Moxie was 8 lbs but dropped all the way down to around 7 lbs before we were discharged. Her weight loss, while something all babies do, was almost double the average. Breast fed babies always lose some weight. There’s a space between birth and mom’s milk coming in, usually a few days, where babies live off fat stores and thus lose weight.

Did you seriously think I would dare to put a snarky caption on any photo of my mother-in-law? (guest captioner: ZSMD)

Each night, well morning–2 am, the nurse would come and take little Moxie to be weighed. She would leave snuggled and sleepy and return upset and crying. Each time the nurse had bad news. The first night she lost 9% of her weight. That night they brought a bottle of infant formula and a nipple. That first night was scary. We didn’t understand why she was losing so much and 9% put her dangerously close to the all concerning 10% that would require “supplementation.” The next morning we met with a lactation consultant that told us to pay attention to diapers–that’s where the action is. Her guidance: as long as she continued pooping and peeing at appropriate intervals Moxie would be fine. The next night her loss totaled 11% and then 13%.

Baby Scales. Yes, they do make a cream for that.

Why was her weight loss so significant? Nurses thought the fact that I’d been in labor for 2 days and on IV fluids for much of it and babies delivered via C-Section don’t get all their fluids squeezed out when they pass through the birth canal. But the stats are how the doctors make decisions.

What are we doing about it? We are supplementing–but with breast milk. She feeds the ol’ fashioned way and then gets, through a pediatric feeding tube on a pinky finger, a little extra. It keeps everyone in the family involved but it is paying off.

How’s Moxie now? Really good! As of today she is up to 7 lbs 10 oz and the doctor says we can stop the supplements when she reaches her birth weight. She is nursing like a champ and enjoys her dad or bibi feeding her a little extra milk and attention.