BFing Concerns

[scarlett09]

Can you manually stimulate to letdown? That way she isn't working so hard?

Yes, this helped me a bit! Thanks for the tip 😊

So after a rough previous weekend that included massively sore nipples/blisters, I did what I could to have her stimulate my supply and to stimulate it on my own. Lots of water, tasty lactation cookies, etc. We were still experiencing a deficit in between what she was consuming and what I was producing. So we bought some formula to supplement what she's getting from breast milk. DH and I both mourned the loss of giving E only breast milk for the weekend and then we got over it. Of the about 25oz of liquid she is drinking per day, only 5-10oz of it is formula (at least 1 feeding, maybe 2). When she's at daycare, 2 bottles are milk and the other is formula. At home, it's all milk and her other caregivers know it's okay to give her formula if she's hungry.

I was upset for a bit because the supply was low enough I thought I would be weaning altogether and I was NOT ready for that. Plus DH was a teeny bit of a PITA because, you know, peds. He is a good egg though and is proud of me for getting this far - breastfeeding isn't always easy! I also realized that any amount of milk I could give her was better than nothing. We got through it and she is doing well with the new types of food in her diet. She even feels heavier than last week lol!


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[oceanchild]

No shame in doing what works for you. We added formula at around 7 months, with the in-house pediatrician's blessing. Kid seems ok so far.

[MsSassyBaskets]

Big hugs. This whole pumping and working thing SUCKS.

[MrsC]

Huge hugs. Pumping is so hard! I completely understand where you're coming from with having to add formula. I supplemented from the start and I was forced to wean at 3 months. I was gutted and it still makes me sad to think about. But it didn't matter in the slightest. DS is in the 97th percentile, happy, healthy and super smart. You're doing what's best for your little one!