Before becoming a mother, I’d never heard the term “triple feeding.” I had no idea what it meant, how much of a time and energy drain it could be on new parents, and how helpful it could be in both preserving a breastfeeding journey and ensuring a new baby gains weight well.
What is triple feeding?
Triple feeding involves feeding your baby using three different methods, done one right after another. At the beginning of each feeding or feeding window, 1) a baby is nursed (fed at the breast), 2) mom immediately pumps breast milk into a bottle, and 3) baby is fed additional milk (and/or formula supplement) via bottle, syringe, or supplemental nursing system.
There are several reasons why triple feeding may be recommended—anything from poor latching on the baby’s part to insufficient transfer of milk, low supply, or failure of the infant to gain weight
Triple feeding is a concept that originated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and was used for premature babies, but now is widely endorsed and supported by lactation consultants and pediatricians for full-term babies at home. As you can imagine, it requires a considerable amount of time, effort, logistical support, planning, and thinking straight—all things that are already a challenge in the first days, weeks, and even months of your baby’s life.
Why is triple feeding done?
There are several reasons why triple feeding may be recommended—anything from poor latching on the baby’s part to insufficient transfer of milk, low supply, or failure of the infant to gain weight. The theory behind triple feeding is threefold: first, to ensure the baby is adequately fed; second, to strengthen, or maintain working on, the baby’s latch; and third, to help increase or maximize the mother’s potential milk supply.
In my experience (which can, of course, be different from other parents’ experiences), I triple fed my daughter because she was born 4.5 weeks early, and struggled to latch. Upon the advice of an IBCLC, we began using a nipple shield, which helped my daughter stay on my breast, but it increased her struggle to effectively get milk during a feeding. We’d nurse for 30-60 minutes at a time, but she wouldn’t be full, and my breasts wouldn’t be empty. We were both frustrated and emotional, and my lactation consultant recommended that I try triple feeding.
How is triple feeding done?
In my case, I’d latch my daughter on my breast with the nipple shield for 10-15 minutes on one or both breasts, and when I pulled her off, I’d give her a bottle. Sometimes, the bottle was milk I’d previously pumped, and other times it was ready-to-drink formula. She’d been supplemented in the hospital before my milk came in, and I was continuing this at home. After she was fed and burped, I’d sit her in either her swing or on the Boppy, and I’d connect to my electronic double-breast pump. I’d pump for 15-20 minutes, removing any remaining milk stored in my breasts and signaling to them that they’d need to maintain or even increase my milk production.
To be honest, triple feeding was all-consuming.
When my daughter was next hungry or it was time to feed her again, our cycle would begin all over again. As time went on, I found myself periodically skipping our mouth-to-breast nursing session in favor of pumping while feeding her a bottle, streamlining our process and keeping us both calmer.
To be honest, triple feeding was all-consuming. It felt like many days, all I did was nurse or pump or feed my daughter or wash bottles or stress about my milk production and our breastfeeding journey.
My experience lasted about seven weeks, which was honestly a pretty long time. By that point, I expressed to my lactation consultant that it was becoming unsustainable for me. I had really wanted to breastfeed my daughter by nursing her, which was why I continued triple feeding as long as I did, but I also learned about exclusive pumping during that time and decided that was a viable option for our family that I could make peace with. That was when I transitioned from triple feeding to pumping and bottle feeding, removing the nursing and adjusting my pumping schedule accordingly. It spaced things out a little, and gave me more of a chance to bond with my baby and rest between pumping sessions. It also allowed me to continue providing breast milk for my baby without the struggles nursing continued to offer.
When and how does triple feeding end?
Triple feeding ends when one of a few different things occurs. First, if your baby becomes more efficient at latching and transferring milk, you might not need to continue supplementing with bottle feeds after nursing. If your milk supply stabilizes, there isn’t a need to pump after every feeding. On the other hand, if there is no improvement on either front, you may choose to either nurse and supplement with formula, or exclusively pump and bottle feed your baby.
I always tell new parents that their gut will lead them in the right direction—if triple feeding is moving you in the right direction, it makes absolute sense to persevere
It’s important for me to note here that I am not a lactation consultant. I am a postpartum doula and a mom who was significantly impacted by triple feeding.
Regularly, I recommend that new moms who are triple feeding work closely with their providers and support network and check in routinely with their intuition. As previously mentioned, triple feeding can be difficult and consuming; however, it can also lead to successful exclusive, skin-to-skin breastfeeding in some cases, which may or may not be your ultimate goal in feeding your babe. It’s also important for me to note, based on both personal and professional experience, that that goal can and should change as you learn your baby and your body and adjust to motherhood.
I always tell new parents that their gut will lead them in the right direction—if triple feeding is moving you in the right direction, it makes absolute sense to persevere (and increase the amount of support you can to do so). Alternatively, if the struggle outweighs the benefits, I encourage you at any time to pause, and reevaluate both your circumstances and your goals. Ultimately, however you feed your baby (nursing, pumping, supplementing, formula, or any combination of these things) is the right decision for you and your family, and I want to encourage you to find confidence in your pathway over time.
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