Switching to formula

Hi, I have low milk supply too. My baby has a poor latch. I do a bit of everything… You could carry on breastfeeding and have a bottle of formula ready for after you finish breastfeeding to top him up with what he needs to feel full. I do this. I also pump to keep my supply going. So he also has quite a few bottles of expressed breast milk too. He might cry if he can’t or isn’t draining your breasts fully for some reason… which would contribute to a low supply… pumping after breastfeeding to drain your breasts and or pumping inbetween feeds might increase your supply. Xx

@Hannah we are in the exact same situation how long do you generally breast feed before you top up my little one has a couple of times where he seems content/ full but we have to feed for a long time or top up majority of the time x

I do the same as Hannah and it is really stressful. My baby can stay on and fall asleep whilst breastfeeding but it's because he gets tired from not getting enough. I always have to supplement and try to pump 3 times a day.

@Aysha me too it’s hardest at night when you are both tired

@Amy I did pumping at 3am for 2 weeks in a row and managed to get my morning pump to around 60ml 😅 but my daytime ones are max 30ml at at a time, I tried power pumping or pumping more but I was getting only a little more. So I just keep with the breastfeeding more for the comfort side of things and the expressed milk so I know that he is getting some antibodies from me. I really wanted to breastfeed full time but unfortunately it just didn't go to plan and it took my ages to get over it!!

@Aysha I’m guessing your supply regulated or have you always produced less a lot of the time if I pump after feeding I get about 30ml otherwise I get slightly more

I think I have always produced less, and then when you supplement with formula, then it signals to your body that your baby only needs as much as you are giving them initially. It was catch 22 because the midwife told me I was starving my baby if I didn't use formula but then pumping hasn't increased my supply the same way breastfeeding would have.