My doctor wants me to supplement!

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studying_torah

Mon, Jul 06 2015, 10:45 pm

Pearl zeman I was agreeing with you
Ps thanks loads , now I want brownies.... Nice fudgy ones Wink

das

Mon, Jul 06 2015, 10:50 pm

When I did not have enough milk my babies hungrily latched onto formula bottles after a feeding. When my milk supply built up they refused it. I supplemented for a couple of weeks until it was no longer necessary. This is a different scenario but my point is that in my limited experience, breast fed babies refuse formula bottles when satisfied.

acccdac

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 12:26 am

This is coming from a mother who starved her baby.

I had 2 babies who I breastfed successfully. The pediatrician I saw then only had the weighin at 2 weeks. My babies nurses never cried inconsolably.

My baby was born 3 weeks early at 7 lb 10 oz. She fed wonderfully for the first few days. After 5 days she started sleeping 6 hour stretches and I was so happy that I was getting sleep. Then The night before we went to the pediatrics at 1 week after birth she was crying inconsolably. My Dh asked me what could be causing it, maybe she was hungry. I couldn't understand why. I was feeding her on demand the entire day basically 2 hours straight and she was still screaming.I went to get her weighed the next day and she had lost so much weight. 10% weight loss would have been 6lb 9 oz. she weighted closer to 6 lbs. I was literally starving my daughter. I cried so hard that day knowing what I was doing to my daughter.

We started with me feeding pumped milk with a bottle after bf. She continued to lose weight and then we added a formula bottle.

When I had my next baby I had a LC come to my house on day 5 so I could prevent this from happening. The LC was so impressed that on day 5 she took in 1 oz during a feeding. She came back 2 days later to monitor and my baby lost 2 oz when she should have at least maintained. The LC told me that I had to give at least 1 pumped bottle a day to monitor. Then we weighed her again 1 days later and she continued to lose. I handed her to my Dh and broke down saying "I'm doing it again, I'm starving my own child" it was very hard to not feel guilty. Every feeding after that was a nursing followed by a pumped bottle. I couldn't pump enough to satisfy her so I started formula.

For 4 months I nursed at each feeding for 20 min and then followed up with a 4 oz bottle of formula. A full month later after she stopped nursing I tried to have her latch on and she did. The nursing was cuddling to her not nourishment. But it gave us so much more.

I have no guilt with this daughter, I don't question what I did. I have a happy baby.

My first two, boys, were always 50th percentile or higher and my formula fed babies, both girls, are 25th percentile or lower. I know the fact that they are different genders may have a part in this but I blame their slow starts.

little_mage

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 5:21 am

OP, ask your doctor what growth chart he's using. The charts are different for breastfed and formula fed babies, and the standard charts are based on formula. It may be that your baby is properly on the chart if they used the breastfed one.

amother

Gray

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 5:56 am

Its OP, thank you everyone for your replies! It really got me thinking! Firstly I will clarify with my Dr why he wants my baby to supplement . I will also speak to a LC.
He seems to be happy and is making plenty of diapers so I don't thinkhe is hungry but maybe I'm wrong.I have a lot allergies thats why I'm concerned to give formula but I also don't want to be starving my baby!

amother

Dodgerblue

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 6:44 am

Tzutzie wrote:

Never heard of that in an older infant. As a newborn, yes. But once your milk is settled, it comes pretty quickly after a suckle or two. Also mothers milk is delicious and sweet and JUST the right temperature that they like it. Formula is yucky, the bottle makes you swallow air (it can hurt when actually swallowing it, not only gas pangs afterwards) and isn't always the right temperature.

Um, my 12 month old just did it too. In exchange for water in a bottle with a newborn nipple. (I started giving her bottles of water around 11 months b/c there was a heat wave and she wasn't adept at using cups and sippys at that point) Now she's drinking soy formula and she enjoys it!

5*Mom

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 6:54 am

I once asked my ped about this bc my then-5- mo-old had dropped from the 5th to the 2nd percentile in weight and was averaging just a little growth per day. He asked me if she seemed unsatisfied after feedings, was irritable in between, how many wet diapers she had in a day, how frequent were her dirty diapers, and how was her development overall. All those were good with no other indications that she was not getting enough nutrition, so he said weight alone is not a reason to supplement. Just keep doing what I've been doing.

OP, did your doctor ask you any questions or is his recommendation based on weight alone?

rosehill

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 7:39 am

Is the baby peeing, pooping, and meeting his motor milestones?
If so, I would be reluctant to introduce a bottle.
Make sure you're eating lots of yummy nutritional food, and drinking plenty of fresh water to keep up a good supply, and getting as much rest as you can.

anonymrs

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 10:18 am

My kids are FTT, even with supplementing. As long as they stay steady on their own curve, the doctors are ok with it.

