Comments on: When You "Don't Have Enough Milk" http://pursuingtitus2.com/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:23:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Crystal Sewell http://pursuingtitus2.com/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Crystal Sewell Fri, 08 May 2009 15:31:31 +0000 http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/#comment-35 I was told initially that I had a low milk supply because my daughter wasn't gaining weight fast enough. She weighed 10 lbs at birth and has SVT. She is now 10 months old and is only 15lbs. The problem is some pediatricians think that a fat baby is a healthy baby and a small baby is an unhealthy baby. Charlotte nursed fine, but just simply never doubled her birth weight. My husband and I are small people and our 3 year old is only 27lbs...so genetically speaking we aren't Shaq! After 9 months of hearing from the pediatrician that Charlotte MUST be sick if she isn't gaining weight and isn't "fat" and that I needed to stop breastfeeding and give her formula we got a second opinion. I took fenugreek (and still do) just to make sure my supply is enough, and I pump and put the milk either in a sippy cup or in her food. The first pediatrician wanted to run all these tests and a test for cystic fibrosis, although NO ONE in my family has or ever has had CF... The new pediatrician did run some blood work and Charlotte is perfectly healthy...just petite. She is surpassing her developmental milestones, and has good poopie and pee pee diapers. I have a feeling that doctors only assume it's a milk supply problem when a baby isn't gaining fast enough. FYI most pediatricians use the CDC growth chart for formula fed babies which on average tend to gain more weight at a faster rate than breastfed babies. All in all, breastfeeding is possible for all moms, other than if there is some serious health issue...getting help from the LLL or a good Lactation consultant right away is the best course of action. I only nursed my first daughter for 6 weeks because the pediatrician told me that she wasn't gaining fast enough and that formula would be better for her...with my daughter Charlotte I refuse to give up because breast milk is better than any formula. Charlotte also spent a week in the NICU and I was able to pump but she had to supplement formula until my milk came in because the NICU nurses were horrible to me about giving her breastmilk...weirdos! Being proactive is key and not giving up is hard, especially if you have a pediatrician who isn't 100% for breastfeeding. I had a great supportive team of women who helped encourage me and after switching pediatricians my stress over nursing has gone away and Charlotte is 100% healthy, well other than her SVT, which the cardiologist says breastfeeding is the best thing for her heart! Thanks for posting this blog...I really hope that it encourages more mommas out there not to give up on breastfeeding...especially when NO doctor can say exactly how they know if a mom has a low milk supply...or if the mother's body is simply adjusting to what the baby needs. It's funny how mankind has to have control over everything. God Bless Crystal < I was told initially that I had a low milk supply because my daughter wasn’t gaining weight fast enough. She weighed 10 lbs at birth and has SVT. She is now 10 months old and is only 15lbs. The problem is some pediatricians think that a fat baby is a healthy baby and a small baby is an unhealthy baby. Charlotte nursed fine, but just simply never doubled her birth weight. My husband and I are small people and our 3 year old is only 27lbs…so genetically speaking we aren’t Shaq! After 9 months of hearing from the pediatrician that Charlotte MUST be sick if she isn’t gaining weight and isn’t “fat” and that I needed to stop breastfeeding and give her formula we got a second opinion. I took fenugreek (and still do) just to make sure my supply is enough, and I pump and put the milk either in a sippy cup or in her food. The first pediatrician wanted to run all these tests and a test for cystic fibrosis, although NO ONE in my family has or ever has had CF…

The new pediatrician did run some blood work and Charlotte is perfectly healthy…just petite. She is surpassing her developmental milestones, and has good poopie and pee pee diapers.

I have a feeling that doctors only assume it’s a milk supply problem when a baby isn’t gaining fast enough. FYI most pediatricians use the CDC growth chart for formula fed babies which on average tend to gain more weight at a faster rate than breastfed babies.

All in all, breastfeeding is possible for all moms, other than if there is some serious health issue…getting help from the LLL or a good Lactation consultant right away is the best course of action.

I only nursed my first daughter for 6 weeks because the pediatrician told me that she wasn’t gaining fast enough and that formula would be better for her…with my daughter Charlotte I refuse to give up because breast milk is better than any formula.

Charlotte also spent a week in the NICU and I was able to pump but she had to supplement formula until my milk came in because the NICU nurses were horrible to me about giving her breastmilk…weirdos!

Being proactive is key and not giving up is hard, especially if you have a pediatrician who isn’t 100% for breastfeeding.

I had a great supportive team of women who helped encourage me and after switching pediatricians my stress over nursing has gone away and Charlotte is 100% healthy, well other than her SVT, which the cardiologist says breastfeeding is the best thing for her heart!

Thanks for posting this blog…I really hope that it encourages more mommas out there not to give up on breastfeeding…especially when NO doctor can say exactly how they know if a mom has a low milk supply…or if the mother’s body is simply adjusting to what the baby needs. It’s funny how mankind has to have control over everything.

God Bless
Crystal <

]]> By: Mrs. Lindblom http://pursuingtitus2.com/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Mrs. Lindblom Fri, 08 May 2009 15:00:22 +0000 http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/#comment-34 What a wonderful, well-researched article! I completely agree. What a wonderful, well-researched article! I completely agree.

]]> By: L http://pursuingtitus2.com/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-33 L Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:59:52 +0000 http://parunak.com/pursuingtitus2/2008/04/21/when-you-dont-have-enough-milk/#comment-33 Well said, Harper. You shouldn't have to feel a need to explain yourself, esp to strangers. There is a lot of truth in this post, and some true propaganda. I'm sure your baby will be happy and healthy. Sure it's worth fighting for. For lots of reasons. But it's not the be-all-end-all of child health, or yours. I personally didn't find much helpful here. Just a lot of "get help" in bold letters. Over and over again. Thank God for formula, and for goat's milk. And for breast milk. Well said, Harper. You shouldn’t have to feel a need to explain yourself, esp to strangers. There is a lot of truth in this post, and some true propaganda. I’m sure your baby will be happy and healthy. Sure it’s worth fighting for. For lots of reasons. But it’s not the be-all-end-all of child health, or yours. I personally didn’t find much helpful here. Just a lot of “get help” in bold letters. Over and over again. Thank God for formula, and for goat’s milk. And for breast milk.

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