No, not my own weight, which is down quite nicely after this last pregnancy! I actually weight less after baby than I did when I started, believe it or not. And I haven't tried to lose weight, either. I only had a net gain of 6 lbs.
Nope, this is about my struggle to help Peter gain weight. And quite a struggle it has been.
When he was born, Pete weighted 6lb15oz. When we left the hospital the next day, he was a respectable 6lb10oz. However, he soon dropped to 6lb4oz. After being labeled "failure to thrive" by nearly 3 weeks old, we had to begin supplementing our nursing with formula. I didn't mind, as it was what was best for Peter at this time. However, I tried very hard to increase my milk supply to eliminate formula all together.
Alas, it was not to work. He was barely on the weight chart at his last appointment at 5 weeks old. He weighed 7lbs4oz. Supplement more please, the doctor said. And so I have been. It seems to be working, as well. He is finally starting to put some meat on those little bones of his!
I thought I would feel worse about not being able to exclusively breast feed my little boy, but every bit he gets is helpful. I still nurse him first, but we follow that with a bottle of formula, which he usually finishes. I really feel badly that he was still hungry those first weeks, when he wasn't gaining. Hopefully, our doctor's visits will normalize after his next checkup at 7 weeks, though he will surely need to go back again for a 2 month check. I am pretty sure he will be on the charts at his next visit, and above the 2nd percentile, as well.
7 comments:
Did you try a high protein, high fat diet for yourself? Whole milk, butter, eggs, peanut butter, tuna, nuts, cheese... You know, all the stuff we're normally told we're NOT supposed to eat. :-) You can't make great milk on a so-so diet, you know? Now is not the time to be skimping. I mention this because it's perfectly natural for women to nourish their own babies with their own milk, and there is a genuine deficiency in a very small number of women, making it very unlikely that you would be one of those women. I also believe that a lot of our health issues are caused by our so-called healthy diets. I'd bet money that this is nutritional. Can I call you tomorrow? I don't know about unsupplementing, but I do know a little about good nutrition for pregnant and lactating women. :-)
Jess, I'm sorry that you've been struggling with this. It's never-wracking enough to have an infant dependent on you, without adding health scares to the load. I'm glad that all is going well. And you know what? We were all raised on formula...we didn't turn out so bad! Good luck and know that whatever decisions you make for the health of you and your baby, you should not feel the least bit guilty about them. Love and hugs.
(By the way, I'm no longer on facebook, so updates to this page are oh so welcome!)
Oh, I hope I didn't sound guilt-inducing. But there IS a difference, and if there is a way, it's worth working a little for.
Interesting to note: Cows produce less milk when they don't get enough protein. Cows also produce less milk when they don't get enough water. We are not cows, of course, but we aren't so different as we think. :-)
Jenn, yes, of course you can call. Monday would be better, though, as Paul is home Sunday and we spend the day together. No, you are not guilt inducing. I did that to myself enough when I had to supplement with Jeffrey. Not doing it this time. Love you!
Beckie, thanks for the support, too. Actually, even Mandy and Andrew were on formula after 6 months. I know Peter will still be fine, and of course he is still breast fed, just not exclusively. The supplementing does mess with my supply, but I haven't given up on that either.
Love you all and thanks for the encouraging words!
Monday it is!
Hey, when I was nursing and I had to go back to work, I needed to pump milk so that Miguel could feed them while I was away...I drank a tea from a company called Traditional Medicinals called Mother's Milk which has ingredients that promote healthy lactation. It worked to help increase my supply and it is worth a try if you can get it. And pumping might be a way to keep your supply up while you're supplementing. It's hard at first, and you feel crappy when all you get for all of your handle-squeezing is a measly ounce of milk, but it gets easier with time, patience and practice. The important thing is to keep doing it regularly. And finally, Jennie, you didn't sound guilt-inducing. We are all quite capable of inducing our own guilt by comparing ourselves to some ideal of motherhood that doesn't actually exist and I was hoping to help her avoid that trap. Goodness knows we spend enough time beating ourselves up about the things we've done (and haven't done) while raising our children! Love to all.
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