# Nursing 10+ lb. newborn-help!



## Greensleeves (Aug 4, 2004)

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## becca011906 (Mar 29, 2004)

mama, you are doing such an awsome job!!!!! when you started suplementing was it only b/c of the body weight? or was she also not having enough wet/dirty diapers too? that's the best to go on for "if she's getting enough questions" vs trying to guess how much you are producing...
a bigger baby doesn't nessicarly need more milk unless she's not having wet/dirty diapers, i was able to excluivly BF my 9lb 2oz son for 6 months then with solids for 14 months when i was only 16. so there is hope for BF a big baby with out formula.
I would slowly cut back 1 oz of fomula out of the SNS a day and keep nursing nursing nursing, are you taking anything to help with supply? mother's milk tea, fingreek, ect? that could help too. getting lots of rest, taking care of you and baby and that's all... I'm sure others will chim in with other tips!!!


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

My first dd is now 19 yo, but I had a similar exp to yours.

I was in labor and it was progressing slowly and they wouldn't let me eat in the hosp so I became dehyrated and starved after 12 hrs. So I was put on IV.

Eventually (next morning) after an hour of pushing they told me she wasnt going to come out, so I had a c-sec. She was 10'2".

I think her weight was artificially raised b/c of the 16 hours of IV that bloated us both.

On her 2nd day she hadn't nursed in a while. I sent her to the nursery so I could shower and when I got back they told me she had lost too much weight (I forget how much) so I should give her a bottle of glucose water after I fed her. So I bfed her and managed to get her to take 1 oz of g water, which was unpleasant as she didn't know what to do with the rubber nipple and most of it went down her front.

Later in the day she had gained 6 oz over the earlier weight and I know that wasn't from the 1 oz of g water!







My milk had come in.

So, at day 4 we went home and I didn't think a thing about supplementing. I just bfed her every time she peeped or wiggled.

She doubled her birthweight in 2 mos.

She marathon/cluster nursed, esp in the late aft/early evening. I did not expect this, but when I started going to LLL, found out it was normal and healthy.

I would suggest gradually cutting back on the supplements. Are you working with a IBCLC? She is wetting enough and may be pooping seldom b/c of the artificial milk.

Take excellent care of yourself. Are you getting lots of help with meals and laundry while you heal and babymoon? You need rest, food and lots of water.


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## mighty-mama (Sep 27, 2005)

Here to give some encouragement...

I was blessed with a 9.6oz ds, although I was told to supplement in the early days, as he lost weight I fought with the hospital and continued to nurse. But it happens my friend when thru the same thing, and she unfortunately got the wrong advice and stuck with the formula. My opinion is to cut back on the formula as much as possible, the thought is, less formula to eat, more breastmilk to eat and produce. Keep in mind all babe's will lose about 10% of their body fat upon birth. They were born with extra reserves. I know how distraught you are over this. YOU CAN NURSE.... I had the same emotions, I thought my babe wasn't getting enough and I just sat there with my feet up, topless watching tv with him laying on a boppy. I drank the Mother's Milk tea, immediately after his birth and suprisingly my milk came in in unde 48 hrs, and that was with a c/s w/ complications. I know you said you had another little one at home, so relaxing in front of the tv may be difficult. I would suggest putting your dd in a sling, exposing your breast, this will make it so readily available to her and you can still interact with your toddler. Also it may take some of the pressure off both of you to get her to nurse, as it will be a more relaxed approach..

Another thing was sister had me do which I thought was crazy, but hey she's a fellow mdc member.... I nursed on one side for two hours. Say ds would start eating at 10:00, no matter what I would switch him at 12:00. If he was up straight then he'd have the same side, say if he slept for past 12:00 and only nursed on that side for 10min, I'd still switch. My ds who lost the standard 10%, ended up gaining 10oz within 1 week.. My ped was even shocked and I still have an overabundance of milk.

Honestly within time, you will look back on this and be so much calmer. It does get so much better, believe me, I had the highest-needs nurser, you just got to say I can do this another day and keep going. No matter how well you raise your babe in the future, there is nothing more healthier than breastmilk.

**A great book to also have on hand is Dr. Sears's Breastfeeding Book...

Best of luck...YOU CAN DO THIS


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## aydensmama (Jun 2, 2005)

I had a 9lbs 8 pz baby. He lost the 10% of body weight plus some I believe, but gained it all back when he should of. We exclusively breastfeed until bottle with EBM was introduced at 6 weeks!

