Rollercoaster

This week has been just that so far: a rollercoaster. I was sure Grace was going to gain several ounces when I took her to her pediatrician appt. on Monday, but when the nurse put her on the scale, I got a bit upset. One ounce of gain in 4 days. She should have gained a minimum of 2.6, but obviously didn't. I was really taken aback because she had been eating really well and for good periods of time. The pediatrician (who wasn't supposed to see us as this was just a weight check) stopped by the room as I was readying to leave and reassured me that she would probably gain several ounces by Thursday. He also made a few recommendations for change in her feeding, which have been the upside of the week. One of his suggestions was to give her a bottle after breastfeeding to see how much more she needed and to gauge how much breastmilk she's been getting. Well that has been wonderful as she showed me she wanted anywhere from 1.5 to 2 oz. after breastfeeding. And for her size, she only needs 1.5 oz. per feeding total. We're thinking she must not be getting much from the direct feed to want a bottle that size. So now she's breastfeeding for about 20 minutes and then we're giving her a bottle afterward for an additional 1.5 to 2 oz. We're on the watch for overfeeding and reflux, but at least we now know that she's getting the minimum she needs. Tomorrow she returns to the pediatrician for another weight check and doctor's visit in which we hope she's gained weight given this new "revelation." If not, we'll likely start talking supplementation or growth factor.
Keep your fingers crossed and your prayers flying!