Supplementary feeding

[Egall]

I've started doing some supplementary feeding. i know it's not 'advised' but I've tried everything to increase my supply: fenugreek, lactation cookies, full-fat dairy, expressing (I just don't have anything left to express after feeds and ended up with very sore breasts!)
Bubs still seemed hungry after feeds (crying) and not sleeping well during the day.

Anyway, I'd like to know how to go about doing some supplementary feeding with formula in a way that won't jeopardise my own supply. So far I've just been giving bubs 40mls of formula once or twice a day (only if he seems to need it) after his regular breastfeed. Does that seem like a reasonable thing to do?? I feel guilty :gloomy: but can't stand the thought of him being hungry. He really guzzles it down!

He also hasn't done a poo for eight days now and I'm worried! Not sure if it has something to do with giving him some formula. He'd already gone 4 days with out a poo before he had any formula. Before this he was going at least every two days.

I'd be very grateful for any advice!!

[stellarella]

Well with regard to supplementing, the reason why it is not 'advised' is because it will compromise your supply whether you want it to or not. Its a vicious cycle. Bub drinks less from the breast therefore you make less milk, fast forward a few weeks, supply continues to diminish and more formula is needed until eventually bubs is fully FF.

I wonder first and foremost if you are giving bubs unrestricted access to the breast, as in, 24 hours a day if need be. Bubs should be allowed to suck as long as they want and as often... every time that baby squeaks put him to the breast. Put yourself up in bed and nurse all day if you have to.

I also wonder if there might be another reason for bubs being unsettled and not sleeping well. I know my baby slept terribly at one point there, but nothing to do with breast milk.

How many wet/pooey nappies is he doing? That is a good indication of how well fed he is. Oh and yes formula will tend to make him constipated so that might be the problem with the no poo. Its normal for BF bubs to do fewer poos as they get older. A fully BFed bub can poo anything from 10 times a day to once a week and its still normal.

So my only advice is that unless you dont want to spiral down the path of FFing then avoid any supplementing at this stage. Expressing, cookies, meds are all ok but really the best way to make milk is to let bubs suck. And I mean really suck, as I said 24 hours a day if need be.

Good luck. :fingerscrossed:

ETA: Oh forgot to mention that babies go through growth spurts and they need to suck more to increase your supply in order to sustain their increased need for milk. So its normal for a baby to go through periods of seeming insatiable because his instincts tell him "suck suck suck so mum can make more milk for this next stage of my life"...

[Egall]

Thanks Stellarella, I had been thinking the same things myself. I really have been letting him feed whenever he seems hungry - it was wearing me out though! He seems to be settling down a bit now though. He slept for longer last night and this morning I have even managed to resettle him after one of his 20 minute catnaps - Yay! :smiliedance:

So, I'm definitely holding off on anymore formula at the moment., even though he's only had 40 mls once a day, I figure he really doesn't need anything that could be upsetting his little system any more at the moment.
Thanks for your reply!!

[stellarella]

No worries. I'm glad you are feeling better about it. Babies go in and out of unsettled periods. Just take them as they come and trust your body is making heaps of nutritious milk for your baby. :smiliedance: