BF mums...What would you do?

[harverina]

Posted about this last week on another thread.

My DD is 17 weeks and EBF. I have been supplementing her evening feed with a bottle of expressed breast milk, which my DH gives to her. I have been doing this as my supply has been very slow. The amount depends on what I have managed to pump. Regardless, I also usually breastfeed her before bed too, unless the expressed milk fills her up.

Tonight she has had 7oz of expressed milk plus she has been fed by me a few times. She has been in bed twice and is back up. My DH is giving her the last of the expressed milk just now. We have about an 0z left.

My DH thinks I should give her formula. We have a carton of ready made aptamil in the cupboard. I really dont want to give it to her but am I being selfish? Have just tried to feed her and she is so unsettled because my supply is so slow. I want to continue to exclusively breastfeed her for as long as possible...apart from the guilty I am feeling, I have also read the "Just one bottle" article which another mumsnetter posted on another thread and worry about the health implications of giving formula...I know plenty of babies get it, I was formula fed, but I am stressing myself out here.

Any advice please? Just stick at it and let her feed till she is full? I have no problem doing this, but dont want my DD to be frustrated and get upset.

I could express like a demon with ds1. It used to pour out. But with ds2, nothing! Pump, pump, pump and nothing but sore nipples. So he happily helps himself . How much you can express doesn't indicate much about your supply IMO.

eeewch! i am too squeamish to even hand express.
I have been in nursing or maternity bras now for nearly 5 years which is very depressing thou!

OP =I notice you are getting the same advice on this thread that you got on the other one. I am wondering what you want people to say?

seeker please forgive me if I've misunderstood the tone, but that seems a little aggressive no?
Perhaps the OP simply wants to talk some more about it. I'm glad she posted anyway, I've enjoyed this thread, and I didn't see the other one.

Those of you bemoaning the general crapness of nursing bras, you need these guys - "Hot Milk" pretty maternity / nursing bras

Seeker what other thread? I did ask generally about supplementing with formula last week on a thread someone else had started about bf and guilt. Didn't know it was a crime to start my own thread to get more advice? I don't expect people to say anything, I was actually genuinely asking for advice based on what I am experiencing this week.

Thanks for the link lowrib. I wear royce bras. Very Comfy but very "low" iyswim! It totally affects how clothes fit too so I def need to invest in some decent bras. I've heard anita bras are good. Put off with having to buy them online though, would rather go into a shop and try them on.

I am so very sorry, harvenina, I completely screwed up - I thought you were someone else. I can't apologize enough.

And now I've got your name wrony - sorry, narverina.

Harverina, you asked about pumping to increase supply, are you sure your supply is low?

Have you read what Kellymom has to say about low supply, causes of low supply and how to increase your supply. My favourite suggestion is the Nursing Holiday

seeker I did think it was a bit out of character!

Thats ok seeker. No problemo. No not sure my supply low but my dd isn't feeding great during day this week so I suppose i'm trying to maintain supply while she is going through this wee bad patch. Think my supply is actually pretty good during the day, just slow at night, though the milk is there!

seeker "seeker leaves thread as best she can with her foot in her mouth"

Not your foot seeker, read the thread.

You really don't need to express for supply haverina if she is going through a not wanting too much milk phase your supply will drop to suit that and then when she is feeling better she will jump on more and it will increase to suit that. You only really need to express if you want some milk for the freezer.

Trust your body, it knows what to do!

Gulp. Definitely my foot - not agile enough for anything else!

Just to add my tuppence worth, I ebf both of mune to 6 months, but I could never express more than a dibble or two.

I would just sit (or preferably lie) and feed her - the best way to make more milk is to feed a baby!

Thanks morloth, thats what I wanted to hear. So...when going through "bad" spells when she eats much less I wont express to keep up supply...REALLY ALL I NEED TO DO IS RELAX AND GO WITH THE FLOW!!! These are the only issues I have had with bf'ing - Ive had no latch problems, no pain, nothing, so think I just need to chill put a bit. Think that when things have gone so well, I panic a bit when the slightest thing goes wrong/is different.

On a positive note, DD has fed really well today apart from one feed where whe fretted and fed for 5 minutes. Just put her in her bouncy chair and let her relax for a bit before trying again and that worked.

Sorry for typos, rushing!

I agree, you don't need to express to keep up supply for those times when DD needs more.
My DD was feeding only once a day then she got an infection at 15-18 months or so, couldn't keep anything down but breastmilk she fed almost constantly that evening without complaining there wasn't any left.
trouble was a couple of days later when she was better i was really engorged for a day or two!

It can be hard to let go and realise that you don't need to do anything. BFing really does seem to work better when you do though!

I returned to work 2 days a week when both of mine were about 10 months old.

My body soon worked out that there was no baby to feed during the day for 2 days but they were there and wanted feeding for the other 5. It is amzzing really.

You sound like a great Mum who is doing a fabulous job. Like you say, just relax and go with the flow

Thanks everyone!