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urgent help needed to increase baby weight

Discussion in 'Breast Feeding' started by vanishri2025, Feb 18, 2010.

  1. vanishri2025

    vanishri2025 New IL'ite

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    Hi Ladies.
    My baby is 1 month old and am facing severe undersupply of breast milk having less than 40 ml whole day if i express it,doc has suggested formula feed since he lost weight almost 500 gms,so he is on formula since week 2,now problem is he is gaining weight 15-20 gms per day which is bare minimum.Iam feeding him 8 times in a day.he drinks 350ml-450ml in a whole day is it sufficient.?
    Please advise me to increase my breast milk.

    Regards
    Vanishree
     
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  2. tikka

    tikka Gold IL'ite

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    Vanishree, congratulations on your new baby.
    350 to 450 ml looks like it is around 12 to 15 oz... The range for breastmilk is around 19 to 35 oz, so it does look like your child is not getting enough. A newborn should be feeding at least 10 to 12 times a day. Are you feeding him on demand, responding to his hunger cues or have you been asked to feed him every three hours, so many oz? I have a feeling you have been asked to do the latter.
    Looks like your child is drinking anywhere between 1.5 to 2 oz per feed every three hours, from what you have posted. I would shorten the length now between two feeds and see if your child will take an amount slightly reduced to say 35 to 40 ml every two and a half hours the first week and then reduce the interval to 2 hours in the day time and if he sleeps well in the night to 3 to 4 hours in the night from the second week.
    About increasing breastmilk, do you pump? What kind of pump do you have. If you have a manual pump or dont have any, I would think investing in an electric pump or. Initially you will have to pump like you would breastfeed, every two hours.
    Have you met with an LC to figure out why your baby was losing weight? Was their any latch issues, soreness in the nipples. Have you been showed the ideal latch to ensure a pain-free bfing. Latch and positioning are quite important and all of us dont learn it right away and need some practice.
    Have you been prescribed any galactogogues like fenugreek tablets or meds to increase your supply? I am so full of questions, the information you have given is very little for me to work with. Do let us know what your issues are, I can perhaps then point you to some resources. Hugs. Hang in there.

    p.s. oops, I assumed you live in US. Do let us know if you are doing well on latch and positioning, or I can post some links to videos.
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2010
  3. vanishri2025

    vanishri2025 New IL'ite

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    Hi Tikka,
    Actually 400ml iam feeding is not breast milk its formula,he is on formula since day 7 as he lost weight and i was afraid to waste time as i was having too little milk coming then,even now i breastfeed only 3-4 times a day as he sleeps a lot and when he gets up iam tensed so i feed him formula,i get 40ml breast milk in whole day.taking shatavari powder and soaked fenugreek daily but its of little help.Going to gynae tomoro are there any harmonal injections or tablets which increase milk supply.
    Iam worried a lot,i stay in bangalore india.

    Vanishree
     
  4. chaaral

    chaaral Silver IL'ite

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    Hi Vani,

    If you are formula feeding ,slowly your body will stop producing milk, the best way to increase or maintain ur supply is to continue breastfeeding.
    You say u get 40 ml breast milk in a whole day, pumping output is different from what the baby can take in, babies can suck more efficiently than the pump.
    pumping depends on what time of the day you pump, the type of pump you are using etc. so dont worry if u pump less milk. do you nurse ur baby or pump and feed breast milk. if you are feeding ur baby then check the points Tikka has mentioned like latching etc.if you are pumping and feeding ur baby, try to pump every 2 to 3 hrs to increase the supply. check if u have a good hospital grade electric pump.
    i use a manual pump and first not able to pump even little,later found out that the way i was using was wrong. even the timing is important, try to pump in the night after 1 or 2 am. even in the mornings. try pumping when ur baby is nursing on one side for a quicker let down. you have to be relaxed first.
    Foods like oatmeal, ragi, garlic, almonds, methi help. there are even methi tablets to help more milk production.
    but what ever you may try reduce formula and breast feed often to increase supply if that is possible.
    after breast feeding check if the baby has enough wet diapers.
    also make sure u breast feed in the nights to increase supply.

    Goodluck!
     
  5. vanishri2025

    vanishri2025 New IL'ite

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    Thanks Chaaral,
    iam currently hand expressing the milk will nurse now onwards before formula feed and see the result.
     
  6. Padminiramesh

    Padminiramesh Senior IL'ite

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    Hi vanishri,

    Hope u r doing good now. Let us know how your BM supply is. I pray god that your supply should increase.
    I had low supply problem initially, but i took more oats,almonds,lacatare,shatavari and traditional all pathiya saapadu (which my granny still claims that only because of that supply increases)....do take plenty of water, i use to drink bottles and bottles of water initially that really helps.
     
    Last edited: Mar 15, 2010
  7. malar_arasi

    malar_arasi Silver IL'ite

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    tikka, how do we come to know so much ounces of milk is what a baby needs... coz one of my twin ( ya the one I am talking abt in other threads) takes only around 14-15 oz a day.. is this Ok or the quantity depend on weight /age of baby
     

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