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EMERGENCY baby now losing weight



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 18th 03, 06:25 AM
Clisby Williams
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Default EMERGENCY baby now losing weight



Anne Rogers wrote:

After not being weighed for a few weeks last Monday my baby weighed 8lb
13.5oz aged 10 weeks 5 days. Today aged 11 weeks 5 days he was reweighed
on the same scales he weighed 8lb 11.5 oz, a weight loss of 2oz in a week.

This week I have been eating well (oat meal for breakfast) and feeding him
as much as possible, usually every 2 hours, at least every 3 hours,
except for one longer sleep of 4-7 hours. My latch has been checked and
everything seems fine. He was checked by a ped last week after we found
blood in his nappy, she seemed to think it was from his foreskin.

The health visitor is now very concerned, I have until Thursday for him to
start gaining weight before she recommends we give him 1 bottle of formula
per day, I do not want to do this, but equally I do not want to harm his
long term development.

He seems to be a happy sociable baby, some fussiness when he is hungry,
needs a nappy change, or gets over stimulated, he doesn't sleep that much,
probably around 12 hours per day. He sleeps in his own room.

I feel terrible about this, I am desperate to breastfeed him exclusively
for 6 months I firmly believe breast is best and feel a failure as a
mother that I do not seem to be giving him enough for him to grow.

-----------
Anne Rogers




Has he been checked for a UTI?

Clisby

  #2  
Old August 18th 03, 06:03 PM
Sue theo b
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Default EMERGENCY baby now losing weight

Slow Down. If I understand correctly, you are (actually you are being made to
worry) about a 2 oz loss in the midst of Britian's worst recorded heat wave
ever. He's just about 12 weeks or three months old. He's due for a growth spurt
within a week or so. Shame on your HV for freaking you out. How many nappys a
day is he producing? 5 or more plus one or more poopy? Then he is probably ok.
To be sure he is doing well, take him and yourself to bed for a day. Turn on
old movie or bad tv and just let him nurse all day, skin to skin that should
pump up your production. Also, offer every hour or more. Plus make sure every
time you nurse him, have a big glass of cold water. Good Luck, Sue

After not being weighed for a few weeks last Monday my baby weighed 8lb
13.5oz aged 10 weeks 5 days. Today aged 11 weeks 5 days he was reweighed
on the same scales he weighed 8lb 11.5 oz, a weight loss of 2oz in a week.

This week I have been eating well (oat meal for breakfast) and feeding him
as much as possible, usually every 2 hours, at least every 3 hours,
except for one longer sleep of 4-7 hours. My latch has been checked and
everything seems fine. He was checked by a ped last week after we found
blood in his nappy, she seemed to think it was from his foreskin.

The health visitor is now very concerned, I have until Thursday for him to
start gaining weight before she recommends we give him 1 bottle of formula
per day, I do not want to do this, but equally I do not want to harm his
long term development.

He seems to be a happy sociable baby, some fussiness when he is hungry,
needs a nappy change, or gets over stimulated, he doesn't sleep that much,
probably around 12 hours per day. He sleeps in his own room.

I feel terrible about this, I am desperate to breastfeed him exclusively
for 6 months I firmly believe breast is best and feel a failure as a
mother that I do not seem to be giving him enough for him to grow.

-----------
Anne Rogers


Tupperware without the party???
Shop online at my website.
http://my.tupperware.com/SueBurton

** remove "spamnot" to reply**
  #3  
Old August 18th 03, 06:22 PM
Naomi Pardue
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Default EMERGENCY baby now losing weight

The health visitor is now very concerned, I have until Thursday for him to
start gaining weight before she recommends we give him 1 bottle of formula
per day, I do not want to do this, but equally I do not want to harm his
long term development.


Ok. I think we really need to figure out what is going on here.

1. Is he wetting/dirtying diapers? When he nurses are you seeing milk in his
mouth? Do you hear him swallowing? Do you feel let-downs? Do your breasts feel
fullish before feedings and softer afterwards?
Does he seem content after her feeds?
If so, there is no reason to assume that your milk is inadequate, and no
reason, therefore, to assume that giving formula will solve the problem.
If there DOES appear to be a supply problem, and you've done all you can to
increase it, then some supplements may indeed be necessary. (But that does not
mean that you are a failure! It just means that you have a physical problem!)

2. I would be pursuing the blood in the nappy issue more agressively. Did the
pediatrician do any actual tests? A cathed urine sample? Blood in the urine can
be a sign of a wide range of problems, some minor, some serious; any of which
can affect a babies weight gain. If you can find and treat that problem, if
any, you may well solve the weight issue.

