Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply weaning from supplement

Baby M is now 8 weeks old. We have been successfully nursing since she was 12 days old so over 6 weeks now. She has been taking in about 5-6 ounces of supplemented breastmilk/day through the lactaid. I was hoping that this amount would go down with time but it looks as though she is consistently taking in that extra 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce most feedings (except at night and first thing in the morning). Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can increase my supply and wean her off supplemnts? I am running out of frozen breastmilk

I weaned my DD off the supplements when she was 2 weeks old. I just did it, but we were only feeding 6ish times a day at the time, so I just figured we'd nurse more often without the supplements. That is what happened.

Could you just try not supplementing for a weekend and try to nurse a little more frequently and see what happens. I also was pumping after a couple feeds (evening and morning mostly) to increase my supply.

Jennifer

Jennifer, how much were you pumping before she was born? I am afraid that I just wont have enough. There are times when she takes up to 1 1/2 extra ounces at a time and then other feeds, she doesnt take anything. I try to pump at night but that is about it. Maybe I should pump more often.

It was a last second placement so I didn't pump until we were placed with her. I primarily pumped the first week we had her and we supplemented with a bottle (lactaid wasn't working for us). By the end of that week I was pumping between 6-8 oz a day. That next week I bf first and then pumped after almost every feed and supplemented with a bottle. By the end of the week she was only taking about 1/2 oz from the bottle and was gaining weight appropriately. So we stopped supplementing and just started bf more frequently. I would occasionally supplement with one extra bottle in the evening (2 oz maybe), but that was only the next week or so. Then I ebf until she was 18 months.
Jennifer

Thanks Jennifer! I am going to try giving a little less during the day for now and see how she does. I tend to offer it before it is neccessary sometimes I think. I am going to see how this week is doing that and then will go down from there. It is just so hard when she is hungry and I am trying not to supplement. She is especially like that (where she is acting really hungry) at night time before bed.

I was also going to add that sometimes babies will take milk even if they aren't hungry anymore when it is offered (more common through a bottle). So at those less hungry times, just don't offer it.
Jennifer

I am going to wean slowly, over a couple of weeks. I am going to go down to 5 ounces starting tomorrow (she has had 5.5 the last 2 days). We will see what happens...

Congrats on your baby and breastfeeding! I'm thrilled for you!!!!