Hello.  My name is Renee and I have just joined this group.  I have been
"lurking" the last few days.  I have been interested in becoming an IBCLC for
about 5 years, but have just recently made the decision to pursue the "dream".  I
am bf my 4th child who is 3 mos old.  An experience wrought with difficulty.
Oh no, not the "usual" sore nipples etc...this baby latched on like a queen
from the get go....My problem has been a very little researched, very little
understood one....I had a gastric bypass (weight loss surgery) in Dec. 2001.
Unbenownst to me, pregnancy and subsequent bf after that surgery is in its
infancy.  While the pg had a few problems that were easily "fixed", bf has been
another challenge.  This baby would not/could not gain weight.  Her birthweight
was 7-3...dropping in the first week to 6-3 and taking a month just to regain
birthweight.  Weight from there was very slow.  At 2 mos her weight was 8 lb 2
oz.  Finally, 3 weeks ago at a LLL meeting, a friend who is exclusively bf 7
mos old twins, offered to wet nurse Cate.  This has had magical consequences.
Cate now weighs 10 lb 8 oz, of which the majority of gain has been since the
wet nursing began.  I still nurse her, but my supply has never been great.  I
had to stop Reglan because it increases gastric motility containdicated because
as my body already is slow to absorb nutrients, absorbs even less with the
Reglan moving things through quicker.  Some research states that Vitamin B-12 is
a common factor in slow weight gaining infants, upon testing it was found that
mine was low,and with supplementation has come to a normal range.  I pose
this information to anyone who may have experience with post gastric bypass
patients in hopes of finding other ways to increase my milk supply and the fatty
content of my milk.  (My milk is like skim milk...my wet nurse is like whole
lol)  I look forward to your contributions.

Renee Drake RN, CLC
student lactation consultant

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