Pediatrician vs lactation consultant - conflicting advice to follow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would encourage full feeds. If baby is just snacking, he's not getting the hindmilk which has a higher concentration of fats, which in theory should satiate him longer.

Also, I mean this kindly, are you feeding him every time he cries? Sometimes babies cry for other reasons and it doesn't mean they are hungry.

I breastfed my first for 2.5 yrs and my second is still going at 2.75 years so I'm a huge breastfeeding proponent but I think it can be done without having baby on your boobs all day if it's too much for you. I had a goal of every 2 hours at a minimum- sometimes they just wanted to be held or have a paci or change of scenery or diaper change etc. They never had any problem with weight gain (the opposite actually) and I never had problem with my supply.

OP here. We don’t feed him every time he cries. I will change him, burp him, use a pacifier, etc. If that all fails, I will put him on the breast. He’s usually will root and stick out his tongue when he is hungry.

He’s only 2.5 weeks old. He doesn’t care about scenery or anything like that. He pretty much just eats and sleeps.

I'm trying to imagine the logistics of doing this every 30 min. Is he falling asleep at the breast? If so, I would consider wanting to eat more 30 min later more of a continuation of the first feed, in which case I would try to keep him awake to get a full feed. Once he's eaten a full feed (2-3 oz), he shouldn't be hungry again for a while so if he's still awake I would put him down for a nap after about 1 hour awake; or try a nap in your baby wearing device or stroller and go on a walk.

OP here. He sometimes fall asleep but now always. I use a tracker app for time and ounces. This was yesterday.

6am - 31 minutes - 2oz
7am - 8 minutes - .5oz
7:45am - 9 minutes - .5oz
9am - 12 minutes - 1oz
9:30am - 5 minutes - .5oz
10am - 4 minutes - .5oz
10:30am - 9 minutes .5oz
11:30am - 18 minutes - 1.5
12:00pm - 12 minutes - 1oz
2pm - 22 minutes - 2.5oz
4pm - 28 minutes - 2oz
5pm - 10 minutes 1oz
6pm - 8 minutes - .5oz
7pm - 5 minutes - .5oz
7:30pm - 5 minutes .75oz
8pm - 8 minutes - .5oz
8:30pm - 4 minutes - .5oz
9pm - 3 minutes - .5oz
9:30pm - 4 minutes - .5oz
10pm - 5 minutes - .75oz
10:30pm - 5 minutes - .5oz
11pm - 18 minutes - 1.5oz
1am - 24 minutes - 2oz ( bottle)
3am - 32 minutes - 3oz
4:45am - 28 minutes - 2oz

OP, my nipples hurt for you! Some cluster feeding is normal in the evenings but this is basically around the clock. I would definitely try to space things out.

OP here. My nipples hurt and they are raw. I ended up pumping one day for most of the day because I needed a relief. It felt so good to go every 3 hours. He still ate every 30 minutes to 2 hours but at least it wasn’t on me and my husband did a lot of those feedings. I’ve been considering pumping in the afternoon/evening to give myself a break until he spaces it out.

I’m not sure how to space out feedings if he’s actually hungry. I don’t want to force him to wait when he is hungry.

I sympathize with the anxiety of hearing your baby cry and thinking "I have to feed him he's hungry," but look at your chart. At a bare minimum: the times he's eating less than an ounce? He's categorically not hungry at the start of those feeds. He's using you as a pacifier, not a food source.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Feed on demand, but do make sure he is emptying each breast.

Mine did the frequent feeds too, it is very normal. Feed him off the same breast for 2 hrs before switching (if he is doing small and very frequent feeds), so you can be sure he is going both the foremilk and the hindmilk.

OP here. I will do this. Weight is not an issue though. He was born 7lbs 10oz, went down to 7lbs 7oz, the hospital in the hospital, and was 8lbs 9oz at his two week appointment. He is gaining plenty and is already outgrowing some of the newborn clothes.

[Anonymous]

Don't make yourself a human pacifier.

