Need More Milk - Spokane,WA

I went through this two times! and it broke my heart that I was not able to breast feed my children enough. I can tell you that when I finally gave in and used formula my mood lighted, and the guilt disappeared into joy as I had enough energy to play with my children and clean the house. I don't recommend that you give up, but I am telling you what happened in my situation.

First off, as long as your baby is getting food, you have NOT let him down. Tell yourself nothing differently. Every mom does the best that she can.

I'm an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist and I've seen these therapies help many moms make more milk. Part of it will definitely be pumping more often to increase demand, and drinking more water to help your body have the building blocks of milk, but there are energetic factors (not enough energy to make milk or an energy block preventing the let down of milk).

If you have questions or would like help finding an acupuncturist in your area, let me know :)

B.

Good for you for continuing to pump after this nurse gave you bad information. You could pump and still work on nursing directly from the breast. I wish hospitals would employ real lactation consultants to help mothers with nursing. It is so not fair to a new mother who needs advice and support to give bad information like this. There are a couple of things I would try. See if he will latch back to you. At 4 months you may be able to re-introduce the breast. Contact a La Leche League leader in your area or look up a Certified Lactation Consultant. (IBCLC certified). If herbs and increased pumping is not increasing your supply, you could ask your Dr. for a prescription for Domperidone. It has to be compounded at a compounding pharmacy because i(for political/big pharma) reasons it is not available in the US under the drug name, Motilium. I would personally stay away from Reglan. That is the drug most Dr's will prescribe though, but it interferes with your dopamine levels and who wants that with the hormone fluctuations that come with pregnancy, childbirth and lactation? )(Not to mention women with post partum depression!) I used domperidone for 1 1/2 months to get my supply up. I did get a couple of plugged ducts because it works that well! Read more at Dr. Jack Newman's website in Canada. http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Domperidone%20Getting%20...

Have you tried nursing again? Lots of kids that have nipple confusion at the start are able to get over it as they get older. Nursing rather than pumping is likely to increase your production again. You might try with a nipple shield the first few times, which is a silicone shield that feels more like a bottle nipple to your little one. Good luck!!

I know your body makes more milk if he will take the breast. I actually ran into the same problem b/c my son started liking the bottle better since he got more out of it. I felt the same way, but i just started supplementing. He has gotten a good head start the first 4 months (which is ironically when i had to stop); The only way to create more milk i was told is by the babies natural sucking motion on the breast, but what can u do if he won't take it?. It seems you have done everything they suggest to do besides him taking it from you. I wouldnt feel too bad, honestly. There isn't anything you can do if he won't take the breast and you did try.

My personal experience with nursing was that I made a lot more milk from actually nursing rather than pumping. My daughter used to nurse for an hour every other hour pretty much her first three months of life. Around three or four months, she had a really strong suck and she went to nursing for 10 minutes or less. I was never able to pump well but now I am able to make more milk than she could ever drink due to her sucking ability! Have you tried putting the baby to breast recently? If you never put him to breast he may be resistant I don't know but I thought he probably has mastered his suck and would be able to help you make a lot more milk than when he was just a few weeks old. I hope it all works out for you!

The thing that worked for me was More Milk Plus Special Blend (there is also just a More Milk Plus, but that didn't work for me, nor did just fenugreek). It's kind of expensive, so I got the nasty liquid stuff. Use to put it in a little water, take it like a shot, then chug a glass of milk as a chaser!

All you can do is do your best. Don't feel like a failure ~ try to be satistied when you have done what you can!

I tried all those too. I talked to a woman who worked at a natural food store, she suggested Mother's DHA pills. I tried those and they worked wonders, but that was for me. Maybe you could try them. They weren't very expensive, about $10 for 60 pills. I wanted to keep feeding my daughter as long as I could, but unfortunately I was unable to continue past the 4 mo mark. I had gotten the Mirena and my Dr and I believed that it contributed to the slowing of my milk supply. It's hard to stop breastfeeding, but unfortunately, your wee one might be ready for something more filling. Good luck hon and don't worry...he still love you. :)

you really should contact a local lactaction consulant. Honestly it is best to seek help and talk to a professional as they will know how best to help you. I have been nursing my daughter for 15 mo. now and for some reason she still nurses a lot and I really do owe it all to my LAC bc we had a lot of trouble at first. Really, it scares me to hear what kinds of things moms do bc people tell them it helps, or even drs tell them it helps. I would really only trust a LAC. contact your local LLL
http://www.breastfeedinghelpline.com/?utm_source=newslett...
and good luck!

Start nursing again! :)

I pumped exclusively with my first 2 daughters and luckily with my third, I was able to breastfeed. I am also an NICU RN, so pumping is a very common occurrence for moms who's babies are born premature. To answer your question, pumping or breastfeeding is a supply and demand system. So, the amount of milk you pump is what you make once you establish your supply. If you aren't getting enough for your baby, each time you pump, keep pumping to "dry" (no more milk is coming out) and then an additional 5 minutes. That extra 5 minutes tells your brain that the "baby" is still hungry and you need to produce more milk. If you do that each time you pump, you will see an increase in the amount of milk within 2-3 days. Also, the type of pump you use will make a difference in how much milk you get. Using a good pump that has a "letdown reflex" will produce better results. The Medela Pump in Style advanced, Medela Symphony and the Medela Freestyle all offer that. I certainly would advocate for hanging in there with the pumping since it is the best food for baby. Hope this helps!!

Stop being so hard on yourself! Formula has come a long way. I, too, had problems with my milk supply both with my first son and recently with my twin boys. Actually, I had more with the twins, but not enough for two. In each case I supplemented after each feeding with formula and I breastfed my first son until he was 7 and a half months and the twins until they were six months. I know some people breast feed until their children are toddlers, but it wasn't a possibility for me. My doctor encouraged me to continue as long as I could and I did - after six months babies get 85 per cent of their immunities from breast milk. In any case, put your son's hunger and weight first. I know it's difficult to not be able to breastfeed, believe me, I've been there, but at some point you realize that your child gets just as much love whether he's breastfeeding or formula fed. I would suggest that you try supplementing a couple of ounces after every feeding, or at least during the day, and then go from there. Of course talk to your doctor about possible drugs you can take to increase supply and you can also call La Leche League, but to be honest, they told me to lie in bed with my son for 48 hours and let him feed whenever he wanted, which to me was not only impossible, but a bit ridiculous. Anyway, good luck with it all and most importantly, don't be hard on yourself if you end up having to feed him formula!

No worries S., many, many, many Mommies go through the same thing. I personally supplement with formula once a day (usually at night when I feel my supply is a little low), and breast feed all the other times. I had a hard time producing milk when my daughter was born, and the Pediatrician told me she's the best thing to bring on my milk. I was relentless with trying and finally my milk came in. I also drink Mother's Milk Tea, 3 cups a day, and it seems to have helped me. You can find this tea online at Amazon or most healthfood stores. Its very popular. Good Luck!

S.,
I'm sorry you're having a hard time- breastfeeding can be tough, but you are fighting the good fight. While you are trying to increase your supply, you could consider getting some milk from another mom who makes plenty. Some women are bigger producers than others, and you'd be surprised to find that some moms have freezers full of milk that will eventually get thrown out! Coming from a woman who could only pump an ounce or two, this is AMAZING!!!! If you are interested in getting some milk locally, you can go on Facebook and look up "Local Breast milk." I don't know where you are, but this is an amazing resource of milk for likeminded moms....
I understand there can be a weird "ick" factor when first thinking about this, but remember, most of us have no trouble giving our older children (or drinking ourselves) milk from a cow we've never met- a different species!
Good luck!!

Getting factory of milk supply for my LO by drinking Healthy nursing tea ..!!;)

Eat a bowl of oatmeal every day. It helps me more than fenugreek.

never fear! Just keep up with your teas & try incresing your good fats like coconut milk, avocado, olive oil because fat is what your milk is made of.. And try looking at your baby while pumping & thinking loving thoughts, it will help you make more milk. Good luck & don't give up!

My kids grew up on formula, and turen out great,besides it made life a lot easier.

