Failure to Thrive...What should I do????

Proud - posted on 04/22/2012

http://www.circleofmoms.com/failure-to-t...

Shana - posted on 06/01/2010

Don't feel bad. My baby lost weight and stayed in the 50th percentile which was good but I felt she wasn't gaining enough weight. I felt that I wasn't pumping enough for her. Bottom line your baby needs to gain weight so pump and breast feed all you can it is the best for him. But don't be afraid to supplement with formula for his health is most important. Try a formula that is as close to breast milk as you can. Try the formulas thatt are especially for colicky or reflux babies. I've seen them and most importantly give yourself a break. no one said being a mom was easy and no one understands more than another mom. Your doing the best you can.

Lyndsay - posted on 06/01/2010

First of all, you are NOT a failure! It sounds like you are trying everything posible and BRAVO for trying to breastfeed! This reminds me of my step daughter who is now 3 1/2 years old and ways only 28 lbs! I have been in her life since she was 1 and the doctors have been concerned about her weight since before then... She has hit every milestone, but is just plain tiny. She's been on special high-calorie diets for almost her whole life and her metabolism just keeps burning it all up. It is possible that he is just tiny.

Monique - posted on 05/31/2010

i have a friend who has a 1yr old daughter who was diagnosed with the dame thing i think she is 6kg now... but if you like i can pass her add on to you?? im sure she can help she has tryed everything...

Melysa - posted on 05/31/2010

leaking when your baby cries is not mandatory it is not a sign of healthy supply !!!
my son was also diagnosed failure to thrive due to poor weight gain he is significantly below the bottom line(5th percentile) he is still very small but he is a picture of health in every other way my pediatrician suggests that it could be sleep apnea i know how much you feel at fault but please know this is not your fault some babies are just built to be small my son is on polyjule a calorie supplement that we add to everything and it helps with his weight gain you buy it over the counter at the chemist i hope that this may help you and that your son puts on weight soon

Nicole - posted on 05/31/2010

How are you doing?

Tonya - posted on 05/31/2010

I have two children a 16 year boy and 11month old girl. They are like night and day. My son was bigger almost to big a big eater and also bottle feed. With my girl, it's like night and day, it's totally different. Breastfeeding is not the most natural thing and it takes work dedication and conviction. I applaud you for continuing the breast feed.

Our babies don't come with instructions we have to learn them and that takes longer than the months he's been alive sometimes. You can't worry that makes everything worse on you. Just know that you are best for your baby.



I'm a combo mom I don't make enough milk for my LO and have to supplement with formula. I am a low milk producer due to an breast augmentation. If you need a little help it's OK it is about what is best for the baby. Its been 11months I still am nursing and I am still her pacifier.



Try taking mothers milk plus (it comes in liquid form in a royal blue bottle w a dropper) you can get it at any health food store(in So Cal Henry's is where I get it at). I drank and still do drink the mothers tea and take fenugrek. All are found at health food stores. When you nurse him pump the other breast while nursing if you can this may help bring up milk production. Above everything else DON'T STRESS. This will hinder your milk production. I know it stopped mine for 2days. BREATHE and know that you are what is best for him. Stay calm eat healthy drink lots of water and eat oatmeal every morning.



It took us about 3months before things really felt right then she hit a growth spurt at 4 months. I was more confident and just nursed on demand continued to do what I had been doing also keeping calm. She's now 11months old and only 20lbs she's 29" long though. I think she's little but she'll be tall. Your son sounds like he'll be tall and lanky also.

April - posted on 05/30/2010

feed on demand

Stephanie - posted on 05/30/2010

And Fenugreek and blessed thistle work wonders....

Stephanie - posted on 05/30/2010

I would feed your wee one on demand. You may just have thinner breast milk... Although I strictly breastfeed, my thought based on information I've read, is that you probably shouldn't mix the formula with the breast milk, but rather supplement the formula with a bottle or tube... Have you tried tube feeding? When my son was born, he had a poor latch as a result of a tongue tie and I taped a tube to my breast and fed him pumped breast milk with a syringe. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Good luck!

