Having to supliment at bed time....help

[abi_bouw]

Like I say, I'm having to suppliment at bed time because my daughter is being rather silly.
All through the day (and night) she feeds for 5/10 minutes and is happy on on. Then come bed time (7pmish) she feeds for 5/10 minutes off both breasts and still fusses and crys and then has another 5oz from a bottle! She has formula for her DF at 11pm too, normally 4/5oz.
Anyway, I cant express, well, I can but only WHEN I feed her, obviously I cant extend my feeding by exressing as I have to burp/change and entertain her and I need her to stimuate let down. I was expressing for her DF when she was 4-7 weeks but gave up as is was physically draining and ruining our bonding time. I was starting to dreed feeding and she was uncomfortable having to share with the pump.
So, is there another way to increase mt milk for the bed time feed?
I obviously don't want her hungry, and she wont go to sleep if she is, so I don't HATE FF her for half the feed, but I would rather not.
Any advise appreciated.
Abi

[Jocasta]

Have you tried breast compressions to keep her interested or switch nursing? 

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=88759.0

Switch nursing is basically putting her back to the first breast when she's done with the second.  This should stimulate a further let down and also tell your body that you need to make more milk... 

Skin to skin contact is also a great place to start - taking a nice long bath with her as part of your winddown may be a good routine adjustment for a few days. 

The best thing to stimulate your supply is your baby so the switch nursing would definitely be a place to start - you can go back and forth as often as your lo will allow.  It's also worth remembering that a large percentage of what your lo takes at a feed will be made DURING the feed so just because she's "emptied" you doesn't mean that the feed is necessarily over...

Pumping after that feed would also beneficial - even if you don't notice any milk, it'll still be sending those all important "we need more milk" signals.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[Mum of 3 + 2 stepkids]

Hi, You have already had some great tips from Jocsata

Something else that might help is cluster feeding in the evening so you can tank her up for the night. Im not sure how often you feed but say you feed her at 5pm, you could then do a feed at 6pm, 7pm and then just do the bf the df. For a couple of nights you may find she has a couple of night feeds but that will only be while your supply is increasing.

Don't worry about starving her she will just want more feeds till your start producing more and using the switch nursing as Jocasta has suggested is a great way of getting that bit extra into her.

BTW what bottles are you using? Is there any chance she has got used to the fast flow of the teat at that feedand its making her fussy?

If you are going to continue with a bottle then the bottle in the link below might be worth you looking into.

http://www.breastflow.co.uk/

HTH
Kate x

[abi_bouw]

Jocasta and Kate.
Thanks for the suggestions. I will try the massage thing.
OK, I'm already switching breasts. When she fusses at one I switch her, back and forth until she won't take anymore and is getting really upset, then she has the bottle.
I'm using avent bottles with the age appropriate teat (size 3) and, I think it is faster flowing than my breast as is dribbles out her mouth.
I was cluster feeding her until a month ago, but she wouldn't take her DF and was up at 2 and 4/5 so I dropped it and now she takes 4/5 oz and doesn't feed again til 4am, so I don't really want to introduce them again.
DH just thinks she is lazy at bed time and can't be bothered to work for it.
BTW - last night she had her normal paddy after 5/10 minutes and then emtied her 6oz bottle and had another 2oz and wouldn't sleep for an hour, didn't take much for her DF at 11 so DH DF her again at 12:30 and (shh, whisper this just in case) slept until 7am!!!!!
I don't know why she wants so much at bed time, but is ok the rest of the day. Silly girl.

[bzerk5]

I'll contribute what helps for us, although I don't know if this fits into the official "up your supply" (sounds kinds snotty ) protocol...  I feed on one side in the morning, as I am usually pretty full, and pump the other side, then pump the side ds has fed from just to get any extra hindmilk he may have left.  All other feeds are normal, and only pumping once per day is tolerable for us.  Then I do the switch nursing and compression at bedtime, and if if if he's still bothered I'll give him what I pumped in the morning.  If he doesn't take it, I'm just storing the milk for when he goes to grandmas when dh and I go on a date...    Typically on the days I do shopping or play hard with the girls or do yard work, he'll take the extra 4 oz, an on days when I'm chilling at home and eating alot, he won't.  Figures.    HTH. 

Edited to say we are still using a nb nipple, and he has to suck hard.  Also, she's close to 4 months and may do well to go a little longer between feeds to be a bit hungrier and eat better, etc.  Maybe 3.5? 

[abi_bouw]

bzerk5 - She is mostly going 4 hours between feeds in the day. until 4pm 7pm 11pm (ish for all). Grrr stiring

[bzerk5]

Do you think she might do a little better at bedtime if you moved feeds closer together so she gets one more in during the day?  That might help your supply too...  Just a thought. 

[abi_bouw]

She isn't hungry
She only eats for 5/10 minutes anyway. Either when she's hungry or 4 hours (I don't let her go over that). If I try to feed her more often she eats less, which is worse for my supply. Grrrr. just had 10 minutes and 8 1/2 oz at 7pm. All day she was feeding 3:40 and only for 5 minutes! Does she think my boobs are magic?
Abi