Hi Laura,
I'm a lactation consultant who has personally used a supplementer.  My third
child had a disorganized suck and needed to be supplemented while I worked
with her.  I was happy to be able to accomplish supplementing at the same
time as nursing, and avoid other ways to supplement, most of all, the bottle.
 My breasts were stimulated to increase supply at the same time she got the
supplement, too.  In retrospect, I cannot remember whether or not the device
helped her to suck better  (it was 3 1/2  years ago and before I was a
lactation consultant), but from my experience since, it has been one thing
that has seemed to help some babies keep actively sucking at the breast.

Despite the fact that it worked well for me and I would do it the same way
again, I did not at all enjoy doing it.  It was difficult and required more
hands than I had at first, getting her latched on with the tubing, dealing
with her hand, the flow, positioning.  I had  my husband help sometimes, to
get us started.  The last time that I used it, I made the decision that I was
indeed forever finished with it because of how well we were doing with the
weights and the nursing.  I admit that I literally threw it across the room
as an expression of frustration with the whole drawn-out process of getting
over difficulty nursing with my THIRD breastfed baby, and in celebration of
the fact that we DID IT!

A couple of other comments:  I have doubts that I would have succeeded had
this not been my third baby and had I not been a LLL Leader. I had the
benefit of knowing the beauty of breastfeeding, and I had the knowledge about
how it is supposed to work and what to do when it didn't.   I had the support
of several friends and co-Leaders who would call me regularly.  I also had
the support of the entire staff at the doctor's office.  (Wish I had had the
new scale back then, although a mother renting a scale for at-home use might
effectively cut off some of her support and evaluation that she gets
everytime she goes in for a weight check - follow up with her LC would have
to be carefully done.)  Support is really important, speaking as one who has
been there.

I did double pump to increase supply, but to be honest, I found it wasn't
worth the time and trouble, usually.  I could not do it anywhere near as
often as I knew I should, and the rewards were so little in terms of ounces
pumped.  I was also dealing with two other children, as well as spending so
much time nursing, which took longer because of the supplementing and suck
training.  Then there was the bottle-washing mess and the preparation of abm,
which was a medical necessity.  I did stay home and do nothing but take care
of the children, nurse, eat, sleep - which is very difficult for many women
to do in this busy world of getting out and doing THINGS.  I found that the
pump was the first thing to go; it was not the necessity.  I already  had to
use abm anyway.

These are some of the things those of us who help mothers with difficult
breastfeeding situations need to be aware of.  They may not do everything we
think they should do, and they may not tell us either.  If we're aware of
this, it is easier to deal with it and to help them prioritize, as well as
give our support.

One more note:  I have also known mothers who did not experience a difficult
time using the supplementing device.  I admire them greatly!

Paula Tripp, RN, IBCLC, LLL Leader
Cumberland, Maine