Breast Milk - Victorville,CA

The best thing for me was to work with a lactation consultant. I found one that came to my house & was able to give recommendations for my specific issue. My lactation consultant has been invaluable to me.

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How old is your baby? Is he satisfied after nursing? Your body will naturally adjust to your baby's needs. If he's nursing less, you'll produce less milk. There's nothing to be worried about. You also won't get the same amount pumping as your baby does when he nurses. Babies are much more adept at getting the milk out than any pump (even the top of the line hospital pumps). As long as your guy is gaining weight and is healthy, your milk is fine. If he's not seeming like he's satisfied, you can try herbal supplements. I've heard Mother's Milk tea or fungreek. If you still have questions, I encourage you to contact your local La Leche League. Just google "La Leche League" and you should be able to input your city to find a chapter close to you.

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How old is your son?

It's normal for your supply to regulate between 2 (usually 3, but 2 isn't abnormal) and 4 months. So you'll go from having what seems like a lot of milk to what feels, literally, like not having enough. Your breasts won't feel as full or engorged, you'll leak less and pumping might be more difficult. Keep in mind that a baby is more effective than a pump, so don't take the amount that you can pump as any indication as how much milk you are making.

The best indication is your babe. Is he still happy after a feed or is he looking for more? Is he gaining weight? Are his diapers wet and poopy?

There are some easy thing to do in building supply - like you mentioned, feed often, both breasts and on demand, even not on demand. The first thing I did with both babes when they woke up is offered the breast for as long as they wanted it. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand enterprise, so the more he eats, the more milk your body will provide. Oatmeal can also help. Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle can help with supply, check a naturopathic store, or a place like Whole Foods. Your doctor can also prescribe Domperiodone to help with supply (although, I'll add a caveat that while I live in the US now, I'm from Canada and I have no idea what docs down here think or even if they can use this drug).

The age of your baby is most telling though, like I said earlier, it's easy to feel like you are losing milk because your supply will regulate to your baby's needs. As long as there aren't other signs of shortage (not gaining, unhappy after feeding, dry diapers) and you aren't in the normal time for the supply to regulate, then you're likely a-ok!

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Fenugreek worked for me, More Milk Plus worked for a friend who had gone through a breast reduction, and another friend drank wine. All seemed to increase milk supply.

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Pump for 5 minutes on each side after every feeding. You may not get anything at first but after a week or so, you'll be very full of milk.

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Nurse and pump often, drink plenty of fluids, eat healthy.

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Don't give up on breastfeeding, you will just need to work on it a bit. First, you might not really have less milk, or you may just be going through a slight decrease. I notice every couple of weeks that I have a couple of days of less milk, but then it picks up again.

More nursing (at least one or two extra times a day) will really help, along with the advice on the kellymom.com site (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html). More water and food (for me), and eating oatmeal, always help me a lot.

You can also contact your local La Leche League, or a lactation specialist, for more help. Try a few things mentioned here by others or on the kellymom site for a couple of days first, you should notice a difference.

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To my understanding, the body produces the milk that is required. So baby nurses, milk runs out...but supply is being restored immediately and the more baby feeds, the more the body makes.

If you are still having trouble, contact La Leche League in your area. They are an invaluable resource for nursing moms!

Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating enough? Are you nursing every 2-3 hours? All of these factors can affect your milk production. I nursed my twins until they were 37 months which was much longer than I had planned but that is just how it worked out. Another thing you should be doing is drinking as much liquid as possible (3 liters a day preferably). I would make Mother's Milk Tea (iced) and drink it all day long - you can get it at Mother's Kitchen or Henry's. That really does help milk production. I found that sometimes it would take my body a few days to catch up to my babies' demands but that if I stuck it out my body would come through. All the effort I made really paid off for my kids and me. My daughter has only had one ear infection EVER shen she was 4 years old. My son started having ear infections at 2 years old when he was only nursing a few times a day. I realized that his ear issues would have been horrible had I not nursed. I was able to avoid tubes in his ears (barely). Looking back I don't know how I would have gotten through those long nights of teething without nursing. And my twins are off the charts in intelligence - they have been reading since age 3 and in 1st grade are reading AND comprehending 6th grade level work. I'm not sure this is solely due to nursing but it can't hurt.
Also, I meant to add I am 5'6" and am used to being 115 - 120 pounds. I had to keep my weight up at 135 pounds or more. Whenever I would get below 135 pounds, my milk would start looking thin and the babies would be screaming for more. luckily, my husband was very supportive.

pump pump pump! Even if nothing comes out, pump extra time and your supply will increase!

