I am sending this to Lactnet as well as to Jennifer directly, in case anyone
else has any comments.
I have a hard time believing mother has enough milk if baby is not gaining.
Maybe so, but I have a hard time believing it.  There also could be some
illness in the baby preventing her from thriving, and this must also be
investigated, of course.
Increasing the mother's dietary fat will not increase the fat content of her
milk, but it can change the composition of that fat.  I wouldn't put any
emphasis on that myself.
The last part of Jennifer's post was a red flag for me.  There are studies
on how difficult it is for surviving twins to lose their 'mates' in
childhood and in adulthood.  There are things to suggest that depression can
occur in infants and small, pre-verbal children, though it is hard to
diagnose (and treat!).
Could this baby be having a grief reaction?  If so, could the parents help
by acknowledging that and letting the baby know they aren't blaming her for
the death of the other twin, that they really want her all the more and hope
she feels welcome?
I realize this may sound flaky, but I really think it is worth considering,
at the same time taking steps to ensure that the baby's intake is truly
adequate.
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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