You can do it and are doing great, cut back on the formula, unless you experience not enough wet diapers! Nurse on demand, whenever he wants, and next thing you know you will be writing about your abbundant supply!

Good luck and hang in there...this to shall pass!


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## daekini (Jun 17, 2004)

My babes both went from 8+ lbs to around 6 lbs before leaving the hospital.
Naturally the peds wanted me to supplement, but I refused. They asked me to bring the babies in the day after I left hospital for a weight check, so I nursed 'round the clock and they both gained weight - my milk came in on that day both times.

I wish that doctors wouldn't be so quick to advise supplementing - it _usually_ isn't necessary and it puts women in the situation you now find yourself in, compromising their own instincts and instilling fear. Best of luck mama and hope you'll have no trouble weaning off the bottle. I nurse my 12 week old on demand and he is doing wonderfully (16+ lbs), just follow your instincts and don't let the docs scare you!

p.s. Miles still does the cluster nursing thing in the evening, nursing a half dozen times in about 3 hours. But at 6 weeks he was sleeping 7 - 8 hours at night! What a dream!


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## Momtwice (Nov 21, 2001)

Some things that are good for your milk supply:
skin to skin contact with your baby (it releases the milk making hormones)
avoiding caffeine and chocolate
like Daryl said, taking excellent care of yourself (easier said than done, but important!)
Getting into bed with the baby for days and doing nothing but nursing (let someone else worry about the dishes, get help with other children if any)

Know that VERY frequent nursing is normal
avoid artificial nipples (there are other ways to supplement)

You can get more information about weaning from supplements safely and anything else you need to know from
a LLL leader
a board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC)
http://www.kellymom.com

and us of course









Keep up the GOOD WORK!


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## zanelee (Nov 29, 2003)

to you and your hard work. Don't stress too much. Here's my story...
My dd was 10 1/2 pounds. (not gestational diabetes, just large.) We had her at home, so we didn't have the doctor breathing down our necks about her weight or anything else for that matter. She lost weight, was slightly yellow...the whole bit. Sleepy, sleepy sleepy....finally things evened out.
I didn't worry about her weight, jaundice or anything except taking care of her. The way I look at things, you know when your baby needs more help than you can give. Trust your instincts. I know that the beginning is stressful and sometimes confusing, but try and sit and listen to what you know in your head.
The way I look at it, there are a few facts...babies always lose weight after birth, always. If you're feeding her on demand, don't stress. She'll get all she needs, and your body will adjust to that demand.
Babies always get a bit jaundiced. Since this is what happens to all babies, I don't get hyper about it. I truly believe it serves a purpose, maybe, just maybe doctors don't know everything.







I think it's not something to get all hyped up about like they would have you believe.
Now, are there certain instances that you should get worried and search for outside help? Certainly, but trust yourself to know when that would be.
You are doing a wonderful job with your new baby. Don't doubt yourself or your body's ability to provide for your sweet newborn. Read the above posts again and follow your instinct.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Personally I seriously doubt you need supplements at all. I expect that the birth weight was inflated (I bet you had an IV like mentioned) and as long as output is okay I would drop the supplements and nurse nurse nurse.

I think it's a load of bunk that big babies need supplements.

-Angela


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## beansavi (Jun 26, 2005)

My first child was 10 lb 6 oz (no diabetes, tho'). I just nursed him and remembered that it takes 24 hours for my body to catch up and make more if they nursed longer on a given day/were growing. Six pee dipes and a poop dipe in a day sounds fine to me. Have you talked to your doc?

Just love and feed your baby and don't analyse so much...









My second babe was 9 lbs 10 oz.... and still no probs with milk...


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## ~Megan~ (Nov 7, 2002)

I do think you should just rest, feed yourself and her.

I'm not a trained Lactation Consultant (though I'd like to be some day) but here is what I would do.
I'd have someone to take come over to care for me and my kids. To prepare meals and do light housework.
Have some mother's milk tea and oatmeal with fruit for breakfast along with a protein of your choice, eggs are really good.
Snack all day, drinking lots of water.
Have a healthy lunch and more water or mm tea.
more snacks and lots of water
have a healthy -protein and good fat rich- dinner, fish if you eat it maybe
continue taking prenatals and omega-3 supplements
take as many naps as possible
sit with baby in a warm bath

and I'd cut out the supplements unless I really felt they were needed. I'd imagine that after a day or two of the above your milk supply should enough. And as she gets older she will get more efficient and have a bigger tummy and then nursing will be a lot easier for you both.

It sounds like you are very dedicated and doing so great so far.


