Mixed feeding / Pumping

[Bellab89]

Hello!

My baby is 2 months old. My plan was to breastfeed and then introduce some formula once BF was established. I did this with my first and it worked perfectly for us.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t quite gone as planned. Baby had issues latching, despite lots of help from professionals. We therefore started using formula and bought a breast pump.

My supply is now very low. With another child to look after and life being so busy, I struggle to find time to pump. Even when I do, not much comes out. I’m managing only a few ounces a day. Baby is therefore mostly formula fed with a little bit of breast milk once a day. Sometimes this feels pointless but I convince myself that a tiny bit is better than nothing, right?! I still try and BF but she gets frustrated.

Has anybody else been in this situation? I really want to carry on giving her at least SOME breastmilk but I’m not sure how long it will last. I’m amazed I’ve managed two months at this rate.

Thanks :)

I have successfully BF for over a year so far and whenever I've pumped I've only ever got about 10ml out of each breast!
Baby has to work so much harder to get milk from your nipple than they do a bottle teat, so that may explain her fussing.
I'd keep offering breastmilk as long as you can as the benefits to both you and her continue for as long as you do it, even if it's only once a day
Well done for managing 2 months, it's not easy but it's so worth it.

Oh that’s interesting! Perhaps it’s not as low as I think. Yes I think I’ll keep trying and will try not to get disheartened. Your response is really helpful, thank you :)

I'm not exactly in the same situation, but I had to build my supply for my second exclusively by pumping while he was in ICU. Basically, pump often and don't worry about volume. You don't have to do it every 3 hours, as long as it's 8 times a day that's fine (do at least 1 time overnight). I ended up pumping 3 times in the morning, then going about 4 hours without access to the pump, then squeezing 4 sessions into the evenings. Set an alarm for 2am for the last one. When baby was discharged at 5 weeks I had a HUGE oversupply - probably about 180% of his actual requirements. He was sent home tube fed - 2 weeks later he was fully breastfed.

Keep offering breast any time she seems willing. Try hand expressing directly into her mouth so she makes the connection that this is for food. If she isn't happy about it, do stop. You don't want to create a negative association with feeding. Repeat, repeat, repeat - it was over a week of this before my son would take any significant volume from me.

Lastly, well done for expressing for so long! I know it's soul destroying, but as you said even a little breastmilk is better than nothing. And even if you decide it's all too much - there's nothing wrong with letting go and using formula exclusively. Some women just don't get on with pumping, and that's not because you're doing anything wrong. No matter how you feed your baby, she is fed, safe, and loved.

Good luck with everything 🌸

Thanks so much, this is really helpful.

Grateful for the kind replies :)

Well done on getting to two months - that doesn't sound like an easy start! Especially while trying to recover from birth & look after another little one.

Not the exact same situation but my second baby had an awful latch for the first 2 months (now 3 1/2 months). I kept getting clogged ducts / mastitis and he preferred a dodie / his bottle. It was really hard to get him to latch to the boob, especially in the evenings. He would just cry instead of drinking.

I found the only things that really worked was walking him around the house with my tit out - hoping the neighbours couldn't see - and have the dodie in front of my boob. Once he was half dreamy and latched to that I would switch it out for my nipple.

Or I'd give him a small bottle of formula to take the edge off his hunger, and then swap over to boob when he was calmer.

He still latches better while sleeping & I'm lucky in that my eldest goes to playschool in the mornings so I let the house go to ruin and just sat on the couch contact napping with my boob out and stuck it in his mouth every time he slightly opened it.

I also get barely anything while pumping, and do all the usual things of making sure the flange is the right size, breast compressions, a long let down pattern, warming it up with a face cloth first, etc., apparently silicone flanges help but I would almost prefer to FF then exclusively pump.

And just to say, your enjoyment of your motherhood matters as much as how your baby is fed. If FF is better for you, it'll be better for baby too. A healthy happy mama is most important. 🩷