i only scanned the answers but i didnt see drinking a lot of water on there. that was my problem- i had to drink a lot of fluids which was hard to keep up. also, i thot pumping was hard, my milk didnt let down the way it did when nursing. once my supply was up, my son learned to nurse at 2 mos (he was bottle fed initially). it might not be too late for your son to learn to nurse. we tired those silicone shields but he finally took to it when i had enough milk supply and I had it already flowing b4 he got the nipple. once they are on the bottle they are used to that instant gratification, so you want to make nursing easier to taste the milk.
i also want to say, from someone who didnt want to use formula, it can be OK to help your supply out. it doesnt have to be all or nothing and you are not failing if you try hard and do everything you can do to make it work. (and tons of babies are just fine on formula, it's not the worst thing that can happen) anyway, i nursed as much as i could on nights and weekends and last thing before i went to work and that was key to keeping my supply up. i did pump at work but couldnt get nearly enough. he got formula during the work day and usually one bottle of it on weekends.
i was able to nurse til 17 mos this way and altho not what i expected, i thot it turned out very well. when he was older he switched from bottle to breast w/ no problems (some babies wont but i think a lot will if they learn to)

one tip, if you choose to supplement, i would recommend phasing in formula very slowly, maybe mix in w/ frozen milk. you dont want a big switch b/c it will be hard on his digestive system.

good luck!

Hi, you don't really talk about how often or how much you are pumping at each session. I was in your same boat with my daughter. I couldn't get her to breastfeed so I ended up pumping for over a year. It took me awhile to get my supply up to feed him. A couple of thoughts I have. First off, try to relax as much as you can while pumping...hands free devices saved my life. You can watch TV or read while you pump and it takes your mind off of what is going on. Sometimes thinking about feeding the child while you pump will result in more let down of milk. Make sure you are getting enough sleep and enough water. Trying oatmeal ever morning seemed to help a lot of people that were on a message board when I was struggling. I also had to suppliment with a little formula for awhile. Don't feel bad if you do. I would say if you have frozen, use that as it won't last forever... I would also recommend increasing the time you pump each session as well as increasing the frequency. I was basically pumping every four hours for 30 min each time 24 hours per day (yes you have to wake yourself up at night) in order to have enough to support my child's growth. Eventually, you can slowly decrease this. Basically your body will produce what it thinks is needed based on the stimulation of the breasts and how much milk is left in the breast after each pump. If you don't fully empty the breasts the body thinks that the baby doesn't need as much and will decrease productivity. It took a few weeks for my supply to come up, but if you stay with it, it will come. I didn't find fenugreek helpful and think it might have decrease my supply so look out for that too. good luck to you and whatever happens, don't get down on yourself and feel guilty or like a bad mom. the first time I had to feed my child some formula I cried and cried... don't let that happen.

If you're up for it, S., it really isn't too late to try breastfeeding him. Ask around for a good lactation consultant in your area (I know a great one in Portland, but that's a long way to go) and give it a shot. Breastfeeding, rather than pumping works better for keeping up and increasing milk supply. Definitely drink lots of water and keep up with the fenugreek. There is a drug, domperidone, that can be prescribed to increase milk supply, but it can only be made at a compounding pharmacy (and there aren't many of those). Also, if you do need to supplement while you are increasing your milk supply, you can supplement (using pumped breastmilk or formula) through a "supplemental nursing system" or SNS at the breast so that your baby gets the benefits of breastfeeding (for palate development and closeness) as well as the added nutrition and calories in the supplement. Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Medela-Supplemental-Nursing-Sterile...
For babies that have had difficulty breastfeeding and their mothers stuck with it, 4 months is a common time for it to "click." So it's totally worth a shot. Don't assume it's too late to resume breastfeeding.
It's really amazing that you have been pumping for this long. Remember that you're doing the best you can. Figure out what you can handle and make peace with that. While, I'm a huge advocate of breastfeeding and it seems clear that it's the most perfect food for a baby (and I wish that nurse had offered you help with breastfeeding rather than asking you to switch to bottles), it's not the End of the World to supplement with formula if you find that that is your last, best option. Lots of babies grow up just fine on formula and your baby got at least 4 months of your own breast milk. It's easier to let go of any guilt about formula if you can explain for yourself why you chose it. Don't be a victim! Get all the info and help that you need and then stand by what you've chosen. Then no one else can make you feel guilty because you know that you had good reasons. Does that make sense?
Good luck!

I agree with all the good advice so far. One other thing that stimulates milk production is holding your baby close to your chest. If you can wear your baby (sling, ergo, moby, bjorn) It's amazing how much fuller you can feel after they are close.

good luck and as long as everyone is happy you are doing a great job.

Just keep pumping, drinking and taking the herbs, it'll take a few days but you body will catch up.
I pumped for 11 mos with #1, 6 mos with #2, and was blessed to be able to breastfeed #3.
Hang in there, your an awesome mama for doing this!!

I would think if you pump more often, your body will think that it needs to produce more milk automatically, and in a few days, you should get more. Good luck!

First of all (and I spend so much time helping moms because of this) the information you got from the nurse was wrong, and I am so sorry for that.
Most likely you were having a latch issue, where your son was "nipple feeding" rather than "breast feeding." If a child doesn't take in enough of the area behind the nipple, he or she will not compress the milk glands enough to effectively withdraw enough milk.
Some babies are even tongue tied, which is fixed in about 30 seconds - so easy to correct. In addition, pediatricians and OBGYNs are not required to have ANY lactation training (which is why joining a mom's group like ours - Cape Cod Breastfeeding Moms on FACEBOOK) is so critical to successful breastfeeding. Boobie moms support other boobie moms - that is how it has been done since the dawn of time.

That said, your breasts work on supply and demand. The more your pump / breastfeed, the more you make. I think if you have had plenty of milk in the past, you probably have enough well developed mammary glands to produce milk as needed. My guess is that stress or lack of water / nutrition may be impacting how much milk you SEE (note I said "see" as opposed to "make"). We have moms that nurse twins and one mom who nurses her 13 month old on ONE breast (she survived breast cancer). She nursed her daughter EXCLUSIVELY till she was ready to try food and still nurses her. She is one beefy little girl!

Here is the other thing: Your son is still young. You may be able to get him back ON the breast. Babies on the breast cause the body to release milk more readily than at the pump. Breastfeeding is very psychologically tied - mom needs to be relaxed and calm to allow her milk to let down.

In your area, there are several lactation consultants: Try this lady: http://www.bloomspokane.com/classes/alicia-burgett/

Every breastfeeding mom or women who is planning on breastfeeding should read these myths and know them well: http://www.mymammasmilk.com/BreastfeedingMyths.html

And these tips: http://www.mymammasmilk.com/NursingTips.html

Peace-Love-Boobies!

I absolutely feel your pain. I returned to work when my daughter was 3 months old, so I pumped for a long time. The only thing that I could suggest that might help is switching pumps for a while. You can rent a Symphony at Babies R Us on a monthly basis. I did it and it did seem to help. It's weird to think that pumps can "feel" differently, but it really does. I was also told that you know you are taking enough fenugreek when you "smell like maple syrup". I don't know if it helped or not, but that might give you an idea of just how much of it you need to take. If you are in the Portland, OR area you can contact the Nursing Mother's Counsel for advice to. (They may be in other areas, but I'm not sure.) Good luck.
K.

There is nothing like a child at the breast to increase your production. It's that mother and child connection. Will your son take to your breast at all? If he will, nursing him frequently and for as long as he will stay there will cause you to produce more milk. Our bodies are on the supply and demand regiment. The more they drink/eat, the more we produce. At 4 months he's getting bigger and wanting more, so you can try this. If he won't take to the breast and your production is diminishing, talk with your pediatrician about a good formula to augment with. You haven't let him down, never think about it that way. Never. I believe you received some incorrect advice about feeding from a bottle to increase weight gain. It takes time to adjust to breastfeeding, both baby and Mom, but that's water over the dam.... see what happens now. I wish you the very best.

Sorry for the late response. If you are still having some issues (hope not), here are a few thoughts. I think I only saw one response saying to pump until dry (no more milk) and then pump for 3-5 more minutes - seems to work the best so far for me; I noticed a difference within a day or so. Also, don't feel bad about what you need to do for your baby - pumping, formula, etc. Whatever it takes to get and keep them healthy is the best one can do. You are incredible for even going this far; many women don't make it past day one. I am a mom of 3 mo old twins and have had supply issues from the start. There is definitely guilt when thinking about formula, but I can't explain how much easier and more stress free my life has become since giving up the idea that I needed to breastfeed exclusively in order to be a good mom. I am not advocating doing away with the breast milk/feeding (I still do both every day at most feedings), just realize as long as your baby is happy and you are happy, life is good. Take time to enjoy your little one, and keep up the good work. You are an incredibly amazing momma!