Rachelle - posted on 05/30/2010

My brother was failure to thrive and he is turning 21 this year! Good luck!

ME - posted on 05/29/2010

I agree with the women who have said this DOES NOT sound like FTT. Please get a second opinion...my son was always small and still is, but he is 2 1/2 and very advanced in every area but weight (25 lbs). He was always small, and I had no problems with my supply (bf til 18 mos), and he had no problem getting full.

In the meantime...my little girl (3 mos) had bad reflux, and spit up SO much after every feed...she was clearly in pain, and I felt awful about it. People told me that it would stop eventually on it's own, and that it wasn't a big deal, but I felt SO bad for my sweet baby girl that I did some independent research. Based on what I found, I cut dairy out of my diet completely, and that helped her a little, but the magic bullet was when I found probiotics (Culturelle is the brand name). I add one dose to some breast milk in a bottle once or twice a week...the pain is gone, the spitting up is more like a normal baby, and all of us are much happier...talk to your doc or a nutritionist, and see what they recommend, but the brand I suggested has a type specifically for children and infants. Mayah was a different girl almost over night...it is so wonderful to have a happy giggling peaceful baby, and to know that I wasn't "overreacting" (which is what I was told a lot!)

Kay - posted on 05/29/2010

Firstly, YOU ARE DOIN SOO WELL! I've breastfed my last two until the eldest was 2 and her bro until 1...and tandam feeding isnt easy.
With you, you need to make sure he is getting the fatty milk, the hind milk....if he attaches for short periods hes probably getting just the orange juice and not the hind. IIts best too have at least 15 - 20 mins each side and mixing formulas....nah...not easy for the digestion.
And huni, you need too rest and eat too you know...pasta....cheese....proteins for your own sanity and upkeep! A glass of red wine wont harm either.
You just gotta know though, that failure too thrive ISNT because you've got it wrong...its just alot of medical graphs...that dont take on the full picture.

Stay positive hun, and try too relax...this is just a small hurdle that you will overcome!

Clair - posted on 05/29/2010

Your not a failure ....go see a pediatrician they have special formulas that they can suggest to you that can help your baby to gain weight and get the nutrients that your son needs ..sometimes us mommies produce milk that is low in calories ..keep up the good work p.s the more you feed and pump the more you will produce

Schmoopy - posted on 05/29/2010

You're not a failure. Breastfeeding isn't as natural and easy as it sounds! Just hang in there....

If you want to boost your milk supply, check kellymom.com for great tips: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-su...

BTW, my baby ate every 1.5 hours the first few months of his life. He was hungry!

Susan - posted on 05/29/2010

do you give him a paci? I wouldn't everytime he wants to suck I would give him either your brest or a bottle also my aunt was failure to thrive and now she is a happ healthy mom to 2 boys! hope that makes you feal better but she has always been on the small size

Sophie - posted on 05/29/2010

I agree with the comments on here, it doesnt sound as though ftt was the right diagnosis! Would like to add as some others did that I never leak when my baby cries- let alone any other babies and I have oversupply so it is NO indication of how much milk you have (neither is pumping!!) As others have said his diaper output is MORE than adequate and if he is meeting milestones I would say dont out so much stress on yourself. See a good Doctor about the reflux and as someone else said make dure you keep him upright at least 20 minutes after feeding and he may sleep more comfortably in a slightly upright position- you can get sleeping wedges or just prop his mattress up slightly with towels/covers underneath (make sure they are under his mattress as you dont want them to become a sids risk)

Feeding on demand is really important with bf as you body will know to produce the amount your baby requires- dont liit the time on one breast let the baby determine how long he spends there and how frequently he feeds- for the first 2 months this was at least every hour around the clock with my daughter then slowly went to every 2 and now is anywhere from 2-4 hours sometimes more (she is 7 months now)

