Breastfeeding and Beer

I've heard of the beer thing, I say go for it! But just one :) And make sure you're drinking tons of water.

When you pump, and when you nurse for that matter, each breast will have a separate let-down, so while you get a lot from one breast you may not get as much from the other due to a later let down. Also, if your baby has nursed recently, that may affect the total amount you are able to pump. My lactation consultant advised me to try and pump in the early morning, like around 6 or 7, when the baby wouldn't need to nurse right away and my breasts would be full from the night. And your environment while pumping is important. Get comfortable, relax, drink lots of water before and during, and don't look at the bottles! You'll have much better results this way.

Also, it's true that your baby is the most effective pump, and you won't have a true picture of what he's getting unless you weigh him before and after, then there is a formula for how to figure out how much he drank. Breastfeeding truly is a supply and demand thing, though, so if you're looking to build up your supply, be consistant with nursing an pumping and your body will slowly but surely get the idea.

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It's actually the Hops in the beer that increases milk supply. A nice, microbrewed IPA will be lovely and very Hoppy. Fenugreek is another herb that will increase breastmilk supply, as will Milkthistle (though this herb also helps detox your body and will help toxins exit into milk supply, should that be a concern). I loved drinking a nice beer at the end of the day while I was breastfeeding. I just would feed, right before I would drink, and by the time my girls were ready, the alcohol would be out of my system. I would say, do what you feel comfortable with, and if you don't want to drink just make a hops infusion or fenugreek infusion a couple times a day.

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That is very normal! A pain in the butt but still normal! Make sure your drinking lots and lots of liquid and eating enough food. The yeast and hops in the beer is what will help your supply. As your son gets older and demands more milk your body will naturally adjust. Breastfeeding is totally supple/demand. When the baby starts sleeping through the night your body will naturally adjust, when baby gets older and starts eating more solids your body will adjust. If you want to try to up your supply just throw an extra pumping in there once a day, or even twice a day. Just remember though that if you stop pumping those extra "feedings" your body will eventually stop producing the extra milk. Good luck!

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I noticed that when my children were babies, my milk supply naturally increased with their feeding demands. So, as my children grew older, I went from 3 to 4 oz., which was their typical serving, to 6 to 8 oz., about the time that they started drinking that much at one time.

Also, with regard to the 3 oz. on side and 1 oz. on the other, I don't know if you are mindful of this already but try to begin on different sides each time you feed or pump. That should even it out eventually.

I do believe that beer should help. When my parents were living in Germany, shortly after my older brother was born, my mom was having problems with anemia and sparse milk production and a German doctor there recommended that my mom drink a beer a day. My mom swears it worked for her but, of course, the German beer back in the 60's was probably a different quality than what you have now here stateside. Or, maybe not.

Hope this helps.

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i love that so many mamas are okay with this. an occasional beer will not hurt your or baby, and has been successfully used by nursing moms for generations now. obviously someone with alcoholism issues should not do it, but for most folks it's fine.
khairete
S.

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I found it helped me out alot, it relaxed me. I am not a beer lover but I tried a good greman beer. Not this american piss water, lol. Try something like Hacker Shor (sp) or Gensis (sp). I only did like 6oz every once in awhile. My milk flow increased at about 4 months usually it was 10oz (right) and 8oz (left). that was pumping. Also pump when you are done nursing to be sure you have all milk out to help trigger that need to produce more. I dont know if you know this or not but breast milk digests quicker than formula. So you do need to feed more frequantly It sucks right now but boob chain will lengthen as time goes on. Keep up the good work.

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Don't take any strange supplements. Beer works. I drank domestic beer. It's not strong and it is light and thirst quenching. I tried it occasionally when I felt tired and I was worried about having enough milk for the bedtime feeding. Just make sure you are drinking water too.. I was worried about my milk supply but eventually I had enough milk to feed a couple of babies.
I wish more doctors would instruct mothers to get their nipples ready before the baby is born. Squeezing the nipples and massaging them. Pulling on them so that they will be not only more tough when baby latches on but they will stand out farther so baby can get more in his mouth.

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Drink plenty of water, take good vitamins, eat well, BF more often and get your rest.

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Well, I don't want to put your doctor down, but I personally am totally against drinking any alcoholic drinks while preganant or breastfeeding- yes i'm sure it will increase your milk supply, but it also circulates through your supply and what ever you put in your milk goes to the baby- if your drink beer so does the baby... I would do some more research if I were you because I know there are certain foods that can increase your supply and other home remedies besides drinking beer (even if it's just occasionally)

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I don't know for sure about the beer thing, although I have heard that too. My guess is that it just helps mom relax and bit and that facilitates let-down.
After you feed your son is he satisfied? Just because you are only getting 4 oz. when you pump doesn't mean that you are only producing 4 oz. Babies are much more effective at getting that milk out than the pumps are, and even a really good pump may only get 50-60% of what your child can get.
In my experience the best way to increase supply is to nurse, nurse nurse, but there are some supplements like fenugreek that are supposed to help increase supply. Check with your doctor or a nursing consultant before you try any herbs or supplements though to be sure they are safe.

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Yep! My mother recommended I drink a beer (a regular, alcoholic beer) every day to help with let-down, and although I love her completely and almost always take her advice, I wasn't sure so I asked my doctor about it. She completely approved, and said it works for many women. Drink it right before or during nursing to so that the alcohol doesn't enter the milk while your baby is eating, and obviously, don't drink one every time you nurse or you'll turn into an alcoholic! After you drink one, do not nurse again for 2-3 hours so that the alcohol is out of your blood stream and milk for the baby. I struggled with breast-feeding because my son was a lazy eater (he didn't want to work hard and would rather cry that he couldn't get my milk easily), and I tried all sorts of things. Beer was the only thing that really helped me (Fenugreek did not, and I was a little nervous about an unregulated supplement, in any case). Good luck.

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The beer helped me significantly as well. I drank one a day, usually in the evening and the next time I pumped after it I noticed a big difference. I also used fenugreek and it works. It does make you smell like maple syrup, which I know is weird, but true. My doc did prescribe me something, I can't remember the name now, but it made me CRAZY! I was a nut job, seriously. After I got off it I had a bunch of people say basically the same thing. So in my experience I would suggest staying away from prescriptions and going the home remedy route.

As far as your nipples those Soothie pads worked very well for me. They are expensive so I didn't use them unless I really needed it, but it give me a nice boost and I felt better. Other than that I just used cream and really layered it on. I exclusively pumped, so I totally understand cracked nipples! I just asked the pharmacy to order me a huge tub of lanolin and I think it cost me $10 or something? It was more than I needed but it was less expensive than buying those tiny little tubes every time I needed more!

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Beer works for me. Not just any old watery beer though; it has to have a lot of brewer's yeast. I personally like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I'll share one with my hubby, or if the timing is right with feedings, I'll have a whole one. Be sure to drink extra water, though. And don't feed your baby until after any effects from the alcohol have worn off.

And yes, I get more out of one than the other.

As your baby's appetite increases, your milk supply should, too.

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Yes, beer and fenugreek will work. Of course not at the same time, lol... I used these methods and it worked for me. I didn't pump a lot either and always had enough milk for my daughter. It is strange to not really know how much they are getting, but as along as they are gaining weight, then you know they are getting plenty. Babies are much more efficient at sucking than a pump will be, meaning they can get more than you will. Also it's a supply and demand relationship, so as baby grows and needs more, he will drain the breast and continue to suck when nothing is there, this tells your body to produce more milk, and after a few times of doing that, Voila! He has more milk! You can also pump immediately after he nurses (just for a couple of minutes) to simulate his need to increase your supply. You won't pump anything, but your body will get the message to start producing more, so eventually you will have more. Breastfeeding is a huge commitment and every 2 hours is the norm. I remember when I started, I was in pain for 5 weeks, and then it stopped and we nursed pain-free after that. My daughter is almost 3 and we still nurse a little before bed. You are doing a wonderful thing for your son, hang in there it gets much easier and way better as time goes on. You won't regret it! Good Luck!

