Just got back from Johnnys check up

MyBlueEyedBabies wrote: The real highlight for me was to find out he has only gained just shy 1 freaking pound since birth. he is 2.5 months old and weighs 8 lbs 1 oz. He has fallen completely off the chart for both height and weight.
I have no idea what to do. we have been battling thrush for about a month and a half and that is finally under control...I hope it stays that way. Now he is fussing during feedings and I dont think he is taking much at all in but is still throwing up right after. I am getting squat when I pump (2 oz total, down from 5 each side about a month ago) and I feel no lighter after he eats. He cries most of the time he's awake and refuses to sleep while laying down during the day and about half the time at night. Feeding times are starting to stress me out because I do nothing but worry about how much he is eating and then how much he's keeping down. I am even concidering renting one of the scales from th bf supply store but I obsess enough about my weight I don't need to do the same with his.
I am feeling like such a failure right now.

oh yea and to top off my day I was going to be taking Matt out for a "date" tonight but he wants dh instead

PrairieMom replied: What did your Dr say? are they worried?

sparkys2boys replied:

I have heard of this, not sure what it is called though. It has to do with acid build up. It makes them vomit after feedings and also causes babies to feel full even if they have not consumed much. This may not be what is wrong in your case, but I thought I would share that. Good luck, and maybe talk to the ped doctor.

MyBlueEyedBabies replied:
He's concerned. he went from teh 50% to below the 5th in 2 months. they want me start alternating every other feeding with formula and see if we can get him to gain weight. I take him back in 2 weeks for a weight check to see if he is maybe closer to "on the chart"
He doesn't think his poor weight gain is necessarilly due to his reflux but more because of an over abundance of foremilk and not enough hind milk...THat was definately the problem with Matt but it was obvious due to his output IYKWIM
I have been worried about his size for about a month but I thought he was bigger so now I am really starting to worry

MyLuvBugs replied: Sounds a little like acid reflux to me....did the Dr. say anything about his spitting up??
Edited b/c you answered this at the same time I posted it. LOL


Do you think it's the foremilk issue like Matt had or something else? If so, you could pump through your let down and then feed him. I had to do that a few times. Could the thrush have upset his system to the point that he doesn't want to eat much anymore??

Calimama replied: Bella has a pretty similar problem. She wasnt gaining weight from my breast feeding she actually dropped 1 1/2 lbs.. and was only at 5lbs. She's on formula completely and has reflux medicine once a day. It seems to help now she's about Johnny's age and 10.5 lbs.

CantWait replied:
I don't want to tell you what to do, but I will say this. If you really want to continue bf, see if there's an alternative before you do this. We did this with Robbie and by 3 weeks I was completely dried up. The doctor started with supplmenting 2 feedings a day, and then the next week we went in and he still hadn't gained anything, so he upped it to 3 feedings a day. Robbie was always low on the charts, even after being put on formula.

Also how is his height, did that go up? If so he may just be growing the opposite way. Some doctors tend to fret to much. Is he meeting milestones?

Can you bf more often, increase your supply (I know there are ways but I'll leave that to the experts). I don't mean to sound pushy so I hope that's not how I'm coming off, I just want you to know what I went through. Unfortunetly I didn't have the support or information that is available to me now, and I relied on my doctor for that information, unfortunetly it was the wrong information.

Have you tried leaving him propped up and not lying down after feedings to see if this helps with the throwing up?

I wish you best of luck whatever you decide.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Lisa, first of all, you are NOT a failure by any means. I know you will do everything in your power to figure this out. It will be okay. If you need my help by watching the kids for awhile just to give yourself a break, please let me know. That kiddo is a cutie and just remember how big Matt shot up!

A&A'smommy replied: I'm sorry honey it sounds like things are little rough for you right now I wish I had some advice for you!!! Things will get better in time!!!

Our Lil' Family replied: Are they not going to give him anything for the reflux? It seems that maybe if he wasn't hurting he'd eat more.

CantWait replied:
That's another good point. Why not give him something for the reflux and continue to bf (if that's what you want), and see if that helps.

MyBlueEyedBabies replied:
THanks. With the way things are going I might be taking you up on that. I have been trying to. It is weird to look at the Giant Matt and remember that he was small once. He jsut never actually fell off teh chart...just close

Our Lil' Family replied:
I'm no doctor but I am a Mother of a reflux baby and from what you have said I have to disagree with your ped. as well. If he is fussing while nursing, that's typical reflux. Reflux babies dont always spit up (mine didn't) and it may not bother him if he does spit up, in fact it may make him feel better, but if he's fussing while feeding that sounds like classic reflux. And I'm not sure how he can say it's overeating when you are saying he's not nursing for long at all, and he is not gaining weight.

If it was me, I'd ask to at least try Zantac or something. It's worth a shot, you'd probably be surprised.


ETA: The way I figure it, if he is on medication that helps him feel better he will eat more. Let's say now without the meds he takes 2 oz and spits up all 2 oz. With the meds he might take 4 and still only spit up 2....that's still 2 oz more than without the meds! Did that make sense?

MyLuvBugs replied: Hey Lisa....

Check out the "Symptoms of Thrush" section of this article. Yeast and Breastfeeding

You said that you'd been battling Thrush, right? maybe his little mouth, tummy, and digestive track just haven't fully recovered yet. When you're nursing is he pulling away after a few minutes and crying?

I hope you're ped comes up with some answers for you. It's always hard when it's your kids and you don't know how to fix their problems.

amymom replied:
My ped explained Reglan differently to me. The Reglan was not for the pain (Zantac was) but helped the food move through her stomach faster so that it could be absorbed in the intestines. So on Reglan, Mary Beth began to gain wgt. (Again my info is almost 10yrs old but it worked for MB)

Good Luck and I hope he does well.

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: The thrush never bothered him, it was just the feeling like my nipples were burning off that bothered me We have both been taking acidopholis(sp) since the begining and will continue to do so but now neither uf us are showing any of the signs.

Matt was on Reglan so I am familiar with it but at J's size it's too dangerous. The effective dose is so close to the toxic dose the possible benefit is just not worth the risk associated. Once he puts on some weight Reglan will definately be an option but not right now.

We know what are options are as far as feeding him and though I have no issues what so ever with formula (as K&M were both on formula and are perfect) the bf thing was finally working for us so it makes me sad that for some reason my body just refuses to work the way it's supposed to. It's like my boobs produce skim milk and all the fat goes right to my stomach
I am looking at the positives...we are getting great use out of his clothes...still fits in newborn. smller diapers are cheaper than bigger so only having one in diapers and size ones at that we are getting our moneys worth. I just want him to be healthy and happy wouldn't hurt anything

holley79 replied: Looks like everyone had you covered. You aren't a failure by any means.

C&K*s Mommie replied: to the not being a failure part. You are not!

MyLuvBugs replied:
I know exactly how you feel. That's how I was with Lorelei. For some reason, my body just wouldn't produce enough milk, and he milk it did produce was like water. So she had to be supplimented with formula, and she's perfectly healthy.

It just happens sometimes I guess, but it doesn't mean that you're a failure by any means. And you don't have to stop Bfing if you don't want to. Formula can just be a suppliment, or you can pump and feed him that via a bottle as well. It will work out sweetie KUP!!