I'm about to give in to formula, please help!

[@llli*babymarco]

Here's my problem. 6 weeks ago I started a sleep training program to get my ebf baby to sleep thru the night. It meant that I did not feed him at all during the night. Fast forward..at his next doctor visit he had only gained 3 ounces in those 6 weeks. I now realize that it was because I cut the night feeding. When I cut them my milk production has decreased dramatically. I am trying to build it back up. I've been double pumping after having him on my breast for 10 minutes 3 tomes a day. today is day 2. The first feed of the day I pumped only 3 ounces yesterday and today first feed I pumped 4 ounces. Maybe it's working but...He's not interested in staying on my breast for very long. I since started nursing him during the night. A lactation consultant said I should give him some formula to get him to 5 ounces at each meal. But I only know that I pumped 4 at the very start of the day 6:30AM. I doubt He's getting very much at the other times of the day so after he's on the breast I have given him 2 to 3 ounces of formula. I know he's hungry after being on the breast, I can tell. But I also know that my milk is not coming in fast enough for him.... He's 5.5 months old and I just do not believe he is getting 40 ounces of food a day. I don't want to give into formula but I'm about too. I know he's hungry and I never pumped enough and froze anything because he always was full and I had enough milk before I started that stupid sleep training method. At the time I was desperate bc he was waking me every hour and co sleeping. It was killing me as a have a five year old to care for also.... What should I do? I am taking fenugreek, mothers love and drinking the tea. Will my milk ever get back to wear it was? I used to have so much that I would leak, now nothing. I'm so sad and I don't want to give in to formula but I know he's not getting enough BM.

[@llli*tallmadre]

In my experience my daughter has gone through phases where she's not wanted to stay on the breast for very long at a given feeding. I think it especially happened when she was about tje.age of your son. It was.like she was suddenly.too busy to eat.much.

Maybe I missed this but if you're pumping milk and he's still hungry after nursing why are you not giving him the milk you're.pumping? And actually pumping 3 to 4 oz after nursing sounds pretty good. I could be wrong but I'm not sure your situation is as bad as you think.

[@llli*babymarco]

i am giving it to him. but i'm not pumping 3 to 4 ounces after i feed him only a half an ounce or nothing sometimes. The only time i got 4 ounces was his first feed of the day.. I pumped in the morning instead of putting him to the breast to gage how much was coming out. Sorry for the confusion

[@llli*babymarco]

can I build my milk back up to where it was before I tried sleep training? I've supplemented with formula for two days now...I want to EBF...Please help

[@llli*krasota]

I think you can build it back up. Are you nursing totally on demand now? Add in plenty of skin-to-skin time and stay well hydrated. See if you can fit in some nursing vvacation days where all you do is stay in bed or lie around with the babe skin to skin and encouraging nursing lots and lots. Take baths together and nurse in the tub. Eat your oatmeal and take whichever supplements were recommended by your LC. I don't know that you need to supplement *that* much formula right now. Is your LC an IBCLC (independent board certified)?

[@llli*babymarco]

I am nursing him every three hours and then pumping after for 10 minutes to stimulate more milk supply. I will try vacation days and baths, great idea. She is IBCLC.

[@llli*maddieb]

How old is your baby now ooops never mind, now I see baby is 5.5 months

how old was baby when you started the sleep training? and was weight gain normal until the sleep training?

Galactagogues help many moms, but it is important when trying to increase milk production to have frequent removal of milk from the breasts. (preferably by baby) Ideas above are great, also you could try switch nursing.

According to the lactation text breastfeeding answers made simple, a breast fed baby takes in somewhere between 25-35 ounces of milk a day.

A breastfed baby this age could normally be nursing as often as 10 or more times a day. So feedings from 3-5 ounces would be enough as long as baby nurses frequently enough. (and enough milk is available)
Supplements when needed can also be given at the beginning at the feeding to encourage baby to 'finish at the breast.' You could also try alternatives to bottles or paced bottle feeding to help with bottle 'preference' issues.

Have you read the kellymom article on low milk production?

Even if your baby does need supplements it need not be the end of breastfeeding!

[@llli*bfwmomof3]

Hi mama, a typical "meal" for a breastfed baby is 2-3 ounces, maybe 4. So if you're pumping 3 or 4 ounces at one go, that is a normal amount. Keep in mind too that the pump does not necessarily exactly mimic what the baby does - usually baby can get more out of the breast than the pump can. Also, a normal amount of milk intake over the whole day is 24-32 ounces. Not 40!

It sounds like you had oversupply before the sleep training - leaking breasts at 5.5 months usually means some degree of oversupply. And yes, it sounds like your supply did decrease somewhat when you did the sleep training. But it doesn't mean it went to zero. A mother with a well-regulated supply will not be leaking and her breasts may not feel particularly full. It doesn't mean that there isn't milk in there. Because clearly you DO have milk in there. And that milk supply WILL increase as you go back to on-demand nursing, although again, even if you are not bursting full and leaking, that does not mean you don't have enough milk. But the formula will work against you because each bottle of formula he takes, he is not at the breast stimulating your supply. So how much formula are you giving right now? And when you say that he is still hungry after nursing, what are you basing that on? I agree with tallmadre, him not being on the breast for long is not a reliable indicator. Babies become more efficient as they get older and may only nurse for a few minutes to get what they need.

[@llli*djs.mom]

Why do think he needs 40 oz a day? Because he doesn't.

[@llli*krystine]

40 oz is super high, I agree. My daughter topped out at 30 oz. I know this because I pumped or weighed every single nursing session for months.