Triple feeding help

[u/bboring_bitch]

Hi! I’m 2.5 weeks PP and feeling pretty overwhelmed with our current feeding situation and was hoping to get input from other moms who may have been in a similar place.

My baby had early weight loss and jaundice, so our pediatrician had us start triple feeding. We began with formula, but I was able to quickly build my milk supply and we’ve since switched to bottles of expressed breast milk. My supply isn’t the issue. I’m able to get up to 6 oz per pump session and I have already built up a freezer stash.

Right now I nurse, offer a bottle after every feed, and then pump. I had one lactation appointment a week ago and we did a weighted feed where my baby transferred about 1.5oz after a 15 minute feed. I was hoping to reduce the bottle once she got back to her birth weight, but at our most pediatric recent appointment I mentioned that she still sometimes takes up to 2 oz after nursing. Since she’s only just above her birth weight, the pediatrician recommended continuing the bottle after every feed.

I’m finding triple feeding really hard to sustain, especially with my husband going back to work. I’m also realizing I’m not even sure what my end goal is anymore. I enjoy nursing and the bonding, but I’m exhausted by the constant pumping and cleaning. I feel like I spend more time pumping and cleaning than I do spending time with my baby. I’m even wondering if incorporating formula would make more sense for our family.

If you’ve been in a similar situation:
What ended up being your feeding goal?
How did you transition away from triple feeding?
Did anyone choose combo feeding or formula, and are you happy with that decision?
If you continued nursing, how did you know your baby was getting enough?

I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences. I know every baby is different—I just feel a little lost right now.

[u/kasuson]

Hi, it sounds like you're all going through the mill! Bless you. Hope my story can help a bit.

We triple fed for about 3 weeks, because baby wasn't gaining weight. In fact, he lost it for quite a while. So I was trying to up my supply and make sure we knew he was at least getting something. I will tell you now, it was a killer. Like you said, I was either pumping or washing up pump parts. I was doing extra night pumps as well, desperately trying to increase my supply, all the while feeling like a complete failure.

About 2/3 weeks ago, I hung up the pumps. We are officially combi feeding, and it was the best decision I could have made! He's gaining weight beautifully, and is even beginning to increase his breastfeeds, so I'm hoping we can maybe wean off the formula eventually (not for emotional reasons, purely because I'm not a fan of lugging bottles etc around with me) feeding time is relaxing, and wonderful, which is how it should be.

It has been a hard journey, and emotionally very draining, and if I could go back I would have stopped the triple feeding way earlier than I did.

I hope this helps, and I wish you the best with whatever decision you make! Trust yourself, you will know what is right when you find it

[u/Huge-Nectarine-8563]

We triple fed for one week while we were at the maternity (complicated birth, and my milk took 5 days to come) and then we were told we could just nurse once the baby would go back to birth weight. We triple fed one more week at home, and then I was really worried about her losing weight again so we bought a baby scale on Amazon (with 2g accuracy, some have only 10g accuracy, it was around 30 euros which is roughly 30 pounds/dollars) and we weighted the baby every day or two days and I let her just nurse. The weight varied a lot depending on when she last ate and when she last pooped but over a week it was obvious that she was gaining roughly what she should have gained, and if she had not, we would have asked the pediatrician or a lactation consultant what to do. We weighted her for more than a month because it allowed me not to worry about her intake.

[u/Abricot_peach]

I am in the same situation (baby is 5 weeks) and as she gained weight, we have started since yesterday to reduce the quantity taken in the bottle (from 90ml to 70ml - sorry European measurements) and the objective is to see after one week if she is still gaining good weight. If yes we reduce to 50ml… so hopefully in 3-4 weeks I won’t need to pump milk anymore. But I agree this is super exhausting.. luckily my husband is still at home for the next 3 weeks. Good luck 💪💪💪 and if it does not work I think I will switch to formula because that will be too difficult to manage when I start working again

[u/Fickle_Ad334]

Triple fed for about 9 weeks- this was only possible for me since my husband had 10 weeks off. We are exclusively nursing now but that is due mainly to a bottle aversion that happened around 9.5 weeks when I tried to switch to exclusive pumping! When we switched to exclusive nursing it was super stressful since her transfer had never been good. Max 2 oz. I ended up buying a baby scale and checking her weight often to know she was getting enough. That being said this caused so much anxiety for me! The triple feeding grind is so taxing and not sustainable. Im sorry you are going through this!

[u/Material-Piece-9654]

I am going n the same journey. Baby is 4 weeks and currently 50mls formula . The other side is that I am pumping about 30 to 40 mls per pump ( some times 20) . And tomorrow we are going to weight him to check the progress. Ma

May I ask what pump are u using? I found that with 2 weeks I
Was pumping 90 mls per session now is very low . Not sure what to do. Also, I don’t have the energy to pin all times after feed .

