between three and eight weeks old, consider feeding on a strict 2½-hour
routine for five to seven days. If your milk production increases (as
demonstrated by the baby becoming more content and sleeping better),
work your way back to the three hour minimum. If no improvement
comes, work back up to three hours with the aid of a formula complement
for the benefit of your baby and your own peace of mind.
- If you question your milk supply in the fourth month: the same
basic principles apply to this age category. If your baby is between four
and six months of age and you question your milk supply, try adding a
couple of feedings to your daytime routine. One of our mothers, also a
pediatrician, felt she was losing her milk supply at four months. She did
two things. She added a fifth feeding to her day, and she stopped dieting.
In less than one week her milk supply was back to normal.
Other mothers find success by returning to a fairly tight three-hour
schedule. Once their milk supply returns to normal, they gradually return
to their previous routine. If no improvement comes after five to seven
days, consider a formula complement. Adding a few extra feedings
during the day is not a setback in your parenting but necessary to insure a
healthy balance between breast-feeding and the related benefits of PDF.
The Four Day Test
You may also want to consider the four day test. This involves offering a
complementary feeding of one to two ounces of formula after each
nursing period. Then, express your milk with an electric breast pump ten
minutes per side. (Manual pumps are not effective for this purpose.) Keep
track of how much extra you are producing. If your milk is plentiful, then
the problem lies with your baby. He or she is either not latching on
properly or is a lazy nurser. If your milk supply increases as a result of
pumping, which will be indicated either by milk expressed or by your
baby not wanting the complementary feeding, then return to breast-
feeding only, maintaining a three-hour routine.
If additional stimulation from breast pumping doesn’t increase your
milk supply, and if you have reviewed all the external factors and found