Unless you have inverted nipples or some other reason why you aren't able to breastfeed, it sounds like you just didn't get the help you needed in the beginning to breastfeed successfully - and there is probably no reason why you can't begin to breastfeed now. I would stop the bottle and just breastfeed directly. You could do it "cold turkey" (more about that later), or, if that gets too frustrating and doesn't seem to work (since it may take your baby a while to relearn how to nurse after getting milk from a bottle which is very different and comes out easier), you could help make the transition by using an SNS (supplemental nursing system, a tube delivering your milk from a bag, the tube being attached to your breast so he needs to suck on your breast to get the milk - and this will also stimulate your breasts to make more). I would find a really good lactation consultant too who will really support you in breastfeeding, ask them some questions over the phone (I am amazed how many lactation consultants seem to encourage bottle feeding and formula!). A nipple shield could be used to help with the transition if absolutely necessary, since it is more like a bottle, but it can be very hard to get off of, once the baby gets used to it, so I would use it only as a last resort. I think it would be best to switch directly to the breast. One way to make the transition to breastfeeding is to arrange for help for a day or two or three, and turn up the heat and stay in and around the bed all day with your baby, skin to skin. The other person/people can bring you delicious food and lots of water, watch him while you take a shower and go to the bathroom, etc., but mostly you and your baby will have hours of special bonding time where you both rediscover the joys of breastfeeding! You might also want to have some breastmilk ready to give him in a bottle if he gets too frustrated - but always try nursing first, and then just give him enough in the bottle to take the edge off his hunger and then try nursing again. Or, instead of a bottle, you could use a spoon to give him a little milk, just enough to tide him over and give him the energy to keep sucking. The advantage of spoon over bottle is that there wouldn't be the nipple confusion. If you aren't able to get a letdown started by him sucking, you could use the pump or hand expression to get your flow started, and then put him to the breast. Breastfeeding is very different than bottlefeeding in that with the bottle, the milk keeps coming at the same speed and volume as long as the baby sucks (and he doesn't even need to suck hard), whereas with breastfeeding, at first he may have to suck very hard and get very little milk for a while, then with the letdown there is a lot of milk coming out fast (sometimes so much that the baby gets too much too fast, gets frustrated, comes off choking and sputtering, until he and you learn to adjust to and moderate the flow), then there is a nice steady flow for a while, and then he has to work harder again to get much milk as the flow slows down (but then he gets the yummy hindmilk, which can send him off to a blissful sleep!). You can tell if he is getting milk by watching and listening for his swallow.
You didn't say whether you are cosleeping with your baby - if not, it might be a very good idea to start. When he wakes up hungry during the night, it may actually be even easier for him to take the breast, since he is half asleep! And again, it may help at first to get the flow started by using a pump or hand expression, then put him to breast. You may get a little less sleep at first, especially if he has been sleeping long stretches at night, but once you get the hang of it, you will probably sleep much better.
During the transition to breastfeeding, you may also want to pump a little bit, immediately after each feeding, as that can help to increase your production for the next time you breastfeed, and increase your supply in general.
Regarding your question about using the frozen milk versus formula, I'd go with the frozen milk as long as you have some - but hopefully you'll be able to make the transition to breastfeeding fully before you use it up. You didn't say whether you're saving it up because you need to go back to work, or just for an emergency. If you are going to need to return to work, this is all the more reason to start breastfeeding now and get it really well established before he needs to start taking a bottle again while you're away (or he may be able to go directly to spoon or sippy cup and not use the bottle at all).
If you have been using a pacifier, I'd suggest stopping using it, at least for now, and offering your breast as much as possible.
If it seems like he has any difficulty latching well onto your breasts, it could be due to a physical factor, such as a short frenulum, or a craniosacral issue - a good lactation consultant and/or craniosacral therapist should be able to evaluate and help with those. Or you may just need help in learning how to best position your breast and your baby so that he can latch well.
It is really unfortunate that you didn't have good help from the beginning to help you and your baby learn to breastfeed, but it isn't too late now to make the switch. The transition may be challenging, but once you get past it, your life will be much easier!
There is also a good book called Making More Milk.
Having said all this, if you do need to keep bottlefeeding and even supplementing with formula, I hope that you won't feel like you have let him down. You have worked so hard to give him the very best, and as long as you are able to give him some breastmilk he will continue to receive many of the benefits of breastfeeding.

why not try nursing again? your body knows the difference between a pump and a baby. you will produce more if the baby needs more... have you contacted a lactation specialist? or, Evergreen Hosp. (Kirkland, WA) has parent baby courses that are very supportive and educational. or your local la leche league. you can do this!!!

Drink a LOT more water. Really, a LOT.

A little unothadox - I had a nurse from New Zealand when my son was born 2 months early. She suggested I drink a little (about 1/2-3/4 of a juice glass) Guiness beer right after feeding my son once a day for about a week to help get my production a jump start. It seemed to work. I went from nothing to more than enough. Good luck!