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## roamingfamily (Jun 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alegna*
Personally I seriously doubt you need supplements at all. I expect that the birth weight was inflated (I bet you had an IV like mentioned) and as long as output is okay I would drop the supplements and nurse nurse nurse.

I think it's a load of bunk that big babies need supplements.

-Angela

Agreed. My son, born 9/30, weiged 10 5. He ended up losing 10%, but even before that, a dr. told me to supplement. When the nurse relayed the info, I simply said "I won't do that." Clear and specific. Hee. He later told another nurse to tell me to supplement, "but, I know she won't." I told the nurses that I had to do what was best for my family in the long run and I was not going to create long term problems to solve a short term problem with other solutions. They all understood. In fact, eventually became clear that every other doctor and nurse did not agree with Doc #1. Including my ped who said the she expects 15% loss in a baby this size! I agree. Try dropping the supplements altogether, see what his output and demeanor is and then add them back if you absolutely have to keeping weaning the supplements in mind when adding them back.


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## InDaPhunk (Jun 24, 2005)

Remember also how very small a newborn's stomach is....regardless of birthweight.They just aren't made to hold ozs and ozs of food. So focus more on number of feedings rather than how many ozs you can pump at once or how much DC takes from a bottle.

I had a rat b#st$rd doctor in the hospital that said my DS's blood sugar was low and tried to make me supplement after each feeding- this is all as I was checking out of the hospital. I called my midwife crying when I got home and she asked me a series of questions that helped me determine if he was getting enough nutrition......besides numbers of poopy/wet diapers..... how did he look? Did he have good color, was he lethargic or did he have good movements and was energetic? Did he eat enthusiastically, or more lethargicly, or somewhere in the middle? Did he cry energetically? What was my overall feeling about his state of health? Answering those questions not only made me confident in my decision to tell the dr when he said to supplement "That just ain't gonna happen", it also made me more confident in my innate parenting ability. So maybe answering those questions will help you determine how well your child is thriving and whether or not to focus completely on a percentage of weight lost or whateva when making the decision about whether or not to supplement. Good luck and









Oh yeah, and *stop that negative talk*!!!! You can do this. You are determined to nurse that child and so it will happen, even if you have to walk around naked for the next year so you child can nurse on demand.....ok , it probably won't come to that, but really, you will be successful, so try to relax some.... it helps your milk let down better, anyway.


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## *Jessica* (Jun 10, 2004)

Everyone else has given great advice (as they always do!







) but I don't think anyone addressed the one poopy diaper a day "dilema" did they? While my first pooped at least every time he ate (which was for 45 minutes every hour and a half) and often even more than that, my 3 month old has been an every 4-8 day pooper (occassionally pooping twice a day or really throwing me for a loop and pooping two days in a row.) He is a very healthy 3 month old baby at 14.5 pounds (up from 7 lbs 1.5 ozs at birth) and pees much more than 6 wet diapers in a day. I think that as long as your little one is having 6+ wet diapers a day and isn't constipated I think you can stop worrying about BMs unless the IBCLC thinks you need to.


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## dynamohumm6 (Feb 22, 2005)

Congrats!
My daughter was 10lb 4oz (10 days 'late', no GD) and she also lost over a pound before we left the hospital, but I never gave her supplements, nor did anyone suggest it. Did anyone tell you why you had to supplement, or did they just assume because she was big?
My suggestion is to cut out the supplements and just nurse on demand whenever your babe wants to nurse. A lot of that newborn weight was probably fluid (esp. if you had an epidural - I did with my daughter, and she was very puffy), so I'm irked that you were told to put her on supplements to begin with 







: And FWIW, my daughter certainly loved to nurse, but she really didn't nurse anymore than my son (who was 7lbs 7oz)...she comfort nursed a lot more, but that's an entirely different topic









You can do it mama!!


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## ladybugchild77 (Jun 18, 2004)

You have gotten lots of great advice...just wanted to add that my dd was 9lb 4oz at birth and no one ever suggested supplementing her...I have never even heard that!







: Her (ex) ped told me to give her formula only because I was so "tired" in the beginning but it wasn't because she was so large...Hmmm...I still ebf my almost 8mo dd who is waaaay over 20lbs...Good luck Mama! You're doing a great job!


