Is My Breast Milk Enough?
I had a bit of a crisis this past week and weekend. Of course, it was more a case of the Mom Over-Worrying syndrome. The new worry is whether my breast milk is enough to nourish my baby.
I have noticed several things: She’s nursing more often without appearing satisfied even with the introductions of solids. She’s been sucking her 4 0z. breast milk bottle dry at daycare where before she would leave anywhere from 1 to 1.5 oz.
What I did: I upped her her bottle contents to 4.5 oz just to see what she’d do. Again, they were sucked dry. I added, reluctantly, a bottle of formula right before bed and she ate that up, PLUS nursed as well.
My feelings: defeated, not good enough.
Then I took time to evaluate the situation and I realized:
I am enough for her. Now whether that means I have to pump more and nurse more, she is a thriving, growing, beautiful baby girl. She’s perfectly healthy and bright. She’s having enough wet and dirty diapers as well. All indicative of a fine baby.
Supplementing formula while I build my stored supply doesn’t mean I’m a failure. It means I’ve got a plan on how to go back to exclusively breast milk feeding her. It also means I’m flexible enough to adapt when a situation calls for it.
We moms sure know how to over-worry ourselves. But the important thing to remember is to deal with the situation with a clear head, and not get bogged down with feeling of guilt and recrimination. Call a lactation specialist, talk to other moms you trust, call your pediatrician. Get on a course of action to resolution.
I’m not gonna let this new challenge discourage me from breastfeeding. Mina and I will come through this.
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Theda K. says...
Hi! I’m glad you and Mina are doing great!
I just wanted to add for your readers that supplementing with formula is likely to decrease, rather than help you increase, your supply. Mina will increase your supply for you, and it sounds like she’s trying to do her job. Babies go through lots of growth spurts, which is often shown by increase nursing. That increase in demand in turn increases your supply. If you give formula instead, though, your body isn’t feeling that increased demand, and starts to think you don’t need to make as much.
Also, Mina will demand less from you if she’s getting full from formula (breastmilk digests more quickly).
My advice to increase your supply is to let Mina nurse as often and as long as she wants. When you’re nursing on one side, pump on the other (you get more milk into the bottle this way). And give your daycare twice as much milk as you think Mina needs. And be sure to pump at least every four hours, preferably more often.
If you or anyone needs anymore advice about increasing your supply, check out La Leche League International, or talk to a leader on the phone. Unless there’s something physically wrong, your body and Mina will make sure she has enough from you. But again, check with a LLL leader for more information. Oh, and how old is Mina?
MrsH says...
Hi Theda, Mina is 6 mos. I bring her to daycare with bottles of pumped milk but she is needing more and more and I can’t keep up. My plan was to send her to daycare with mixed bottles, pumped and formula while I build my supply. Is this not a good plan? I’m really down to my last 5 oz. bottle.
I like your suggestion of pumping while I breastfeed. I’ll see if I can maneuver that.
Theda K. says...
Hi MrsH,
You can do it! I worked full-time for a few months after my daughter was born, and I’m a single parent. Don’t ask me how I did it.
Feel free to check out my blog and contact me offlist, but here’s how I pumped and nursed at the same time…rather, here’s why. When my daughter was nursing on the slower side, it stimulated the other breast to produce more. So I got fuller bottles nursing and pumping. And the Sh Sh Sh sound of the pump soothed us both. I did this especially when I first got home. You just get good at holding the pump on one side. You use an electric, dual breast pump, right?
On weekends I marathon pumped…I nursed and pumped in the mornings, when my supply was full, and as often throughout the day as I could. And I froze milk, giving my daycare at least one bottle of backup frozen milk for as long as they would keep it.
But as far as pumping and nursing, you will get used to it, and no matter which side the baby nurses on, you’ll notice an increase in the amount you pump.
Feel free to email me. Good luck! You can do it!
Theda K. says...
Also, MrsH, it sounds like Mina may be getting geared up for eating a little. Not necessarily, but somewhere around mid-year they are able to start eating a little, like rice cereal or oatmeal. I strongly urge you to go to a La Leche League meeting, or call your local LLL leader. It’s completely free. I hope to be a leader one day myself.
It may also be that Mina is going through a growth spurt and will slow down or build your supply soon.
I saw your other post, and sounds like things are going along. But do call a LLL leader if you want. They are really helpful. And no, I wouldn’t mix formula and breastmilk. You guys will figure it out. Mina will be less hungry when you see her because of the formula, and will consequently demand less from you, which will ultimately decrease your supply, not increase it, which is your goals it sounds.
So get help, read the help pages on LLL International, and see if it’s time to add solids to her diet at 6 months. Some people start with avocado, bananas, or other soft foods or cereals.
Good luck! Keep us posted. My daughter started solids around 6 or 7 months, but I had stopped working full-time when she was about 4 months old.
Good luck!