Handling Poor Weight Gain in Your Breastfed Baby

Sometimes, babies who are breastfed may gain weight slower than they should. It could be due to the mother isn’t producing enough milk, or the baby cannot get enough milk from the milk bottle, or because the baby is suffering from a medical condition. The baby’s doctor is required to look into any sign of weight gain that isn’t satisfactory. Most often the lactation consultant who is certified could be able to assist. Here are some general suggestions to address weight loss issues for a baby who is breastfed.

Look for signals from your baby’s tummy that they want to feed. You must recognize the cues to feed and place your baby on your breast whenever he or they signal. Do not let your baby cry. Crying is a late-feeding signal. Most babies latch and feed more easily if the baby does not need to wait until or is upset, crying, or exhausted to feed. A baby who is not fed should attempt to encourage the infant to stay longer between feedings, and often using a pacifier instead of the breast whenever the baby is showing signs of feeding can be linked to low weight growth.
Many mothers report that their increased milk production and weight gain for babies are improved if they and their infants put off chores and other activities for two or three days. This means they can breastfeed at times, but not always all the time. If a baby does not nurse, the mother will hold the infant’s skin-to-skin onto her chest. This assists in becoming more aware of the infant’s feeding signals.
If the baby you are feeding is a “sleepy” baby who does not signal the baby to feed at least eight times per day then you must awake the baby often. It should be every 2 hours during the daytime, and in the evening, minimum every 3 or 4 hours at night, until the weight gain increases.

Latching and positioning

A baby who is wrapped in papoose fashion may become too comfortable and cozy and will likely drift off too fast when feeding. If you feel chilly that is lingering, wrap an extra blanket or sheet over the baby and you when needed.
If your baby starts to fall asleep within a few minutes of latching onto you, rub your breast while he or nurse. This can trigger a burst of milk as well as trigger a re-triggering of the sucking. It can be done by stroking inward and downward across the breast.

If your physician suggests taking a supplement, you should consult your healthcare provider.

Utilize your milk first before you try any other feedings.
There are numerous alternatives to feeding So, inform them if a recommendation doesn’t “feel right” for you. Alternative feeding methods include:
- Cup food
- A tube system featuring an exclusive feeding tube that is attached to the breast.
- Syringe feeding
- An eyedropper
- Spoon-feeding
- Bottle-feeding
A variety of methods need assistance from an expert to utilize them properly. Depending on your child and the underlying cause of the issue, certain techniques may be more effective than other methods. Also, talk about what type of bottle you use when you bottle-feed any supplement. Certain kinds of bottle nibbles are less likely to hinder breastfeeding than others.

Retaining or increasing the amount of milk you have available

You should pump your breasts following every breastfeeding session as often as feasible, particularly if you are unsure if your baby has a good time removing the milk while nursing. Many mothers are finding that breastfeeding 8 times each day is manageable and beneficial to increase their milk supply.
Pumping removes milk efficiently and your breasts will be able that they need to produce more milk. Pumping can also release supplementary milk to help feed. Milk can be removed from the breast via manual hand movements using a hand pump battery-powered pumps as well as an electronic breast pump. If frequent and extended pumping is planned the use of a hospital-grade electric pump could be extremely beneficial.

Examining the baby’s weight

The baby should be weighed frequently and at frequent intervals until your baby gains weight at a steady rate. Digital scales can enable a healthcare professional to determine exact pre- and post-feeding weights to determine the number of milk babies consume at a particular time during feeding. While this may be beneficial but babies absorb various amounts of milk at different times during 24 hours. Make an appointment with your baby’s doctor.

The signs of dehydration for infants are: