Breastfeeding/Banana Baby!

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Expert: - 5/13/2009


Question

Pretty Baby!
My baby was born 6lbs. 2ozs. she is now 3 months old and has only gained 3 lbs so far. From my knowledge she should weigh a lot more than what she does. She's really tall, and lanky, and she is super strong she can hold her head up so good. But when I breastfeed her I usually feed her anywhere from a half an hour to an hour flat, and I tend to feed her usually about 45 minutes after i get done feeding her, unless she is taking her nap or if she is content. she doesn't always seem to be satisfied, but she has plenty of wet/soiled diapers. Am I feeding her too long or too often? Please help me, i just want a healthy baby girl!!

Answer
Dear Brittanee,

First, congratulations both for giving your beautiful baby (I can see what a honey she is in that photo) your valuable breast milk, and also for recognizing that she should weigh more than she does.

I consulted Dr. Marks, the pediatrician I am working with on the next edition of my book (see below), and she said that you really need to take your daughter to the doctor so she can be evaluated and helped to become as strong and healthy as possible. You may need to give her formula in addition to breast milk. Often a formula supplement will help get a baby over the hump, and then once she is gaining and doing well, you may be able to gradually cut down the formula and go back to exclusive breastfeeding.

I urge you to make a doctor's appointment as soon as you can, and I wish you the very best.

Regards,

Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D.  

Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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