I think the time has come : (

[Bloom]

As some of you know ive been having a few problems with DD slow weight gain and she only just on the growth chart she so tiny still at 9lb13oz for 3 months old. I have been giving her one bottle of formula a day for the last few weeks of 6oz's and she loves it and would probaly drink more if i gave it too her. I think the time has come where i need to stop being stubborn over the bf and do whats best for her and give her more bottles. Im fed up of having to weigh her every week and there being such a issue with her weight.

She has her current bottle at 6pm and shes feeding every 3 hours or so i need some advice on how to go about dropping feeds and which are the best feeds to drop first. I would like to hold on to the before bed feed for as long as possible as this is my favourite one.

I do feel quite sad about it but i have to put her before myself and my orginal goal was to bf for 6 weeks so i feel ive done well

 

[debecca]

Aw hun

You have done FANTASTICALLY well to feed her yourself for as long as you have and for what it's worth I don't think her weight gain is that worrying given how little she weighed at birth. Connie is just over 12lb now and she was 8lb 9oz at birth so she's only 3.5lb heavier now too!

I'm sorry you're having to supplement - is there no other way round it?

 

[Ginnymarie]

hello bloom

nice to hear from you...
well done on 6 weeks...sounds like you are doing the right thing
hope you are doing well, the last time I heard from you you went into labour, I have not been on internet much since then
x

 

[muppetmummy]

Aww hun I'm sorry that the weight problem hasn't improved. It is heartbreaking when you love breastfeeding but have to introduce formula. Just keep in mind though you have done fantastically and your little girl will have already had loads of benefit antibody wise from the 3 months you've done. You should be proud of yourself.

If you want to keep bf-ing don't do what I did (on the advice of hv and doctor!) and give a formula top up after every feed, Logie soon came to prefer the formula and would refuse to breastfeed and cry until he got the bottle.
Maybe introduce another bottle at the other end of the day and express the missed boob feed?

Formula is really good for getting the weight on them, Logie put on 1lb 5oz in one week! You just need to be very careful how you use it when trying to keep bf-ing going.

I hope things work out

 

[purple13]

hon, only give up the bf-ing if that's what you want to do??

i've always had problems with connor's weight gain - at 1 month he was 1oz less than his birthweight. he was 6lb 9oz when he was born and (only just) in the 9th centile. he dropped off the bottom of the chart and was only just back into the 9th centile at 2 months old.

i was pressured by the HVs to top up with formula and it went against all of my better judgement - i think i gave him two then decided that it was only guilt talking and that i wanted to stick with what i thought was right.

his weight gain has slowed again this last fortnight and he's only put on 6oz in 2 weeks, which has put him back into the 2nd centile. at nearly 5 months old, he's only 13lb 11oz and still in 0-3 month clothes.

he feeds whenever he wants (which is usually at least every 2 hours) and i take fenugreek to help keep my supply up. i still get comments about him being small, tho now people inflict their opinions about weaning on me rather than formula

BUT i have a happy, healthy, bright and bubbly boy (albeit a small one) and i trust my instincts as his mum. IMO my milk is the best stuff for him and i won't be bullied into thinking otherwise, just to boost the average on growth charts.

if you're going to feel happier with your little girl on formula, then that's fine - happy mummy = happy baby but don't let HVs pressure you into a decision you might regret

 

[flowergirl]

I echo Purple and Midna- if your baby is content and you are as well, then why pay to feed your baby when you have the goods right in front of you!? As long as your LO is gaining weight and not losing, it really doesn't matter how slowly the weight goes on, surely?

 

[valentine]

I'd be tempted to stick with the b/feeding too - its very hard to go back to breastfeeding so if you do stop, please make sure you're 100% certain that's what you want to do.

Weight is just a number - I would stop getting her weighed all the time, and just trust your instincts.

Valentine Xxx

 

[laracomps]

I also had a lot of problems with Phoebe's weight in the early days, she lost almost 10% of her weight. What with the baby blues and not knowing anything about babies or breastfeeding I listened to the mw's and topped her up after every feed. And as everyone else has said, if you want to keep bfeeding, that is not the way to do it, I struggled for weeks to get my milk back but just couldn't do it. I stopped mix feeding at 3 months.

Phoebe is doing great, but it was very emotional for me. She doesn't care where it comes from and is putting on weight well now, she's on the 50th centile.

I am happier now that the pressure and stress has been taken off me, but deep down I am so heartbroken that it didn't work out, I just try not to think about it now and know that I'll try my hardest again next time.

Just make sure that you are making the right decision for you and your baby. If you want to top up / give more formula feeds, don't feel guilty about it - I did for months. If you don't, then don't feel pressured to just yet.

Also, have you been checked for anaemia? I have been told that can greatly affect your milk supply.

If you want to chat about it, you can always PM me. I know what its like, on one hand you want to do the best thing for your baby by breastfeeding, but on the other hand you can feel like they are not thriving as they should. Its a double edged sword

 

[BabyMagic]

I have no advice but have some of these

Whatever you decide to do you have already done great by bf:ing for three months!

 

[kalia]

Is she a happy baby or is she constantly crying because she is hungry. If she is content there is no need to change what you are doing.
Also, what weight chart are you using? The formula/breastfeeding average one or the breastfeeding one? On the average one my LO is constant around 65 - 70%. On the breastfeeding one she started at 85% and by 8 weeks was down to 50%. She exclusively has brestmilk. Weird, isn't it If you are using the breastfed chart get a copy of the other one and chart her progress on that. I make her to be on the chart and I thought they were only supposed to fuss if she fell under the chart?

 

[Happybunny]

Hi honey!!

I want to support you in any decision you make - it is sooooo hard
I did want to say though, are you going to go to formula because of her weight or is it because she is very unsettled and hungry?

My DD was 7lb 7oz born (40 weeks) and now only weighs 10lb 4oz at 3 months. She has gained weight very very slowly and I too was pressured to supplement. I did start giving her one bottle a day at 9 weeks. However, I had to stop last week as she had blood in her poo and after tests, the hospital concluded it was most likely that she was allergic to the formula.

My little one is between the 2nd and 9th centiles, but she is happy and meeting (and in some cases, exceeding) her development milestones. I have decided to just chill about her weight. She may be petite and I may have to put up with endless questions comments about it....but she is happy and healthy.

Only you know your baby and what will be best for her.....I just wanted to let you know that it isn't unusual, there are other people with small babies, the charts aren't really a good indicator of what is 'normal'. You are doing a fab job!!!

Please do pm me if you ever want a chat!

Lots of love!!

HB
xx

 

[Bloom]

Thanks for all your support ladies i think i would of given up a long time ago without you lot.

Im still bf i want to make sure that im 100% sure before i stop as there will be no going back and i dont feel im that sure at the mo.

Im still giving her the one bottle a day though. Im not going to let them weigh her every week (they do the weigh ins at my mum and baby group so im just going to refuse to have her weighed). I dont know what i want to do at the mo so im still thinking about it.

It doesnt help that im always getting comments on how small she is and how people look really suprised when i say how old she is.