Please Help, low weight gain.

[jamie3boys]

Alex is 5 months old and my supply is going down...I think. Its been about 3 days now and my letdown feeling is significantly less. Usually, I feel a pretty strong letdown and then he gulps gulps gulps for awhile. But the last few days I feel a VERY slight letdown and he gulps a few times and then he fusses like "where did it go?"
Also, Alex is not producing very many wet diapers. I would say about 3 per day and they are not soaking, just wet.
After he eats, he seems still hungry, but he is able to hold off for a few hours and then he cries to eat again. He is still sleeping all night though, waking around 4ish and then sleeping until 8. I'm nursing on demand, for as long as he wants, also taking fenugreek and drinking mother's milk tea. This is day 2 of the herbs. I don't think he is in a growth spurt, because I'm just not feeling the letdown. I think its me. How long should I wait before I get worried? He is also doing solid foods, but only as a dinner around 6:00. This does not interfere with his normal nursing schedule. Here is a typical day for us:

8:00am - wake, eat (bf)
9:30 - sleep
11:30 - eat (bf)
1:30 - sleep
4:30/5 - eat (bf)
6:30 - eat, solids (rice cereal, fruit or veggie, mixed with apple juice)
7:30 - bath
8:00am - eat (bf) bed

This is normal. I had good letdowns before, he ate great and went a full 4 hours before eating again. Some nights he even slept 8-8. But the last 3 days the let down is GONE. Can someone please help me.
- How long do I give the herbs to work? Anyone had a noticeable difference with them?
- When should I get worried about the decreased wet diapers? (He is still pooping every few days though)
- How do I increase the supply?
- Could this be a growth spurt?

I'm taking him to the ped tomorrow for a weight check. I think I'll weigh him, feed him, then weigh him again to see how much he actually gets.

Thanks for the help!!! Jamie

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

I'm glad you going to weigh him tomorrow - good idea just to be sure - and see what your ped says.  You might be having a bit of a dip in your milk production - that can be caused by a number of reasons (stress, fatigue, illness, some medications - anything sound familiar?).

To really increase your supply, I'd see if I could get him to nurse more often during the day - maybe every 3 hrs for sure.  The more your breasts are stimulated, the more they'll produce.  You can also pump for a few minutes after every feed that he takes.  That way you won't take the milk from him, but it'll tell your breasts to make more milk.  Fenugreek usually starts working pretty quickly, and you can add it to Blessed Thistle to help even more:
Fenugreek :                   3 capsules 3 times a day
Blessed thistle :             3 capsules 3 times a day, or 20 drops of the tincture 3 times a day
Fenugreek also apparently has a distinct smell - if you can't smell it on your skin, you are not taking enough, even if you are taking three capsules three times a day. It may not work as well now as if he were younger, so if your milk production is really down, and you've tried the other methods, you can also ask your doctor about trying domperidone - it's a medication that increases milk production.

I would worry, cautiously, about the fewer wet diapers, just because you don't want him to get dehydrated - which makes me wonder - has it been really hot where you are lately? That can cause less wet diapers too...

Just increasing the nursing frequency (an overnight nursing or dreamfeed can also really help with supply!) and the herbs should help.  Let me know!

[zelkad]

The same thing happened with me and a few days later I got my period for the first time.  And I noticed that my supply was lower for about 4 days.....just a thought! :wink:

[jamie3boys]

Thank you for your responses!
I took Alex to have a weight check this morning. He was 14pounds 13 ounces one month ago (4 months old). This morning he was 15 pounds 3 ounces (5 months). I need some help interpreting this. I checked the kellymom website and found a great calulator that lets me input all my numbers and spits out his weight gain in ounces per week. According to the website the average weightgain for a 4-6 month old baby is 4-5 ounces per week. With Alex's last weight and this week's he is gaining 1.3 ounces per week!!! I know this is low, but should I be worried with this? Is any weightgain in a month considered ok? I'm going to get a scrip for reglan hopefully today. I am not ready to stop breastfeeding nor do I want to suplliment. That was the first reccomendation of my nurse. I told her I want that to be a last resort, I'm looking for other options first. Any other help would be appreciated.
Thanks, Jamie

[Mum to Ella Rose]

What did the doctor say when you had him weighed? Dd lost a great deal of weight in the beginning. Initially everyone thought it was my supply but it turned out to be severe reflux and delayed gastric emptying. My point though is in addition to wet diapers signs of dehydration include circles under the eyes, sunken fontanel (sp?) and baggy skin. I used domperidone for my supply and it worked wonders. Is that available to you in the States? I'm sorry I don't know about "proper" weight gain, but I would think any weight gain is positive!

Please keep us posted and good luck!