3. It is usually not advisable to weigh a baby before and after feeds (just
tends to stress out mom...) but if there a question about supply, this might be
a good step. You'll need a good, very accurate scale, but it will let you know
how much milk baby is actually getting at each feed. Can the HV or pediatrican
provide you with a scale?
Ample milk intake combined with poor weight gain would point to a physical
problem with the baby rather than a supply problem.

4. It's good that you are feeding more often, but I'd try feeding more often
still. You say you are feedng 'usually every 2 hours, at least every 3, except
for one longer sleep of 4-7 hours.' It's hard to estimate how many feeds that
is, but I'm guessing somewhere around 8? Which is still pretty low for a young
baby with weight gain issues. Try for every 2 hours during the day, and no more
than 4 at night. 7 hours is way too long for him to be going without eating.
(Can he sleep in your room, even if not in your bed? That will make night feeds
easier, and he may actually wake more often for night feeds if he senses your
presense/smells the milk.)

5. Have you tried pumping at all? (I don't remember from your earlier post.) I
don't
usually think it's such a hot idea, but,
especially if baby isn't interested in nursing as often as he should, pumping
may stimulate your supply, and if you do
end up having to give some supplements, you'll have some EBM on hand to offer
rather than formula.

6. Remember, remember, remember that
your milk will always be the best thing for your baby. Even if you end up
having to top it off with something else because the quantity isn't adquate,
the QUALITY is
exactly what your baby needs, and every drop of breastmilk you can give him
will benefit him, and give him something that no-one else can provide for him!

You're doing great!


Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to e-mail
reply.)
  #4  
Old August 18th 03, 06:34 PM
Anne Rogers
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Default EMERGENCY baby now losing weight

Anne, what is his nappy output? Is he dehydrated?

my hubbie and sister have been changing his nappies so I'm not exactly
sure, but it's getting changed around 8 times per day and when I quiz them
they seem to be wet and dirty, so unlikely that this is the problem. I'm
in the UK, we had a heat wave recently, but in the last week it has cooled
down temps around 25 degrees C, I drink plenty so its dehydration is
unlikely.

  #5  
Old August 18th 03, 07:25 PM
Dawn Lawson
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Default EMERGENCY baby now losing weight



Anne Rogers wrote:

Has he been checked for a UTI?

No, I've been checking his temperature and it's been normal, the doc says
its very difficult to diagnose UTI in babies.


Why?
You stick on a collection bag, wait about 15 min, pour urine into collection
cup, take to lab.....?? Is there something I don't know?
What about pumping after a feed and using that to supplement, just to keep
the health visitor off your case?
Are they planning to stand around and watch while you feed the formula?
Could you try sleeping with him for a week to see if you can get more milk
into him when your supply should be highest (1-5am)?
Can you try doing a urine sample just to see what they find?? My dr said
that healthy but losing weight was a typical pattern for a UTI, and I had one
done on my son, using a sample collected in a bag.
At 11wks, why would his f0resk!n still be bleeding? (I have NO idea, my son
had nothing to heal....does it take that long??) If he's not cut, what would
cause bleeding?

Can you skip the home visitor and get a lactation consultant to check your
latch, etc?

I'd definatley try pumping after a feed and offering that in a cup or by
syringe before I went to formula.

Dawn, throwing suggestions out willy-nilly (ooo pun not intended)
--
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  #6  
Old August 18th 03, 08:20 PM
Iuil
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Default EMERGENCY baby now losing weight

ignore my post above, I hadn't read this thread yet

"Dawn Lawson" wrote

I'm fairly sure his nappy output is normal.


If for whatever reason you can't/won't change his diapers yourself, you

should either
be looking at the output, or asking your helpers to record wet/dirty. You

need to a)
know what is happening and b) have some sort of written record to help put

off the HV
if all else is ok.


Weigh a dry nappy and then weigh every used nappy for 24 hours, subtract the
weight of the dry nappy and add together. The difference in weight will
give you a rough idea of how much the baby has taken in over 24 hours. At 8
lb 11oz, he should be taking in (and putting out) between 17 and 27 ounces
in 24 hours (someone correct me if I'm wrong, I'm converting from metric).

However, based on what you've said, I'd push for testing for a urinary
infection before resorting to formula. And if you really want to up your
supply quickly, go to your local pharmacy and buy a packet of Motilium (it's
usually used for intestinal disorders, generic name is domperidone). It's
perfectly safe to take, there isn't even a CYA statement on the insert. It
has a side effect of increasing the prolactin levels which is the hormone
that regulates the amount of milk you make.


