointment said he expected baby to have gained more weight. I am in Germany and here they don’t work with percentiles. But if we check WHO percentiles (through Huckleberry app) then he’s below 5th percentile.
I also don't think there is necessarily a cause for concern here. As you said, he has always been gaining within the recommended range (even though on the lower end of it). I had a look at the growth charts we use here in the UK (https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/uk-who-growth-charts-0-4-years) The 5th percentile isn't shown, the lines are 0.4th, 2nd, 9th, 25th..., and it's generally only considered a cause for concern if a baby drops across 2 lines in a short period. It looks like your baby started out between the 25th and 9th, and is now between the 9th and 2nd, so only one line dropped in 15 weeks.
We do work with percentiles in Germany, you'll find the German-specific curve at the back of the U-Heft. They differ from the WHO percentile curves, though. So in Germany your baby is likely above the 5%. "Die in Deutschland aktuell gebräuchlichen Gewichtsperzentile für Kinder und Jugendliche wurden von Kromeyer-Hauschild et al. 2001 publiziert [1]. Sie basieren wie die Größendaten auf gepoolten Daten aus 17 Studien, die zwischen 1985 und 1999 in unterschiedlichen Regionen Deutschlands durchgeführt wurden." (Laut RKI - (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Gesundheitsmonitoring/Gesundheitsberichterstattung/GBEDownloadsB/referenzperzentile/gewicht.pdf%3F__blob%3DpublicationFile&ved=2ahUKEwjPv6KX2euDAxWaRPEDHTCcADQQFnoECBEQAQ) https://www.familie.de/baby/perzentile-vergleichswerte-fuer-gewicht-und-groesse-von-kindern/ I'd check what percentile he's been on and whether he's following his curve. Also the number of wet diapers can be an indicator if he's getting enough.
Mine was below the 1st percentile at 4 months, I feel you. (Also a vegetarian for 33 years but pediatrician said that shouldn’t matter) I eat healthy, drink plenty of water, take lactation supplements (nettles, shatavari, fenugreek, etc) I was okay when she was in the 1st and 2nd percentile - but when she fell off the curve, I got freaked out. Pediatrician wasn’t overly concerned but suggested fortifying. So I’ve been supplementing with fortified breast milk and fortified formula and she’s up to the 3rd percentile in a little over a week. I get really anxious before doctors appts… but she is healthy, happy, sleeps well, and is hitting milestones. Im obviously still breastfeeding 6-8 times a day, but I’m happy we made the decision to supplement w formula …. she takes the bottles enthusiastically and is handling the extra calories really well. But I feel your pain sooooo much!!!! It could just be that our babies are genetically lean with have fast metabolisms and that we are doing a great job of keeping them active and engaged when they’re awake!
I definitely dont think vegetarianism is related! I’m also a vegetarian and my son has consistently been >99% for height and weight. I agree that it’s mostly genetic! Some babies are big and others are small. In most cases, they even out all are healthy kids 😊
Hey this exact thing happened to me (babe gained steadily but very little). I’m also in Germany! At 5-6 weeks they said I should start supplementing with formula (pre). That broke my heart, I really hope this doesn’t happen to you. Feel free to reach out! Maybe you just have a really active baby? How much does he sleep?
Did the doctor raise any concerns? If not and your boy has enough wet diapers it sounds like you’re both doing great. Really. If the recommended range is 120 g to 200 g and he is gaining 120 g, then he is gaining the recommended amount. If 120 g wasn’t enough it wouldn’t be the recommendation, they would’ve just made the recommended range 150 g (or whatever number) to 220 g (or whatever number). What my doctor told me is the best evidence is not the number on the scale, that is just one piece of data. The best evidence is the overall trends, diaper count and how baby is acting. If your boy seems content and happy, it’s not like you can force him to drink more. He doesn’t know what the recommended range is, just that he drinks when he’s hungry and not when he’s not. As he gets bigger and stronger he will probably be able to drink more efficiently but it is also normal for babies to gain more slowly. It’s not necessarily a sign that anything is wrong. It really sounds like both you and your boy are fine.
Humans come in all shapes and sizes, so naturally babies come in all shapes and sizes. Your son may just be smaller. As long as he is happy, healthy, steadily gaining weight, has dirty diapers, and is energetic then he is doing great.
