Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Baby is home...more questions!

We are finally home with baby Marlee. She is perfect in every way and she has taken to breastfeeding like a little pro! Her latch is great, she eats generally every 3 hours or so and sleeps well at night. I figure, with that routine, she must be getting something good from her mama!
I am supplementing between 5and 8 ounces of frozen breastmilk each day so I am thinking that she is getting between 1/2 and 2/3rds from me. How do I know how much to really give her? I generally offer the breast first and then depends on when she ate last, when I pumped and what side she is on, I will offer the lactaid. Sometimes she will drink 1.5 ounces from it. I dont know if she really needs that or will she drink it because it is there? I am thinking about trying to offer the lactaid less often but am afraid she will not be getting enough.
Is there any easy way of knowing????

Also, should my milk production increase with the baby breastfeeding? I was pumping 9-10 ounces before we got her.
ANy advise would be welcome!

Tara

I started bf when I was making about 6-8 oz a day and supplemented with a bottle and pumped after. After about a week, since she was gaining well and I was only feeding about 6 times a day on this schedule, I stopped supplementing and upped my feedings to 8 times a day and she did fine. I maybe gave 1-2 oz of fresh pumped milk in the evenings. I still pumped after 3ish feedings a day for a while.

Maybe wait a week and then if she is gaining well, just try dropping out the supplements for a couple of days and see how she does. Feed on demand (may be more frequent for a while). If she doesn't have enough wet diapers or stops gaining, then add supplements back in.
Jennifer

Thanks Jennifer,
I have decided to try to slowly take out the supplements. I have been documenting feeds and she takes, on average 5 1/2 ounces from the lactaid. I am going to only give her 5 for the next couple of days and then go down from there. I am doing LOTS of compressing and feel like she empties me each time so I dont feel the need to pump.
Today, she has had a busy eating day though. She must be growing because it felt like she was wanting to eat all day. Finally, she settled down and went down for a good nap around 2:30 and is still sleeping.

I have heard that you can know if he/she is losing weight then they are not getting enough. but a lactation consultant I saw said you can tell by how often they poop.