My son is 4 months and doesn't seem to be gaining weight ? Could it be my breast milk???

Kelly - posted on 03/17/2009

Hi there.  My baby has had growth issues since the day she was born.  When she was one month old, she had only gained 11oz since birth.  She is now six months old and weighs around 6.5kg which is around the 25th percentile - she is a petite girl, but was very underweight for a while.

In hindsight, I now know that she never drunk enough milk.  I had plenty, she just didn't want it.  She has silent reflux and is on medication, but it took until now for her to start feeding properly.  Again, in hindsight, the best measure of a babies milk intake is the amount they poo.  My baby never pood enough - once or twice a week as a newborn.  Everyone kept telling me this was OK for a breast fed baby, and it probably would have been if she was gaining weight, but no pooing combined with no weight gain equals not enough food.

Don't worry about the quality of your milk - that will be perfect.  If you're concerned about qauntity, try drinking nursing tea e.g. Welleda Nursing Tea.  It's completely natural and AMAZING for increasing milk supply.  You could get bubs test weighed i.e. weighed before and after a feed to see how much they are drinking.  But this can make you stress about your supply if it shows you don't have enough milk, so do it with caution.

If baby isn't latching correctly, they can be understimulating your milk production, so checking the latch could help.

If you decide to supplement with formula, you may have to express to keep you milk production up.  Always remember that you produce more milk the more baby feeds, so if you give a formula feed, your body thinks you are weaning therefore your production decreases.  If you replace a breast feed with formula, express that feed so your body knows your baby needs milk at that time and continues to make milk at that time.

I personally wouldn't be introducing food to fill his tummy.  That is putting empty calories into tummies, and not helping with weight gain.  He needs milk, not food.

If you are worried that he is going hungry because your supply is low, top him up with formula after a breastfeed until your supply is back up.  If he is still hungry, he will take the formula - if he's full, he won't.

The best thing for you to remember is trust your instinct.  If you feel he isn't drinking enough, he probably isn't.  There's lots of things you can do, but do what feels best for you.  Everyone has their own opinion, but you are his mum, so the decision is yours.

Good luck.  I"m sure he will be doing wonderfully in no time.

Sheldean - posted on 03/16/2009

Thanks everybody for all the great responces they all are sooooo helpful :)

Sheldean - posted on 03/16/2009

Thanks everybody for all the great responces they all are sooooo helpful :)

Mel - posted on 03/15/2009

what has your child health nurse said if u have one? does he have an reflux issues? have u thought about trying formula and breast milk and also how many feeds is he having in a day? is he happy or is he hungry all the time beause if so he could have something like a tongue tie and therefore trouble breast feeding. my 11 and a half months old is only 7 kilos and has had a struggle with weight gain since she was born.

Bethany - posted on 03/15/2009

My son's growth really slowed down between his 2 and 4 month checkups- my doctor wasn't really concerned but scheduled a 5th month check just to see (I know she did it just to make me feel better). I agree with the others who said to watch his mood and his wet diapers....and ask your dr if you should be concerned...Tammie's right- if you have access to a lactation consultant that certainly wouldn't hurt, either. Best wishes~> :~D

Lorraine - posted on 03/15/2009

My baby always ate good, but didn't gain weight quickly. At 8 mos we switched to formula only, and baby foods. She has always eaten what the pedi recommended, and often times more. She is a year old now, and only weighs 15 lbs. She is developing normally, and will be seeing an endocrinologist soon to see if there is anything different we should be doing. According to the pedi, her thyroid levels are slightly elevated. I'd say the best thing to do would be to talk to your pedi about your concerns and possible reasons for lack of weight gain.

Stacey - posted on 03/15/2009

Supplementing will reduce your milk supply. I would talk to your DR. there are prescription meds to increase milk supply as well as natural remedies. If your baby is growing taller and increasing in head circumference it may be he is growing long and skinny and his weight may catch up.

Debbie - posted on 03/15/2009

Does he sleep through the night? Does he cry a lot? These are signs he is not getting enough calories to gain weight. Rice cereal is mild and will fill his tummy. Have you tried just going all day with just milk. When my children were two months old I started feeding rice cereal at bed times. I also nursed my babies. If you use a breast pump you can mix it with the cereal. Otherwise I used the powered soya formula it is easy on their little tummies. Good luck

Tammie - posted on 03/15/2009

My younger sister had a similar problem with herdaughter.  She visited a Leleche  clinic where they weighed her baby prior to feeding then again after.  Her baby had onluy consumed 1.5 oz.  She decided to supplement with formula.  Her baby almost instantly was happier & began to gain.  It was a hard,sad time for my sister.  She felt like a terrible mom- "starving" her baby.  The Leleche clinic had very sensitive scales for weighing breast milk consumption.

You may want to check in with your Dr.  Does your baby have regular wet diapers & regular bowel movements?

I did not have any trouble breast feeding my 4 children & almost all of them where in the 90th percentile as far as weight gain & growth charts showed.

Tonya - posted on 03/15/2009

It is possible that you are not producing enough breast milk. It is not something to be to concerned about. Just talk to your doctor and he may tell you to try supplementing with formula. I had to do that with all of my children for a few weeks. Or your baby just might not want to grow yet. My youngest daughter is 18 months and she is only 18-20lbs. and she is only about 30cm in height. She is by far my tiniest, but she is perfectly healthy and strong.

Sara - posted on 03/15/2009

First, how many times & how long each time is your son nursing? Generally mothers milk is the best choice nutritionally, and as long as he is taking it without problems (like reflux or GI problems - could indicate an allergy to things you might be eating) I would think your milk wouldn't be the "problem". A couple ideas... Make sure he's nursing for long enough on each side to get the hindmilk which is the thicker milk that comes at the end - I believe that is more nutrient rich. Second - give your doctor a call and see his/her thoughts on his growth. Some kids are just going to be smaller/skinnier. I have a 10 month old son that is in the 50th percentile for weight, and I watch a 13 month old that has got to very low on the percentiles since he's smaller than my son. But both boys seem to be following their older sisters body types, so it seems to be right for each of them.



And give yourself a pat on the back for nursing. It can be challenging for some, but in my experience if you can make it work it is great for both you and the child. :-)