It’s official, we’re supplementing. After over 6 months of being exclusively breastfed, I came to the conclusion that I am not making enough for Jameson anymore. We had two weeks of me not freezing any milk, and only producing about 2/3 of his bottles per day, and it was time to face the music.

I debated about trying fenugreek or other so-called galactagogues to try and increase milk supply, but decided I will let nature take its course at this point. My decision is based on a number of reasons, but mainly, I am tired of stressing out over not making enough milk, and a stressed out mom is not a happy mom.

I am not quitting yet, but for sure I need help meeting Jameson’s needs.

At the doctor on Tuesday we asked for some samples, and since we have more samples of Similac at home than Enfamil, that is the formula of choice. So far, so okay. Jameson was a little too tired to eat well last night, but with a bottle half mom milk and half formula, he drank down half of that.

And then he slept through the night.

Now… I don’t want to jump the gun… or make assumptions… since he has on occasion slept the night through before, but that was when “sleeping through the night” meant from 11pm to 6am, or 9pm to 5am.

Last night was 7pm through 6:45am.

This weekend is a long weekend for Brian and I, so we will continue to supplement here and there to get him used to the formula and we’ll see! Maybe we’ve turned the corner.

As excited as I am about the possibility of getting a full nights rest (almost) every night, I am also a little sad. Because Jameson has started refusing to nurse from me except in the middle of the night and sometimes his wake up feeding. I no longer nurse him to sleep, and if the middle of the night feeding goes away, it seems a short jump to being an exclusive pumper. Which, by the way, I do not like. Pumping is not fun, no matter how you look at it.

But it is what it is, and I cannot force change backward. All we can do is move forward! And maybe get a bit more sleep.