Rebecca -

If this baby were having 17 feeds per day, I might wonder why her supply stays low.  But 7?  I'd scrap those SNS marathons, which are slowing down their nursing frequency, and nurse nurse nurse nurse nurse nurse nurse, with bottles (or SNS if she prefers) thrown in as needed - certainly not more than 7x/day with the good supply she's starting with.  If she uses bottles, paced bottle-feeding will help keep them from overdoing supplements.  

I think her single biggest problem is that she's trying to use her breast as an Intermittent Source of Significant Meals, rather than as conversation, love, comfort, entertainment, shutter upper, topper offer, and just plain meeter of all baby and mothering needs.  And I'll bet she'll see a *significant* increase in supply once she triples (and uncomplicates) her nursing frequency.    

Some of those nursings may be very, very short, but the idea is that milk goes along with love and communication, rather than being a goal in itself.  Remind her, too, that she has at least 4 breasts available, not the 2 she's probably been using.  Fussy on the left?  Use the right.  Fussy there too?  Go back to the left.  Another go on the right and *then* think supplements.  But not before at least 4 breasts. 

Partly she'll need to shrink that stomach down.  The baby will still expect those 7 large meals each day at first.  But start making them significantly smaller, so he'll have *room* to nurse more often.  And expect success.  She may have a whopping good milk potential, just waiting its chance for a more normal nursing pattern.

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL  Ithaca, NY

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