Is it time to give up nursing? Update *last update*

amother

Skyblue

Tue, Nov 22 2022, 2:08 pm

I wish I would have known about imamother when I was struggling to nurse my first and got terrible advice from lactation consultants, hopefully next time around will be much better
Can you link the Dr. Newman video, I just looked it up and see a few different ones.
Thank you

Raindance

Thu, Nov 24 2022, 4:36 pm

amother Skyblue wrote:

Here is the link for the one I watched.

It's really the same as the one in Greece.

Ema of 5

Fri, Dec 02 2022, 8:52 am

So we’ve been going to the doctor every few days for weight checks. The pediatrician said he wanted to see him gain 1oz per day, which he wasn’t doing. Monday when we went he was 6.8 and yesterday he was 6.12!!!!! Yay!!!! I’ve been giving him 1oz pumped bottles after every daytime nursing (thank you to the person here who suggested!!) and yesterday I upped it to 2oz. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with the increased demand!!

theoretical62

Fri, Dec 02 2022, 10:00 am

yay!! I have been watching this thread from the side, silently cheering you on. Happy to hear things are moving in the right direction for you!!!

hodeez

Fri, Dec 02 2022, 10:16 am

Ema of 5 wrote:

Success! Keep the momentum goin!

Ema of 5

Fri, Dec 02 2022, 12:21 pm

I’m so happy I stuck it out! Thank you everyone for your support, suggestions, and cheerleading!! And thank you for not making me feel guilty about contemplating stoping, and switching to formula.

amother

Eggshell

Fri, Dec 02 2022, 1:01 pm

Nursing plus pumping is a huge undertaking! That’s no simple feat! You get a lot of credit!

Ema of 5

Mon, Dec 26 2022, 5:41 pm

On December 1, he was 6.12. Today we went for something else, and while I was there I had him weighed. He was 7.14. The pediatrician is happy but not thrilled. I’ve decided that I’m going to stop pumping and just nurse and supplement with formula. I can’t pump enough for him, so what’s the point? He’s still spitting up a LOT, and also burping a lot, but it’s not stopping him from eating so the pediatrician isn’t too concerned. I am 100% confident in my decision, because pumping and supplementing that way isn’t working for either of us.

hodeez

Mon, Dec 26 2022, 5:58 pm

Do you produce more from nursing vs pumping? Have you tried a different pump?

Also go with your gut and see if this avenue will be better for you both. Hatzlacha rabba!

Ema of 5

Mon, Dec 26 2022, 6:06 pm

hodeez wrote:

Do you produce more from nursing vs pumping? Have you tried a different pump?

Also go with your gut and see if this avenue will be better for you both. Hatzlacha rabba!

How can I know what I’m producing from nursing vs. from pumping? How can I measure?
This is definitely the right choice for us. I’m not giving up nursing, I really want to do that. I’m just supplementing with formula instead of pumped bottles. Less pressure for me, and hopefully he will gain nicely.

amother

Glitter

Mon, Dec 26 2022, 6:14 pm

You're doing a fantastic job! Your baby gained 18 ounces in 25 days. That's about 3/4oz per day! That's great!

Honestly, I feel like you need another set of eyes on your situation right now. I've had babies who nursed, babies who were bottle fed, and babies who did a combination of both. Some of them struggled a lot with feeding any which way. I worked with different doctors, feeding therapists, and lactation consultants. All of them agreed that if baby is gaining half ounce per day, that's perfectly fine. If I was you, I'd run it by a lactation consultant and go according to that because baby feeding and growth is their specialty.

amother

Glitter

Mon, Dec 26 2022, 6:18 pm

I want to add that my 5th baby is 6 months old right now. She wasn't gaining only nursing and I didn't feel up to pumping this time. I've been supplementing her with half ounce of formula after each day time feeding since she's a few weeks old. She's gaining beautifully and I have been able to continue nursing this way.

Ema of 5

Mon, Dec 26 2022, 6:30 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

That weight gain is well in the realm of normal...

So why does the pediatrician keep saying 1oz per day?
The reason I can’t keep up with the pumping is because I’m giving him about 3oz after each feeding, 3-4 times a day. Today for example, for some reason I only got about 3oz from pumping. Usually I get between 6-9 total from pumping.

amother

Glitter

Mon, Dec 26 2022, 10:39 pm

Ema of 5 wrote:

Have you been working with a lactation consultant? I highly recommend it to help you sort this all out. Doctors are great at What they do. Baby feeding is not their field of expertise.

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Dec 26 2022, 10:57 pm

Breastfed babies sometimes gain a drop less than formula fed babies and it's ok. An ounce a day is in a high range of normal and your baby is at the lower end of the normal range. And all those babies are ok as long as they're showing appropriate hydration and don't seem overly lethargic.

See here for example https://www.askdrsears.com/top.....gain/

So if you need to bottle feed to maintain current weight gain, by all means continue however works best for you, but if you're trying to supplement because you think you need to feed more, relax. I think your baby's doing fine.

amother

Steelblue

Tue, Dec 27 2022, 12:03 am

If baby seems happy, is gaining some weight, and pooping regularly, I wouldn’t be concerned at all.

Ema of 5

Tue, Jan 03 2023, 11:43 pm

I took the baby to the doctor last week because he had a rash. While we were there, I had him weighed, and he weighed 7.14
Yesterday I took him to urgent care because he has a cough and the pediatrician was closed. When they weighed him, he was 8.12!!!! Woohoo!!!! I’m so excited!!!

gr82no

Wed, Jan 04 2023, 12:43 am

Ema of 5 wrote:

Wow! That is amazing gain! I’m so happy for you!
You should continue to have hatzlacha!
Just a thought, this measurement might be slightly off because it’s a difference scale