DD is just over 5 weeks. I don't have a huge supply but want to make bf work as long as I can, and I'm ok with supplementing with formula if needed. In the evenings, starting 4pm onward, gets fussy like many babies and seems hungry an hour after she bf. would you offer an ounce or two in a bottle after the breast to ensure a full feeding and more content baby, or keep nursing every hour as needed? I have an older toddler who demands a lot of attention that time of day between dinner, bath and bed, plus eating dinner myself. I pump after 2 nursing sessions each day to try to increase supply a bit. What would you do?
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Nurse as often as LO wants. This is the absolute best way to build your supply and ensure that you are producing what LO needs.
This! I know it's tough with a toddler because I'm in the same situation but if what you really want is to keep nursing, let baby nurse every hour. Your LO could be going through a growth spurt too. We just hit a big one of those too and it felt like I was constantly nursing and my house looks like it too!
My worry/concern is that she's asking to latch on every hour (or less) because I'm not actually producing anything. That seems like it does none of us any good. I know pumping is not a good judge of production, but for example I just pumped 4 hours after her last "snack feed" as mh bottle feeds her before bed, and I got a whopping 2.5 ounces total. My evening supply is really poor.
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My worry/concern is that she's asking to latch on every hour (or less) because I'm not actually producing anything. That seems like it does none of us any good. I know pumping is not a good judge of production, but for example I just pumped 4 hours after her last "snack feed" as mh bottle feeds her before bed, and I got a whopping 2.5 ounces total. My evening supply is really poor.
I was just reading a book about breast feeding that said you have more milk 20 min after a feeding. So if LO is on one side for 20 min, then the other side, the first side is ready to go again.
I can't pump more than 2.5 oz ever and I have been really concerned about LO getting enough. But with lots of support I am stopping supplementing and having LO on the breast as much as he wants, which is pretty much constantly. You can do it!
Keep nursing AND pumping as often as you can in the evenings to help
Build supply. I nurse every hour to hour and a half max and immediately pump an additional 10 min after to stimulate more production. It's slowly working and we are supplementing less and less.
Re: Feeding Q
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
This! I know it's tough with a toddler because I'm in the same situation but if what you really want is to keep nursing, let baby nurse every hour. Your LO could be going through a growth spurt too. We just hit a big one of those too and it felt like I was constantly nursing and my house looks like it too!
I was just reading a book about breast feeding that said you have more milk 20 min after a feeding. So if LO is on one side for 20 min, then the other side, the first side is ready to go again.
I can't pump more than 2.5 oz ever and I have been really concerned about LO getting enough. But with lots of support I am stopping supplementing and having LO on the breast as much as he wants, which is pretty much constantly. You can do it!
Build supply. I nurse every hour to hour and a half max and immediately pump an additional 10 min after to stimulate more production. It's slowly working and we are supplementing less and less.