I had the hardest time keeping up my milk supply for my daughter, so I can sympathize.
First, make sure you're drinking lots of water and staying away from caffeine, which will dehydrate you.
Second, make sure you're calm and relaxed while nursing or pumping. Try *not* to think about how much milk you'll produce! (Yeah, I know that's not easy.)
Third, try an herbal supplement like "More Milk Plus." You can find it online and might be able to find it at a natural foods store up here. I always bought mine at Henry's Produce Market in Rancho. It's not cheap, but it's well worth the cost. I don't know how old your baby is, but I had to start using More Milk Plus when my daughter was around four months old. But with it, she and I were able to nurse until after the one year mark, when she was ready to move on.
Best wishes!

Hi L.,

I went through the same thing a few months back. I was told to pump/feed more. But eventually there just wasnt enough produced to keep up with it.

Good luck.

Hello, When my youngest was an infant, my doctor recommended yeast tablets (health food store), lots of liquids, and plenty of rest (yeah, right, I had four kids). It was to help produce lots of milk. I don't know if this is still recommended, my son is 31 years old.
Good luck with your precious baby.
K. K.

Call your OB/GYN or the hospital where you gave birth and get a recommendation for a lactation consultant. They can help a LOT!

There's a lot u can do , drink plenty of water , 500 more calories a day , stay away from caffeine , many people will drink a beer as the yeast in it helps some , fenugreek or mothers milk tea (avail at most markets n cvs) be sure baby is latched on properly that can affect milk supply ... Last do no supplement and stop pumping for a day or 2 ! Let baby nurse as much as possible ....

This is an old wives tale type of trick, but drink a beer (if you can non-alcoholic) every day. It keeps the juices flowing!

I stopped being able to pump when my daughter was 5 1/2 months but she is almost 8 1/2 months now and she still nurses happily 3-4 times a day!

http://www.motherlove.com/

My milk supply started to deplete once I went back to work. I refused to give in and found the above website. It worked perfectly for me. The product you are looking for is called More Milk or More Milk Plus. It comes in liquid or capsule form and is also alcohol free. I suggest the capsule form because the liquid form was too strong for me and made me gag :( It really does work! The website explains what is in the product, how it works and has accommodating forms if you have certain allergies and such.

Good Luck to you and don't give up!

i was having the same problem like 3-4 days after my daughter was born i had alot of milk i used to leak like crazy but then it stopped i was really concerned that i was losing my milk.i realized that when i rested comfortably the milk just came on its own and also oatmeal helps alot to

Hey L.,
I was in your shoes just a month ago and it's frustrating. First, make sure you are eating consistently throughout the day and be sure to make sure most of those meals contain protein. Second, make sure you are drinking plenty of water. You should not only be drinking water while you are breastfeeding but in between times as well. If you are interested in supplements some suggestions are: Mother's Milk Tea by Traditional Medicinals, More Milk Plus by Mother Love and Fenugreek ( variety of manufacturers) all of which can be purchased at any health food store.
Finally, make sure you get plenty of rest. Napping in the afternoon can make a huge difference. I know it's not easy, but put your baby down for a nap, and force yourself to rest for even a half hour. It really makes a difference.
When it comes to feeding your son you may be told to feed your son often. However, it takes time for your milk supply to reestablish itself, so try to not make the feedings more frequent than every two hours. Otherwise your child will not get milk fat and will be forever hungry. This last piece of advice was given by my son's pediatrician.