Small top ups - what equipment should I get?

[DappledOliveGroves]

So having exclusively breastfed DD1, I'm now in a position with DD2 where I don't have a great milk supply, she's not yet back at her birthweight despite being 16 days old (100g to go) and we're having to supplement with formula.

So, I'm in a position I didn't think I'd be in and looking for advice. At present we're using Aptamil profutura ready made bottles but these are costing a small fortune. So we've got a tub of the Aptamil but trying to work out how best to prepare it.

The perfect prep looks great BUT at present we're only topping up with 2oz at most and the minimum it prepares is 4oz. I wondered whether getting a 70 degree kettle was a better option so that we can make bottles up more quickly? Or should I get both, in the expectation that I might try and increase formula at night over time (in readiness for going back to work) and use the perfect prep at night and the kettle in the day?

Anyone with any advice please?

Personally I wouldn't bother with either, but you can sometimes find 2nd hand perfect prep machines on fb marketplace for a good price, and remember your baby will take bigger volumes in only a few short weeks.
Came here to say have you tried expressing with a haakaa to help your supply? (Stick it on the boob your baby is not attached too, a quick and easy way to collect 20-30mls each time).

Have you had advice from proper breastfeeding support?

All too often, some medical professionals will jump to formula top ups because it is the easy answer without actually looking at the bigger picture.

When we were doing this I made up the bottle about an hour before we needed it and left it on the side to cool. It was the right temperature by then.

Or if you're doing multiple a day, make one up after feeding, and cool it in the fridge for next time.

Haakaa didn't work for me, I only got about 0.5ml from it.

It's worth remembering that the tub needs to be discarded 4 weeks after opening. It was actually cheaper for us to use the little ready made bottles for a while because we just weren't using the volumes to use a full tub in 4 weeks. You can also switch brands if you want, aptamil is the most expensive and it's a myth that you have to stick with one brand.

Do you need/want advice on bulding up supply?

Thanks all. To be fair I'm bemused by my breasts lack of efficacy this time round. When I had my first daughter (admittedly 20 years ago as a 19 year old), my milk came in on Day 5 and once in I could honestly have fed triplets I had so much milk. DD used to gain a pound a week and I fed her til she was over two.

This time round there's no engorgement, no leaking and bumpy weight gain even with the top ups. There's milk in my breasts but seemingly not in the volumes there used to be. New baby DD will gulp the top up in minutes despite feeding from both breasts. I've had a private lactation consultant come over but honestly not sure why my milk supply is low this time round. Honestly I'm just perplexed - I trained as a breastfeeding peer supporter and thought I knew a lot about breastfeeding but this time it's all gone out the window.

I'm reluctant to pump on top of feeding and supplementing as firstly I was getting very little despite pumping and secondly it's exhausting and sore. Also, the fact that DP is able to help with feeding is a massive help (I was a lone parent when I had DD1 so having the support with DP being able to help with feeding is nice). Also, in light of the fact I'll be back to work full time when DD2 is 8 months old means I think I need to use formula in any event.

We got the perfect prep in the end. DD is being weighed tomorrow so will see how that goes and go from there.

Keep going, it sounds like you're doing all the right things. I had a very similar experience to you with both DC1 and DC2 funnily enough even down to the age and training as a peer supporter!

Did the LC help you work out a plan to increase supply and potentially cut out the top ups? Is that something you want to do?

Despite the rocky start I did manage to consolidate the top ups for DS2 into a single bottle feed a day, DH used to give it just before we attempted bedtime. He would then demand more boob but we ended up keeping the bedtime bottle for a bit because DH liked giving it. Then after a few months he got fussy with it so we stopped it. I did end up feeding him until he was over 2 and only stopped because I was pregnant so don't despair, you might still get there!

Have you tried doing skin to skin in bed with your baby for a bit, if possible every day? And just having a day where you put her to the breast every hour whether she seems to be requesting it or not? I found both of these things helpful.

I didn't pump at all once I was out of hospital. It was just pointless and stressful. I felt very much the same as you on this.

I also cosleep - I don't know if you did this with DC1 or not as I know it was frowned upon back then but perhaps if you were in the breastfeeding friendly circles you did it anyway (that's what I did). But I really credit that with helping both with milk supply and weight gain because it gives them such easy access to top up from me at night.

@BertieBotts - good to know it's not just me who's had these issues. Honestly I was sure breastfeeding DD2 would be fine, since I'd fed DD1 for so long and knew so much about breastfeeding. I just thought my breasts would do what they'd done 20 years ago. Apparently not .

At this point I really don't quite know what I want re: feeding. With DD1 I had 16 months off before starting university whereas I'll be back at work full time when this one is only 8 months' old. I'm also conscious that I'm going to need DD2 to be in some kind of routine for when I go back to work and she's in childcare and I also know I need unbroken sleep to be able to do my job well. So now that she's been having formula, it seems as if mixed feeding will be the way forwards to some degree. Will see what the weigh in tomorrow is like and then try and come up with a plan.