Newborn weight gain issues

[twobadlizards]

Hey, everyone -- I'm back! DD was born February 18, and we're having some weight gain issues that I'm just not sure how to resolve. (I nursed DS until he self-weaned at 22 months old during my pregnancy, about 4 months ago, with no significant problems at all.) DD was born 4 weeks early (although peds looked at her and said she was "term" at 37-38 weeks and that my due date must have been off). She has been incredibly sleepy from day one, although she is rousable and alert at certain periods on and off. She had no trouble latching, but it has been REALLY hard to get her to wake up enough to nurse with the frequency she needs. I've tried all the tricks (diaper changes, skin-to-skin, tickling toes, sponge bath just before nursing, blowing little puffs of air at her face, gently "bicycling" her arm, warm water on the toes, damp washcloth against her skin -- you name it). It sometimes takes me close to an hour to wake her enough to nurse. Then, sometimes she'll nurse really well, and other times she'll nurse for just 2-3 minutes and start to fall back asleep. I've been spending huge amounts of time and energy just to try to get her to eat every day. She also has her hours reversed, and tends to want to be up all night (nurse for 3 minutes, fall asleep, try to rouse her without success, put her down and she wakes on her own 3-5 minutes later, repeat for about 6 hours), then sleep more heavily during the day.

We had our first well baby checkup yesterday, and she had not quite regained her birth weight. (6 pounds 5 ounces at birth, 5 pounds 14 ounces or a little less when we left the hospital, 6 pounds 3 ounces at her checkup at 11 days old), although it appears she will probably just regain it by her 2-week birthday. She's having 6-8 wet diapers per day and lots of mini-poops per day. Her pediatrician is not overly concerned yet, but is going to do a weight check on her in a week to see if we need to take any action since she's on the very low side of normal weight gain. In the meantime, my supply is beginning to suffer, so I've started supplemental pumping and taking fenugreek and blessed thistle. I'm going to contact a LC on Monday if there's not substantial improvement over the weekend, but I was wondering if any of you had a similar experience and had any advice for something I haven't tried yet. Any ideas ladies? I'm getting worried.

Thanks!

[bronco4grl]

I don't have any advice to offer but would like to congratulate you on your new baby and offer encouragement. Sounds like you're doing all that you can at this point (that I know of). I'm sure others will chime in soon w/ additional advice.
:smoochy:
:happydog:

[twobadlizards]

Thank you! The ladies here always have excellent advice, so I know this will work out.

[tata]

Hi! Welcome back and congrats - both on such wonderful success nursing for 22 months (WOW!) and the new baby!

It sounds like you've tried a lot of methods to get that baby awake to eat! I say just keep it up and eventually she'll get out of that sleepy-newborn phase. Also, do you co-sleep? You might consider bringing her to bed with you at night and nursing her in the side-lying position to help you get some more rest when she is more willing to nurse. It took a lot of practice for us, but eventually we got it down (and now, DS only wants to nurse this way!).

Also, find out if your ped uses the breast-fed baby girl growth chart (http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/growthcharts.html) before being convinced that DD is not gaining well. If she is producing 6-8 wet/soiled diapers per day, she should be okay, I think. Hang in there, you are doing great!

[tata]

Oh, yes and I would suggest that for more opinions and advice on this, you post in the General Breastfeeding board, as it has a bit more traffic.

[lvnmichelle]

Your baby will eat when she's hungry. She's not going to starve herself, nor will you. Keep trying the things you have already been doing and she will get the hang of it. Remember-as natural as breastfeeding is, it's a learned art for each child/mom. It's also much harder to get milk out from a breast, therefore more work-more tiring. Everytime time she wakes/cries put her to the breast. You guys will get it, and you'll both be fine.

[Dido]

I am chiming in sort of late, so I don't know if you'll get this....

Your story sounds exactly like mine. I had my baby in May, and she had lost several ounces by the time we left the hospital, and we went back at 5 days, and she'd lost alomost a pound...17% of her body weight! But, my milk was slow to come in, just as it was with DD1. It came in on day 5, and over the weekend, she nursed better. I thought she must have been the sleepiest baby, ever, though!! I spent so much energy trying to get her to stay awake to nurse!

Sometimes, I slept partly sitting up, and holding her, and I would position the boppy so that she wouldn't fall out of my arms (I was paranoid about laying her in our bed for co-sleeping since my husband is a very active sleeper). Gradually, she would wake up better and better for nursing.

Oh, and she was a few ounces from regaining to her birthweight at her 2 week checkup, and the ped had me bring her back in after a few more days. She gained just enough by then to satisfy everyone. Since then, she has been growing like a bean sprout!!! She has stayed in the 90-95th % ever since!!

By looking at her now, you'd never guess that she had a slow start. Chub everywhere! :)

So, just be patient, and it will get better. And, you will get more sleep soon!!

Just don't try supplementing, unless things don't improve after a while. If you start supplementing now, based on just the information I see here, it could set you up for problems.

Congrats on your new baby, and good luck!!

[twobadlizards]

UPDATE:
At her well baby checkup yesterday afternoon, DD had gained 11 ounces in 7 days! Her pediatrician was pleased as punch, and said, "She looks great. Just keep doing what you're doing -- you know what you're doing. See you at her 2-month checkup." Trust the breast. Thank you all SO much for the advice and support -- it really kept me calm and reassured while waiting for DD to wake up a bit and start really eating!

[tata]

Great update :)