Hello all,
I am pretty stymied. Had a new mom in, baby two weeks old. Baby was exclusively bf til about a week when he was weighed in the local baby clinic just under d/c weight. (3. kgs)  . Baby would nurse and fall asleep, wake, nurse and fall asleep, no real audible swallowing going on, but definite signs of milk transfer. occasional gulp. Mom very motivated. started pumping and finger feeding which went very very slowly but persisted. I recommended bfg as long and as often as possible as long as baby was voiding and to give supplement ebm in the evening when the baby showed signs of discomfort. The mom came back two days later and I started to weigh the baby. she came in for the second feed at 09:30. I saw and she felt that the baby was improving his suck, we could hear a few audible gulps but not like the usual barracudas that we see. He was not apathetic, and when taken off the breast chewed his fist (similar to the other case mentioned in the past few digests) he would nurse quietly, always calming at the breast and constant jaw movement but obviously ineffective.
I was sure he had to be getting something!! the milk was ejecting on its own, from the breast, but low and behold after about an hour the baby's weights were as follows: 
weighed in at 3644 at 09:30 with diaper on before feed. then weighed 3582 after!!!! about 11:a.m.
I asked her to come back for the next feed. and she did at about 13:30/
we removed the baby's clothes and he weight 3438 (!!) before the feed, and 3514 afterwards. (about another hour of bfg) this showed 70 grams increase.
We did a third test - he went down to 3420 and after another hour he gained 18 grams!
so he ended this very long day less than when he started out. 
we decided to feed him with a tube at the breast ebm - which would ensure proper feeding and offering the breast in between. we also tried a shield which didn't help the issues.
This was a vacuum birth, and I referred her on to CST. and we have been in touch everyday.
she is really trying so hard. She was due in today again, but didn't make it. On the phone she told me that she has gone back to bottles because the feeds were taking so very long via tube and finger feeding.  I encouraged her to keep trying and maintaining the bfg until she goes for CST. Can't guarantee that she will go for this. 
meanwhile, I question this weighing procedure. how can it be that the baby lost weight?????
my scale is relatively new. Is there something that could be wrong with it? I weight static objects and add to them other objects  to check accuracy re before and after readings and I get a logical reading. But I read about recalibrating with a 10 kg. weight. Have any of you had to do this? when must it be done? Are there other ways of doing this without actually using a 10 kg. weight? where on earth does one procure such an anchor!!
thanks for your input.

ellen shein, ibclc
tel aviv





vacuum birth, which I feel probably has its affect. and recommended CST. 


             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html