feel like a failure

[ZMD]

took tegan to be weighed again today shes 7 weeks old and 9lb she has dropped to the 9th percentile. the hv is concerned and said i need to start giving one formula feed a day. i really wanted to exclusively bf for the first 6months.

whats the best formula? x

 

[Wobbles]

Hi there, I wouldn't personally say there is a 'better' formula although I formula fed both my babies. One thing I didn't do and that was have either of my girls weighed in and if I did (first month and standard appointments like injections) I didn't fuss over them at all I think this brings so much worry to parents not one I felt I needed as an extra ...I knew they were loved and fed and I knew if something was wrong.

I'm not sure she's given you the best advice to be honest having read other stories in the past so I'm going to point this thread out to MervsMum who imo will be able to answer this question best and hopefully others will come along and share their experiences too xx

 

[ZMD]

thanks hun the hv asked me to take her every week due to poor weight gain, shes gained 5oz in the last week which i didnt think was to bad x

 

[Squeakz]

Don't worry abou it. Josh's weight gain wasn't good at all when I was breastfeeding however we supplemented him with the bottle and he put weight on wondrrfully. It is a horrible situation to be put in especially if you were set on bfing but she's gonna be getting all the good sruff from your booby milk plus getting that extra stuff from the formula. Its not a case of stoppinf bfing altogether and if her weight picks up then you will fEel better knowing she's getting the best of both! Joshuas weight cranked up phenomenally wen he went to formula but he was making up and I'm proud to know that he received the benefits of b.milk. I think there can be such a stigma attched to formula feeding even just a tiny bit a day - my MW made me feel horrendous for doing it - but remember its by no means to the detriment of tegan and she still gets to bfeed!!!! Xxxx

 

[BMadx]

My little one was born on the 0.4th centile (he was 5.45lbs) and weeks 4 & 6 he had gone up to 2nd centile, but week 9 & 10 back on 0.4th centile. Between week 6 and 9 he only put on 13oz so I've been going weekly since week 9. Got weighed on Tuesday at 10 weeks and he put on 9lbs in a week. I have put the low weight gain weeks 6 to 9 to Kaiyan having oral thrush, and he was sleeping 5-6 hours through the night. He's now back to 3-4 hours at night and putting on again nicely. I haven't topped up with formula, but need to go get weighed again next week just to make sure gain is continuing.

Maybe if your little one is sleeping through at night do a dream feed for a couple of weeks to see if that helps? I give expressed milk at the night feed so that I can dream feed if Kai doesn't wake up, or feed him if I wake up before he does!

Bhav x

 

[Esoames]

took tegan to be weighed again today shes 7 weeks old and 9lb she has dropped to the 9th percentile. the hv is concerned and said i need to start giving one formula feed a day. i really wanted to exclusively bf for the first 6months.

whats the best formula? x

I really feel for you that how I felt on Tuesday. I'm considering supplementing the evening feed to see if she sleeps through the night. Chin up xxx

 

[ZMD]

thanks girls youve really helped, i bought a couple of ready made aptimal cartons shes just took 4oz and gone to sleep x

 

[Mervs Mum]

If you want to supplement a little then of course that's fine but dont be put under pressure. Some babies are slow gainers. There's nothing wrong with that. If she was consistently losing weight then there may be an issue.

There are things you can do to help boost your own supply too.

There are a few foods and natural supplements you could try first. Oats are brilliant so porridge for breakie and flap jacks for elevensies! Garlic is good too.

Fennel tea, fenugreek and blessed thistle are all excellent too - fenugreek worked almost instantly for me when I wanted to boost my supply to be able to donate more milk.

If you are happy supplementing with formula that's perfectly fine but just bear in mind every time you do you tell your boobs that she's 'needing' less and so they will slow production down further which is why you do tend to see people slowly move across to more and more formula.

xx

 

[ZMD]

If you want to supplement a little then of course that's fine but dont be put under pressure. Some babies are slow gainers. There's nothing wrong with that. If she was consistently losing weight then there may be an issue.

There are things you can do to help boost your own supply too.

There are a few foods and natural supplements you could try first. Oats are brilliant so porridge for breakie and flap jacks for elevensies! Garlic is good too.

Fennel tea, fenugreek and blessed thistle are all excellent too - fenugreek worked almost instantly for me when I wanted to boost my supply to be able to donate more milk.

If you are happy supplementing with formula that's perfectly fine but just bear in mind every time you do you tell your boobs that she's 'needing' less and so they will slow production down further which is why you do tend to see people slowly move across to more and more formula.

xx

thanks hun. whete can i get funugreek from? as ive been under alot of stress lately and think my supply may of suffered! im now expressing the milk she would of had.

another question she doesnt seem to be latching on propery in the eveninys anymore, any ideas y? i really dont want to give up bfding x

 

[Minchin]

Hey there
Must be pretty stressful for you at the mo. I took some fenugreek last week asa wated to try and express more to pop in the freezer as out tomorrow night and away sunday night. Got them from holland and barret and took 2 tabs 3 times a day for ac ouple of days (sometimes only took twice a day cos forgot) It worked instantly and able to express a fair bit extra than I normally express and boobs leaking a bit again. Stopped taking it now, as got a bit for freezer. Maybe you could take some fenugreek and express for extra feed, dream feed or something? Good luck hon x

 

[ZMD]

Hey there
Must be pretty stressful for you at the mo. I took some fenugreek last week asa wated to try and express more to pop in the freezer as out tomorrow night and away sunday night. Got them from holland and barret and took 2 tabs 3 times a day for ac ouple of days (sometimes only took twice a day cos forgot) It worked instantly and able to express a fair bit extra than I normally express and boobs leaking a bit again. Stopped taking it now, as got a bit for freezer. Maybe you could take some fenugreek and express for extra feed, dream feed or something? Good luck hon x

thanks hun im going to go get some tommorow and try expressing for the last feed, i love bfding so much i really dont want to stop i love the closeness xx

 

[ZMD]

well tegan slept for 8 hours last night! i don't feel as bad as i did about giving her one formula feed aslong my supply doesnt suffer ans i can continue bfding for the rest x