Remember, you are not a failure! You have given him the best you have and that's you!!!!! Whole generations were raised on formula and doing just fine. Your son will be great, he has you there to fight for him!

There is a Tea called Mothers Milk by Traditional Medicinals that i used when i did not think i was producing enough for my lil girl. It worked wonderfully!! I would also try to put him to the breast again. When Noe was born they told me to give her formula because she was not gaining her weight back and i did this one or 2 times. Then i said let me just breast feed and see what happens. And low and behold, she started gaining the weight back and was fine. Started drinking the tea to boost when i thought she was not getting enough and we turned out just fine.

Oh, I so feel for you! I had such trouble with keeping up the amount of breastmilk to feed my little one. I was lucky to have found a great lactation consultant through our local hospital and she gave me lots of great advice. I did the fenugreek and drinking lots of fluids. I also ate one avocado each morning and ate oatmeal for breakfast. That seemed to help.

Best of luck to you!

You can be in touch with other mama's who have surplus breast milk on facebook. It's a very informal exchange between mama's (or mama's and papa's)....you can also look into breast milk from a milk bank though it might have to travel a way to get to you in Spokane. I'm sure you probably are already, but drink TONS of water. Tons. And eat PLENTY of food. It certainly was a challenge for me.

My heart goes out to you! I know your pain and worry. I have had to pump for both of my children because they weren't growing when I nursed. More important that giving your children breast milk is that they are growing and healthy. BUT, there may be a way to continue breastfeeding by pumping. I would encourage you to supplement any frozen milk to try to feed your baby completely with breast milk while you can. In the meantime, continue with the pumping and the fenugreek (there are also natural teas and tonics that I found helpful). Once your little one is growing that will help relieve some stress from you, and may help more milk come in for you. I found the less stressed or tired I became the better milk producer I was. If you haven't contacted your local La Leche league, I would recommend you do so. Someone will happily meet with you and give you tips about boosting your milk supply, etc.
You are AMAZING! No matter how long or short you pump for your child, the fact that you tried shares about your dedication to your child. It's not easy. But it can be done.
I am still pumping for my second child. He's almost 8 months, and it's day by day that I am able to provide. There's not really any "getting ahead", but that's ok. The Lord knows my needs, and He knows yours too..

I can't keep you from feeling bad about it but just wanted you to know I have been supplimenting just ~1 bottle a day for months now for my 4 month old and she is just great. It was hard at first but I didn't have anything in the freezer and she needed to be feed. Now it gives me a break to relax which actually helps my supply. I will also add that I started taking Reglan about 3 weeks ago (1/2 dose) and I had much angst about this so please if you think you might be interested really way the option as there are some possible side effects. I have been luky and it has helped me to keep my current level or make a tiny bit more but not stop supplimenting all together and I know when I go off it I will need to do more formula but we should be on some solids by then. All I can say is hang in there and know that you are not doing anything wrong by giving them food of any kind they need.

I am going through the same sort of thing, but my daughter is 6 weeks old and she falls asleep as soon as she starts nursing and she sleeps for long periods of time, so my body thinks she doesnt need much... But here are a couple things you could try.... #1 Drink lots and lots of water... #2 there is this Tea (in the tea/coffe isle) called Mothers Milk... It is supposed to help "healthy lactation" I am trying that right now. It does NOT taste good so I mix it with raspberry tea... Also I haven't tried them yet, but on the net you can find recipes for lactation cookies! They have chocolate chips which is good, and flaxseed meal and brewers yeast, which i think has something to do with production. Good luck... I am gonna try the cookies within the next week

I had to supplement at around 2 weeks due to low weight, but my milk was not fully in so from that point on my son received both breast milk directly from me, and formula from a bottle. I did this with both my boys and neither one had a problem going back and forth between breast and bottle, but due to using both my milk supply was never high and I was forced to ween at about 3 months and go to formula only. If you can continue to give breast milk, and the is your desire, then keep trying, drink lots of water, and bump when ever you can, but do not feel like you are somehow failing your baby if you can not. The formulas today are very very good, and formula feed babies are just as healthy, happy, and bonded as breast feed ones. My boys have never had an ear infection, and are very healthy, as are my sisters formula feed kids, and my cousins. Breast milk may be best, but formula is a very very close seconds, and all those myths about formula kids being sick are just that, myths.