Sharna - posted on 05/29/2010

my baby doesnt gain much weight and he has always had a huge appetite, whether it was breastmilk, or now that he his old, solid food. my health nurse put it down to 'its just him' and because he is developmentally perfect for his age, thats all that matters. hang in there :) a mother knows best, and if ur baby is fine, not always hungry, and doing everything a baby should, i dont think u have anything to worry bout. good luck!! xo

Christina - posted on 05/28/2010

OH! If you need more milk to come in Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle REALLY helps! (your sweat will smell like syrup..guarantee! but it's not an issue.^_-). kellymoms.com is a good site for info

Christina - posted on 05/28/2010

Please don't feel like a failure. My daughter was a failure to thrive baby as well. She is 14 months now and we are out that mark. She recently was out that range becuase she turned 12 motnhs and ready for whole milk. But since the time she was born, it was an issue.

At first, I felt like a failure. Becuase I was strong on nursing her. IF she wanted more and I couldn't give her milk, I would give her formula. I thought my milk will come in so full that I will leak and I need to pump. I bought electric pumps and everything, only to find out that my body wanted only baby to take milk.

So I worked with dr, they tell me she is not gaining. Give her formula as well. So I did and still. I was lucky that she still wanted my milk after the formula.

When she got older for food, she would eat! LOL! She would nurse with me and then still eat her food. But STILL she wasn't gaining the weight.

I heard failure to thrive for the first year of her life and it got to a point where I just follow my mommy instincts. She was reaching her milestones early and very happy baby. And her appetite was very healthy! So I ignore the doctors.

What really got her out that category was her eating people food and pedisure. HEr doctor told me no juice or water yet just milk (D) and pedisure. She is still doing fine.

I am sorry for a long reply but I want you to know that you are not alone and I felt the same way as you. I want you to know that if your baby is happy and he eats good and nice and full..that what matters. Still nurse him as well...regardless. I stopped...well..my daughter stopped when she was close to 13 motnhs.

Also, see if your lact specialist can test you milk to see if your milk is high calorie (really fatty)..mines did..so i was fine. You I am sure you are too.

Also, DD has acid reflux and has these bad choking episodes especially with the formula. So I decrease the amount of formula and gave her my milk as much as se wanted. We still go through it but not as bad becuase she is on zantac (since 7 months).

Don't worry. Follow your instincts. Listen to your baby. And you will be fine.

Teresa - posted on 05/28/2010

His growth and output sound pretty ok to me. The big concern (IMO) would be how the reflux is making him feel. I also ditto everyone that said nurse him as often as he wants and nurse as long as he wants.



You are NOT a failure!!! :)

Rose - posted on 05/28/2010

I also had similar problem, mine was due to stress. I ended up almost losing my milk because it was caught late. If you need a quick boost on milk supply go to motherlove.com get more milk plus. I can give several suggestions...One to ensure let down use a warm cloth on breast before and during feedings. To build nurse often, the more he suckles the more you will produce. My first one was latched on from day one to 5 months. He used me as a pacifier, and sometimes thats part of nursing. Don't do 10 minutes, nurse until empty on one side then move to next... you may be lopsided, but a good bra will take care of that... Start on the side you ended with next time. Your body will only procude as much as is being used, if its not empty it will cut supply. To continue building after your done nursing if baby is still hungry suppliment with bottle, but do an extra 10 minutes with a breast pump...the more demand the faster it will build...

At first you will lose sleep doing this, but once your milk supply is back you will be able to go back to full breast feeding...

Cindy - posted on 05/28/2010

First off, YOU are not a failure. I am sure you are trying to do the best for your baby. You need to be very honest with the doctor. Force them to run test if you feel more is going on with him. If you feel the issue is your supply their are ways to increase your milk as well fenugreek and mothers milk for starters.



