Am I running out of milk? What to do to increase supply? DD has put on only 1oz in a month

[MrsOhHu]

Dd is 4 months old now and has only put on 1oz and I feel totally inadequate and don't know what to do. I have been feeding her on a bottle of formula extra a day (7oz), but it makes no difference to her sleep or anything else. I don't know if it's helping. I feel this is a downward spiral. The HV was no help and I am knackered through total lack of sleep, under great pressure as dh isn't working and we have no money. I am really fed up and at the end of my tether. Help!!!

Hi MrsOH, I just want to give you support at what must be a difficult time for you.

When you say your dd only put on 1 oz, over what period of time is this?

My exclusively bf 2 month old ds wakes 8-10 times most nights. I don't think formula would help much because he doesn't always wake from hunger - could be wind, he is a light sleeper. My dd was exactly the same so I had already developed coping strategies - I co-sleep with ds and bf lying down. When ds wakes, I just adjust him, he feeds and I drfit off. It seems to work as I don't really feel knackered.

Don't know how you feel about sharing a bed with your dd but co-sleeping can also help on the weight gain front. Because you are close, it might stimulate more night nursing (I know, not that you need more wakings), but who knows, some babies do sleep better in their parents' bed.

do you have any friends or family that can give you a bit of a break? even just to take her out in the pram for an hour or play with her while you can get a bit of sleep or just a rest. it's hard to think straight when everything's getting on top of you.

i agree with blueshoes on the co-sleeping. it made things a lot easier. and if the formula isn't helping and you have no money you're bettr off just nursing her.
You should be really proud of yourself for continuing with the BF. It's not easy at times.

Don't get hung up on your DD gaining lots of weight - some babies just gain very gradually, some pile it on at first and then plateau. So long as she's not losing weight then you've really nothing to worry about. Even if she's on the tiniest centile that doesn't mean she's not healthy and thriving - my SIL's DD is on the 9th and is still a very slight but very healthy toddler.

Assume you are mostly BFding. Have you met with a bfeeding counsellor or a Bfeeding expert who can check you are positioning DS correctly and so on?

Agree that co-sleeping with a baby that wakes a lot is often a good idea - you can feed them lying down (and often fall asleep yourself).

Keep in touch, tho, Mrs OhHu, even if it's just to sound off and get some moral support.

Thinking of you. Good luck

How often are you breastfeeding in a day?

Is she producing lots of wet nappies?

How is she in herself -- happy and alert?

What was her weight gain like over the first three months?

Have you seen a breastfeeding counsellor?

I agree with pp that cosleeping is a good way to combine getting in lots of breastfeeding sessions with some sleep for you.

She's put on an ounce in a month. Perhaps she was losing weight before? She does sleep with me, which is one of the reasons I'm not getting any sleep. I don't want to smother her with my duvet or to let her overheat... She also moves around a lot and bashes me which wakes me up. I move around a lot too.

There are lots of people post on MN with breastfed babies around this age who don't appear to be gaining weight. I was one of them!! I just continued to feed him (my ds) as and when he wanted and after around 6 weeks with very little gain, his weight picked up again. I agree with others about co sleeping. I am a very skilled sleeper and ds just used to help himself!! I second what mammaduck says about speaking to a counsellor to check that everything looks ok and I also agree with purplemonkeydishwasher regarding the formula and money issue. Remember that milk production is about supply and demand and if you feed feed feed then your supply will adjust to keep up.
I know that it is worrying though but it sounds like you are doing really well. Is your DH home? Can he look after things (housework, meals etc) while you take to bed for a couple of days with your dd and just feed the whole time?