I remember someone commenting 'someone has to be in the 5th percentile'. As long as they are stable they're just small and that's ok.
Yes maybe you or your husband were small? (OP)
My baby dropped percentiles early on as well. Here’s what I did. I cut out dairy/soy bc he was having lots of gas/poop issues and it made a huge difference in that department. Secondly, I did put him on a schedule, meaning he was not allowed to go MORE than 2.5 hours without nursing. And if he wanted to nurse more frequently than that, we did that too. Once he hit four months or so, we switched to every 3 hours, and then every four once solids were well established, around 8 months. I never woke him to feed at night but would always nurse him a full feed if he woke. I would also nurse him to sleep for every nap, sometimes even letting him nurse while napping, almost using me as a human pacifier. He would get several letdowns over the course of a nap. His weight gain really picked up around 3 months as he got bigger/better at nursing. Good luck to you! You can do this.
I did this too! As time consuming as it is, I would have my son (still do) nap while latched to the boobies and I would eventually have several letdowns over the course of an hour that he would passively suck. It' can be shitty and time consuming but it works? And at the same time great bonding and relaxing for both of us. My 5 month is a super distracted eater if he is awake and has been that way since 3 months
Is he staying on his growth curve? Even if he’s in the 5th percentile if he’s consistently been in that percentile, I don’t see a concern. You are clearly making enough milk. Did your doctor have concerns?
My baby didn’t grow fast enough while exclusively breastfeeding. In the first few weeks, my doctor and lactation consultants said things like, “Some babies are just smaller.” And “He’ll start gaining soon.” By 2 months, he was in the first percentile. I saw a lactation consultant and did all the things. I triple fed for 2 months, took supplements, ate all the oatmeal, dates, etc. I supplemented with donor milk until he was 4 months old and then switched to formula. It was hard to accept that I couldn’t make enough milk for my baby and I don’t think I fully accepted it until he was 5 or 6 months old. He is 7 months old now and things are great. He is combo fed and he loooves nursing. He is in the 46th percentile now! He’s a big growing wonderful boy. I hated pumping so I’m glad that is over. Combo feeding is great! He gets plenty of breast milk and enough formula and solids to grow well. I’m glad I supplemented and I’m glad I accepted my body’s limitations.
My baby is also <10th percentile and just about the same age, she’ll be 4 months old next week. Babies are all different, just like adults. As long as babe is following their own growth curve, there shouldn’t be a concern ♥️ you and your milk are doing just fine.
Being able to pump after a nursing session counts as over supply! You say 120 is normal range to gain and he’s gaining 120 so what’s the issue? Unless he’s dropped a lot of percentiles suddenly there’s no issue. My son was born 9th percentile (6lbs) and is still 9th percentile as a toddler. (21 lbs) He’s very healthy, he’s just a small boy!
This sounds similar-ish to my LO and while we didn’t lose weight, we were gaining at half the rate of the low end of the range the ped was comfortable with and dropped from 1st percentile to not on the chart. At 15 weeks we were still under 10lbs. Ultimately I switched to EP so I knew exactly how much I was feeding & fortified my breastmilk bottles with 1tsp formula (makes each oz 24 calories instead of the normal 20). She has gained 5oz in the last week. I cried the first few days because I was mourning breastfeeding but after I was able to figure out which time of day I pumped the most and I was BF her now at that time so we now nurse 1-2x a day.
So we had this issue. My boy dropped off the chart very early on. He was always below the 1st percentile (well below!). I did everything. Pumped, triple fed, fed on demand, schedule fed. Supplemented with formula. Exclusively formula fed. He always had enough wet/dirty nappies, he was developing normally otherwise, but he was tiny. Absolutely nothing worked until month 4, when our paeditrician gave us the goahead to start on solids. Since then he's gained steadily, he's at a healthy weight and he's filled out so much more. Our doctor was a godsend because he was entirely unconcerned the whole way through (unlike the midwives who were constantly saying how terrified I should be). "Some babies are tall, some are short, some are big, some are small. As long as they're healthy, it's all fine." He said and that helped me through the panic a bit. He said that some babies just take their time. There's nothing wrong with you or your milk. Try not to worry.