-advice from someone who 13 years ago listened to the lactation consultant

(And FWIW the pediatrician was right...)

[Anonymous]

You have anxiety OP. Bad. Your baby does not have weight gain issues. It’s not normal to weigh a baby before and after a feeding. Nor is it normal to feed that often, even at 2 weeks. Your baby needs a paci.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feed on demand, but do make sure he is emptying each breast.

Mine did the frequent feeds too, it is very normal. Feed him off the same breast for 2 hrs before switching (if he is doing small and very frequent feeds), so you can be sure he is going both the foremilk and the hindmilk.

OP here. I will do this. Weight is not an issue though. He was born 7lbs 10oz, went down to 7lbs 7oz, the hospital in the hospital, and was 8lbs 9oz at his two week appointment. He is gaining plenty and is already outgrowing some of the newborn clothes.

Then you have absolutely NO need to weigh him. Ever. Weight checks are at the doctor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feed on demand, but do make sure he is emptying each breast.

Mine did the frequent feeds too, it is very normal. Feed him off the same breast for 2 hrs before switching (if he is doing small and very frequent feeds), so you can be sure he is going both the foremilk and the hindmilk.

OP here. I will do this. Weight is not an issue though. He was born 7lbs 10oz, went down to 7lbs 7oz, the hospital in the hospital, and was 8lbs 9oz at his two week appointment. He is gaining plenty and is already outgrowing some of the newborn clothes.

Then you have absolutely NO need to weigh him. Ever. Weight checks are at the doctor.

Agree with this. You’ll see the doctor and he’ll be weighed plenty. I know it’s scary if you’ve had friends who struggled with nursing but it sounds like you guys are doing fine. Put the scale away and give yourself some breaks.

[Anonymous]

Just one small observation - when the scale is consistently saying 0.5 oz gained after a feed - that's somewhere between 0.25 and 0.75 oz, which is a huge range that could be massively magnified over the course of 20 feeds in a day. So I wouldn't worry at all about "too much" food - not clear they're getting 28 (or however many) oz in the way you'd know a formula-fed baby is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just one small observation - when the scale is consistently saying 0.5 oz gained after a feed - that's somewhere between 0.25 and 0.75 oz, which is a huge range that could be massively magnified over the course of 20 feeds in a day. So I wouldn't worry at all about "too much" food - not clear they're getting 28 (or however many) oz in the way you'd know a formula-fed baby is.

I would do a full day of pumping and bottle feeding to see exactly how much he eats and how often. Scales can be inaccurate with weight and ounces.

My breastfed baby murder every 1-1.5 hours with me, but would take in more and go every 2-3 hours. See if you can stretch his feeds. My baby was as snacker and took 1-2 ounces at the breast but would take 3-4 ounces with the bottle. I started using the pacifier and stretching naps to hold him off to get him to take a full feed.

It may be tough but starve him a little. Instead of feeding every 30 minutes, try to use a pacifier or get him to sleep longer. Feed him every 1.5-2 hours. He should be taking in at least 1 ounce, but ideally 1.5-3 ounces per feed. He will start taking in more as he goes in longer. It’s also important to start the day off with full feeds to make sure he doesn’t snack all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just one small observation - when the scale is consistently saying 0.5 oz gained after a feed - that's somewhere between 0.25 and 0.75 oz, which is a huge range that could be massively magnified over the course of 20 feeds in a day. So I wouldn't worry at all about "too much" food - not clear they're getting 28 (or however many) oz in the way you'd know a formula-fed baby is.

I would do a full day of pumping and bottle feeding to see exactly how much he eats and how often. Scales can be inaccurate with weight and ounces.

My breastfed baby murder every 1-1.5 hours with me, but would take in more and go every 2-3 hours. See if you can stretch his feeds. My baby was as snacker and took 1-2 ounces at the breast but would take 3-4 ounces with the bottle. I started using the pacifier and stretching naps to hold him off to get him to take a full feed.

