I need some advice about supply please

[Iamamumma]

I have had a few ups and downs with breastfeeding. My DD is 9 weeks today, has consistently gained 9oz a week every week. I had major nipple issues at 6 days in, which you lovely ladies gave me great advice to help sort out. I had to pump for 3 days to get them to heal and during that time DD had EBM in tommee tippee bottles.

Several friends adviced me to keep giving DD a bottle for the last feed at night, which I have done giving her formula once a day around 10-11pm. My DH does the last feed at night, at which she takes 7oz and she is now sleeping until 5-6am most days. In the evenings she feeds on and off from 5-9pm.

The thing is I am really worried that I am going loose my supply as I am going from 9pm - 6am without feeding her. I wake up very full in the mornings and DD is hungry and takes a really good feed from both sides not later than 6.15am. Should I wake her and feed her in the night or get up and express. I am a sorry I started the forumla thing now, but don't know how to get back on track.

Also am going to NZ in 2 weeks time for a month and with a 13 hr time difference and worried that it is going to mess my supply up even more. Or is it an opportunity to move back to exclusively BF?

Sorry this is a bit of a ramble, but I am bit upset today that I haven't done better with breast feeding

hi iamamumma

I'm sure someone with more experience than me will be along soon! but firstly - to still be bf at 9 weeks is bloody good - so don't tell yourself you haven't done well! you have!

I was advised to give DS a bottle in the evening too - did it for a week, and it made no difference to his sleep, so I stopped. It took 2 days of evening and early morning cluster feeding to get him back on track (still not sleeping more than 2 hrs a night, the swine!).
could you maybe express in the evening whilst your DH is feeding her for a few days (and freeze the milk, giving you a back up supply for future use) to bump your supply up before trying to give her evening feeds yourself?

hope you get answers from better qualified folk than me soon!

Would have thought if you stop the ff in the evening that dd will wake in the night to feed. Suppose it's partly down to whether you want to stop the ff or carry on.

Going on the supply & demand theory, the less stimulation your breasts get the less milk they make. I would have thought you could go back to ebf if you simply feed on demand, your supply should increase again quite quickly.

if you want to drop the formula just do it, it will be fine, you will have milk to give her. she may wake in the night to feed, and that's fine too (easier to let her wake you than to wake her and get her to feed)

honestly, it's that simple. it's only one feed

Thanks ladies - was being a bit of a div yesterday. Think I am just going to not do the bottle feed and see how we go. I love to over complicate things!!