My little one is about 3.5 months old now and yea basically he's too lazy to breastfeed. When he was born, he was 65% percentile in weight, and tracked this way at his 2 week appt when we were cleared to move to on-demand feeding. By his 1-month appt his growth trajectory had slowed a bit (52% percentile), but pediatrician said he wasn't worried.
By month 2, his growth trajectory had slowed quite a bit more, down to the 29% percentile. At this point, ped suggested adding in expressed-milk bottles twice a day to see if that helped. I was able to see an LC the next day who told me baby was very well latched and just not willing to work for it. When we offered an expressed-milk bottle immediately after breastfeeding he ate the whole thing. So he's hungry, but lazy.
After the LC, I decided to feed baby 3 expressed milk bottles a day - each bottle has 6.25 ounces. He always finishes at least 5 ounces, averaging 5.5 ounces each bottle offered. It's been a pain to manage bottle feeding him and pumping at the same time (since he's still breastfeeding also, I can't wait to pump until after the bottle feed because then supply isn't back up appropriately when I breastfeed him next), but it was manageable.
We went in for a 3 month check-up today just for his weight, and he's now down to the 9% percentile. I am heartbroken. Ped wants to offer a formula supplement after each breastfeed. I am not at all against formula - but I'm at a loss as to how baby is SO LAZY? I've tried everything the LC said - heating pads on my breasts before feeding to help with faster let-down, breast compression/massages while feeding to help encourage flow, tickle feet / gently blow on his face when he stops suckling. Little guy just refuses to work for it. Now I have to buy formula when breastfeeding is free, manage getting a bottle ready before a breastfeed just to see if he'll take it, wash even more bottles... just, *sigh*
I asked about just switching to exclusively pumping and bottle feeding, but doc said he still wants to encourage him to latch and breastfeed and offer the formula supplement afterwards.
Has anyone else been in this position? Was there anything that worked to get your little one to EAT?