slow weight gain 2 week old

(9 Posts)
Haywire Sun 10-Feb-13 19:11:30

DD2 is 17 days old today I am trying EBF after struggling and giving up with my previous dd 5 years ago could do with some advice.

DD2 was born at 3.37, then 3.12 by day 6, 3.10 day 8, 3.16 day 12 then 3.26 by today

I have had good support from excellent midwives and peer to peer BFC am feeding 2-2.5 hourly in day 3-4 at night but also with 1 big cluster feed.

lots dirty and wet nappies, had jaundice but now almost gone. alert when awake looks healthy etc.

have been switch feeding 3-4 sides at least, compressions, waking when sleepy feeding; by burping, changing nappy etc.

does this sound like we are going in the right direction?

Haywire Sun 10-Feb-13 21:13:45


Noodled Sun 10-Feb-13 21:19:08


Switch nursing and compressions are your friend. More feeds, more sides per feed. It may also be worth checking there is no tongue tie but with good out put as you describe you are probably doing great.

zoobaby Sun 10-Feb-13 21:26:45

Hi haywire. This sounds similar to my experience with DS who is almost 5 months old. He took a full fortnight to regain his birth weight. He also had jaundice and I was advised that I should be strict about 3 hourly feeds until jaundice was clear and birth weight reached. Once we got there, we relaxed it down to whatever he wanted. He started on the 75th percentile but dropped to 50th %ile at about 3 months and has since stayed there more or less.

A lot of advice I received was conflicting (e.g. Let baby stay on boob all day if need be, 20 min max, 1 boob only, always 2 boobs, etc). You just have to muddle through to find what works for you and baby.

Once DS was no longer actively sucking, just doing little mouse nibbles, I'd switch sides. I'll always remember one peer supporter saying "it's like offering him a fresh cup of tea". Haha. I guess it's true though as DS has both sides and always perks up for the 2nd half. In fact you could almost set your watch by the length of time he'd take. These days he's a lot more efficient.

Are you enjoying BF this time round?

Haywire Mon 11-Feb-13 00:38:59

Hi noodled have had her looked at for tounge tie and seems fine I have had no pain in nipples either

Zoobaby thanks for another cup of tea analogy grin I am enjoying the bf this time it's a little relentless and dd2 prefers sleeping on me so difficulty is balancing time/attention on dd1. This baby will be my last so trying to enjoy each stage and def have more LT perspective this time that it will all go so fast.

Just a bit concerned that still not at birth weight. I guess some babies will take longer than others to get there? I had an elective CS at 39 weeks so not traumatic for me but maybe sudden for her.

noblegiraffe Mon 11-Feb-13 19:37:15

Are the midwives concerned? Have they any idea why the weight is slow to go on? Have they suggested expressing and topping up feeds?

dietcokeandwine Mon 11-Feb-13 21:21:39

Haywire I have had this too with my DS who is 2 weeks old today. He is gaining weight but quite slowly, not quite back to birthweight yet but nearly there now. I can only work in pounds/ounces grin but DS was 7lb1oz at birth, dropped to 6lb 10z on day 5, crept to just under 6lb 11oz by day 10 and then day 13 back up to 6lb 15oz. Midwife is coming back to reweigh on Thursday and I'm hoping he'll be back to or even just over birthweight by then.

I am doing pretty much exactly the same as you are...was advised to feed 2/2.5 hourly during the day and no longer than 3 hours at night...DS also sounds similar to your DD in that he was ELCS (at 39+4), and other than the slow weight gain everything looks fine (wet/dirty nappies, settled/content, has periods of being happily alert between feeds etc etc). My midwife doesn't seem unduly concerned, says some babies just take longer to regain, certainly hasn't mentioned topping up or anything like that although I think they would have if he had lost more weight rather than starting to put it on.

I have to confess I was a bit taken aback with DS's slow gain as his two older brothers were complete piggies and had both soared either back to or even over their birthweight by day 10! Yet if anything DS3 has been the easiest to breastfeed confused. Guess it just goes to show every baby is different. But I am sure both your DD and my DS are fine. Definitely going in the right direction, anyway smile

zoobaby Mon 11-Feb-13 21:32:11

Hope you do get to enjoy it thoroughly. As you know, BFing creates lots of pondering time... I've often wondered how people can manage with a 2nd little one taking up so much time and energy. Big time respect to all.

Hospital told me they expect babies to lose 10% of birth weight and your DD didn't lose quite that much. Maybe she's just falling into her correct percentile.

As Noble said, are MWs concerned? I had to do formula top ups during jaundice therapy but not afterwards (just had to be strict on 3 hourly feeding).

Haywire Tue 12-Feb-13 23:42:10

Hi zoobaby and NG thanks for replies MW suggested top ups when still losing weight I tried expressing got nothing and dd then had day of feeding madly so not much time to try. After that started gaining so MW said to carry on feeding direct as often as possible. HV also involved she thinks ok just slow gainer as all other signs as above are that dd has no other probs. they seem flummoxed as to why really.

Dietcoke sorry you have this too so frustrating when like you on surface all seems to be going well. Lets hope they both make birthweight on thurs. have fed her 14 times today so far as been on another feeding frenzy fingers crossed that we get some result!

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