Hi there, I'm new to this list, and am so glad to have found it. I'm an American (married to a Brit) living in England for the past 3 1/2 years. I have 3 children, ages 7, 2 and just turned 3 weeks. My 3 week old has been gaining slowly and I have been under an enormous amount of pressure from my Health Visitor to supplement him with formula. I, of course, want to do what is best for my baby and not compromise his health in any way...but I don't feel comfortable with the advice of the HV and I am really stressed and upset. I should mention she did the same thing when I had my daughter 2 1/2 years ago (pushed formula because of slow weight gain). My son is not yet back up to his birth weight. He weighed 6lb 12oz at birth, and is today (21 days) at 6lb 8oz. His lowest weight was 6lb 1oz at 11 days of age. The HV wants to come out and weigh him constantly (average 3 times a week) although I have managed to put her off a couple of times. Weighing him so frequently puts an enormous amount of pressure and stress on me, and I feel it does not give us a chance to put some significant weight on. The last time she weighed him was 4 days ago, and when she came today he had put on 2 1/2 oz. He is having plenty of wet nappies, several yellow seedy stools, and is becoming more alert (he was VERY sleepy at the breast for some time...was jaundiced and had thrush) and active. I also feel he is more vigorous at the breast. However, the HV is concerned because he is below percentile on the growth chart...and thinks he should catch up ASAP. She would not leave today until I agreed to supplement him, which is against my wishes. She has advised me to stop pumping (using a hospital grade double pump) and only nurse him every 3 hours ("to allow your breasts to fill up") and to supplement him with 4oz. of formula after EVERY breast feed. I feel if I do this, he will be so full he will not go back on the breast for ages and will thus compromise my milk supply...although the health visitor insists the opposite will happen (says he will become hungrier and nurse more frequently). I should mention that she agrees that he is well hydrated and she feels he is healthy, just that he looks a "little scrawny" and is gaining slowly. She is coming back to weigh him tomorrow and she wants him to have put on an additional 4 oz (in just 24 hours...I feel this is unreasonable!). She also says she cannot force me to supplement, but insinuates if I don't I will be starving my baby (which he shows no signs of) and he will eventually quit feeding at all and shut down. She also said if he continues to gain slowly she will have to recommend us for hospital referral, and the hospital will then feed him the way they see fit to put weight on quickly. I have given him expressed breast milk by cup (I have an SNS but feel very awkward using it...baby gets upset and won't latch on well....I don't mind the cup feeding, even though time consuming) but she feels it would be perfectly OK to supplement by bottle at this point, although she didn't force the issue. Sorry if this is all jumbled...trying to type while juggling attention between my 3 children. I should also mention I breastfed both of my other children and they were both slow weight gainers. I know this woman is doing her job, and perhaps she is right on the money and I am wrong...but I don't feel comfortable with all of her suggestions, and would feel better with additional opinions. Please help...any and all advice welcomed as I am in a panic about her visit tomorrow and am worried what will happen if my son does not gain the 4 oz. she is expecting. I want to preserve our breastfeeding relationship, but do not want to endanger my son in any way. Thanks and God Bless, Carolyn *********************************************** 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