How to Combine Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding

When Jackie and Ken learned that it was possible to induce a milk supply for the baby they planned to adopt, they knew that this was something they wanted to do. They talked with their family doctor, ordered a book from La Leche League International, and rented a breast pump.

Two months later, a beautiful baby boy came into their lives. Jackie had worked very hard to stimulate her milk production, but there was not enough to fully nourish the baby. At first she grieved, but the local La Leche League group that she attended reminded Jackie that the love she shared while nursing her son was more important than the amount of milk she produced. Jackie continued to enjoy breastfeeding her little boy for many months and accepted that the supplemental bottles she also relied on were not a sign of failure.

Inducing milk is something women have done for ages. Even women who've not birthed a baby may induce milk supply with a combination of pumping and expression of the breasts and/or medication. According to the La Leche League, frequent double pumping (pumping both breasts simultaneously) is the best way to induce milk supply.