If you have allergies, I would strongly recommend only giving an elemental formula, like Elecare or Neocate, if you decide to supplement. you can wait until child is older to find out if dc has allergies too.

nyer1

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 11:16 am

OP… you said you don't want to supplement unless it's necessary. clearly, your doctor recommended supplementation because he feels it's necessary.
if you don't respect the medical opinion and suggestions of the doctor, time to find a new doctor.

HelloG

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 11:32 am

Is he crying a lot as in hunger? Is your milk sufficient? Consider these points....
Overall, most babies thrive on mother's milk.
Maybe find a second opinion from another doctor. U Don't wanna play around. You'll feel better with what you're doing perhaps

amother

Pearl

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 11:51 am

mandr wrote:

Like that's the most scientifically proven accurate way to tell if a baby's hungry! My goodness, this is the worst way to "tell" if baby is hungry. If someone offered me a chocolate brownie after a filling Shabbos meal, would I refuse? I can tell you I'd eat every last crumb of that brownie even though I was stuffed. Not because I binge, but because there's always room for dessert. And that's how it is with babies and formula. It tastes good and sucking is fun so hey, bring on the bottle.
SNIP

Please provide some evidence for that.

AIUI, its a load of what one finds in a baby's diaper. Babies do not overeat. Eating when full is a learned behavior.

The reason not to offer a baby a bottle at the end of a feeding is because bottles are easier, and if a baby is having trouble breastfeeding, he may learn to forego the breast in favor of the easier bottle. I'd speak to a LC, but the best way to supplement is probably through a supplemental nutrition system, or possibly by having one feeding a day be by bottle (I'd have your DH do that feeding).

9 pounds is indeed very, very small for a 3 month old. Some kids are naturally small. Or it may be that the baby does need additional nutrition. OP can speak to a LC about ways to increase her supply, as well as ways to supplement. But I wouldn't throw away the suggestion.

Dolly Welsh

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 11:56 am

nyer1 wrote:

This.

Miri7

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 12:28 pm

Have you worked with a lactation consultant to see if he's feeding properly?

I would get a second opinion from another pediatrician. It sounds like his weight gain is good. Is his weight tracking along at the same % on the growth curve? Note that there are now weight charts for breastfed babies that are different than formula fed babies.

My concern is that if you supplement then your supply could drop or he could self wean.

See what another doctor says. I like that mine is super committed to BF so I know if he said to supplement it would really be necessary.

Dolly Welsh

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 12:42 pm

The baby has already had a good dose of allergy-reducing factors in breast milk.

Going through life as a small man is not such fun. It can be handled and many of our great sages were physically small but that doesn't mean you shouldn't pump up a baby with rich food who seems to be very small. Size may mean more to him long term than allergies. And he HAS had three months of breast milk.

And he may not self wean at all. He might but he might not. Even if he does, it might be better for him to get size.

Attilla the Hun, Ghengis Khan and Ivan the Terrible were all breastfed. They had to be. There wasn't any formula back then. Breast milk is great but it doesn't solve everything in life. It doesn't make you a happy or good person.

Think1st

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 2:48 pm

If baby is gaining & happy why mess it up, Do you really think your dear child NEEDS some GMO soy, sugar & other junk-food to thrive ?

What other advice is this Doctor giving you ?

baltimoremom

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 8:35 pm

The baby was born 5 lbs and now weighs 9 meaning she gained only 4 lbs in 3 months. And from the op most of the weight gain was in the last month. That means prior to that she prob lost weight or most def did not gain half a lb a week.
So at this point she may be lacking nutrition needed for brain dev.
I supplemented and was upset at the time but now I realize that I would rather a baby who well fed and meeting their milestones then a baby who nurses because I feel good about nursing.
At 3 months the doctor can notice if a baby is not meeting minor milestones which is prob why he suggested supplementing. According to the numbers the op gave the doctor have her lots of time to work on nursing because it seems like the baby def gained slow in the beginning.
I would stop bashing the doctor.

smss

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 9:23 pm

amother wrote:

Please provide some evidence for that.

AIUI, its a load of what one finds in a baby's diaper. Babies do not overeat. Eating when full is a learned behavior.

Honestly, I wonder how we'd know for sure either way, since we can't exactly ask them. BUT while I do believe a baby won't overeat if he's feeding himself solids, for example, it's conceivable to me that a baby would take a bottle just because they enjoy the experience of sucking. Some babies more than others really really need to suck.

Dolly Welsh

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 9:30 pm

Oh yes. A baby who wants to suck will suck and suck. If he is taking in more food, and his stomach is already full, he will feel distended and over-full. This hurts. He will yell. He will suck and yell, suck and yell. His insightful mother will give this full baby a pacifier to suck on, and he will give her a wordless look of gratitude. She has understood his needs. Goooood mommy.

There have been many good posts on this thread, but Baltimore Mom has truly analyzed the situation the best, in my opinion.

smss

Tue, Jul 07 2015, 9:42 pm

amother wrote:

Very good signs.
According to this, his weight gain is in normal range: http://www.askdrsears.com/topi.....-gain

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