Help! Baby loosing weight?!?

Kelly - posted on 09/30/2011

His sleep pattern isn't very concerning but the weight difference is... Keep us posted on his weight.. and if it doesn't 'feel' right.. get him to a pediatrician. And I agree with most other moms.. not ready for solids. I asked my pediatrician yesterday and she sd that when you start solids their weight will drop b/c our milk is (or supposed to be) 45% fat. If you have alcohol, nicotine, and too much caffeine that will lower your milk supply. Birth control will drastically lower it as well. A lil fact I didn't know when I was trying to breast feed my daughter 12yrs ago.
All in all.. trust 'your' instincts.. you are connected to your lil one and you know him best.
God Bless,
Kellz

Sarah - posted on 09/22/2010

Please don't worry urself brylee weighed 7lb 3oz wen born, I totally breastfed her and at 8 weeks she
Weighed 9lb at 16 weeks she still
Weighed 9lb I wiz besides myself she to wouldn't sleep then al of a sudden she began to gain weight very slowly, I wouldn't recommend starting solids yet not until 6months they can't digest properly and there can sometimes cause unessersary problems, is he feeding much? R u producing lots of milk still if not then try breast feeding then top up wiv formula after
This may help.

Rebecca - posted on 09/21/2010

I would just keep doing EXACTLY what you are doing, feeding him when he's hungry. Babies go through A LOT of growth spurts, so him changing his wake/ sleep patterns are normal. Just keep feeding him, and he'll put that weight back on in no time. I like the idea that someone already gave you of pumping between feedings to boost your supply. :) Good luck and keep breastfeeding, it's the best thing you can give your baby. :)

Sara - posted on 09/21/2010

I started feeding my daughter solids but very lil at 3.5 months not much just some. When she was 4 months the dr told me to give her the jar and she could have cereal. When she was 6 weeks old I gave her a lil cereal with her night bottles. Every mother does different. I was worried that I started to soon but she is healthy and nothings wrong with her. Have you tried to increase his feedings? You should call your dr and tell them he is not gaining they will figure out what the problem is. I hope you figure everything out and he starts to gain weight.

Jennifer - posted on 09/20/2010

thank you for editing your post to update us! i am so glad to hear that he is not sick!!!

keep up the good work with nursing, momma!

Beth - posted on 09/20/2010

He has 6 wet nappies everyday and a rather large bowel movement!!! I have been to the doctor and nothing is wrong with him but he is seeing the midwife today so she can weigh him and check him over for herself.
Nothing in my diet has changed, im not dieting, and he is still feeding every 2.5-3hours with about half hour on one side and probably 15 mins on the other. He just inst interested feeding any sooner or feeding for longer, by the end of the first side he is normally laughing at me and full of smile, and by the end of the other side he is sleeping, o i wake him and he just doesnt want anymore!

Zizzie - posted on 09/20/2010

my kids are breastfed too and if he started waking up for more you might try and give him a little bit of cereal at night and then give him breast. It should keep him full throughout the night and help him sleep. :)

Jennifer - posted on 09/20/2010

rachel, i know you mean well but the last thing you want a baby who is losing weight to do is sleep through night time feedings. not only that but studies have shown that adding cereal to a babies diet does not help them sleep better, and putting it in the bottle is a choking hazard.

Rachel - posted on 09/20/2010

Time to head to the dr. Babies are supposed to gain weight, not lose it. He may have a more concerning medical problem that needs attention.

As for sleeping through the night, I breast and bottle fed my daughter and when she was about that age we started putting rice cereal in her bedtime bottle. 1tbsp for every 3 ounces is what we did.

Jennifer - posted on 09/19/2010

how are his diapers? he should be having at least 4-6 wet diapers a day, at least.

get him checked out by a breastfeeding friendly doctor, for sure. also, make sure you are allowing him to nurse on demand. put him to breast even if he does not seem hungry because this will make sure you have an adequate supply. 97-99% of women are able to produce enough milk for their baby, you just have to allow them free access to nursing in order to build up your supply. solids are not a good idea, breastmilk has more fat and calories.

good luck, and i really hope all turns out well!

Amy - posted on 09/19/2010

Most babies don't sleep through the night and their sleep patterns change quite often! You need to call your dr about the weight loss ASAP, babies lose weight the first couple of days at this age he should be gaining steadily! Starting solids will not do anything since breastmilk has mire calories then anything you could offer your baby, formula is the next best thing. Even if your baby was still sleeping through the night since he is losing weight your pediatrician should be recomending that you wake your baby every 3 hours to feed! You need to get your baby to the drs immediately until you do offer breast or bottle every 3 hours to get some calories into him!

Iridescent - posted on 09/19/2010

Yes, 1 pound is a lot to lose at this age. However, this baby has lost 3.3 pounds! 23% of his max weight. It is quite serious.

Shelly - posted on 09/19/2010

You definetly need to bring this to your doctors attention! He isn"t ready for solids yet his digestive system isn't strong enough for that kind of food yet. Breast feeding is the best for your baby. However he may be wanting to eat more often because he is older and needs more calories. When a baby weighs so little any how 1 pound is quite alot to loose, you should call your pediatric doc right away. Good luck...:)

Angie - posted on 09/19/2010

The solids are not a good idea. Try to stay away from anything but breast milk and find a way to increase the fat content in your milk. Are you dieting? That can lower the quality of milk.

Rosie - posted on 09/19/2010

definitely not ready for solids yet, i would take him to the doc to see what's going on with him. losing that much weight isn't normal, something might be wrong with your supply ad well. see if you can get some suggestions for producing more milk. good luck!

Jocelyn - posted on 09/18/2010

Jodi is right. Weight loss like that is NOT normal. Go to the doctor. Get your son checked out.

Erin - posted on 09/18/2010

I would presume that he is not getting enough BM during his feedings. I would start pumping after you feed your baby to increase your milk supply and see if he isn't interested in a bottle after he breast feeds up until your supply is increased and your baby is left satisfied after exclusively breast feeding.

Iridescent - posted on 09/18/2010

Jodi is correct. Do not start solids; they are lower calorie, more filling, and harder to digest, which means he would lose even more weight. Go to the doctor no later than Monday.

Jodi - posted on 09/18/2010

Beth, you need to get into a doctor ASAP. A baby should NOT lose 1.5kg in 3 weeks, that is extremely concerning. Get into your doctor immediately. The other things you describe are perfectly normal, but a weight loss like that isn't normal.