HTH

Jean

--
"And he said:
Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of
Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and
though they are with you, yet they belong not to you." Khalil Gibran

Return address is unread. Replies to firstnamelastname @eircom.net.



  #7  
Old August 18th 03, 08:23 PM
Mary W.
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Default EMERGENCY baby now losing weight



Anne Rogers wrote:

1. Is he wetting/dirtying diapers? When he nurses are you seeing milk in his
mouth? Do you hear him swallowing? Do you feel let-downs? Do your breasts feel
fullish before feedings and softer afterwards?
Does he seem content after her feeds?


I'm fairly sure his nappy output is normal. I do see milk in his mouth, e
often dribbles a little after a long feed, or if he falls off some runs
down his cheek. I don't often feel let downs, but if I feel the other
breast I can feel milk collecting behind the nipple, so I think they are
happening. I do notice a difference in fullness, particularly in the
morning. Sometimes he fusses after feeds, often because of a wet or dirty
nappy he has produced during the feed, otherwise I pop him back on.


You've gotten some good advice, Anne. I think it would really help
both you, your doctor and your HV if you kept a written diary of
input and output. Record every nursing session, length, one or two
breasts. And every nappy change. Note how full it seems (if you
are using disposables, line it with a tissue to better tell if baby
has wet (they are so absorbant its hard to tell sometimes)). Note
if it is poopy or just wet. Note times for both nursing and diaper
changes. This way you'll be able to see how often baby is nursing
and what his output *really* is, and it'll help diagnose the problem
if it exists.

And I'd probably insist on a urine test.

Good luck!

Mary


  #8  
Old August 18th 03, 09:14 PM
Dawn Lawson
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Default EMERGENCY baby now losing weight



Anne Rogers wrote:

Why?
You stick on a collection bag, wait about 15 min, pour urine into collection
cup, take to lab.....?? Is there something I don't know?

the problem is when we found blood in his urine we saw a different doctor
as ours was not on duty, he said it was difficult, but refered us to the
ped who said it was his foreskin, we then saw our doc again who said
nonsense, how would he cut it/scratch it, he's not been circumcised.

What about pumping after a feed and using that to supplement, just to keep
the health visitor off your case?

am planning to pump after each feed for the next few days, I will save the
milk, the problem is when I do pump and let dh give him some


Why are you doing this? Just to let dh feed? If that's the only reason, I think
you should stop. Pump after feeds to help supply, and if you MUST supplement, you
can start with the EBM instead of formula. But if your wee one has a UTI, it's not
a food issue, but a health problem. I really think the dr has to sort this out
first or at least rule it out with a test.

he usually
then leaves a longer gap before the next feed, so it would seem like
supplementing would just be replacing a feed, thus possibly leading to
dwindling supply.

Are they planning to stand around and watch while you feed the formula?

obviously not, but I am worried he's very skinny and well below the 0.4th
centile on the charts


Fair enough, just wanted to mention that you don't HAVE to do what you're told.
You can explore other options. The UTI testing is sounding pretty critical right
now.

At 11wks, why would his f0resk!n still be bleeding? (I have NO idea, my son
had nothing to heal....does it take that long??) If he's not cut, what would
cause bleeding?

see above


Thanks, sounds pretty shaky diagnosis to me. I'm amazed the doc scoffed, but
didn't then order a UTI screen.

Can you skip the home visitor and get a lactation consultant to check your
latch, etc?

luckily my health visitor has been a breastfeeding counsellor, we do have
a local drop in clinic, but she doesn't think there is any further help
they can give me as she has check everything, plus I've not changed
anything and his weight gain was fine for the first 8 weeks, I didn't
really suffer from sore nipples or anything.


Really really push hard for a UTI test. Demand one before you will put one drop of
formula into babe.

Dawn, realising I'm repeating myself. ;-)


--
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  #10  
Old August 18th 03, 09:35 PM
P. G. Chavez
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Default EMERGENCY baby now losing weight

Very important point below!

Anne Rogers wrote and I snipped:

over the next 3 days I'm going to try pumping after feeds to
increase supply


but do not give your baby the milk at that point! Store it, and use it
only when you believe you need to supplement (or sometime much later
down the road when you are separated from your baby). The idea behind
pumping to increase supply is that you are taking more milk from your
breasts, thus demanding more, and your body responds by producing more
in the future. If you turn around and feed this milk to your baby right
away, he will not demand as much the next time he nurses, and you're
thereby actually damaging your supply, not increasing it.

HTH,
-Patty, mom to Corinne [Mar-98] and Nathan [May-00]
and stepmom to Victoria [Apr-90]
 




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