Has anyone used Supplement Nursing System (SNS)? DD is 4 mo

[AgruminoMum]

Has anyone used Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) with an older baby? I was just looking at the Medela website which seems to suggest that SNS works well with newborns and premature, but no mention whether it can be successfully used for an older baby?

Here is the background - DD is 4 mo, was breastfed exclusively first 6 weeks, and due to poor growth, mixed fed after the first six weeks. She was happily taking the breast&bottle combo for two months, but started cutting down on the bottle amounts during the last one month, and has stopped taking any bottles (even with expressed breast milk) in the last two weeks. For a while I managed to give her some formula while she was half-asleep but this no longer works (DD way too smart! ). Her weight has been stable over the last two weeks (but that includes several "dreamfeed" bottles).

I am really worried about her not gaining or even losing weight. We had a horrible experience of being admitted into hospital due to failure to thrive when she was 6wo. I do hope breastmilk will increase and will be enough to feed her (I have already discussed this in length in other threads and have researched all the ways of how to do it, but the increase seems to be happening very slow...)...

Has anyone tried to use SNS with an older baby? (DD might be a bit to smart and be able to figure out I am playing a trick on her! Don't want to make her quit the boobs as well...)

[MigGril]

Hum I haven't but I do know a mum who has. (Major TT isuess that regrew) Her DD never had a bottle and she used the SNS as a finger feeder most of the time I think. You strap the tube onto your finger and baby sucks that instead of attaching it to the breast.

If it's mainly just a problem of getting more milk in (I have read one of your other treads) at this age you could just forget the bottle and try a cup instead. Keep breastfeeding to and pumping to up your supply of course.

[AgruminoMum]

But how much milk can you feed to a 4 mo baby using a cup? I am looking to supplement some 100-150 ml a day...

Pumping is unfortunately out of the question because I have to throw the milk afterwards (she only takes breast right now). I tried to use a spoon but DD doesn't want to swallow any milk that doesn't come out of the breast. She does take a bottle of tea however (go figure!)

She feeds every 3 hours in the morning (and refuses to do it more often), every 2 hours in the afternoon, and possibly every hour in the evening. Then wakes up every 3 hours at night. I am spending the whole day trying to shove a boob in her mouth, poor little girl!

[AgruminoMum]

All doctors and breastfeeding consultants find our case very amusing, it seems that they have never heard of a mixed fed baby deciding to go back to exclusive breastfeeding on its own. BF consultants especially love the story and keep telling me that DD is very smart...

[LisMcA]

Don't throw away your milk! You can freeze it for 6 months, by then, she might be taking a bottle again.

Sorry I haven't seen any of your other threads, but have you tried someone else giving her a bottle when you aren't there? Maybe a different type of bottle and teat?

If it makes you feel any better DS and I are a oddity to our bf consultant as we are exclusively expressing!

[MigGril]

If you say your worried about supply and you can pump, then pump and freeze. Or possibly finger feed with a SNS. As pumping as well as putting baby to the breast will help increase supply.

I think your baby is very clever, she's decided she perffers the breast and who wouldn't its all warm and suggly.

[lucy101]

My baby and I had a similar experience at around the same time. He is mix fed (a long and complicated tongue tie story) but at around 4 months decided he only wanted to BF but my supply (despite pumping etc.) never got to 100%, his weight started to drop again but he did take to the bottle after a couple of weeks.

However he wanted the milk (formula) very warm and we use Breastflow bottles and since then everything has been fine.

I tried the SNS but found it didn't work for us - I just ended up covered in milk with a screaming baby but I know others (on mumsnet) have had a better experience.

I would be definitely freezing the expressed milk if you can.

[Thandeka]

I used an SNS with DD from birth to 6monthish not all the time as she was happy with top ups from bottle too but now and again to boost supply. Was a bit of a faff and sometimes would judge it wrong and give too much and dd would vom everything up (never seemed to stop when full my girl!) good luck! Second reccomendations for breastflow bottles too- bloody marvellous.

[twinklegreen]

I have had experience of a few women starting with the SNS with older babies, with varying degrees of success.

One of the key elements to success IMO is to get someone with experience of them to show you how to latch the baby on whilst using the SNS, they can be a bit of a fiddle!

As your baby is still breastfeeding from you, I think you have a good chance of making it work, and it is definately worth a try :)

Alternatively you could try to up you supply another way, some suggestions here

Good luck