My name is Linda Beckler.  I have five breastfed children, ages 26 to 13
years, have just retired as a LLL Leader of 20 years and resat my IBCLC
board this past summer.  My commitment to breastfeeding led me to return
to college 8 years ago and I am currently working as a public health
nurse for a health uinit that has both WIC and newborn home visits.
I have been working with a mother since the birth of her 5th baby 3
months ago.  Once again, she has a slow gainer (the past two have taken
about three weeks before they start gaining from the breast only) however
this little girl is continuing to be a slow gainer...she weighed 8lb 7 oz
at birth (12-30-96), weighed 8-5 at discharge on day 3, dropped to a low
of 7-9 at two and a half weeks and slowly has gained to 9-2 on 3-14-97,
however the baby lost 4 oz in the past week.  We have been talking
regularly and the baby is being weighed at the doctor's office weekly.
The mother has been pumping and supplementing with hind milk first in a
cup and for the past 5 weeks with the SNS, at first appx 10 oz qd,
currently 6 oz qd however last week the mom cut back to 4 oz qd because
the baby had been slowly, but steadily gaining.  She has tried increasing
the amount in the supplementer but found the baby just spent less time at
the breast.  Mom is very intuned to looking for cues as the baby is
content, will self pacify with her thumb, and is a lazy nurser.  Wet
diapers and bowel movements have been good.  She is unable to rouse her
to nurse at night.  She has nursed w/o the supplementer for up to 4 days
and there was no change in gain, output or behavior at the breast.  The
physican has wanted her to wean for 4 days and use ABM to see what
happens; the mother is very reluctant to do so but wonders about
bottlefeeding breastmilk for 4 days to see what happens.  Note to Marsha
Walker: this is the same mother I talked to you about.