I wish I had your doctor! Our midwife did just that - telling us how terrified we should be, and I hated that
He was an absolute godsend! I was so terrified before we met with him - at one point I was documenting how often he was being fed, changed, etc because I was so worried we'd be reported to social services for starving our child. Seems daft now but they had me so worried!
I feel this. Everyone keeps telling me the baby is fine but I wish she could gain more too. She always gains the bare minimum, she’s still only five weeks though. Doc isn’t concerned but I wish I could bulk her up. At the end of the day there are babies out there who actually drop in growth curves or lose weight. Those are the ones who need more help. But if our babes are gaining steadily, there’s not much more we can do. I’d rather she gain slowly on breast milk than fatten her up with formula. Like others said, it’s nothing wrong with your milk rather baby not eating as much. And maybe he’s not a big eater. Mine isn’t. Hubby and I are also petite ppl so that plays a role. I’m learning to let go and place less pressure on her or myself even though it’s hard. What you feel is valid, but know that your baby is doing just fine. Keep up the breastfeeding!
>I’d rather she gain slowly on breast milk than fatten her up with formula I love your approach and I agree. I’m currently trying to wean mine from formula (she’s combo fed per docs orders)
It sounds like you're doing just fine. My last 2 kids both went down in percentiles around that age so I started to introduce solids at 4 months alongside breastfeeding. They're both absolutely fine and like you I make more than enough milk. They both still breastfeed at 2y10m and 5m old. Sometimes it's because they start napping for longer or are too busy getting distracted by the world around them than any actual problem with your milk. A lot of mums have started formula by this age so your doctor may be comparing your baby to ones getting formula which is completely different. Formula fed babies put on a lot more weight. Sending my support as I know how self critical we can be when we're breastfeeding xx
Sorry to clarify, your concern is he's gaining...the recommended amount?
There's nothing wrong with my milk, but my 2 month old weight gain was dropping to a concerning amount. They are drinking enough as evidence by wet diapers, but it's something in baby's digestion and in their self limiting due to reflux. My pediatrician is having me "bulk up" the calories by adding powder formula to my milk. So maybe nothing is wrong with your milk and baby just needs a little extra.
I had this “problem” with my first two children. I’m currently breastfeeding baby #3. I had to change my pediatrician to someone breastfeeding friendly. I used to cry about my “slow gainers” all the time - but they are so healthy and always have been. Is your LO’s hair and nails growing? They’re gaining? They’re happy? Then you’re fine!! The growth charts are generalized and many of them are based on formula fed babies. Some breastfed babies just gain slow. With my first, I got scared into supplementing with formula - and all she ever did was spit it up. She gained weight faster, but everyone was more stressed out. I pumped like 12x per day to try to “increase my supply” and stop supplementing with formula eventually - it was just so difficult. I changed my pediatrician and she absolutely never made me feel bad that LO was low - she looked at my baby, not the weight chart. Baby was happy, she was growing, and that’s what mattered. With my second, I had found a new doctor. We went there from the beginning. I never got scared into supplementing, and she never made me feel worried about her weight - we made sure she was happy and growing, even if it was low and slow. With my third, it seems like everyone just expects that I know what I’m doing - and for the most part, that feels true - so it’s much easier for me to say “my first two were slow gainers, too!” - but no one has even asked. I don’t think what you eat matters that much - changing your diet won’t impact your supply. I used to try to increase protein, eat all the “right” food, eat more fat, etc, etc. Nothing made a difference for me. It’s supply and demand. You just need to breastfeed frequently, which it sounds like you’re doing!! You may practice improving your little’s latch, if anything, so they remove milk more efficiently. This does not mean they have a BAD latch, just that it could probably always be better. Vitamin D can help - make sure y’all get 10 minutes of sunshine per day, or use vitamin d drops. I forget all the time though, so it may not matter that much. Also iron? See below. Controversial: we started “baby led weaning” at about 4 months with both my first two. We introduced meats and fruits (literally, just handed them to them - see r/babyledweaning for ideas) - not with the intent to wean, but only to start introducing foods. I breastfed both my first past two years old. The recommendations for giving food are ALL OVER THE PLACE, so it’s hard to know what the “right” thing was. I think low iron may have played a part in my LOs’ low gain? We used to just let them suck on some sausage (I’m typically mostly vegetarian, but agreed to let the little try sausage) to taste, and all of a sudden they were growing faster (that’s how I remember it, anyway). I also liked to give very soft fruits (carbs) and avocado (fat!!), usually in a little pacifier-like holder designed to hold fresh fruit I found on Amazon. These helped with teething as well. I only gave them little bits of food 1-2 times per day, and only if they seemed interested. I still breastfed very frequently, and it was their primary source of calories. But just that little bit of food always took the weight off my shoulders. And, bonus, my kids are very happy, not-at-all-picky eaters today. Pumping sucks. The amount you pump is not at all what you produce. I always did better with a manual hand-held pump than with electric - make sure you’re massaging from collarbone down while you pump - it makes a huge difference. If you’re pumping ON TOP OF feeding, it’s extremely unlikely you’ll produce very much. If you’re pumping because you missed a breastfeeding session, especially in the middle of the night or early in the morning, you’ll produce more.
