Breast feeds now taking longer and DD not gaining weight?

[GraceKellysmom]

Have you gotten your period back? That can drop your supply when it is coming. How many times per day is your baby nursing?

Also, make sure you are resting and getting plenty of sleep, eating well, and drinking enough water. All of these things can affect your supply.

The longer nursing is not worrisome, some babies really like to suckle. It is the no weight gain that bothers me.

[teamholly]

Thanks for your reply Stacy.

In answer:

No, my periods have not come back as yet.

Holly is nursing 7am, (8am pump express other breast), 10am, (1pm bottle), 4pm, 7pm & 11pm dreamfeed.

I'm doing all the right things.

Two things of note though.

1. The mastitis started a couple of days after our DD started sleeping through (12pm - 7am).  Previous to that she had been waking up at 4am/5am to feed.  That probably caused the mastitis because I was waking up really swollen after that?  After that my breasts have not felt quite as full since then.

2.  Our DD's weight only increased by 4 oz over the 3 week period since then.  Before that she was gaining 6-8 oz per week and the week immediately before the problems gained 10oz.

She was a low birth weight baby at 5lb 13oz and is still really petite.   This is quite surprising as both myself and DH are quite tall and were both big babies.

We have our weekly weigh in at the clinic tomorrow and so are keeping our fingers crossed!

[GraceKellysmom]

So are you pumping sometime between the 10 and 4 feeds?

I'm sure if you're going to a breastfeeding clinic, you're getting the best advice you can for breastfeeding and doing all the right things, as you say. Let us know if we can help.