DS not gaining weight help!

It is so hard, harder than you could ever imagine during those glowy pregnancy days when you read all the books and think you have it all sorted, you will get through it though and be more confident in yourself each day. Take care of yourself in the meantime. :)

Good posts below, just to add... Newborns poo, all the time, and it is runny (sorry for the tmi) but 6 poos a day is normal, if BF they are various shades of yellow, and can have a runny part and what looks to be curdy bits in them or they can be a smooth yogurty texture. Initially they are pretty explosive on exit (you can certainly feel it happening through the nappy if you are holding them at the time). My LO liked to take a morning poo whilst sitting on me post-feed and it generally came out the sides of his nappy everytime, combines with the fact that he was a vary splilly baby there was a lot of washing done in my house :) . The lactose overload is something to consider if you really feel there is a problem stool-wise, my sister-in-law had the same issue, I think it more common when you have an abundance of milk, you can pump out and discard the excessive foremilk or feed more frequently to reduce the separation and make sure you don't switch sides if baby doesn't want to. Other reasons for excessive crying can be that your baby is overtired/over stimulated, and you might want to focus on less passing around visitors and more quiet time/sleep (on you if it is the only way), a baby bjorn/sling might be helpful, newborns have a very short window and once they are overtired it is hard for them to sleep (and they need a LOT of sleep. A more relaxed baby might feed better too, but def see an experienced LC and check the latch etc, in my experience your pediatrician and your mother/MIL are the worst possible sources of info regarding breastfeeding/breastmilk ;). Mummies need sleep too, so get help, rest up if you can and eat whatever you can stomach for your own sake rather than your baby, lots of bowls of nibbles around the house so you can graze all day rather than sit down for a big meal might be easier. (nuts, carrot sticks, chopped up fruit, yoghurts etc) it needs to be easy to get at as you don't have the energy to cook for yourself in those early days, so if you have parents or in-laws staying then show them the way to the kitchen :).

Google "Lactose Overdose" My DD too had loose stools, painful wind, bad diaper rash.. we dint know wat it was for 6 weeks, and i even went on the diary free diet and almost starved myself (do u know how many products out there have milk?!?!??!).. In fact there were a couple of doctors pressurizing me to switch to formula cos according to them she was "Lactose Intolerant". Anyways, turned out to be lactose overdose. Do look it up. http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/lactose.html

Congratulations on the birth of your son! I'm sorry to hear that things aren't going so well for you at the moment. Becoming a parent is big enough without the extra challenges that you are facing. I'm assuming you mean that he is still 200g below his birth weight, in which case you are right to be thinking about his lack of weight gain - well done for being on top of things. Babies typically lose 5-7% of their birthweight within the first few days, although up to 10% is also within the realms of normal (especially if mum received IV fluids during birth). However, they should typically be regaining birthweight by 2 weeks of age. As this has not happened, I would strongly encourage you to get the help of a trained breastteeding supporter - ideally an IBCLC. The vast majority of breastfeeding problems can be fixed - most very easily, although some take some time, effort and patience. Your son is obviously not wasting away (evidenced for one thing by the fact that he is pooing), so don't panic. However, the first few weeks of breastfeeding are very important in terms of establishing your supply - and also from the sounds of it your son is not very comfortable so I'm sure you would like to get to the bottom of things as soon as possible. Hello Kitty is right when she says that your calorific intake does *not* affect the quality or amount of your milk. Even mums in famine situations are able to produce milk for their babies. (That said, a nutritious diet is obviously a good idea for nursing mums, non-nursing mums, and the rest of us - but most certainly don't feel bad that your diet may be affecting your baby's milk intake - it isn't.) However, it does sound as if there is an issue with poor milk intake. This could be due to any one of a number of things, and although you give a couple of pointers from what you say, a more accurate "diagnosis" would be possible with more information. A Breastfeeding Counsellor or La Leche Leader could talk you through alternative positioning and attachment approaches and other breastfeeding management techniques which could help optimise breastmilk intake, and you may find that this solves the issues. However, you may find that a clinical consult with an IBCLC may be necessary to check for tongue-tie or other anatomical issue which may be preventing your little one from getting enough milk. This thread lists various avenues of support which you may find helpful if you are in the UAE: http://www.expatwoman.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=151781 You might also find the information on these pages helpful: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing.html (includes signs that your baby is getting enough milk) http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc PMBI (includes suggestions to maximise breastmilk intake) http://www.biologicalnurturing.com (describes "laid-back nursing" which allows baby's natural latching instincts to kick in, thereby encouraging a more effective latch with more milk transferred and less air swallowed - hence less gas) *Hugs* and hang in there - you may need a bit of help (it's normal for mums and babies to need assistance in the early days and weeks), but you will get there :) Please let us know how you get on. xx My 16 day old is still 200g off his birth weight. He is breastfeed and has the most terrible wind and loose stools, I have been told this is due to my lack of calories ( I was pre occupied with him being in pain and crying to eat big meals and have little appetite since leaving hospital ) I've started the whey smoothies and forcing as many good calories down as I can manage but any tips on how to increase my calories would great as I feel so guilty with him crying due to all this wind. :( TIA ladies x <em>edited by BFC on 03/07/2011</em>

