Supplemental nursing system (SNS)

[whatamigoingtodo87]

Does anybody have an experience of using an SNS to increase milk supply?

My lb is 11 weeks tomorrow, had tt cut twice and readmitted to hospital with poor weight gain at 3 weeks. He's fine now but my milk supply has suffered since he was put on formula top ups in the hospital and I wasn't offered any support so have been expressing, topping up, bf ever since!

I've seen a new lactation consultant as the one I saw previously was a useless cow. She suggested an SNS. How long did you need to use it for? Were you able to get back to ebf?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I’ve not used one no sorry OP. Hopefully you will get a few replies soon. If you ring one of the BFing Helplines they might be able to help you with this too

[whatamigoingtodo87]

@JiltedJohnsJulie thanks I'm under a lactation consultant but I just wanted to hear from others if it had been successful. Thank you 😊

[birdybirdbird]

Hi. My LO is 5 weeks and we are still stuck on the pumping and formula top ups due to weight loss. I’ve been taking fenugreek, eating oats etc to increase my supply and I think it is starting to go up based on amount I can pump, although it’s still not great. I do a power pump once a day and now add together my expressed milk into the same bottle at multiple pumpings. As a result, we started offering slightly less formula (10ml less) and he’s been fine with this. Will try reducing by another 10 this week. Akso we’ve stopped doing everything at every feed. So now I always BF but then give formula or expressed milk so it’s a bit less of a palava at 3am!

[Mamaryllis]

We were going to use SNS with dd2 (very weak suck - born with no duck or gag reflex and was ng fed originally). I would want to a longer discussion with the consultant - what exactly is the reason for poor weight gain? (If ds has a weak suck and tired easily, for example, SNS will help as he will get more nutrition in a feed). I’m unclear how using SNS will enable you to build your milk supply any faster than what you are doing now (expressing and feeding?) but i don’t think it will harm your supply (and presumably you will continue to express to fill the SNS anyway).
I’ve only really looked into SNS as a way of allowing babies with weak suck or other physical issues to benefit from the breastfeeding experience though. I don’t really know much about their use to build up milk supply (that seems very odd to me as you are still replacing your supply) but the stimulation from feeding and expressing to fill the bag will presumably help?)

[whatamigoingtodo87]

@Mamaryllis yes it's the stimulation that helps build supply. My lb did have poor suck until tt was resolved but now he feeds well and it's a matter of my supply. I'll still be expressing as well and intend on asking Doctors for domperidone again as they refused last time.

[Mamaryllis]

It’s interesting- I don’t understand how feeding with a supplementer is more stimulating than just feeding and expressing to build supply - but I’m sue it’s science!!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

It’s interesting- I don’t understand how feeding with a supplementer is more stimulating than just feeding and expressing to build supply

I don’t get it either, but then I’m not trained. That’s one of the reasons I suggested the OP rings one of the Helplines, maybe a BFC could explain?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

There’s some more information on SNS here OP. How are you getting on now?