10 week old baby, poor weight gain. no fat diet, mini-pill and milk supply? Should I stop taking it?

Question

Had 2 nites in hosp with 10 wk old son - poor weight gain (under observation, wasn't ill, just trying to find out why) They concluded I'm not making enough milk & he doesn't "feed efficiently" (often feeding over an hr) so I'm now supposed to only allow him 30 mins, then give xpressed milk & formula thru a supply line (tube taped to breast so he's still on breast for comp feeds) then hav to xpress after every feed & this is all supposedly going to increase my milk supply.I don't get how 30 mins on breast & then 30 mins on breast with formula thru tube is better than just letting him feed for an hr? No-one ever asked about my diet or meds. I started taking mini-pill when he was 6 weeks - all 'official' info says it won't affect supply but I'm not so sure. Also I was diagnosed with gallstones when he was 9 days old & am on a strict no-fat diet including most dairy. How much does diet affect supply or could it be pill? Told I look worse/tireder than when he was newborn! I feel it! advice?

Had 2 nites in hosp with 10 wk old son - poor weight gain (under observation, wasn't ill, just trying to find out why) They concluded I'm not making enough milk & he doesn't "feed efficiently" (often feeding over an hr) so I'm now supposed to only allow him 30 mins, then give xpressed milk & formula thru a supply line then hav to xpress after every feed & this is all supposedly going to increase my milk supply.I don't get how 30 mins on breast & then 30 mins on breast with formula thru tube is better than just letting him feed for an hr? No-one ever asked about my diet or meds. I started taking mini-pill when he was 6 weeks - all 'official' info says it won't affect supply but I'm not so sure. Also I was diagnosed with gallstones when he was 9 days old & am on a strict no-fat diet including most dairy. How much does diet affect supply or could it be pill?
**this is what drs told me 2 do but no-one asked about meds.www is 4 support/ppl with similar.am not stupid or bad parent thanks!

Answer 1

For girlygirl, the mini-pill is an estrogen free oral contraceptive.

I considered it, but then decided against it after learning that it affected some women's milk supply and opted for the Mirena. I have only had it about a day, so I'm not sure if I'll have the same problems, but with poor weight gain, I'd suggest definitely pumping and feeding through the tubes to make sure he is getting what he needs.

Yes, the pill *might* affect your supply, but I know a lot of women who take it who don't have problems with their supply and they've been BF for a while. I'd definitely talk to a lactation consultant and get some help from the La Leche League, they can definitely help you.

I am so sorry that you're going through this. Nurse on demand and if he doesn't seem to be getting anything, try hand expressing. Are you engorged at all? Have you experienced any mastisis since you began BFing? I really hope that you're able to find someone to help you soon.

You can also try www.breastfeeding.com, there are a lot of ladies on the forums there who have excellent knowledge that might be useful to you, not to mention the fact that some of them are either lactation consultants, or training to be one. Several women there have been breastfeeding for several years and for all of their DC.

Best of luck to you, hang in there and stay strong. If you can help it, try not to give him formula, just express bm and give that to him through the tubes.


*Edit: Try eating oatmeal, or look into mother's milk tea to help increase your supply. Nursing on demand should also help this as well*

Answer 2

A no fat diet? Can someone live without taking in any fats?
This is what I would do. Get rid of the pill. Use condoms or a diaphram or something else.
Don't watch the clock while you nurse. Feed him for as long as he'll go on each breast so he gets as much hindmilk as possible.
What are they saying is wrong with his weight? How much has he gained?
http://www.gallbladderattack.com/gallbladderdiet.shtml#gallstonediet
This has a list of foods for gallstone problems.
Are you sure you didn't misunderstand the diet things they told you?
Maybe a strict no BAD fat diet but I can't see a Dr telling someone not to eat ANY fats.
Diet and dehydration can effect supply greatly. Drink more water and look into different food choices.
Good luck!!

ETA: Why is it that when people come here for advice and clearly state that they have seen a Dr other people tell them to see a Dr. It's acvice. Perhaps moms come here to see if anyone has ideas or experience in the area?
Drs are not God and have been known to give really crappy advice regarding breastfeeding

Answer 3

Your body will use whatever it can to make milk, including taking calcium from your bones. If your diet is inadequate, your baby won't suffer , but you will. You will need to adjust your diet and take supplements. I recommend you see a dietician for advice.
I don't know about the effect of the mini-pill on supply, but it alters the hormone levels that affect breastfeeding too. If I were you, I'd stop taking it.
Your baby's feeding is being supplemented with formula because he isn't gaining adequate weight. The sucking action stimulates supply, so for him to suck on your breast while drinking formula will help him to grow and you to produce more milk to feed him.
Persist with breastfeeding for as long as you can, but if it doesn't work out, remember that he will have benfited from every day of breastmilk you gave him. At the same time, while breastfeeding is important, your love, care and attention are far more important to his health and well-being than the source of the milk you feed him.

Answer 4

I agree with finding a lactation consultant. She will quite possibly know more than a doctor. Also, get a second or third opinion. Doctors dont know everything. A no fat diet is not good. I tried that last year and was severly underweight. However, my daily yoga sessions and walking for at least two miles a day was also a part of it. (At six feet tall, 145-50 pounds, I was scary thin.) Thankfully I not only gained weight, but the weight I needed to conceive. Today, I don't think i could live without my natural peanut butter, and my Smart Balance spread. Even my tofu and soy milk have a good amount of good, healthy fat in them. (Peanut butter and natural fruit spread make for a good sandwich to take with me when I'm not sure what is going to be at a meal I'll be attending.)

When it came to birth control, I refused the Pill. I did not like the idea of artifical hormones messing with my bdoy.

