Lack of weight gain for 2 wk old and pumping question

[phgreeno]

My son had his 2 wk check-up today and has gained almost no weight back from leaving the hospital. He has 6-8 wet diapers a day and 2-3 dirty ones, so he's maintaining and not at risk yet, but the doctor says he's not getting enough calories to put on weight. After talking, she thinks that it's because he's a lazy eater - he falls asleep at the breast and doesn't stay sucking hard enough to get to any hindmilk. Sometimes he's there for 30 minutes, but obviously not getting enough still.

So for the next 3 days I'm pumping and then giving him the bottles so that we can quantify what's he getting before another weight check next week. Problem is that the pumping is not going that great - I'm using the Medela Freestyle and the first couple of times double pumping I got just 2.5 oz and then a little over 1 oz. Will it get better or is that because my supply is low? I know being stressed will not help, but it's hard not to worry when I'm having to track it this closely....

[zediseot]

I think if you post in the main breastfeeding page, you'll get more traffic and there's a lot of people over there who give pretty good advice. My 2 cents though: I'd be very reluctant to introduce bottles for a 2 week old. This is coming from someone who used bottles with a premature baby and has had nipple confusion struggles ever since.

If the goal is to figure out what he's taking, pumping isn't going to do that except for the part you pump and feed him. The easiest way to quantify what he's getting is to rent a scale from a lactation consultant and weigh him before and after eating.
I'd try other things first to get him nursing more, like skin to skin, kangaroo care type contact. Are you undressing him before you nurse him? A baby whose naked down to the diaper will generally stay awake and eat longer. Ultimately, a pump is also a very bad guage of what you're producing. Even then, 2.5 ozs and 1 oz is pretty good for the first time pumping.

[Prettyskittle82]

Undressing and dressing helped with my second baby.. I would definately try that first... changing diaper, etc. With my first baby, it didn't seem to help. I don't know if it was because he was born in the summer and it was always warm or what. I nursed him, then pumped, and had my husband give him a bottle afterward. The nurses that I talked to said that once he knew what a full stomach was, he'd start eating more. But again... bottles this early can cause nipple confusion. Good luck.