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Its totally normal for your supply to adjust to demand, so don't totally freak out just yet. When your little one needs more, your body will adjust because he will begin demanding more by feeding more frequently, maybe longer. If you're exclusively pumping, or just pumping to get a stash going just keep plugging away at it. I do remember having one that supplied a little more than the other, but I don't remember the # difference. Have you tried lansinoh on your nipples to help with soreness? Soothie pads are also supposed to work well, I grabbed a few packs to try this time around. Medela makes a few nice products for soreness as well. If you're new to breastfeeding, your body still may be adjusting and the soreness will probably ease with time.

As for the beer- the reason this is being recommended to you is because brewers yeast is thought to help aid in production. I've heard it from many other mothers as well as my MIL. I never tried it though so I can't speak from experience. If you need to work on supply you can try mother's milk tea (I've seen it at the grocery store, at walmart and at varios maternity stores online), or milkmaid tea that's from Earth Mama. I've only seen the milkmaid tea online with Franklin Goose, but I'm sure you can find other websites that carry it. You can also try fennugreek and blessed thistle. They are both herbal supplements. I don't know if you need a prescription for them or if you can just pick them up in the vitamin isle at the store. Talk to your doc about it maybe? Making sure you're adequately hydrated and getting enough calories is also very important and will help you maintain supply. You can also try lactation cookies. I have tried these and they're actually pretty yummy. They also contain the brewers yeast that you would be getting from the beer, but you get to eat a chocolate chip cookie instead of the beer.

http://www.food.com/recipe/Oatmeal-Chocolate-Chip-Lactati...

Edited- my link isn't really working.. just google "lactation cookies" and the food.com one is the one I was going for!

Good luck :). Stick with it!

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Pumping is not a good way to indicate your milk supply. You can liken it to a cheap vacuum vs an industrial grade expensive vacuum. The breast pump is the cheap vacuum whereas the baby is the best of the best. The best way to increase the milk supply naturally is to allow baby to suckle as often as they are hungry without supplementing (if feasible).

Hops in beer & stouts (like Guiness) are great for upping milk supply as is a combination of Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle. Keeping hydrated, eating a balanced meal that is about 500 calories more than what you usually eat and oatmeal will be beneficial.

Ensuring the latch is correct is also key. You should be feeling NO nipple pain, if there is any, look for a Le Leche League member to help, a CLC or IBCLC. They are versed in positions, nipple placement and helping you feel comfortable in asking questions.

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I struggled with low milk supply and some things that help are: fenegreek and/or blessed thistle ( herbs that you can get in capsules, working up to 3 capsules 3X a day), oatmeal (steel cut that you cook on the stove helps most but the regular kind is okay too), Mother's Milk herbal tea (not the best taste), brewers yeast (you can add to oatmeal or other foods if you don't want to drink beer), barley, almonds and prescription medication (Domperidone, obviously talk to a doctor for this one).

Getting more out of one breast than the other is not unusual nor is getting less when you p[ump that the baby is getting (babies are much more efficient than even the best quality pumps).

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When i had my daughter i could get 2 oz out of one breast and about 1/2 an oz out of the other. It drove me insane... finally i started getting around 6-8 oz out of each at one time... after about 3 weeks my milk dried up completely. i wish someone had told me about the beer thing, i would have tried it since i wanted my daughter to be on breast milk... thanks for sharing this though.. at least now ive got something to try if breast feeding doesnt go so well with the second baby.

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I tried this since it was suggested to me. I didn't work for me. I didn't pick out the beer though. My brother did and he thought he would be nice(he know I hate the taste of it) and get me a flavored beer. I'd suggest getting one that isn't all fruity and aimed for the ladies. Get a real beery beer. . . if that makes sense.
But I did do the fenugreek and other herbs to help and it did a little.

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I want to HIGHLY recommend you join the PumpMoms group on Yahoo. Those ladies know EVERYTHING about how to increase supply! They're friendly and helpful and I learned quite a bit just by lurking and reading. Now I supplement with some of their recommendations and have definitely seen an increase in supply when pumping. Good luck!

