Question for Lact-aid users

[cdnbluejay]

Hi

My DD is just about a week old and I just started using the lact-aid.  Due to PCOS I have really low supply and after all the pain and anguish I went through with my first 2 kids with trying to breast/bottle feed, this time I decided to try the Lact-aid.  Even though I am still getting the hang of it, so far I quite like it.  I've never had a content baby at the breast with sustained sucking, and that has been amazing!

I expect to have to always supplement and am ok with that, and so far I have been supplementing at every feeding.

Anyway, I have a question:

As the baby gets older and needs more supplement, does the lact-aid get faster to empty?  Currently, it seems the speed at which my baby drains the bag, depends on how well I positioned the tube and the latch.  If I do it well, then I think she finishes 1.5 oz in 10-15 min?? (not sure) Do any of you who use Lact-Aid supplement more than 4-5 oz at a feed?  How long does it take for your baby to drain the bag?

Any tips to get optimal flow/drainage?

Thanks!

[Megan73]

I'm so glad you like the LA - it was a great product for me when I needed to supplement my first son.
Adjusting the flow rate is really just a matter of practice - figuring out how to place the tube and the right height for the bag. It will be second nature in no time.
LA does make larger size bags so I presume some mamas use them.
But you may find that you never need to increase the amount of supplement.
Breastfed babies consume the same amount of breastmilk a day from about one month until they start solids - a range of 19 to 32 ounces a day with 25 ounces being average. That's why breastfed babies gain quickly at the beginning - typically doubling birthweight between three and four months - then slow down in weight gain.
Formula fed babies do drink more as they get bigger and have a different growth pattern - more slowly at the beginning but more steadily thereafter.
What I did was use the kellymom.com resources on normal breastfed infant growth to adjust the amount of supplement then we stayed at that level - eight to 10 ounces a day - until he was a year old. My SIL, however, had very low supply due to breast surgery and her son did increase the amount of formula he drank from the LA over time - it's really a personal preference.

[cdnbluejay]

Ok, so it has been a few weeks now, and it seems to me that she is getting "worse" at using the lact-aid?  not that her latch is bad, but that she seems to be alot fussier at the breast and popping on/off crying.  I don't think she is full, but she seems rather opinionated about the tube or the flow?  Not sure if the tube is bothering her or if the flow is too slow/fast for her?

 Also, did you find that the tube gets moved around in your baby's mouth which causes the flow to stop?  i.e. starts off on top of the nipple but when she moves around, sometimes it ends up on the bottom of the nipple or out of her mouth?

Any ideas of what I can do it to make our nursing sessions go better?