I understand your frustration. My second child also had failure to thrive. The situation was slightly different because her problem was a food aversion. She did not want to eat. I would try to encourage her to eat every two hours, but with no success. Eventually my milk dried up and I was forced to fall back to formula. I had ignorant doctor's telling me that she would eat when she was hungry without understanding that she had NO demand. It took a 2 week stay at children's hospital to get some answers.



Two things helped me in getting the doctors to eventually listen. First I had a 1 year old that was over the 75th percentile, so they knew I fed my kids. Second I kept a running log of the times I fed her and how much (how long) she ate. I don't know if this helps any, but I feel for you.

Kemi-Alicia - posted on 05/28/2010

Nurse your baby WHENEVER he needs feeding, it doesn't matter how often. Consult a nutritionist for advice.



Some moms I know used superfoods like Essentials, it is a natural product, a complete meal. Some have found they'd rather give their kid that than formula. You can take it yourself too and your baby can get the benefits from your breast milk.



I give it to my kid because she is a fussy eater and I didn't feel she was getting enough nutrients but she does with Essentials. i still breastfeed her too so I know she's getting all she needs.



Please do your research before committing to or dismissing suggestions. Everyone's case is different.



good luck

Anisha - posted on 05/28/2010

Do you want to breast feed him? My son was so demanding with his milk, he also had colic, he would be sick all the time and constantly cry I didnt manage to breastfeed him very long I was so upset with myself becasue I felt like I wasnt trying hard enough. I would then decide to stop then a few days later I would change my mind all because I felt like a terrible mother.

My son is very happy now he hardley ever cries his colic is just about gone and he sleeps through the night. this only happened when I put my foot down and decided I was going to bottle feed him formula. I am now glad I made that decision. It was very hard to just let go but I am glad I did because now my baby is happy.

I think you need to pick one breast feeding or bottle and get it out of your head that you are failing look at us we carried these babies in our tummies and birthed them. Do you remember that labour? I do. Your son he is your son the bond is there already you just need to let go. You wont be a failiure please dont think this. Just do whats best for your baby and this will be best for you u will be less tired and less stressed

Let us know what happens

Minnie - posted on 05/28/2010

According to the Breastfeeding Answer Book, the following are qualifications of a 'failure to thrive' (the baby must meet these):

-weight below third percentile
-drop in rate of growth of length and head circumference
-infant falls two standard deviations on the growth chart
-evidence of malnutrition, dehydration (sunken fontanel, grayish pallor, lethargy, loss of fat layer under skin, strong urine, inadequate stools
-infant does not meet developmental milestones
-infrequent and/or ineffective feeds
-mother experiences few let-downs
-erratic or nonexistent weight gain

the above is failure to thrive below are signs of SLOW weight gain, which can be NORMAL:

-frequent feeds
-active sucking and swallowing
-mother experiences regular let-downs
-pale urine; six or more diapers soaked daily
-seedy or soft stools, frequency within normal ranges
-infant is alert and active
-appropriate developmental milestones met
-good muscle tone and skin turgor
-weight gain consistent and continuous although lower than average

It is important to pay attention to your baby's early cues of wanting to nurse and not waiting for crying. Make sure that baby is latching deeply and is using his tongue properly and that you are positioning him correctly.

It may be a good idea to see someone qualified to give lactation information such as an IBCLC, or a La Leche League Leader.

Celeste - posted on 05/28/2010

OK, is there ANY way you can get 2nd opinion? I did some calculations and your baby is *NOT* FTT. His diaper output is perfect!!



What was is *LOWEST* birth weight?



Average weight gain is 5-7 oz from 0-4 months.

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/gro...



Birthweight is 7 lbs 7 oz

3 months (I'm guessing give or take) 11 lbs. That's over a 3 lb gain which is perfect! (Although, I'm betting he's gained more than that since I don't know what his lowest weight is)



The big huge red flag for me is when the doctor said she wanted to know the volume of your milk. Pumping is not efficient as a baby and there is no way to know the volume of your milk by pumping.