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

Another thread about nursing big babies:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...=362608&page=3


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## musicmaj (Jun 14, 2004)

You said you had a c-section. I have had one vaginal birth and two c-sections now. My milk was very slow to come in after my c-sections so my last two babies lost about a pound before they started to gain again. Their pediatrician was not concerned about it because it is typical for a mama's milk to come in 4-5 days after a c-section with no labor. That could possibly be why your little one lost so much weight. My 6 week old has gained 3 lbs in the last 4 weeks - after losing a slight bit more than a lb in the first week pp. He was 8lb/8oz at birth, so not huge, but not really small either. If I were you I would try to wean off the supplementing or stop altogether and just nurse, nurse, nurse for a couple of days. All the nursing will bring your milk supply up and your body will regulate how much your baby needs.


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## 2tolove (Mar 11, 2005)

Hi -
I didn't see this mentioed yet, but because I just left the Hosp w/ a baby
( born 10-28) the Ped said 4-6 wet dipes a day and not to count the poopy ones because it varies so much for BF babes

Sounds like you are doing a great job Mama









Just a thought - my little guy has been BF every hour at night ( tiring yes, but good for supply







) So I am going with it & hoping it encourages increase









Good Luck!!! &







this too shaal pass


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## Greensleeves (Aug 4, 2004)

S


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

You've trained her to want a bottle already. The sooner you get rid of them the easier it will be. The longer you wait the worse it will be. She is getting enough milk- trust your body. You've been had. I see nothing in your story that says you ever needed to supplement. If you want a successful breastfeeding relationship, get rid of the bottles NOW- get them out of your house. And get rid of the formula within a week- tops.

-Angela


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## zanelee (Nov 29, 2003)

:
Totally agree. Get the fake nipples outta there and things will get better. Your baby will not like it at first because she has an easier time getting the fornula through the nipple/bottle, but once she realizes that you represent dinner, she'll not fuss as much.
It's normal for some babies to be sleepy after getting breastmilk. Just like it's normal for some mom's to get sleepy after breastfeeding. (Like me







) It's also more comforting to them. If she falls asleep, keep waking her up, undress her if need be, tickle her too. Eventually things will even out. Promise!








Don't give up! You'll make it!


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## terrabella (Oct 19, 2005)

Supplementing can hurt your supply ultimately because formula is more difficult to digest = it takes longer to digest = more digestion time between nursings = less demand = less supply. I made this mistake with our first baby (big like yours). I only supplemented AFTER he had nursed (most often with an SNS), and it lead to a very slow but steady reduction in my supply. Those extra 30 or so minutes between nursings add up over a couple of months, and the formula becomes a larger part of your life. And mind you, this even happens with the use of an SNS, the math comes out the same because we're talking about digestion time here, not stimulation time. This is a dangerous road because it happens very slowly. I had no idea until he was three months old and I started really looking at the ozs. and discovered that even with using an SNS my milk was slowly but surely leaving us.

My second son was as large as my first, and my exclusive supply was plenty for him for 14 months.

Now with our daughter, significantly smaller at birth but with a substantial growth spurt since, is EBF with no pump, SNS, or formula in our house - and more importantly, no thought of the three.

Be Well!

P.S. Sorry about the GD, hope you're better now.


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## Jacob'smomma (Feb 26, 2004)

I have an 8 week old daughter who was born 10 lbs. My advice to you is don't supplement, feed from the breast only and don't analyse it so much. Have faith in yourself and your abilities to produce enough milk.


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## Lula's Mom (Oct 29, 2003)

I agree with everyone else, esp. alegna who said she doesn't think you ever really did need supplements. I don't either, but I see you creating the need to supplement now... You need to stop with the formula!

The clawing, the fussiness- there could be a lot of reasons. So many of us have issues the first few weeks, even when we are not supplementing and using an SNS! So problems like this are not uncommon, and don't mean that you don't have enough milk at this time (but it could happen if you keep on this way!)

My son was 9,4. He too was sleepy, and he didn't nurse for very long each time. There was one night that I cried and prayed he would wake up and eat more, because I was getting worried about him. But you know, newborns are sleepy a lot! Unwrap her, be skin-to-skin, do what you have to to wake her up. If she's not draining your breasts, can you pump to stimulate your supply? Put that in the SNS?

Oh, baby awake, must go.


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## sdocks (Nov 4, 2005)

i have just given birth to a 10lb baby boy myself 4 weeks ago and i am fully b/f i feel that supplementing is only going to deminish your supply stop supplmenting and just b/f your body is designed to have a baby and supply the right milk for that baby no matter what size you are doing your best i am sure but like i said the less you feed the less milk you have stick at it and it will work it self out in time she is only a few days old and your milk will still be settling in

good luck


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## sarahloughmiller (May 22, 2004)

Everyone has already covered what I would say, but I just wanted to pop in and say my first baby was 10lb 5oz and I never supplemented. He lost more weight than his doc liked, but he gained it back just fine. Bigger babies just seem to lose more.


