Food of love

We went to see the paediatrician on Wednesday. He wasn't too concerned about Jake's poo-problem because he said you see most babies grow out of it as it's usually just a case of their digestive system being underdeveloped. He said we could give him a few drops of oil before each feed to help things along. However, he then weighed Jake and he is back under his birth weight!! This did worry the doctor massively. He went to consult a colleague, who then joined him and also examined Jake.

They both felt Jake seemed very healthy - alert, cheerful and certainly not ill. The other doctor had done research into this very problem - 'silent underfeeding through breastfeeding'. Silent, because the child seems contented. It is more common than you'd think, he said and it's usually down to the child's physical inability to get enough milk from the breast, as your breasts produce enough milk for your child. So he instructed me to get in touch with my lactation consultant to make a plan as to how we can get more of my breast milk into Jake. It basically entails expressing a fair bit in between feeds. The doctors want me to continue with the breast milk and come back to see them next Friday. Fingers crossed our little boy puts on some weight!

The paediatrician did ask me if I was still fully committed to breastfeeding and when I said yes, he breathed a sigh of relief and said that he was so happy to hear that. If we are going to fatten Jake up with something, then there is nothing better than breast milk to do that, according to him. Since Wednesday I have expressed between feeds and we've given that to Jake in addition to what he gets out of my breasts. On both Friday and Saturday he pooed all by himself!! I was so proud of him and so pleased that the extra milk already seems to be having an effect. It gave me the motivation to continue the whole cycle of feeding-expressing with renewed vigour.

A couple of people have told me 'well done' on my commitment to breastfeeding, but several have said "Oh, why don't you just give him formula?" Not really what I need to hear right now, a bit of support would be nice. It's almost as if some people think I'm mad for persisting with that crazy breastfeeding lark. I'm pleased I have done so though - Jake is doing so, so well. Because of all the expressing, my milk supply has increased dramatically too, so I can give Jake lots of my expressed milk in addition to what he drinks at the breast. I weigh him before and after a couple of feeds a day so I know how much he's getting from the breast and then I express after the feed. He's getting roughly half the milk out, so it's no wonder he was underfed. The doctors (and a few friends) said he will grow bigger & stronger and will then most likely be able to breastfeed much better. I really hope so, but I truly don't mind expressing in between feeds - I know who I'm doing it for and he is absolutely and entirely worth it!