Leaking does NOT mean anything as far as supply. I exclusively nursed twins and didn't leak!



Please, go find a pro breastfeeding doctor or an IBCLC. It doesn't sound like there's anything wrong with your baby. Your baby and your supply sounds perfect!

Miranda - posted on 05/27/2010

When you mad the comment about "hearing other babies cry and not leeking", I didn't leak and/or let down whenever I heard other babies cry either and I (fortunately) had a good milk supply.
If you are truly having problems producing, make sure you are drinking enough fluids, stress can also prevent you from letting down and inhibit you from feeding your child like you want to. I would also reccomend Mother's Milk tea by Traditional Medicionals, it contains Phenugreek which helps promote heathy lactation.
Continue on demand feeding, and supplementing if you are doing that. On question: Do you feel that there is something wrong with your child? If not, go with your gut I would even consider getting a second opinion if that would help ease your mind. Good luck with everything, I am sure you have a happy healthy baby!! At least that is what it looks like to me! :)

Kristin - posted on 05/27/2010

I'm hoping that your visit went well and things are headed in a positive direction.

Just feed that boy anytime he wants and let him fully empty the breast before you offer the other. He will get to the fattier hind milk that way. Just make sure to alternate the starting breast with each feed. If he has fully emptied you, sucked without getting anything, and still needs more, than give him some formula. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you feed him as long as he continues to grow and have your love and affection.

I had a disagreement with my pediatrician about one of my son's weight gain at one point. He started off at a nice 50% across the board and then dropped to the ~10% curve. Turns out, he's just small. I'm not trying to brush aside the reflux and his slow weight gain. Please don't think that or that I am making light of his situation. But, he might just be little and that is okay too.

I really hope everything is getting better.

Nicole - posted on 05/27/2010

His output is great and he has gained weight. I think you are doing great!!! Just continue to nurse, nurse and nurse. I never felt let downs evan while nursing and I exclusively BF all 3 of my children. As far a pumping after he has does she want you do that to increase your supply? I never let down to a pump no matter what I tried. YOU ARE A GREAT MOTHER AND ARE DOING WHAT"S BEST FOR YOUR BABY!! Hang in there!

Holly - posted on 05/27/2010

My son was also diagnosed with failure to thrive at 2 months. He was addmitted to doernbeckers childrens hospital and they placed a feeding tube in witch we went home with and he had that for only 3 months. it is so hard but don't blame yourself your son will do just fine my son is now 2 1/2 and is doing great, he is small but healthy!!!! Good luck

Amanda - posted on 05/27/2010

Don't give up on yourself your doing the best thing for your baby. God Bless and Good Luck

Danielle - posted on 05/27/2010

I have 2 sons (6 yrs & 17 mos) who also had trouble gaining weight at first! My 2 daughters (9 & 7) had no problems gaining weight & all of them were breastfed. With my 6 yr old, I had to supplement with formula after feeding him and take him for weekly weight checks. And he still didn't gain weight! He didn't start to gain weight well until he started eating solid foods at 3 mos. He was 7lb 2oz at birth, but didn't hit 10lbs until 3 mos. and was 15 by 6 mos. My 17mo old was very similar, he was 23lbs at his last visit.
I would try to start him on cereal made with either formula or breastmilk. (Formula would be easier on you.) I didn't cut back on BF or formula, I continued to feed them whenever they let me know they were hungry. But once a day (around bedtime), I would give them a little bowl of cereal then BF.
Hang in there! I know what it's like and the stress of worrying about it is bad for your milk production.

Virginia - posted on 05/27/2010

You could also try not letting him go longer at night and continue the 2 hour feeding schedule 24 hours a day. Don't feel like a failure because you are trying as hard as you can. The only thing to do is get the food in him any way that you can. I breastfeed and I am a huge supporter of it but if your son is not feeding well from the breast or you have supply issues just pump and give him your milk and formula in the bottle.