Are there any food allergies in the family? In addition to the loose stools and wind, does your LO have eczema, a red ring around his bum hole? Does he have mucus in his stool? If he does, it could be that your LO is intolerant to some of the foods you are eating which is causing the loose stools and wind, the most common of which is milk and soy proteins (milk soy protein intolerance or MSPI). Try to cut out all dairy and soy protein from your diet (I know this is very hard) and see if this makes a difference. You will have to be patient though, it may take 1 to 2 weeks for the milk/soy proteins to leave your system and another 1 to 2 weeks to notice a difference in your LO. If that doesn't work and the same symptoms persist then you may have to go on an elimination diet and omit the top 8 offending foods: milk, soy, corn, eggs, wheat, shellfish, nuts and additives, and try that for another 2 to 4 weeks. If it is an intolerance, you should see an improvement in your LO's "colicy" symptoms. Then you can reintroduce the eliminated foods, one at a time over a 1/2 week period and see if it causes a reaction in your LO. Through trial and error, you should find out which are the offending foods which are to be avoided, however trying to test reintroducing them every once in a while to see if your LO has outgrown his intolerances. The good news is that by age two most children do. HTH

OO, this is so familiar :) Let me tell you something, do not stress yourself so much with only 200g difference! the charts for LO are to give you an idea of what it must be, not to be followed exactly. every kid is different and trust me.... none of them is according to the charts :) just eat properly and healthy and everything will be just fine. unless the difference is very big there is nothing to go crazy about :) I really feel you as I was the same with my first. he was not according to any scale and did not want to eat this or that and don't want to do this or that........ at the end all was fine and I was stressing myself for nothing :) he was just different. you have enough things to worry about and you will have even more when your LO is not so little anymore :) enjoy your time and just monitor approximately all the things like that :) your LO is little, but smart and knows some things better than you, so trust your instincts and relax.

I was only in your position a few weeks ago! My DD is now just over 4 weeks and the first few weeks were tough! Her birth weight was only 2.64kgs and she dropped a bit but never put it back on until 3 weeks (now she weighs approx 3.6kgs!) I am breastfeeding, however, I am having to top up with formula after a feed every so often as she can actively suck/feed for 45 minutes (sometimes an hour) and 5 minutes later is starving hungry. She too has gas and we are about to try infacol drops and see if that helps. The first week, we were in and out of hospital and I was so worried that she wasn't going to be allowed home because she wasn't sucking properly (breast or bottle) to help with her jaundice and therefore wasn't putting on any weight. This feeling continued until she was weighed (at 3 weeks) and had put on around 340 grams. The average is 170 grams! So I can feel with you what you are feeling now! I have just been to see the Paediatrician about the amount of gas and as she has mild thrush, who said that the colour of the stools and the amount isn't that important unless it's black, has blood in it and it's a constant diarrhoea (like 6 times a day). My DD also has quite runny stools and was worried that she will be dehydrated at times but now feel a bit more relaxed! It's not that bad! The dr also told me that your liquid intake is much more important than food. I'm the same as you and can not eat big meals (the thought of it makes me sick!) Don't get me wrong, I do eat but will pick more at things during the day... chocolate being one of those! I have reached the conclusion that I am going to eat the things that I want to eat (in moderation of course - like chocolate for example!) as I do believe that 'a happy mummy has a happy baby!' Water is essential to drink, along with any liquid. I totally agree with what Meals and Hello.Again.Kitty have said. And I will take their advice too!! Thank you! Also see a LC (if you're not already doing so). I found mine to be a big support in the first few weeks as although breastfeeding is the most natural thing to do, it can be very difficuilt too! I still feel a bit disheartened after having her feed from the breast and then straight away have sometimes up to 100mls of formula. But I have to make myself stay positive, thinking of all the benefits, and not give in to the bottle!! Don't worry too much (I'm trying not too as well!) and hope things are ok. If you would like to meet up (for some support and a much needed coffee) I'm always here! <em>edited by suznz on 03/07/2011</em>