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## Greensleeves (Aug 4, 2004)

T


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

Good luck!

It is easier to fix this NOW than later. Be strong mama. Your body will sustain your baby.

-Angela


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## rzberrymom (Feb 10, 2005)

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is your own nutrition. I too had a large baby (9lb. 9oz.), and had to nurse her nearly constantly. I didn't have supply issues, but I was absolutely wiped out, exhausted, anxious.

I started using "The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook: Whole Foods To Nourish Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women" and I felt SOOO much better! I'm not a vegetarian, but I thought she had really fabulous suggestions that help keep your energy up while you're nursing (especially with a big babe). Little things like adding tahini to your pasta sauce--you can't taste it, but it really gives you a kick.

Hope that helps


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## kennedy444 (Aug 2, 2002)

I really believe if you really want to nurse your baby you can and there is no need for supplements. I had a hulking 9.9 baby boy and until he started solids at 5 or 6 mos months I just nursed him. If you want to nurse then get rid of all the other stuff and believe that you can!!!


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

You can do it!









I'll take your 10 1/2 pounder and raise you an ounce!









My baby was 10-9 at birth (no GD at all) and 22.5 inches. (Oh and a 15 and 7/8 inch head







)

Anyway, my milk came in within 24 hours but nevertheless he was 9 lb. 9 oz. at 2 days old and got jaundiced. Plus he was starving hungry in the evening (yes I know this is common but I had NO milk by mid-evening and he was miserable... and jaundiced). So I consulted with an LC. She said basically my baby had the caloric needs of a 2 month old and I needed to up my supply and quick -- she checked his latch and it was fine. Obviously I'd been doing demand feeding and was already nursing round the clock and babywearing against bare skin. She gave me some herbs (fenugreek and blessed thistle) and a hospital grade breastpump, and I started pumping several times a day for the first week to boost supply and to get just a little bit of extra milk to give to him at night when he seemed to be miserably hungry. I'd supplement him ~2 oz. of my EBM in the evening if he needed it but mostly the pumping just boosted my supply quickly (and got me a nice little freezer stash lol). I drank tons of water (not just to thirst, but I know this is debatable -- not TOO much water, but still 10-12 glasses a day whether I was "thirsty" or not) and 3 fenugreek capsules 3x/day). I also swear by my double bowl of oatmeal that I continue to eat every single day. By week 2 my supply was gangbusters and we haven't looked back. He was 10-12 at his 2 week checkup!









He gained 2 oz. a day on my milk early on, and was 16 lb. 4 oz. by 2 months old!







He was exclusively BF'd til after 6 months, and now at 9 months, he's 24 pounds and has never had a single "dot" on the charts since birth.

You CAN do it!


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## mamabeth (Jul 7, 2003)

Just another big baby story...my dd was 10lbs 9oz and we started out supplementing her because of course everybody said we *had* to in the hospital. We quit once we went home because she was sleeping too much when we supplemented her, and it took my body a while to catch up with the demand, but she never lost weight after the initial wl at birth, just gained slowly for a while. I had also had a c-sec and had a lot of fluid, so my ped just went with it and watched her developmental signs instead of just weight.

I nursed her for 27 months. Now I'm nursing my "small" guy, only 9lbs 6oz, with no problems! Everyone has given you wonderful advice...chuck the bottles and nurse, nurse, nurse. Fenugreek and oatmeal and all that help, but mostly nurse a ton and know that you can totally do it, and it will be so worth it.


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## havecutekids (Apr 26, 2005)

Don't doubt youself, you gave birth to a baby that your body knew how to grow, your body also knows how to feed that little one! It's totally normal for a baby to lose that much weight in the beginning. I nursed my 10lb 1oz baby boy exclusively for 6 months and he is still nursing at 3 and a half! Your body always makes about 1/3 more than you need. You could drop the supplements all together and you would be fine!

Stacey
LLL Leader


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## MountainRose (May 8, 2005)

It may not always be easy, but you can do it.
Like another mother who posted, my son was 9lbs 2oz at birth. I exclusively breastfed him and he is healthy and has been. He is 9 months and still gets most nutrients from breastmilk, although I am going to work on including more solids.
I believe in you and your baby!