Also, my friend's son had a lot of difficulty gaining weight eventhough he was eating constantly and his pediatrician discovered a problem with his heart that was easily corrected with medication. Has your doctor ruled out any physical problem with the baby?

Dee - posted on 05/27/2010

if he wants to eat more offten, feed him. you can start to slow down feeding later.

Monika - posted on 05/27/2010

When my daughter was born I was told to feed her every four hours, even wake her up to feed if she was sleeping. We had our alarm set and we did that for quite a few months.

Mother's told me I was insane but this was my first baby and I was going to do everything they told me.

My concern is for the baby, my milk dropped when my daughter was 6 weeks old due to lack of sleep and no support at night (my bf thought he could just go to bed and I would be up all night with a colic baby not sleeping and it would all work out... sure....) anyhow I had to substitute with formula from that point on. I felt like such a failure because I could not provide my daughter with enough milk but after I realized she was hungry and I couldn't give her enough I decided I didn't care if it was breast milk or formula I only cared that she was never hungry again like that. I still feel bad about the fact I did not realize I was not creating enough milk for a few days before I started substituting with formula and my daughter will be 10 months old on Saturday.

I think guilt is part of being a mother, we can only do our best and we all try so hard but we can only give what our body allows us to. There are women who can never sleep and have tons of milk and with me everything effected my milk supply.

Michelle - posted on 05/26/2010

okay, i may be crucified for this but here goes....!! my youngest was 9 pd born...we realised after about 4 weeks or so that he wasn't putting on weight. he had hideous reflux (or so thats what we were told it was and nothing you can do about it), cried pretty well constantly and was still at about 3.5 months feeding every 2 hours because he wasn't keeping anything down and the poor thing was hungry!!! at first we thought he was lactose intolerant so i changed my diet (was bf at the time) then that didn't work..after 6 weeks of breast feeding he got down to 6 pd and i was not going to continue to starve him which is what was happening.so we tried a goats milk, soy formula, formula for sensitive tummies.....nothing worked. he looked terrible, and was borderline failure to thrive. i ended up taking him to a naturopath who after hair analysis told me he was wheat intolerant. (then i had someone else tell me every baby was born that way, but thats another story!!). i was at my wits end...my baby was starving, in pain whenever he was awake, and of course not sleeping. a last (and it really was a last) resort was to try cows milk...nothing else was working and he was already throwing up constantly. well, within 24 hrs of him having his first bottle, he stopped vomiting...within 2 days he was sleeping and within ten to twelve days he had almost put on a kilo. i looked into why infants shouldn't have cows milk and the only thing i could find was that it was pretty low in iron - iron supplement drops took care of that. like i said, there are probably going to be lots of ladies who are horrified by what i have done but i was horrified by my very sick baby! i am not recommending that everyone do this but in my situation i absolutely believe that if not for what i did my boy would have been in a bad way. sometimes, bf is not the be all and end all....just keep an open mind and good luck with it....its not a nice place to be when you are doing everything you can to fix it!

Angie - posted on 05/26/2010

I wanted to add I don't know that you said how tall he was at birth but you generally expect a baby to grow about an inch a month for the first 6 months of life. So you would expect him to be about 3 inches taller now than he was at birth.
The more I think about your story I just feel awful that a dr has made you feel like you can't satisfy your babies needs. Everything you have told us (the weight, height, output) only points to the fact that your baby is getting plenty of your milk, your milk is sufficient for him and he absolutely does not need any supplementation.

The only concerning issue is that he seems unhappy with the reflux which is understandable. I would find a good pediatric GI and see if you can see about any possible allergies or solutions to help him be more comfortable but I don't think formula is it at all.

Angie - posted on 05/26/2010

I have to echo what Carrie said. He is getting great output, it doesn't sound like you have an issue with supply at all. Also his weight is pretty much right on track. Generally you see them gain between 4-6 ounces a week at this age. If you figure the weight gain from his birth weight of 7 lbs 7 oz then he is right around 4 oz a week which is 100% normal if you figure him at about 12 weeks old and that's not even taking into account the normal weight loss most infants experience the first few days. He really sounds like he is right on target and I would really not even entertain the "failure to thrive" diagnosis.