I agree that you are right in questioning your diet and medication. While I was picky about what I did and didn't eat prior to my pregnancy, I became a food snob during my pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy, I still consumed conventional ketchup as I hardly had ketchup. During my pregnancy, we swtiched or organic, natural ketchup. I can't even eat Heinz in a restaurant now. Knowing that what I eat will eventually go to my daughter, I'm careful with what I eat.

I am guessing that a diet of good, whole foods will help not only production but the quality of milk. Since a diet of good, whole foods helps everywhere else in the body, this only seems logical.

Talk to your son's pediatrician, your ob/gyn and whomever you see for your gallstones as well. Stick with breastfeeding. For me, it's the only option. This week I was at my husband's sister's wedding. Her step-daughter from her first marriage was there (my SIL is the only mother figure that girl has had) and I think she was shocked at my answer when I said the only way I would do formula is if I lost both of my breasts. She quit breastfeeding for petty reasons like thrush (which is treatable) and because she thought formula would be easier for her second child. Eh. This same woman gave her nine-month-old daughter pizza and soda for dinner. (Four mothers in the house and I was the only one concerned that her child was getting the proper nutrients and foods. And my daughter is only three months old.)

I also had days of marathon feeding sessions. Even now, at three months we have days of on and off feeding for a few hours at time.

Could you maybe do your own experiment and stop taking the pill for awhile and try another form of birth control? However, if your life is like mine, you want to spend all of your time in bed with your husband sleeping. I love my husband, I think he's sexy, but sleep is more appealing.

Answer 5

Dr.s generally do not know that much about breastfeeding and some do not know much at all about weight gain, interactions, and the effect a change in YOUR diet can have on your baby's weight gain.

NO reducing his feeding time and supplementing him w/ formula will NOT help your milk supply.

more frequent feedings, switching sides during a feeding, and feeding on demand / thru the night (basically every 2-3 hrs round the clock) will help your supply.

more milk is made, the more is removed AND the more often your breasts are stimulated. so when you get your baby to nurse frequently, and nudge him to encourage a vigorous nurse, this will signal your body to make more to meet his needs.

its a very simple process really, if left on its own & not interfered with extraneous bottles of formula, schedules, clocks, etc.

a strict no fat diet sounds a bit harsh for a breastfeeding mum, too. i will have to look more into that.

however i have heard of estrogen birth control affecting a womans' milk supply, sometimes even the mini-pill, though it contains progestin only. its best to wait until 6-8 wks postpartum, as you did. and according to kelly mom . com, the protein, nitrogen & lactose content of your milk can be decreased by high doses of the mini-pill. you may be "one of those women" - i was one of those women that the side effects (sleeplesness, loss of appetite) from Zoloft made my milk supply decrease quite suddenly. i had to stop taking it & looked to herbal studies instead... for you, are there other birth control options? or stop using it for a while (be extra careful of course) and see if your supply rebounds. My partner and I used natural family planning and the LAM (lactational amenorrhea method) http://www.waba.org.my/specialpages/lam/lam.htm succesfully for 8 months. ;) read more if you're interested. alternatively there are condoms, spermicides, diaphragms, & the IUD which do not interfere w/ breastfeeding.

a no-dairy diet will not hurt your milk supply (i'm vegan, you can make milk w/o milk!). if you want dairy-like, there is Soy milk options which have all different flavors, are fortified w/ vitamin D, calcium, iron, omega 3, dha, ara, fiber, etc etc. there are other soy products very "true to life" as far as nutrient content & taste, if it is determined you cannot eat dairy.

for milk supply, fenugreek taken in doses of around 3 tbsp a day (about 12 capsules if you buy in that form), by taking a little with each feeding (easier to remember) will increase the volume of your milk, if this is truly necessary. another option is to eat oatmeal, or other whole grain cereals. if you are on a "fat free diet" does this include all fats (pardon my ignorance) as well as the ones from say, raw nuts, avocados, flax seeds, etc? i feel a good balanced diet is best at times like these, when stress and other factors may be having an impact on your supply.

Also yes, worrying about your supply can cause it to decrease (go figure lol)... instead try to visualize at each feeding, a waterfall, whatever it takes, to see yourself as giving your baby life and nourishment to his body's needs. imagine you have plenty of milk, relax & calm yourself when he is nursing. being comfortable and warm, in a familiar place, can truly help make it easier to have your milk let down, and a good let down can mean a more inthusiastic nurser. thus shorter more efficient feedings, and increased supply...


sleep, rest w/ your baby. curl up in bed with your son, he's yet too little to get away if you tuck him to your breast & put a pillow around him. stay in bed & watch tv, read, do crosswords.. get up for snacks, etc but nothing strenous for about 3 days, 2 is good too. you will come away feeling refreshed w an increase in your supply, a more relaxed & calm baby who will likely start gaining more weight... and look into your birth control options, i would think those things would help you...

Answer 6

ok what is the mini-pill.....if it is birth control then it might be the cause but surely ur low supply is due to ur diet. to keep up ur supply u must express often. if baby is not emptying ur breasts then u have to finish. best bet is an electrical or hand pump...use this often to increase milk supply. my experience was that she wasn't feeding enough on the breast so i started to bottle it up and my milk increased...bottle fed her and she was healthy and happy. good luck. p.s. not everything u read about or even what docs. tell us is not always correct or always applies to everyone.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Best you seek help from professional doctors and not from people who have no information relating to your medical history, current condition and the health problems with the child.

There comes a time when you use common sense and not WWW to find answers to health prolems that can damage your health and that of your child.

Answer 9

See your doctor imediately - get professional advice.

Answer 10

http://www.lllusa.org/
call them...they will help!!