Aww, bless you! I can remember being so anxious about everything, but you gradually learn to relax and just trust your instinct and your body... and your baby. They're all so different. Kiwispers posted a truly fabulous post on the "why can't breastfeeding be easy" thread which is absolutely bottom line true. Meals is also right - try to just go with the flow and relax. The wind is one thing that's not nice to have to witness, but apart from that, try to just enjoy your baby rather than stressing about some graph some dude drew up based on an average of babies. Lastly - ditch the whey drinks. You're not body-building and tbh, I can't think of anything less fun to eat/drink. Try chocolate instead. Yes, honestly! Apparently there's no correlation between the intake of calories the mum has and what comes out in your milk, but (purely not scientifically) I'm not so sure. One of my friends' babies used to be quite whingy at the end of any day where she tried to eat "healthily" (ie no cake), so she just continued eating cake and he was happy (and had no problem with weight gain, but that's mainly to do with his huge Scottish father!). Another took to eating a big bar of Dairy Milk every day and her son was hugging the 98th (and still is!). I'm another one not to hold back on a balanced diet (that would be carrot cake then!) and have never had any issues... but then again, I have never really worried or analysed. Don't forget that a lot (if not "most") of weight gain and general size is down to genetics, so if you're slim and petite and your husband is slim, then you're highly unlikely to ever have a sumo baby, regardless of what you do. Just try and eat a healthy, balanced diet. If you usually buy low-fat/lite products, replace them for the time being with the full-fat versions. Drink lots of water, eat lots of fruit and veg, as well as red meats and/or protein, fish (all those oils) and nuts and whatnot... basically, follow your body's cues to appetite and thirst and trust it. Learn your baby's cues for the same thing and feed him/her whenever s/he asks to be fed. If you notice that bubs is making weird slurping noises or doesn't seem settled on the breast (you should be looking for really deep sucks and gulps) and/or you are uncomfortable when bubs is latched on, it could be that s/he's not latching properly, so either review that yourself or consult a specialist. Good luck!

Just want to add - relax a little and enjoy your LO. The first few months are stressful and difficult but there are some super-precious moments in there too :) You sound like you're doing the very best for your LO.

Oh my goodness - you poor thing. Firstly, I'm not an expert, but there are several on here who have been enormous help to me with my LO. Hello Again Kitty, Kiwispeiers, and BFC to name a few... Perhaps they will be more help. Also, I would recommend speaking to a lactation consultant - perahps latch or position etc needs adjustment. But in the meantime - It is highly doubtful that your milk is lacking calories - but eating well and drinking plenty of fluids aids in your supply. Your milk will have the right amount of calories for your LO, but perahps you need to increase your supply - diet changes (as you are doing already), pumping (after a feed to increase supply) or offering the breast more frequently. Also, bear in mind that at 16 days your LO is just about to hit a growth spurt - the dreaded 3 week one! He will want to feed more frequently and longer to increase your supply and grow - this is perfectly normal! As as for the wind - try some products that are on the market for colic - infacol can be used from birth. This may help. If you do a search for wind re:infants, there are plenty of different techniques for aiding them in getting their wind up. As for loose stools - he's bf, it's normal! They should look like seeded mustard in color and consistency. BF babies have much looser poo than formula babies. <em>edited by meals on 03/07/2011</em>