Breast milk supply/Supplement w/ formula NEED ADVICE PLEASE!

I need some advice.... I was trying to exclusively breastfeed my son with some success. He is having trouble latching on due to a flat nipple and my milk supply wasn't coming in. I took him to the pediatrician yesterday and he has lost too much weight. She told me to continue bf but I need to supplement 1 1/2 oz of formula after each bf. I started this yesterday...

I now noticed that some milk has finally come in but little supply and it seems like more in one breast than the other. I have also noticed that he is having more trouble latching on now bc my nipples seem to have flatten even more! He might even be experiencing more trouble now because of the bottle feeding....

I want to continue strictly with BM.
should I start pumping to maintain my milk however i'm not sure if it will continue to come in or not and then the pump was a waste of money...


also for those of you who are bf but supplementing with formula as well, which bottle are you using?

Re: Breast milk supply/Supplement w/ formula NEED ADVICE PLEASE!

Do you have a nipple guard? Try to get him to use that. To build up supply, pump after you nurse. If you feel he isn't getting enough you can try supplementing with the BM in a bottle instead of using formula. I use Dr. Brown's bottles.

The fuller your breasts get, it may seem like your nipple is flatter, so your milk is probably in now!

Re: Breast milk supply/Supplement w/ formula NEED ADVICE PLEASE!

I'm going through the same exact thing right now!!! I actually just decided to pump to at least get the benefits of breast milk. She is just not latching and its frustrating her

Re: Breast milk supply/Supplement w/ formula NEED ADVICE PLEASE!

I am just copying and pasting from what I replied with on Parenting:

Personally, I EBFd DS until 15 months old. When he was a week old my ped said he lost too much weight and I needed to supplement.

I ignored my peds advice and continued to nurse. I knew the only way to maintain and/or increase my supply was putting him at the breast as much as possible.

By 3 months he had been gaining so well my ped suggested I cut his caloric intake by offering water. I ignored again.

I have flat nipples to, but DS latched like a champ with the help of a lactation consultant at the hospital. Never used a nipple shield.

You can try getting Fenugreek or More Milk (its an herbal tea) to try to increase your supply. Oatmeal and lots of water should help too.

Re: Breast milk supply/Supplement w/ formula NEED ADVICE PLEASE!

I finally started pumping today... his latch seems to have gotten better but it hurts so much!!! I'm trying to feed him more often now... I'm suppose to continue with the formula for another week till our next appt to see if his weight continues to improve (he's gained 7 oz since Thursday! ) Now that I have started pumping hopefully I could gather enough bm after each feeding to replace the formula.
I've been using Dr. Browns too...so far he continues to try to latch but still gets really frustrated bc I still think I'm not producing enough...however I'm afraid that the bottle feeding is starting to mess up the bf =(



What can I do to help produce more milk???

Re: Breast milk supply/Supplement w/ formula NEED ADVICE PLEASE!

Have you tried a Supplemental Nutrition System (SNS)? It's a tiny little tube you attach to your boob and you feed the baby formula through that so the baby does not get nipple confusion.

I did that for 2 weeks while breast feeding because DD was losing so much weight (went from 7-2 at birth to 6-10 day 4 to 6-4 day 7!!!). I was not producing enough to feed her, despite feeding her every 2 hours on each side, then pumping for 30 minutes each side 8 to 10 times a day. I was taking fenugreek and alfalfa, which is what the LC told me to do.

Everyone kept saying my milk would come in. I kept trying and pumping and trying. By day 14 when I was only able to produce 1 oz total each time I pumped or 3 oz a DAY, the doctors started to say that I had a problem and was unlikely to ever get a full supply. I did all I could, but I could not produce enough milk to feed my child.

We switched to the bottle and used Playtex Ventaire Wide Neck bottles. DD can latch so so well, and those bottles never stopped her from being able to. In fact, even today, at 8 weeks and I stopped putting her to the boob a few weeks ago, she can STILL latch perfectly, despite being bottle fed exclusively now. (She kinda sucks on the boob like a pacifier now.)

So, I highly recommend the playtex ventaire wide neck bottles.

I wish you the best. I spent an entire day miserable, crying and thinking I was a complete failure because my body failed me in being able to feed my child, but I got over it. It wasn't easy, but I was reminded that formula can yield a perfectly healthy child, and that I should feel grateful that I had a healthy, beautiful baby and that helped.

You do sound like you're in a better position than I was and that you are able to produce a supply. Just keep putting the baby on the breast as much as you can and PUMP PUMP PUMP. They told me to do "marathon" pump sessions, like an hour at a time (I had rented a hospital grade pump) with some breaks. I did that every night, along with 6-8 pump sessions a day. They also say wearing the baby chest to chest can help.