It's also quite likely that the reason many women don't produce enough breastmilk is because they started out supplementing with formula. The body is really fantastic about producing enough milk for a baby. All the mother needs to do is put her baby to her breast more frequently and her body will compensate. I started giving Dominic formula in the hospital because I wasn't yet producing milk and he needed help flushing the bilirubin out of his system (he was jaundiced). I swore up and down that I needed to continue supplementing because I wasn't producing enough milk. When I stopped giving him formula, my body started producing more milk. Neat. Now, I'm not saying that no mother ever needs to supplement. I just think too many people fall into feeding formula because it's so convenient (and pain-free!). Plus, the nurses make it available to you in the hospital in ready-to-feed bottles and sends you home with a canister of the powdered variety. It's very easy to give a bottle a day and mess with your milk supply.
I've noticed during the day that Dominic eats more than I produce. I can make 12 ounces and he eats 16. But at night, he only eats 2 ounces at a feeding before he can't stay awake any longer. So I put him to one breast and pump and store the other and it all evens out.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2005-12-19 01:51 pm (UTC)I've noticed during the day that Dominic eats more than I produce. I can make 12 ounces and he eats 16. But at night, he only eats 2 ounces at a feeding before he can't stay awake any longer. So I put him to one breast and pump and store the other and it all evens out.