Did you have 'cankles' after you had your baby? Could you make dents in your waterlogged feet? And did your baby have higher than normal weight loss in the first few days postpartum?
If so, you may be interested in a new study published in Pediatrics this month.
The authors of this study looked at 'excess weight loss' in first-born breastfed babies, and found two factors predictive of it. One, delayed lactogenesis II ('milk coming in') is an obvious one. The other - the amount of fluid a mother received during her labor - confirms a suspicion many providers have had for some time.
The authors conclude: "This suggests that intrapartum fluid administration can cause fetal volume expansion and greater fluid loss after birth, although other mechanisms are possible."
In other words, some babies are born with extra fluid "on board." When they shed this fluid it may appear that they are losing a lot of weight. And you know how that story ends.
There are so many reasons why mothers have IV fluids in labor. Group B Strep positive? Antibiotics and fluids. Epidural? Fluids. Induction? Fluids. C-section? Antibiotics and fluids. Exhaustion? Fluids.
Lots of fluids can have other effects, such as edema in the breast, which can make latch and milk removal very difficult (see this article on reverse pressure softening as a remedy).
How about you? Did you have a lot of fluid while in labor and a baby who had excess weight loss?
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