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## Jennifer Z (Sep 15, 2002)

If babe is getting sleepy too fast you can also make sure they are in a diaper only at feedings (your breasts make a little furnace under there, and the combo of warm and eating might be contributing). Also, you can gently tap the bottom of their feet to help keep them awake.

Mine was a little guy compared to yours (9lbs 6.3oz), but he lost quite a bit of weight. My ped was an older guy and assured me that if I kept nursing on demand, he should gain it back. He really pushed water and making sure I was well nourished so that my body could produce as much as possible. Babe was still a tad under where they wanted him to be at a week, but at two weeks he was over, and by 2 months he had doubled his birth weight (and out of his infant car seat







)


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## momoftworedheads (Mar 6, 2003)

Hi!

I am studying to be a LC and I see mom like this all the time. I think your baby's weight was inflated due to the IV and the Gest Diabetes. What we usually have moms do is nurse, pump after each feeding to drain breasts more, and then use that as the supplement.

You may want to have your prolactin level checked if you are going to a BFing clinic.

Getting rest, taking your vitamins, eating oatmeal, Total Raisin bran and OJ or fenugreek all help to increase the milk supply.

Another suggestion that I give moms is to get into bed with baby, nurse as much as she wants. This will also increase your supply!

Mama-you can feed your baby! Keep up the good work and know we are all wishing you the best! Take care.


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## Fiddlemom (Oct 22, 2003)

from my own experience....

son #1 was 9lbs 11oz; I remember people wanting to freak me out about nursing a nearly 10 pounder and was he getting enough? fortunately I had the other voices too-midwife, doula,. I had complications too and while not a c section it was significant so I also had to recover. Best things were nursing round the clock in bed or laying on the couch and getting up minimally. This kid was a hulking 30 lbs at one year on nothing but breastmilk for the first five or six months and solids & breastmilk for the second 6 months.

son #2 jaundiced and I was repeatedly encouraged to supplement. The extra fluids helped to resolve the jaundice quicker BUT WAS TOTALLY DEMORALIZING TO ME. Even those 2 or 3 bottles made my supply drop. And I was the dairy queen, tandem nursing and all, so I can only imagine what bottles and bottles & all these people lacking confidence in you could do!!! (((( HUGS ))))

I'm sure you're aware that your anxiety level can negatively impact your milk supply and that probably the most anxiety-provoking thing a mother can go through is to think or be told that her baby is not getting enough to eat.

for help with milk supply, the following helped:
fenugreek capsules (2 in morning, 2 in evening)
B vitamins (either in supplement form, or through something like brewer's yeast)
Fennel seed added to mother's milk tea (I would drink this by the liter).

wishing you MILK! and HOPE! and RELAXATION! and LOVE!

Jenny


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## emmabella (Feb 14, 2005)

Go mama, go mama go! You can definitely do this... have faith in YOU!

My babe was 9lb 6oz (not GD, just late) and has been EBF from day one. He lost 5% of his weight after birth, gained it back by day three and a whole 1.5 lbs extra by two weeks. Here's the kicker... it took a good FIVE days for my milk to come in. Yes, five. Even with only colostrum he did just fine. Our bodies are made to work this way.

Watch the dipes, get rid of the bottles, formula supplement only with the SNS if you have to. The things that stimulate your body to produce milk are: hormones released in your brain by the physical touch of your babe's mouth on the breast AND fully emptying the breast. An empty breast = green light, make more milk... a full breast = red light, slow the milk production down. (Thank you kellymom.com!) Eat good healthy foods for yourself & drink lots of water. Keep your stress level as low as possible because that can definitely affect your supply.

We are all here to cheer you on! Peace and love to your family.


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## Fiddlemom (Oct 22, 2003)

Forgot to add to my previous post: DS #1 lost _more_ than 10% of his birthweight and they were leaning heavily on me to supplement when I was leaving the hospital...I was pretty militant that formula wasn't going to happen---and I thought, how can they be so worried about such a huge healthy child that is nursing about 20 hours of the day?

my heart is with you
















Jenny


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## 3inclothdiapers (Nov 18, 2004)

More large baby stories:
dd was 9 lb 7 oz, born right on time (no gd)--- she lost at least 10% of her weight, but I nursed her constantly, drank about a gallon of water a day, and ate TONS of food. I did hear the word "supplement" mentioned, but fortunately the ped was nice enough to wait a few days for a weight re-check and by then she had gained it back.









ds2 was 10 lb 12 oz, yes, nearly 11 lb at birth. He was also born on time and I did not have gd. We knew he would be big- the dr could feel that he was huge when measuring my uterus at my checkups. Anyway, ds also nursed CONSTANTLY those early weeks and months. Of my 3 kids, he took the longest to start sleeping through the night. I also had nipple soreness from all the nursing for about a month; he was a very aggressive nurser because he was so hungry! But he gained and gained and gained weight, eating nothing but my milk.

