A sane approach to triple feeding.
In the early days of feeding a newborn, many parents encounter the insanity of TRIPLE FEEDING. It’s a special kind of torture. Thankfully, there is a better way.
What is triple feeding?
If your baby is not gaining enough weight with exclusive breastfeeding, you may be told to:
Breastfeed
Pump
Bottle feed the milk that was pumped (plus sometimes making up the difference with donor milk or formula)
For Every. Single. Feed.
24 hours a day.
For days, weeks and sometimes months on end. 🤯
With no clear guidance on when and how to stop.
In theory, triple feeding supports breastfeeding, milk production and baby’s growth. All at the same time.
In reality, it makes parents crazy.
The relentless cycle of feeding, pumping, washing all those pump and bottle parts, changing diapers and settling baby, every 2-3 hours leaves almost no time for anything else.
Each cycle can easily take 1-2 hours. Which means you might get an hour (at best) before starting the process all over again.
Humans need rest. We also need genuine connection with our babies, not just filling their bellies every 2-3 hours.
Let’s not forget that sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture.
Triple feeding around the clock is a recipe for quick burnout. Not only does it create stress, which can lead to anxiety and depression, but it makes it much more likely that you’ll say “F*%# breastfeeding. It’s not worth it.”
I’m a lactation consultant. I value breast milk and breastfeeding. But I also value your mental and physical health.
What’s the solution?
Instead of doing all 3 steps every single time your baby eats, I recommend doing only what’s necessary.
Babies have to be fed. This is a non-negotiable. Newborns generally need to eat at least 8-12 times per day. We can’t cut back on this.
If your baby isn’t transferring enough at the breast, your milk production is at risk. Remember that milk production is supply and demand. You make the amount that your baby (or your pump) removes.
In many cases pumping is going to be necessary in order to:
Maintain milk production
Obtain milk to put in the bottles
The number of pump sessions will vary from person to person, but generally I recommend about 6-8 times per day.
If feeding the baby and pumping are both necessary, what’s left?
You guessed it…breastfeeding.
Yes, less breastfeeding will help in this situation.
Breastfeeding is the least important part of the triple feeding process, and therefore should be the step that’s cut back on.
Triple feeding is meant to be a temporary tool for helping a baby gain weight. It’s not meant to be a long-term plan.
For this brief amount of time, it’s OK to cut back on breastfeeding. Your newborn is hard-wired to breastfeed and is unlikely to lose interest that quickly.
Breastfeeding a few times a day during a triple feeding phase will be sufficient practice for you and your baby. Once you start to decrease the bottles and pump sessions, breastfeeding sessions can become more frequent.
Prioritize sleep.
Research has shown us that a daily 4-5 hour stretch of uninterrupted sleep can improve parental mood and mental health.
Sleep is restorative for our bodies and minds.
The exact amount of sleep needed is individual. Figure out what you need and strategize how you can get that.
For example, if your goal is to pump 7x per day, you can plan your sessions for every 2-3 hours for most of the day, while scheduling a 4-5 hour break to sleep.
More about supplemental nursing systems (SNS):
Example of a commercially available SNS.
Using an SNS while triple feeding may make sense if:
Your baby is generally latching well, ie. there’s no pain or long struggle to achieve a latch.
You feel comfortable learning a new system for feeding your baby.
You want to spend more time breastfeeding vs bottle feeding.
There are many systems on the market. I generally encourage parents to try a DIY system before deciding to buy a system.
Tip to make pumping more sustainable: Instead of washing your pump parts every time you use it, store the unwashed parts in a ziplock bag in the fridge between sessions. Wash everything very well at least once per day. This is not recommended if you have a preterm or sick infant.
The piece that’s often missing:
As soon as possible, it’s important to figure out the root of the problem so you can get off the hamster wheel for good.
Here are some possible reasons for initial weight gain challenges for newborns:
Being born early and lacking the physical and developmental abilities to breastfeed well.
Birth trauma (forceps/vacuum/resuscitation at birth) causing physical problems or feeding aversion.
Muscle tension from positioning in utero or during the birth.
Low infant tone, often seen with Down Syndrome but can be seen without it.
Anatomical variations such as cleft palate, or an arched or high palate.
Tethered oral tissue such as a tongue tie.
Low or delayed milk production.
Working with an IBCLC will help you figure out why your baby needed to be put on a triple feeding plan. Then we can help you work on solutions.
I want you to enjoy the parenting journey that you’re on. To have room for rest, play and connection. Everyone’s path is different, and you deserve to be treated as an individual, with unique needs.
Looking for 1:1 support? Click below to get started working with me. Yes, virtual visits work great as well!