Sharon

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

Sharon's right - any weight gain is good.  Slow weight gain can be addressed!  I wouldn't stress too much - Zelkad's comment about the period was really true - I've heard that before.  And there are lots of things to do before supplementing, whatever that nurse told you!  Try the other stuff and see how it goes - do you have clinics where you can take him to get him weighed a bit more often?

[annamum]

Yes, I would be worried, although it is normal for breastfed babies to slow down after 4 months. Most problems with low supply and low weigth gain surface after first 4 or 5 months.
Some will say that any weigth gain is good and not to worry but I think that from what you wrote he is not eating often enough.

I think what you could do is to take herbs, as Erin posted earlier and at the same time have a baby moon. Concentrate all your efforts on your baby and nursing as often as he will let you. The best bets are nursing during the night, this works to increase your supply the most efficiently. Also, during naps or just when your baby is still sleepy. Have lots of skin contact, cuddling, rest and take fluids. Sometimes a bath with a baby will make a baby willing to nurse, too.

Wish you good luck.

[CaedensMama]

I would echo what has already been said as well - nurse often, add a feed maybe, is it your period (this happened to me :? ), try the herbs and try to weigh him regularly and see how he is doing.

Also, maybe try nursing both sides each feed if he wants? Caeden was having trouble going 3 hours and I started feeding him on one side and then switching after a few minutes to the other side and let him nurse till he was done and then put him back on the first side and he would often continue for another 5 minutes or so. I switch which side I start on each time to try and stay consistent with which side he takes more from! He seems to be doing much better in going longer between feeds.
 Just a thought - it may help increase milk too!   

I would encourage you to try the suggestions from everyone and see if that doesn't help, hold off supplementing till a last resort as it will not help increase milk supply! Hang in there!

[CaedensMama]

Oh I thought of something else too -
Drink lots of water! I have heard your hydration level affects your breatmilk too. Try really drinking alot of water for the next few days and see if it helps.

[jamie3boys]

Thank you everyone!
It could be my period. I had AF for the first time about 6 weeks ago. My supply went down for a few days, but the letdown DID come back. I have no signs of AF, I think its just irregular from breastfeeding. I doubt I'm pregnant either. We aren't using any birthcontrol, but we are careful in other ways.
I have yet to speak to an actual doctor. I have a phone consult in and she should be calling me back around lunchtime.
I just spoke with a lactation consultant and they are going to help me. She wondered if it was more of a chemical problem causing my letdown not to come, rather than a supply problem. Anyone else ever had this problem. Anyone ever had their letdown disappear???
Thanks, Jamie

[annamum]

The only time my letdown disappeared was when I didn't drink enough. But this can be fixed, of course, as soon as you drink plenty.

But, there may be other causes of which I simply don't know.

Keep us posted.

[jamie3boys]

I've got an appointment for Wednesday with a certified lactation consultant. I'm to feed him an hour before we come so I can feed him and weigh him while we are there. This should be a good indicator of how much milk I am giving him in a serving. Also waiting until wednesday will give the herbs a good chance to work.
For the next day or two I am doing nothing but nursing nursing nursing! Pretty much whenever he wants it I'm there. Does it really help to do it over night??? Should I just wake him up every 3 hours? Thanks again everyone! Jamie

[annamum]

Yes, nurse him during night but don't wake him up, offer a breast as if in a dreamfeed when he stirs in a light sleep phase.

Good luck!

[jamie3boys]

Just wanted to run this by some of you well experienced bfding mums:
I spoke to a family practice nurse this morning about a presription for reglan. We decided to wait until after I speak with the lactation consultant before starting the meds, but she advised me not to be so concerned about the weightgain. She said typically they look for baby's weight to double by 6 months and triple by a year. Alex was 6lbs at birth and 15 pounds to date, although he only gained about 6 ounces in this past month. She suggested that perhaps he is in between growthspurts, but she reminded me that he did not loose any weight he just didn't gain any weight. Alex is a happy baby and appears healthy. He is not fat, but he's not thin either. He had typically about 5-7 wet diapers each day and pooped regularly every few days. He also seemed satisfied after eating and could go at least 3 hours during the day and all through the night. The nurse said if he is outputting, happy, and full weightgain should not be a first concern. What is your experience with this? did you have a lo that just stuck at the the same weight for awhile at around 5 months of age? Also what are your feelings about solids? I give Alex a dinner each night at 6. It is not in the place of a nursing session, rather it comes after one. He will also nurse again at 8 before bed. Do you think this is affecting my supply? The lactation consultant seems to think so, but I disagree. However I feel awkward disagreeing with her as she is certified and experienced and I am not. Thanks, Jamie