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!

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!

I like your suggestion of pumping while I breastfeed. I’ll see if I can maneuver that.

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?