It may be tough but starve him a little. Instead of feeding every 30 minutes, try to use a pacifier or get him to sleep longer. Feed him every 1.5-2 hours. He should be taking in at least 1 ounce, but ideally 1.5-3 ounces per feed. He will start taking in more as he goes in longer. It’s also important to start the day off with full feeds to make sure he doesn’t snack all day.

Don't do that. OP, he's gaining fine and your supply is good. Try to stretch feeds but don't go the pumping route. It's not accurate either since baby may be taking more or may be taking less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just one small observation - when the scale is consistently saying 0.5 oz gained after a feed - that's somewhere between 0.25 and 0.75 oz, which is a huge range that could be massively magnified over the course of 20 feeds in a day. So I wouldn't worry at all about "too much" food - not clear they're getting 28 (or however many) oz in the way you'd know a formula-fed baby is.

OP here. I’m not concerned because the pediatrician said to try to get 20 ounces in him in the first month and then it’s minimum of 24 ounce and max of 32 ounces. He said most babies average 24-32 ounces a day.

[Anonymous]

2.5 weeks? You feed on demand. Your ped is wrong. Your LC is correct.

[Anonymous]

Wtf. My babies gained rapidly on my milk and my Harvard-educated pediatrician laughed at how fat they were and congratulated me on their weight gain. They’re now two very healthy weight elementary schoolers. Please ignore your ped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just one small observation - when the scale is consistently saying 0.5 oz gained after a feed - that's somewhere between 0.25 and 0.75 oz, which is a huge range that could be massively magnified over the course of 20 feeds in a day. So I wouldn't worry at all about "too much" food - not clear they're getting 28 (or however many) oz in the way you'd know a formula-fed baby is.

I would do a full day of pumping and bottle feeding to see exactly how much he eats and how often. Scales can be inaccurate with weight and ounces.

My breastfed baby murder every 1-1.5 hours with me, but would take in more and go every 2-3 hours. See if you can stretch his feeds. My baby was as snacker and took 1-2 ounces at the breast but would take 3-4 ounces with the bottle. I started using the pacifier and stretching naps to hold him off to get him to take a full feed.

It may be tough but starve him a little. Instead of feeding every 30 minutes, try to use a pacifier or get him to sleep longer. Feed him every 1.5-2 hours. He should be taking in at least 1 ounce, but ideally 1.5-3 ounces per feed. He will start taking in more as he goes in longer. It’s also important to start the day off with full feeds to make sure he doesn’t snack all day.

Don't do that. OP, he's gaining fine and your supply is good. Try to stretch feeds but don't go the pumping route. It's not accurate either since baby may be taking more or may be taking less.

OP here. He did the same thing with the bottle when I pumped that one afternoon. I did it to give myself a break and to see if bottle feeding would be easier. I liked that I pumped every 3 hours and my husband was able to do some of the feedings. I prefer breastfeeding because it’s easier but I might pump more then ounce a day to see if I can give myself some relief if he doesn’t stretch his feedings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wtf. My babies gained rapidly on my milk and my Harvard-educated pediatrician laughed at how fat they were and congratulated me on their weight gain. They’re now two very healthy weight elementary schoolers. Please ignore your ped.

The weight isn’t the issue. It’s the frequency and OP being exhausted that is the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just one small observation - when the scale is consistently saying 0.5 oz gained after a feed - that's somewhere between 0.25 and 0.75 oz, which is a huge range that could be massively magnified over the course of 20 feeds in a day. So I wouldn't worry at all about "too much" food - not clear they're getting 28 (or however many) oz in the way you'd know a formula-fed baby is.

OP here. I’m not concerned because the pediatrician said to try to get 20 ounces in him in the first month and then it’s minimum of 24 ounce and max of 32 ounces. He said most babies average 24-32 ounces a day.

I EBF’d two babies for over 18 months each. I never not once ever measured one of their feedings or weighed them before and after. Your obsession with ounces is not normal or healthy. Your baby is healthy and gaining. You are working your way toward full blown PPA.