I have breastfed 2 babies and have NEVER leaked when they cried let alone someone elses baby. It honestly sounds like the dr is very unknowedgable about breastfeeding, the first thing I would do is seek out someone who knows a bit more on the subject.

If he is unhappy and in pain I think that is a completely unrelated issue to your milk supply. It could be something you are eating (dairy is a common

Noreen - posted on 05/26/2010

Another thing! I am an over supplier and DO NOT and has never leaked when my baby cried or any other baby cried.

Noreen - posted on 05/26/2010

I just checked the growth chart on kellymom.com. You said he's 3months? If so, he's in the 10th percentile which is NOT failure to thrive. First of all, he is MUCH taller then my daughter was at 3months. So I'm guessing he's above the 50% for height. (I can't find a height growth chart)

My son, Noah was always in the 3rd-10th precentiles for weight and STILL is at 4yrs old! Even though his height has always been in the 50-75th precentiles. This boy eats ALL the time and has since birth. My best advice would be is to take him to the doctor on an empty belly, weigh him, feed him and then weigh him again. How ever much he gained in that feeding is how much he is getting. You can't tell how much milk he gets at a feeding by pumping because he gets out way more then any pump would. I'm so sorry you're going through this. If you need anything or have any questions, feel free to pm me. :)

Carrie - posted on 05/26/2010

So many things!
First, check out the WHO website, and check your babies weight on the WHO charts. Many health professionals are still using the old charts which were mainly artificially feed babies. The WHO charts are complied from healthy babies who were solely breastfeed, so are biologically normal weights - and they are quite different. Maybe your baby is actually fine on these charts?
Secondly, consider a pediatric gastroentologist. True failure to thrive is most often linked to allergies or digestive disorders, so it is worth getting such things checked out just in case.If you baby does have a problem like this, formula may make things worse.
Thirdly, leaking has nothing to do with supply! Ask around, most women leak less as time goes on and less with each subsequent lactation. Leaking is about muscle tone! There are tiny muscles around your nipple to hold the milk in. In virtually all women, the muscle tone improves with use - it sounds as though yours is better than most! You can't tell me I had less milk feeding twins! But they were my 4 and 5 babies and the leaking had stopped after 2 weeks! Not like the 6 months of wet patches the first time around!
Fourthly, all those wet and dirty nappies really do suggest your baby is getting plenty of milk. Maybe there is a health problem, maybe it is genetics.....but to be having such an 'output' there must be quite an 'input'! We mums are so quick to blame ourselves, but our milk is perfect for our babies.
How long have you been feeding more often? It will not change your sons weight and height overnight!

Michelle - posted on 05/26/2010

sounds like he is tall and lanky as well! My son is as well tall and lanky..not nearly as chubby as other babies his age. Will be 5 months soon and almost 14 pounds. He had difficulty as well with feeding for the first 3 months. I had to supplement him with bottles after i would nurse him. I would nurse him first for what seemed like an eternity..anywhere from an 1 hour to 1.5 hours every 3 hours. He just wouldnt do the deep sucks that he needed to do to get all the calories in the hindmilk and he would fall asleep really easily. I would pump when i could but after i had been nursing him for 1.5 hours i barely had a life to anything else besides sit on the couch so i would just use formula even though i hated it. And then all of a sudden one day its like it clicked in his head with the nursing and he started to nurse better and refused the bottles. It took me a long time mentally to let the bottles go cause i was so concerned of him not getting enough and losing weight again..but eventually i had to tell myself that he would eat if he was hungry. And so i gave up bottles all together and went solo on the breastfeeding..hardest step ever..but so much easier than having to worry about bottles all the time! I feed him on demand which somedays is every 1.5 hours to 3 hours. Each day is different! But he is happy and gaining weight..maybe not as rapidly as some but hes hitting milestones! I still worry about my milk somedays but the more you stress about it i think that it really effects it! As well i was never a leaker..not unless he would sleep super long at night and my milk would build up. Very rare when i do leak. And no not always do i get let down when i hear a baby cry...sometimes but not all the time but i still dont leak when that happens! As well i was put on motilium when he was 1 weeks old to help my milk which i am weaning off of right now. (although now i know that it wasnt my milk but his latching and sucking) I hope this helps..i know its hard but you can do it! I almost gave up some many times but iwas too stubborn too and wanted what was best for my baby, Dont feel guilty about formula supplementation as well. I felt guilty until someone told me that some breast milk was better than no breast milk..even if it was only a drop..it was still giving him the best that i could! Good luck!

