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[mindy26]

my daughter is 7 weeks old now and still breastfeeding for about 2 hours at a time sometimes longer, i just dont thinkim making enough milk for her as when i express an only get about 2 ounces, im having o top herfeeds up with formula which i hate buti just want to make sure shes geting enough??

Expressing is no indication of supply. Some babies snakc but it may be worth having a bfc check your latch and position to ensure she is feeding effectively.

how long does she feed for?
do you feed from both sides or just one?
when feeding is she awake all the way through or does she often fall asllep straight away?

she feeds for about 2 hours on 1 breast then i switch 2 the other for about an hour, then i have to give her a couple of ounces of formula just so i can make sure she is getting enough, my midwife and health visitor have watched as i get her latched on and watch how she feeds and that seems fine, its so upsetting and frustrating to think i cant satisfy my baby as i love breastfeeding her

mindy, expressing is the worst way of assessing supply! Anyway, you could express 10 gallons and if it isn't getting into the baby it would not indicate anything, either

What's your dd's weight gain been like?

her weight gain has been fine, but i dont know if thats because shes been getting the formula too, ive read about these herbal things on the net that can boost your milk supply and im considering trying them but dont want to waste money if its a lot of nonsense, i feel a bit daft for getting so upset about it and im arting to feel a bit of a failure every time i get the formula out

She may be feeding for so long because she just likes it. Check with tiktok et al but i see no need to give formula just because she is a slow feeder. Does she seem frustrated at your breast

mindy, if you are using a lot of formula (more than once a day) then you can't just drop it....you will need to wind it down at the same time as building up your milk supply.

You do need to speak to someone in real life and maybe have someone observe you feed.

Forget herbs - they may help, but only if the basics are in place, and the basics are the baby feeding effectively at least 8 x a day including at least 1-2 x a night. Herbs will not do any good if the baby is not removing milk often enough. Slow feeding in itself is not an indication of anything; a baby at the breast for 2 hours (presumably off and on and not sucking continously) may just like breastfeeding! On the other hand, if you have been using a lot of formula for more than a day or so,there may be an issue with supply.

If you give some more details, I'll try to help.

when on the breast she does get frustrated after about 20 mins as if shes not getting anything out any more and her sucking gets very quick and there is very little swallowing, she seems to be feeding more than 8x a day, evry time i put her down she cries and starts sucking her hands, i only usually give her formula after last feed at night and her feed through the night, ant time she sleeps through the day its only for about 20 mins then wakes up hungry, i am constantly feeding at the moment.

do the formula feeds make her more settled between feeds?

Mindy, my DD used to feed ALL the time too - first day DP went back to work after a month's paternity leave I didn't even manage to get myself a cup of tea till 3pm. It may just be that she, and your supply, are still getting up to speed - they do say it takes 8 weeks and that it's not a good idea to express before then. For what it's worth, my DD suddenly cut down the length of feeding drastically - now seems to get all she needs in 5 to 10 mins, tho she still has a good old binge in the evening. I'm no expert but i did dig around for info when it felt i was feeding all day. if your latch is fine and you're drinking plenty yourself, as long as she's gaining weight it may just be like this for a while longer and not nec something to worry about. i think dd calmed down about 12 weeks. she;s now 20weeks and as i say gets all she needs very quickly. my supply is now mature and milk sprays everywhere if she pulls off mid feed. others on here are more expert but just wanted to offer some moral support. ps have you got a sling? a good way to get some other things done while she's feeding for england. also, a baby generally gets a lot more out than a breast pump so that's not a great gauge...

Sorry, mindy, that sounds like quite a lot of formula to me....formula in the evening and through the night is not the best way to support bf.

at nightshe takes about 1 or 2 ounces of formula after a bf and she definitely seems more settled and sleeps very well, ireally want to stop giving the formula, didnt want to in the first place but was persuaded to by my partner, my health visitor said giving 1 bottle feed at night was fine so i thought it might be better to bf and then top up after with a little formula,my partner is no help really as he has 2 kids from his 1st marriage and they wee completely formula fed ad he takes it as critisism whwn i say how much i hate giving formula as his 2 girls were bottle fed and they have tured out just great, he just doessnt understand

It sounds really hard, mindy....and it's even harder when you have no support.

There is really no escape from it though, sorry....she is having too much formula for you to be able to build up and maintain a good breastmilk supply. Formula top ups in the evening and through the night are just not compatible with a good milk supply - they also make her go longer between feeds which reduces your milk supply even more.

Might help to call one of the bf helplines and talk about it?

thankyou so much for your help, im sure my midwife gave me a number for a bf councellor so i might try that, do u think tho ii stop giving formula at night and just let her feed for as long as she wants that would be better?? id get no sleep at all but would def try it if it helps build my supply up

NCT bf line 0870 444 8708, mindy.

yes, feeding without formula is the only way to build up your milk supply, but you may not be able to do this straight away - you might need to wind down the formula as you wind up the breastmillk, if you see what I mean!

Talk to your midwife and the bf counsellor

thanks again tiktok, fingers crossed things get better!!