Have you tried mother's milk tea? Your body will produce only the amount of milk your son requires (that's how it is supposed to work anyway), so you need to attempt to feed him more often-if he doesn't eat, that's fine, your body needs the stimulation. Him feeding from you, feeling your skin and your other breast, that is what triggers the let down. Your body is not getting the stimulation it needs with a plastic pump. Try pumping on one side while feeding him from the other. And make sure to drink drink drink lots of water!!.

Of course it's non-alcoholic beer he's talking about. I had far less milk production and mine was tripled by a drug called Domperidone. It's not prescribed for milk production, so not all doctors will do so. It made a huge difference for me. My little guy was a preemie and my milk didn't ever really come in and I had to force it. Let me know if you need any more information.

Try either blessed thistle by itself (an herb from a natural store) or mother's milk (found there too). Mother's milk is a mix of a few herbs and it really does work, plus they're all just herbs. Warning in the beginning you have to take a lot to help build up the milk supply, your pee will start to smell like what I thought was maple syrup, that's okay and normal.

I started having milk issues ~2 months and with taking mother's milk or just blessed thistle (i got free samples from the ped, so I wanted to use them) I continued to nurse/pump until my son was 18mths old.

Good luck

yes, you have to drink plenty water. plus its good for you and baby! i would forget the beer,and stick to drinking water,and eating write.

I had problems with pumping at first as well. Your boobs just know it's not your baby! ;) I had to stare at a picture of my son while pumping. Not really sure if that is what helped or just patience and persistence. Don't give up. The milk will come easier with time. You just need to relax and not stress about it. The more you stress, the harder it is. Think about how relaxed you are while your son nurses naturally. Try to be that relaxed while you pump. Also, it might take a little longer to get more milk while pumping at first. I would sit with the pumps attached to me for what seemed like an hour to get 4 oz. out of each breast. Eventually it did come out quicker. Just be patient. Hey--a beer while pumping is sure to help you relax! I have definitely heard that it helps with let down as well. Good luck!

Everytime I drank beer when breastfeeding it DID give me an abundance of milk -and it was the only time I ever had a lot. Unfortunately I usually pumped and dumped because I had several beers, but you could try just having one and see if it made a big difference.

A lot of women can't get much milk when they pump. It doesn't mean your supply is low -- it just means your breasts can't let down into a pump very well. I think this is a common problem. Pumping sucks! You could try different types of pumps and see if you get better results. I don't know about the beer -- but it looks like you got quite a few answers to guide you there!

Make sure that you are eating a well balanced diet and drinking lots of water. Perhaps the beer is just to help you relax--not sure about that one.
I know that the more you breastfeed the more milk you should produce.

Just make sure your fluid intake is increased. Good luck.

A beer will not hurt anything, but I suggest that you take some funugreek 3 times and day in increase your water intake.

I've heard conflicting opinions on this topic. The breatfeeding book by Dr. Sears says there is no truth to this. My MIL however swears by it and she nursed 5 kids. Either way having one beer every now wont hurt anything as long as you dont nurse the baby for an hour after drinking it.

I know nursing every two hours can be hell lol. But I've hear alot that its just neccessary sometimes to get your milk supply established, baby's latch strong etc. Hang in there. Also remember to keep yourself well hydrated and fed well.I failed at my last attempt to nurse because it became so frusturating, but after doing alot more research this time, I realized I sabotaged myself. I supplemented with bottles way too early, used pacifiers because I just got so tired. But this time I am going to give it my all, and hang in there and hope it turns out better.

Talk with a lactation consultant, or your Dr. I have heard that fenugreek tablets help with milk supply. Also maybe check out some books, like Dr. Sears nursing book. Or contact the Le Leche League. Hang in there, it may be tough at first, but if it turns out successful it will be worth it!

There is nothing wrong with having a beer while you nurse your baby. I did this for about 4 months a bottle of beer a day. Get a good beer that has a lot of brewers yeast in it (no light types) and enjoy the drink while your baby nurses. I don't like beer but I learned how to enjoy the beer and the time together with my daughter and this was over 30 years ago.

Try to find a comfortable chair or rocking chair and just relax and forget about what you have to do and just nurse. The rest will take care of itself. My daughter and I have a very close bond and live 8 hours apart but we talk almost daily.

Good luck to you. The other S.