My Little Peanut!

Today Taylor had her 6 month well baby check up.

It was confirmed, she's a peanut. Here were her stats:

Weight: 13lbs 1oz
Height: 24 1/4 inches
Head: 16 1/4 inches

The doctor said that she looks healthy except for her weight. She appears to be loosing weight. I know that when we took her to the hospital for her gas problems she was around 13lbs 15oz...almost 14lbs. So she has almost lost a full pound.

I have noticed she has been a little more fussy after eating than normal and her wet diapers have decreased a little. I had my suspicion that maybe my milk supply was decreasing and she isn't getting enough, but now I am pretty sure that's the case.

She is more active though, rolling all over the place, and was sick with the tummy problems and not eating right. So that could be the reason for the weight loss, at least that is me hoping.

The doctor wants me to supplement some formula after I nurse her and keep track of how much formula she drinks. That way if she starts gaining weight then we know she wasn't getting enough breast milk. If she was still loosing weight then there could be other problems such as her body not processing her food, or my milk not having enough fat in it. She would need some tests done.

I have decided to hold off on the formula, and not jump on giving it to her right away. I want to try to up my milk supply first and see if that helps. If it just a simple supply issue that I can fix, then I would rather do that than give her formula. I also plan on trying to start some solids since she is now 6 months old and that may help too.

Tonight I bought some Fenugreek supplements, and on Friday I plan on getting some More Milk Plus from Motherlove. I have heard these too supplements being great help to woman in my situation. I also plan to try and pump too and stimulate more milk production and if need be supplement her with a bottle of breast milk after she nurses if she doesn't seem full.

I am praying that this is all it will take and we will be back on our marry way. I was lucky enough to have a friend who I could talk to about this and she helped me a great deal today. I was a little upset leaving the doctor's office thinking about having to give her formula, even just a little. But I am not giving up yet.

If to no avail my milk supply never goes up and she continues to use weight I will then supplement her with formula. But it will be a last resort and one I hope I don't have to use.

I have never been in this situation. With Mason I pumped exclusively the first 4 months and gave him bottles. Then at 4 months he latched on and didn't take a bottle from then on. He nursed until he was 14 months old. He has always been smaller too, but he has never lost weight. So I am so lost.

If anyone has any advice, suggestions, support or has been in this situation I would love to hear from you.

Please pray that there is nothing serious going on with her and that it's just a supply issue. Please pray that with a little extra love my supply will return to enough to nourish her. Thanks.