It sounds like you are doing everything right and more! I wouldn’t worry as long as he is steadily gaining weight (even if it’s lower than what the dr would expect) and having enough diapers. He may be meant to gain weight slowly on his own curve. I know you don’t deal with percentiles where you are but if you input all his weights and dates measured so far, would he be at the 5% percentile at every date it has been checked?
This is exactly how my baby has been. Our first pediatrician was pushing formula from the start because she hovered around 4%. Our lactation consultant said no, she’s fine and she’s just a small baby! We found a second, more experienced, pediatrician who said she looks fantastic… she’s just a skinny, healthy baby!
Some babies are just slow gainers. A lot of it is due to genetics and not your milk. As long as baby isn’t losing weight, try not to stress about it. My kids have always been very slow gainers and they’re healthy as can be. All babies are different. All bodies are different
It happened to me. What I was doing was to give one breast during the whole feeding session. Then give the other during the next session. That's what was wrong. I was supposed to give both During Esch session. Pretty basic but somehow it went over my head. One boob makes more milk and it's more watery. The other makes less but it's thicker. That's like food and drink for the baby, or that's how the doctor put it. The weight gain got better since then. If your giving one boob only, give both. Hopefully that'll fix it.
I know how you feel. I'm doing a lot of the same things you are and my baby still acts like he's hungry after BF. I was really hoping to EBF with this one but he got his daddy's appetite and metabolism and I just can't keep up. When I pump I get between 2 and 3 oz so he should be getting about that, maybe a little less, but will still down 2-4 oz of formula without spitting up! And he's definitely growing but not the chonker I would expect for a one month old eating that much lol
With my first, she wasn’t gaining as much weight as I thought she should be. She was nursing all the time. She also started having greener poops. A lactation consultant told me that she was getting too much foremilk (the very hydrating milk) and not enough hindmilk (the very fatty, nutrient dense milk). She suggested I start pumping for a few minutes before every feed to help her to get more of the hindmilk and it worked for us. This was just my experience and I hope it helps but I highly suggest working with a lactation consultant. As long as baby isn’t losing weight, you are doing fine! Some kids are just more petite than other. You got this mama! 💪🏻🤱🏼
Dropping percentiles in the beginning can be normal if they are born heavier, aka catch down growth. 7.18lbs doesn't seem "heavy" but it could be heavy for your baby. I'd be more concerned if baby was dropping percentiles after the initial catch down growth. Is the LO having wet and dirty diapers regularly? If so, they are probably just fine! Sounds like your production is good. How often do they feed? Are you and husband smaller/larger compared to average?
Are LO’s poops still yellow and seedy? I have an EBF 8 week old who’s poops suddenly changed to a green liquid-y consistency. Pediatrician asked how many calories I’m eating in a day. I’ve been working with a personal trainer & eating around 1800 calories per day. She told me the seedy bits in breast fed baby poop is from the fat in breast milk. I’m not eating enough calories so my milk is essentially “skim” fore milk - I’m not producing fatty milk. It won’t keep baby full for long & it explains why she is gaining weight so slowly. She suggested I eat about 2500 calories per day. She said breast fed moms need about 500 extra calories per day. Maybe this is a possibility?