We went to the doctor today to check on Collin's weight gain. He now weighs 7lbs and 7oz which means he has only gained 2 ounces in two weeks (forget what the scale at the hospital says for now since the doctor is going by her scale). The doctor would like to see him gain at least an ounce a day so he can start gaining more weight. To monitor his weight gain, she wanted us to rent a baby scale. She wants me to weigh Collin (with clothes on) before and after he nurses to see how much he is eating while nursing. She would like to see him eat 3 ounces each time he eats. I also get to weigh him once a day (without clothes) to determine his actual weight gain. So far, I have been able to determine that he is only eating a little over an ounce after nursing for 40 minutes (which is too long anyway according to the doctor and lactation consultants). I then pump and still have at least 3 ounces left. This means I have the milk supply but Collin is just not getting it while nursing. So, I now have to nurse (to keep my supply up) and then pump afterwards to make sure that he gets at least 3 ounces per feeding session. Oh, the best part is that he is still hungry every 2 hours. Maybe if he is eating more, he will not be hungry as frequently. Let's hope so. I have to do the above until this Friday and then call the doctor to discuss the results. Based on the results and the discussion with the doctor will determine if we need to change anything with his eating routine.
He also still has thrush so we are on new medication that he has to take for a week. I like this one already because I have to administer it once a day instead of 4 times a day. I also have to apply some on me to not transfer the infection back and forth. This might help with his sucking abilities (this is my comment and not from the doctor). There is also special diaper rash ointment we have to use 3 times a day for a week because the infection could spread to the diaper area. Oh, the joys of parenthood, right?
2 comments:
Just keep telling Collin that GrandmaH is coming!!! I am so sorry to hear he still has the thrush and all the problems with his feeding habits. But it's sounds a little eaiser than the constant projectile throwup like Chris had when he was an infant. See ya next week!
Hi Laura,
I am not sure if you remember me, we met awhile ago. Judy works for me at the lab and I am the one that gave you the info on how to set up a blog site. Collin is such a precious baby. I know you are so concerned about his weight gain and I thought I would share something with you. My youngest grandson, our precious Jamie, had some trouble nursing and gaining weight and was eating about every two hours and his pediatrican explained to his Mommy that some babies just don't suck as hard as others and their Mothers milk may come out alot slower, so what was happening is that he would tire out before he was actually full. They recommended a supplement bottle of soy formula and his first bottle he took almost 4 ounces and slept for almost 5 hours. They continued to do that a few times a day until he was on solid food. She made sure that his last feeding of the day was formula and he would sleep about 6 hours. They immediately saw an increase in his weight. I never quite understood the differnce between a formula bottle and what she had pumped but he took to it so well and it seemed to fill him up. Each new baby is such a joy and each one has different needs, but I thought I would share this with you, to let you know it is not unusual. Jamie also had thrush that they had such a hard time getting rid of and his Mom decided maybe she had a mild yeast infection and was just passing it on to him. Once on the formula, it cleared up in a couple of days. I think every baby has thursh at least once. I hope I haven't overstepped here, but I can remember how worried my daughter-in-law was and thought maybe I could help releive your anxiety somewhat. I didn't even think to clear this with Judy first, so I hope I don't upset her either. Give that precious baby a hug and kiss from all of his extended grandmothers here at the lab.
Carla
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