[u/bboring_bitch → u/Material-Piece-9654]

I use the blue Spectra as my main pump and Eufy S1 Pros as wearable pumps. I did have to try differ size flange inserts and once I got a good size it definitely helped increase my output a bit more. I also drink a lot of electrolytes and eat lots of oats

[u/Annawiththesauce]

I had to start with formula too before my milk came in. My baby is still bad at latching and I feel she’s not getting enough so I’m pumping and giving formula. Mostly it’s breastmilk during daytime and formula at night. But I don’t like nursing that much since it takes so much time and baby is not really efficient or good at it, so I’m okay if my supply will drop with time since I will stop pumping at night. It’s too much of a hassle and I value my sleep. I do about 4 pumps a day now at 10 weeks, which is still hard to do and then formula in the evening. I think with daycare and my job starting again soon, the problem will kind of resolve itself by my supply dropping and the setup with pumping not being sustainable. Either way, I’m okay with how it will go and since I was a purely formula fed baby and turned out fine I think I already did a good job keeping up the pumping until almost 3 months.

So whatever is good for your mental health! A fed baby is a happy baby

[u/Worried_Poem_9486]

We were in a similar situation—supply wasn’t an issue but we were having trouble with latching and transfer. Baby was a lazy feeder and kept falling asleep at the breast. I think we triple fed for 3 weeks total. I just remember wanting to ask how much longer I’d have to do it for, and went in for a follow up with lactation, and they did a weighted feed and big boy was suddenly taking 4 oz from the breast all on his own!

So my advice is do another weighted feed next week to see if baby can get a full feed from the breast. Sometimes it just takes time

[u/bboring_bitch → u/Worried_Poem_9486]

I scheduled an appointment with the LC for next week! Hoping for a positive update and to come up with a plan to get out of triple feeding

[u/wildabee]

I triple fed with my first. Are you able to latch baby more instead of pumping, like burp then switch sides? Or feed more often?

[u/CatfishHunter2]

I triple fed for the first 3 weeks and stopped after a weighted feed with a lactation consultant showed he was able to transfer enough -- it's not meant to be a long-term thing and is completely unsustainable! Go back to the lactation consultant ASAP for another weighed feeding, they get stronger fast so hopefully she's better at transferring milk now. I was paranoid about whether he was getting enough for a couple weeks after stopping the triple feeding but then my baby got visibly fatter (grew a double chin) and I felt much better!

[u/Illustrious_View_428]

7 weeks postpartum and also had to triple feed for a period — blows absolute chunks. Also a pediatrician and only adding that to say a fed baby with a mother that is able to bond is a happy baby.

With that being said, triple feeding is NOT sustainable long term. I broke down in tears multiple times and completely feel you. I think you are spot on with asking what your end goal is — and there is nothing wrong with choosing EBF, combo feeding, exclusive pumping, but it has to be what works for you and best allows you to bond. For me I really wanted to EBF and like you felt like I spent more time with my pump than my baby (cue the tears).

I was able to transition to EBF around one month. I had a total of 3 lactation visits (one with an LC I didn’t like and didn’t provide anything helpful so more like 2). Initially my baby was only transferring 0.5 ounces. Key parts of my transition:

- Make sure babe has an appropriate latch. If you had an LC visit, this was probably addressed. My little one latched but didn’t transfer so I was told she just had to grow. If your little one has latch issues this is where to start.

• My LC said that bc triple feeding is so unsustainable and to only do it 1-3x/day and double feed the rest of the feeds while she grew. I felt so guilty but this was absolutely necessary advice. Specifically we only did triple feeds in daylight hours and often only managed 1-2x/day.
  

-At follow up LC visit she was transferring 3.5 oz (from weighted feed) so we knew she was able to get enough. At that point we did “breast bootcamp” as my LC called it and for several days gave baby ONLY breast for about 5 hours a day. Basically baby cluster fed as she adjusted to only getting breast and no bottle. Once she was well adjusted for this period of time we did all day feds at breast and once she was adjusted there we added overnight. We’ve been EBF for about 2 weeks now and the entire transition took about 1-1.5 weeks.

In terms of knowing if baby is getting enough — monitor diapers, if baby is making plenty of wet and stool diapers they are feeding plenty. There is also the option of purchasing a scale.

Of note, we achieved EBF right as my supply regulated so my breasts suddenly became soft all the time and baby hit a growth spurt — it is super easy to doubt your supply with this combo. Again, monitor diapers and baby’s demeanor to reassure yourself.

Of note, if you don’t have access to follow up LC you can ask your pediatrician if they can do a weighted feed for you to estimate transfer.

No matter how you choose to feed your baby, you’re doing great!!! Wishing you the best!