Jordan Talley was overjoyed after giving birth to a little girl named Lucy.
But after a few weeks, Jordan realized that her daughter wasn’t gaining weight as quickly as she should.
Then a month later, she took a closer look at Lucy’s mouth and realized what the doctors had missed…
When Lucy was born, she was a healthy 6 pounds, 8 ounces. (2.9 kg). But by the time the newborn left the maternity ward, she only weighed 6 pounds, 1 ounce (2.7 kg) — a drop of 7 ounces (200 g).
Because it’s common for babies to lose a little weight during their first few days outside the womb, Jordan didn’t think much about it. Lucy was home and everything seemed fine. Jordan breastfed her regularly and she slept well during the night.
Then one week after Lucy got home, Jordan took her to the hospital for a routine checkup. The baby was down to 5 pounds, 12 ounces (2.6 kg). Once again, the doctor assured Jordan that there was nothing wrong; Lucy was completely healthy.
“I went home and nursed and nursed and nursed. I was having pain every time she latched to eat. She was fussy — as if my breasts were empty bottles and I was forcing her to suck on air,” Lucy wrote on Love What Matters.
Slowly, Lucy started to gain a little weight, but she still weighed less than when she was born. Jordan sensed something still wasn’t right. She was worried that Lucy had a tongue tie (ankyloglossia) and maybe that was why she wasn’t gaining weight. (Basically, a tongue tie is a condition that restricts a newborn’s tongue and interferes with breastfeeding.)
At Lucy’s next check up, her doctors said that Lucy still wasn’t gaining weight. And if this didn’t change within a month, they would have to act.
Jordan cried when she left the hospital because she didn’t know what was wrong. Then two weeks later, Lucy was still losing weight and her eyes were dull and sunken in. Jordan panicked and went to the hospital again.
Finally, she finally got some reasonably good news. Her doctor discovered that Lucy wasn’t getting enough calories from the breast milk. So he recommended baby formula.
Jordan turned to Facebook and asked the mothers in a breastfeeding support group for help. One woman in the group noted an interesting detail on a picture that Jordan had posted. Lucy was making a fist, which indicates inefficient nursing.
After visiting another breastfeeding specialist, Jordan confirmed what she had suspected the whole time — that Lucy had a tongue tie and needed surgery.
The operation was successful and Lucy was finally able to get the nutrition she needed. And after only a few hours, Jordan could notice the difference!
It must’ve been hard for Jordan and her family not knowing why their beloved little girl wasn’t gaining weight. But it’s wonderful to hear that she’s doing well now and developing at a normal rate. Please share this happy story with your friends!
