Pumping questions & Infantrini top ups

[TriciaMcM]

Further to 3.5mth old DS dropping 2 centiles this thread we have been to the paediatrician who has recommended Infantrini top ups (60ml, after 3 feeds a day) to start & to review in a week. I'm trying to pump the same amount as he takes, so that my supply won't dip in the meantime. Should I be trying for more?

It takes me about 30mins each side to pump, and one side gets about 30ml in that time, so not exactly flying along. He's not too interested in the formula during the day, either refusing while screwing up his face in disgust or taking only a tiny amount, but he took the full 60 ml last night, plus 30ml of expressed milk. I'm thinking now maybe my supply isn't great in the evenings, or else he's just a little lazy and doesn't like to work harder for it.

I assume I need to pump to keep my supply up. To be honest, now that he's no longer EBF I could live with replacing a feed a day with formula, but I don't like the idea of top ups after each feed - in my completely uneducated opinion it seems like a sure fire way to decrease supply further.

Does pumping get more efficient? How on earth do you all find time to do it? I've already lost weight in the last couple of days doing it as haven't time to eat. Plus my nipples are sore! Is it ok to put pump in a freezer bag in fridge to save washing/sterilising each time? I'm using the Medela Swing from DC1 so about 4.5 years old. Any other tips?

Only good thing is paediatrician can't see anything wrong with DS other than the fact he's not putting on weight despite his height staying at 75th centile. He also was charming her with smiles and chat!

Thanks for help in advance

For all ds has not been piling the weight on, at this time your supply will be established, and it will not dwindle unless his bf really dwindles. Pumping is a good idea to protect everything but getting 180 mls with pumping is HARD and you don't need to be too targetted on getting that amount. If you pump and get something three times a day, you're doing well.

You don't need to sterilise the pump each time, or at all, by this stage, as long as you are washing, rinsing and draining hygienically. I think you should wash between uses - dried milk traces do breed bugs.

The paed's advice to review in a week after an extra 180mls daily sounds fine - you may be able to reduce or even drop the Infatrini by then. Yes, probably 3 x 60 ml top ups is on the high side, but this is for a week only, and I promise you, your supply will not collapse in that time. It's a matter of judgment, rather than a science, and the paed sounds supportive - no one has told you to stop bf, or it's a waste of time now or anything rubbish like that.

Infatrini is a quick way to boost calorie intake and it sounds to me the paed's approach is to give your baby a sharp opportunity to catch up, and then hope nothing much more needs to be done - given ds is clearly thriving in every other way :)

Even if you continue with top ups after next week, you don't need to fear your milk will 'go'.

You should be able to continue to bf as the main milk for as long as you want to.

Thank you so much tiktok, I really, really appreciate the reassurance & expert advice.

I'll keep pumping maybe just in the evening when DH is home to try to build up some freezer supply & to improve my supply in the evening times if that's possible - the paediatrician (who I was very happy with as well) suggested that maybe we could try topping him up with EBM instead, all going well. The fact that he took the EBM out of the bottle last night does suggest to me that he's a lazy feeder. DD (DC1) would have spent all her time feeding/using me as a human dummy if I'd have let her, DS hasn't much interest.

:) hope all goes well, Tricia :)