That Time I Was Told to Supplement
If you remember, I did a quick overview of my breastfeeding story. (To read it click here) I talked about all the different ways I could have been sidetracked. The main issue of all of those is misinformation from the doctors. Unfortunately, they should know better. They should be handing out the best advice, not creating boobie traps (pardon the pun).
When my son was about six weeks old, we had thrush. The first doctor gave us meds and sent us on our way, asking that I follow up in two weeks. When we went back, we saw a different doctor. We still had thrush. Just like every appointment, they weighed him and he had gained almost a pound. Once the doctor came back in, she looked and said to keep using the medicine and start to offer formula after each feed. Here is about how it went:
Me: "Why do we need to do that?"
Dr.: “Well, thrush can cause transfer issues. I want to make sure he is still gaining."
Me-: "He was just weighed and he has gained almost a pound in two weeks. We aren't having an issue with nursing."
Dr.: "I still want you to supplement. It can become an issue."
Me: "Why formula? Is there a reason I shouldn't pump?"
Dr.- "Pumping is too much work for you. Formula is just easier."
Me: "I'll pump and bring him back next week to check his weight."
Dr.: “Fine.”
Now for those who don’t know that formula and breastmilk work completely differently…
Breastmilk digests very quickly whereas formula does not. If you supplement with formula, your baby will miss nursing a session and in turn, you will lose your supply. It is a total boobie trap if not done right. My doctor didn't want to take a few extra steps of either having me come back to get weighed again or to explain to me how they work differently. But I knew it didn't feel right. My son was happily nursing along. I gave him a few bottles for two days and stopped because he didn't want or need them. He was just fine.
But this is a prime example of misinformation. I know a lot of moms who fall into this trap because doctors don't want to take the time to explain things better OR they do not want to look into the real cause of the problem. If there is a weight issue, it is because of an underlying issue. And 99% of the time, with the right support, those issues are fixable.
I hope this helps you along your journey, if something doesn't feel right, keep asking. Find the right support and GET HELP! It is out there!