Breasts getting soft...low in supply??

[@llli*mona-m]

Hi there, I'm totally new to this site and hope I can get some advice from experienced moms.

I had my bb girl 2 weeks ago, she had low birth weight so doctor advised to supplement her with formula to gain weight, which it helped her to gain some weight since she was discharged from hospital.

I tried combination of breastfeeding 15-20mins before feeding her with bottle, initially it works well, but now after 2 weeks, she didn't seem to get enough from my milk. I feed her for 45mins...still she was crying for more and I'm running out of supply as I can see from the way she sucks....she seemed to be panting. So we had no choice but to feed her more with bottle. That settled her stomach and put her to sleep really well.

My concern now is :
1) am I running low in supply since after feeding my nipples are really soft;
2) would it be we supplemented her with formula that she doesn't latch on me that well, hence the sucking doesn't stimulate my production which in turn resulted in low supply.
3) does pumping help in increasing supply?
4) am i loosing my hormone in milk supply (after 2 weeks of childbirth)??

Wonder if any of you experienced these before and hope you can help in easing my worries.

Many thanks.

[@llli*kayleejacobmama]

When your little one is getting formula, you should pump to increase your milk supply. While she is drinking at the bottle, she is not stimulating to increase your supply. I would also pump after each feed at the breast as well until your supply builds up.

Does she latch on well when she is at the breast? With my son, he was not latching on really well and would not get a good feed. I got in touch with a lactation consultant and they were really helpful and trying to get him on the right track.

[@llli*mommal]

Congratulations on the new baby! It sounds like you've run into a hiccup, but what you describe sounds very fixable.

1) am I running low in supply since after feeding my nipples are really soft;

Having soft breasts after nursing does not indicate poor supply. Many moms notice that their breasts are softer after the baby nurses: well-drained breasts are softer than full ones.

2) would it be we supplemented her with formula that she doesn't latch on me that well, hence the sucking doesn't stimulate my production which in turn resulted in low supply.

Sadly, early supplementation can cause problems with latching, and a poor latch can cause issues with production. And the more you supplement with formula, the less the baby eats at the breast, which can also cause lowered supply.

But this is not an irredeemable situation!This link should be useful: Weaning from Formula Supplements I would also see a lactation consultant, preferably an IBCLC. She can help figure out if you do have a supply problem and can help you fix it.

3) does pumping help in increasing supply?

Yes. The more you pump, and the better the pump that you use, the more your milk supply will increase. Also, check out this link: Increasing Low Milk Supply

4) am i loosing my hormone in milk supply (after 2 weeks of childbirth)??

If I understand your question correctly, then the answer is no. Breastfeeding works on a supply = demand principle. If you want to increase your supply, then increase demand, and the hormones associated with milk production will increase as well.

Hang in there! And please do go see the lactation consultant!

[@llli*baby.mum]

Mommal has given you excellent advice. I believe you can get through this, but you have to uncerstand that the more you supplement, the less stimulation you receive and the less you produce. If baby has a bottle preference, then that is also a problem, since she will fuss once she notices she has to work for her meal. The links provided above are solutions to this problem, though! Keep us posted!

[@llli*durhamgrrl]

The best way to know if your baby is not getting enough milk is to count diapers. Input = output. If baby is getting enough to eat you should be getting 5-6 wek diapers and at least a couple of dirty ones. If you are you don't have a supply issue.
do you have enough milk?

How much formula does your baby get each day? If it is not very much you may be able to stop it and see how she does.

What was your baby's birth weight and how much was she at her 2 week check?

[@llli*mona-m]

My baby's weight is now 2.66kg, as compared to her birth weight of 2.45kg. We give her formula milk at night from 12midnight to 5am in the morning, in between she needs to be fed every 3 hours. During the day I try to bring her to my breasts but it doesn't take long before she falls asleep on my breasts after 15mins. With that I put her to sleep until the next feed which is after an hour or so. Do you see a problem here, is every hour of feeding mean she doesnt get enough each feed?
In between I pump to see how much supply I have, which 30mins of pumping I produced 60ml of milk.

[@llli*sarahisamom]

This might seem obvious, but make sure you're drinking enough water. I've had to make a very conscious effort to keep up myself. A good tip I got was you know it's enough if you're going to the bathroom as often as you're BFing.

[@llli*sarahekd]

Originally Posted by @llli*mona-m

Do you see a problem here, is every hour of feeding mean she doesnt get enough each feed?

Agree with PPs, and I just wanted to address this question. Babies can digest breastmilk in something like 90 min, so they may get hungry again that quickly. That doesn't mean they're not getting enough, necessarily. Number of diapers is a better way to check that like durhamgirl pointed out.

Also, it's hard to tell how much supply you have from pumping-babies are usually much better at getting the milk than a pump!

Are you also pumping at night when you formula feed? I hope things are improving for you! Good luck!

[@llli*baby.mum]

Feeding every hour sounds about right when it's mama's milk. As pp asked, are you pumping to make up for the formula feeding? It is crucial to convey the message to your body that milk has to be made, if you are aiming at EBF. Good to know your baby will latch on.
Also, when you formula feed it takes longer for your LO to digest it hence the longer time intervals in between.

[@llli*amy.marie]

Originally Posted by @llli*mona-m

My baby's weight is now 2.66kg, as compared to her birth weight of 2.45kg. We give her formula milk at night from 12midnight to 5am in the morning, in between she needs to be fed every 3 hours. During the day I try to bring her to my breasts but it doesn't take long before she falls asleep on my breasts after 15mins. With that I put her to sleep until the next feed which is after an hour or so. Do you see a problem here, is every hour of feeding mean she doesnt get enough each feed?
In between I pump to see how much supply I have, which 30mins of pumping I produced 60ml of milk.

May I ask why she is getting formula from midnight to 5am? If she is just getting formula and you aren't getting up and pumping during those times you're setting yourself up to have a supply problem. Like the others have said, demand=supply, if you don't tell your body to make milk to match her eating habits then how can you expect your body to know how much to make?

It is normal for babies to fall asleep at the breast. It's comforting and producing all those relaxing happy hormones in mom and baby. There are tricks to keeping a baby awake at the breast so they can eat more. You can strip them down to their diaper and rub a wet wash cloth on their back, tickle their feet, change their diaper in between switching breasts etc. I had to employ a lot of tricks to keep my son awake when he was a newborn so he would actually eat.

My advice, ditch the formula for a few days and watch her diapers. If it's coming out then it's going in and you can stop supplementing all together. Nursing really is easier in the middle of the night anyway. No bottle heating, not measuring and mixing, no clean up