I think the key to good supply is lots of water, eat when you are hungry, and nurse your baby VERY frequently.

I don't have experience with supplementing, but know people who do, and it seems like it's a hard trap to get out of; very few of them were able to get their own supply back up so that they could stop the supplementing altogether. You have to work hard at it, and do it ASAP. Good luck; you are doing a great job! (And regardless of what happens, don't beat yourself up!)


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## aliah79 (Mar 29, 2005)

Just wishing you the best and looking forward to your update! The ladies have had some great advice...

My ds was 10lbs 15oz at birth...10lbs 5oz when we left the hospital (also an unexpected c/s)...10lbs 4oz at one week...14lbs 4oz at five weeks! I was still nursing my 21 month old, so my milk was probably quicker to come in... He's such a chub! I love all his rolls









You go mama! You are doing so much for your not so little babe! *hugs*


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## Greensleeves (Aug 4, 2004)

:


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

Wow, Congrats for going through that trial of fire.

Regaining birthweight plus 6 oz by 11 days is fantastic, you know.

At the weigh in when she gained 2 oz after a feed, that is normal too. That is a normal newborn feed, as their tummies are only the size of the fists or a golfball. Plus, bf babies who feed often won't take in the same amt at every feed.

The LCs gave you terrible advice and I am so angry for you at them. I feel sick that they are giving so many moms the wrong advice. You could write letters to the hospital.

Good for you for noticing when the galactogogues actually gave you too much milk and caused the spitting up!

You made it through and I am so glad.







!!! Yay!


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## nabigus (Sep 23, 2004)

What an amazing update! congratulations! (and good for you for ignoring those silly LCs--so sorry you had that experience.)

It's probably moot by now, but wanted to add that my ds (also "big" at 9 lbs 9 oz) did really well switch feeding in the evenings. he was also prone to falling asleep in the evenings, so I would feed for 5 minutes on 1 side, burp him and wake him up, switch breasts, do the same again, switch, etc etc. He was also a flailer, so if all else failed I would swaddle him to nurse--he'd immediately latch on and start sucking down like crazy.

best of luck! glad you and your dc are bfing so well together.


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

CONGRATULATIONS!


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## carriepurkhiser (Dec 27, 2004)

I would trust your instincts. Our 1 year old was 9 lbs 10 oz at birth - we had him at home. I'm sure he lost some weight, but most newborns do. A newborns stomach size is comparable to the size of a marble! All 3 of my children were born at home and exclusively breastfed (and one due ANYTIME and expected to be larger than the last).

Our first was only 6 lbs and lost over 1 lb by the end of the week - he only had about 3 teaspoons of colostrom total for about 4 days- my milk delayed coming in because of lack of nursing (prematurity). He was a month premature. He is now a healthy 6 year old - and I never supplemented. The more the baby nurses at the breast - the more milk you will make. The body will increase or decrease on demand - depending on how much the baby nurses and needs. Supplements = the less you make. The more the baby nurses = the more you make.

A great book is "The womanly art of breastfeeding" - it is wonderful - I don't know how I lived without it.

Your doing great, just trust your instincts and get rid of the supplements!


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## Nursin'Fool (Apr 26, 2005)

My second baby was 10 pounds, 6 ounces. I breastfed her with no problems, but let me tell you.... I was nursing 24/7 it seemed like. But, it was worth it, and it was only for a week or two, then my supply met her demand easily. It can be done.


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## MommyofPunkiePie (Mar 24, 2005)




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## crazy_eights (Nov 22, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *DaryLLL*
Regaining birthweight plus 6 oz by 11 days is fantastic, you know.

At the weigh in when she gained 2 oz after a feed, that is normal too. That is a normal newborn feed, as their tummies are only the size of the fists or a golfball. Plus, bf babies who feed often won't take in the same amt at every feed.

The LCs gave you terrible advice and I am so angry for you at them. I feel sick that they are giving so many moms the wrong advice. You could write letters to the hospital.









:

Are the LC's on the formula rep's dole now too? That is just a crazy story. And good for you for succeeding *despite* all the 'professional help' you got.


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## JenJMP (Aug 8, 2005)

Wonderful success story!
What an amazing gift for dd.

