At Levi's two month appointment he weighed 12lbs 14oz. Last week at our WIC appointment he weighed 12lbs 15oz. I couldn't exactly remember how much he weighed at his last dr. appointment so I called to ask and talk to them about his weight gain or lack there of. I've noticed over the last couple weeks that he seemed little and his clothes are kind of big on him instead of him filling them out. With Levi being my third child I know what to look for and I know what's normal and what isn't. So far normal has been steady weight gain, like a pound (or more) a month.
After calling the doctor's office and realizing that he's only gained one ounce in the last month I began to worry, as any mom would. Levi has been exclusively breast fed. He's had a bottle maybe 3 times so far, so I don't truly know how much he's getting to eat at each feeding. I just assumed it was enough. I didn't have any problems breastfeeding Gabriella and to be honest, she was quite chunky during that time. I'm not used to having skinny babies!! It's hard not to feel guilty for Levi not gaining weight. I'm his source of food, obviously I am the problem here, right? It's hard not to feel insecure about myself as a mom when something like this happens.
The nurse suggested pumping to see how much milk I'm producing and then today I'm taking Levi in to have him weighed, examined and then I'll feed him and they'll re-weigh him after he eats to see how much milk he's consuming. I pumped twice yesterday and both times got about 4 ounces. I think 4 ounces is a good amount for a 3 month old...
So then my mind starts to figure out what the problem is and how to solve it....
-Are we too distracted during feedings?? Should I pump and then give him a bottle to make sure he's actually getting a full feeding?
-Is my milk bad? Will I have to switch to formula? --this totally makes me want to cry. I really enjoy breastfeeding and the bond I feel from it. It's a very short time that I get to breastfeed my child and I don't want it cut it even shorter.
-Is everything okay with Levi??
-Is Levi burning more calories than he's consuming? Should we start rice cereal or supplementing with formula?
These are all questions I'm sure the doctor can help me with. It's just hard being a mom and not knowing what to do. And even worse, feeling like you're some how failing. Any advice?
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Kortnie, I am sorry you are going through this. Even though I don't have three kids, I just went through this with my son, Kevin. He was breastfed exclusively until 4 months. He wasn't gaining weight properly after 3 months either. Finally when he was 4 months old, he absolutely refused to nurse, take formula...nothing. He lost 1 lb in 1 week and we were hospitalized for TWO WEEKS while they tried to figure out what was wrong. It turns out he had reflux (GERD) and developed an aversion to eating (because when he ate it was painful). However I had no way of knowing this since he never SPIT UP. It came up his esophagus, but never out, so it was painful for him without me knowing. He was put on Zantac at first, that wasn't strong enough, so then they put him on liquid Prevacid (at 4 months) He was on it twice a day for several months. Then once a day for 2 months and now he is completely off of it. He still is small for his size, but he is otherwise healthy and happy. Ask the doctor about reflux-Kevin had to be scoped in order to find out-but this could be the problem. Whatever the problem is, remember kids are resilient and you ARE doing the best you can for him! You are a great mother and a great role model for other moms! Hang in there and let me know if you want to talk more about this! Caitlin
ReplyDeleteI don't know exactly how old Levi is, but Ezra was having issues with his weight at 4 months. He struggles with sucking and the bottle to begin with, so for us, the easy solution was to start solids (bear in mind though that he was eating 30 oz a day at 4 months). So he was just hungry and not loving the bottle; he took to solids immediately (but he was ready). I would just say that maybe you could supplement with one bottle a day or pump an extra time to get another 4 oz? If he's not acting hungry though, then I wouldn't worry about it. Your doctor will know exactly how to advise you. And you know what you're okay with doing. God knows too, and He gives great advice. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't say I have any advice, but I will say, it's not your fault! I know it's hard not to feel guilty as a mom but try not to. You're a great mom and I'm sure Levi will be fine. Does he seem fussy at all? Or is he happy after feedings? I'm sure you'll figure out the issue soon and everything will be fine. :-)
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