Thank you for all your tips
We followed the advice in the book surrounding routines and various re/settling techniques etc., which all seemed to have improved things for us and so followed the advice about introducing a bottle. As up to date research confirms, trying the bottle every hour and subsequently missing a feed didn't go down too well! I'm hoping we haven't created any negative associations there!
Since it was really stressful for LO and for my partner giving her the bottle we decided to leave it for a few days and come up with a new tactic. My partner is now trying to introduce a bottle about half an hour after BT feed, just before bath. Then I try again (as there'll be 99% of the milk still in the bottle) when I top her up just before bed. I could try offering a bottle at other times, but read from various sources that it's easier to be introduced by a partner/relative etc in the first instances then once LO is suckling mum can join the feeding gang again?
I've never been able to express very much. LO had a tongue tie which I'm sure impacted on my milk supply. I was making lactation cookies with Brewer's yeast & whole oats etc, taking Fenugreek (enough to make me smell like maple syrup), drinking mother's milk and fennel tea and of course eating plenty of good food - which I feel helped a little. I also invested in my own pump after hiring one for the previous couple of months but did initially (and still occasionally now) feel like it takes milk away from her for her next feed - or at least that's how it appears? When would you suggest I pump? I've recently been draining after the first feed of the day and getting around the 30ml mark.
LO used to be a serial snacker before I put her on a routine but I think this and low supply go hand-in-hand as I don't think I had a full feed available to her. I heard her properly swallow milk for the first time when she was about 3 months. So at the moment my milk is like golden liquid which breaks my heart to waste.
She's on (roughly) a 4 hour easy, she was okay to wait 4 hours between feeds, but over the last few days there have been a few occasions where she seems hungry after just a couple of hours! Do you recommend I drop to a 3/3.5hr routine for a few days or stick with 4? I should say that when she feeds she starts by coming on and off the breast about 20 times until there is a let down which she will happily drink but then pulls off when the flow slows. She'll then pull off and look around the room for a few seconds, turn back and suck a few times and then pull off again. This carries on for as long as I let it. I generally try to feed and home and keep the room quiet and free from distractions. It's not any better or worse if we are out of the house, but I can hear her swallow which I find reassuring.
I'm not returning to work yet but have a wedding in Italy this summer where it is already 30 degrees. I'd like to be able to give LO some water as I don't think 4 hourly feeds will be enough - I know I get very thirsty down there! We are also driving down from the UK (over a couple of days) so it'd be much easier if she could take a bottle. Easier, but not essential I guess. We've tried syringing and using a cup - neither of which she liked and was crying so much she ended up swallowing lots or air - ouch. She was much smaller when we last tried so perhaps we could give it another go., but it would be easier for (us and) others who may be looking after her in the near(ish) future to give a bottle rather than cup.
Thanks for you help x