Would you consider talking/writing to the LCs that discouraged you?
Not to complain, but to educate.

If you don't follow up, they will just assume you took their advice and that they were right.
Telling your story may open their eyes.


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## soccerchic21 (Jan 6, 2004)

Congratulations!

I am coming into this conversation late but I had a 10lb 6oz baby born in July. It was my second and I had been around the block breastfeeding wise and was ready for the hospital to freak about his weight.

He had the stupid heel prick and they threatened formula and he did lose more than 10% of his body weight but what they don't tell you in the hospital is that having an iv during labor can bump up the weight of your baby. Thankfully we go to a very bf friendly ped and they never told us to supplement.

I am so happy for the both of you. Just nurse nurse nurse away!


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

to everything SoccerChic posted. IVs do bump up birth weight (but only by a few ounces) and in my experience very large babies are more likely to lose >10% of their birthweight. However, they should STILL gain it back by 2 weeks. This is what my LC told me and I've know a few uber large babies and they all managed to gain back birth weight by 2 weeks even though they lost a lot the first couple of days. Not all very big babies lose though. Some of y'all had big babies and even BIGGER armfuls at 2 weeks lol!


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## crazy_eights (Nov 22, 2001)

My first lost more than 10% of his birth weight in the first 2 days (no IV either). He was only 8 lbs. at birth. Staff hospital peds were freaked, wanted me to formula feed. Thank G-d, I didn't and it all worked out fine. He was a moose by 8 weeks of age. I'm just curious about how ANY weight loss in the first few days could be problematic. Babies weren't designed to be getting any food other than colosterum at 24 hours of birth.


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## babycatcher01 (Nov 28, 2005)

Lay with your baby and nurse till she wants to stop. It will only last a couple weeks. She needs you right now. If she is wetting enough there is no need to supplament her. She needs time to adjust you are what she knows, she needs your nipples. The weight she lost will return quickly. Dont worrie, just nurse and love and hold your baby.


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## slowjig (Jun 9, 2005)

heh...edited because i didn't read the update...









CONGRATULATIONS!


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## Mrs Dimples (Apr 17, 2004)

Just saw your update, and CONGRATULATIONS!







I wish your story could be the norm (having enough support to persevere through difficulties - I am SO glad that advice like you got from LCs isn't the norm). I am so proud of you for sticking through the hard times. Now you will spend the next years (if you want







) reaping the rewards of your sacrifices early on. You and your baby will spend the rest of your lives reaping the rewards as well.

I would encourage you to alert whoever should be (either the LC in the first case, or the hospital in the second) that you were given poor information, if you have the energy. That was really very bad advice, DaryLLL is exactly correct. I am a CBC who works with IBCLCs regularly and I would be ashamed if anyone from my place of business discouraged you and misinformed you like they did. Someone needs to know so that a mom with less support and good gut instinct than you have doesn't have her BF relationship trampled on and ruined.

Congratulations again! You deserve to be incredibly proud of yourself, and never forget what you went through. Other moms can benefit from hearing your story.


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## Momtwice (Nov 21, 2001)

Congratulations on getting back on track...and with a bad LC to boot? That's awful! I agree with encouraging you to write a letter when things calm down.

Quote:

Nevertheless it was clear that she was still hungry (probably because they told me not to feed her for 3 hours before the clinic!) and so the LC whipped out some formula and fed her the whole bottle, which messed up our feedings for the next several hours because she was passed out digesting all that formula. The same LC wanted me to come back in to try a nipple shield, and there was nothing wrong with her latch, and I didn't have sore nips. And yes, she was an IBCLC. Formula-and-nipple-shield happy. I didn't go back.
Awful. I'm so sorry. You shouldn't wait 3 hours to feed a baby who wants to nurse, if a baby is too hungry they can get agitated and upset, and/or weak and with low blood sugar, and either way they don't nurse as well.

And that LC should have told you to put the baby back on the breast if still hungry, or given a small supplement in my view, not give large amounts of formula. (Yes supplements are sometimes needed, but a whole bottle?!?!)

About your feeling that you wanted to give up every day for 6 weeks, I've heard other moms say that too, that it all fell together for them at that age. (Of course for other moms it all falls APART at that age when they get a growth spurt, but the constant nursing, when it comes back...and it will! is NORMAL!!!)

I feel fortunate that I had a very good IBCLC. To those who are reading, my experience was very different with an IBCLC, she saved me instead of sinking me.

Good work mom! Bravo!


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## Greensleeves (Aug 4, 2004)

:


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