Meggan - posted on 05/26/2010

Okay mama... take a deep breath! My best advice is to put him to breast as often as possible. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand system, therefore, the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body will make in order to keep up with the demand. It can be very frustrating at first, but mother's milk is the best possible food for your baby. It literally changes to fit the needs of your specific child. As for the reflux, my son was very refluxy when he was born (he's nearly 7 mos now) and the advice that worked well for us was to put phone books under one side of his mattress to prop it (so he wasn't flat on his back, but propped slightly). Try to keep him elevated for about 20 mins following a feeding and possibly look into the foods you're eating. It's not as likely (unless you're consuming tons of one type of gassy food), but he may be reacting to something you're ingesting. Above all, know that this too will pass. GL!

Jennifer - posted on 05/26/2010

When the doctor told me failure to thrive it was due mainly to his extremely poor weight gain but his growth in general suffered as well.

He has around 8 wet diapers a day and 4 to 6 poopy diapers a day. He appears to be hitting milestones, but as for happy not really. He was 7lbs 7oz at birth.

Today we saw the doctor for a weight check and he's finally up to 11lbs and 25 inches tall.

The doctor told me that she wants to know the volume of my milk and to pump after every feeding, and to give him a 6oz supplement bottle to see how much he takes to see if my supply can keep up with him. He also gets fed on demand and she told me not to let him go longer than 4 hours between each feeding. She also told me that he should be sleeping around 20 hours a day. She's also worried about my milk because when he or any other baby cries, I don't leak.

Any thoughts on how to have let down occur when he cries???

Angie - posted on 05/25/2010

Feeding on demand is generally the best thing to do for weight gain. Also while he's nursing you can try massaging the breast a bit to help push out some of the fattier hindmilk. The reason feeding on demand is generally better to encourage weight gain is because feeding on a schedule could have negative affects if you are feeding him too far apart (for obvious reasons) but also if you are feeding him before he's ready to eat. If you are offering the breast every 2 hours and he's really not hungry yet then he's just going to take in a little bit, just enough to top himself off and that is usually just going to be foremilk and then the next feeding the same thing will happen again. He really needs to eat when he is hungry so that he will take a full feeding, get all the foremilk and all the good fatty hindmilk.

When you say failure to thrive do you mean his weight gain or his growth in general (head circumfrence, height etc)?

How are his wet diapers? Is he hitting milestones and alert/happy? Also how much did he weight at birth? How much does he weigh now?

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 05/25/2010

I always fed on demand and when my daughter was a young infant this was every 1-2 hours. If he seems like he wants to eat more often then feed him. Let him use you as a pacifier for now. This will get lots of calories in him and boost your supply. Maybe this will help? Make sure he thoroughly empties the breast before switching sides to ensure that he gets lots of fatty hindmilk. You don't need to set a time limit on how long he nurses at each breast. Here's some info and tips for severe reflux. http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/ref...

Good luck!

Jennifer - posted on 05/25/2010

That's what the doctor has told me to do so that he'll gain weight to catch-up to other babies his age.

Kayla - posted on 05/25/2010

Does he only want to feed every two hours, or is that what you've been told to do?