Samantha - posted on 10/27/2010 ( 21 moms have responded )
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My son is one month old and his pediatrician has came to conclusion that he is concerned with my sons "slow weight gain." We were sent to the closest "childrens" hospital. They ran some tests to make sure he wasnt burning to many calories to fast. In the end that test came back fine but they want me to start to adding formula to his diet.
When my son weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces at birth, he was discharged at 6 pounds 1/2 ounce. we then went into the doctors office 2 days after our discharge date and he was 6 pounds, two weeks later he was down to 5 pounds 8 ounces. nothing was ever said about him being a whole pound lighter. We went in for a weight check at our WIC office on the 19th and he weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces. While we were up at our closest Childrens hospital last night he was weighed in at 6 pounds 6 ounces. So obviously he is still not up to birth weight.
With my research of the calories in formula compared to calories in breast milk are significantly different. The amount of calories in formula are 20 calories per ounce. Despite that you cant count how much breast milk is being taken in by the child, if they are nursing for long periods at a time you would think my son would get more calories from the breast than the formula.
As I was talking to my sister, who has done her fair share of research on breast feeding and weight gaining, she made some very good points, there are obviously more calories in breast milk than formula, breasts fill as they eat, we dont expect grown men to all weigh and grow the same so why should we expect that out of babies?
It hurts me giving my son a bottle, cause i feel like I am letting him and myself down. I am extremely determined to breast feed and I would really like some feed back from moms.
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