Dear Wise Ones,
Maybe one of you can shed light on this frustrating situation.  I am
working with a mother and her 17 week old baby.  This is her fourth child,
others were nursed happily, easily, and over a year.  All three other
children were "picture perfect plump" kids.  This baby weighs now 5 kilo,
100 grams.  She refuses to nurse more than about five minutes, and her
weight gain has been very sporadic since birth.  She gained 210 grams the
first two weeks, then 10 grams the third.  Doctor thought it was due to a
serious ear infection in both ears.  Baby was hospitalized for a week.
Since then, baby never resumed gaining normally.  She sometimes gains only
30 grams a week, sometimes on a good week 110.  There is no difference in
feeding patterns the weeks she gains and the weeks she doesn't.  Doctor has
ran loads of tests- UTI, liver function, blood tests, etc.  All has come
out completely normal.  Baby is reaching all normal milestones, and
behavior is normal and happy.  When doctor advised supplementing, baby
would not take this either.  Mom had tried formula, pumping, and basically
everything else.  After five minutes or so, baby arches and refuses to eat
more.  Usually mom can only coax another feed in after 4 hours.  She is
very frustrated, and concerned.   She has tried pumping off foremilk and
feeding in a bottle to give more calories but there was no difference in
weight gain.
Does anyone have any thoughts that might help out here?  This really came
out of left field for this experienced mother who believes so firmly in
only breastfeeding.
Thank You,
Jessica Billowitz
Israel

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