Decress in Milk Supply

My dr. put me on a supplement called Fenugreek in order to increase my milk supply. It is an herb that you can get at Whole foods or GNC. It is fairly widely used and you can find info on the La Leche League website about it. Also, pump...pump...pump. Use a good quality pump like Medela and pump between feedings.

Nurse and nurse often, pump after you nurse, and always pump if you miss a nursing session. Drink plenty of water. You might also want to try eating oatmeal every morning or as a snack (instant oatmeal, oatmeal snack bars or cookies, etc.), it helps produce milk. I noticed a difference in my milk supply within a few days of doing extra pumping sessions and eating oatmeal.

If that doesn't work... some people will recommend fenugreek. I'm very leery of herbs, you should do your research before trying it and talk to your doctor. You can't take it if you have certain health issues, risks, or take certain medications. Herbs aren't regulated by the FDA, so you never know what you're going to get. Here's a link on fenugreek: http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html

You can also get a prescription from your doctor to help with your milk supply.

You might also want to check out the Le Leche League: http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html. Contacting a lactation consultant would also be a good idea. If you don't already have one, your doctor can probably recommend one, or the hospital where you delivered probably has one on site. http://www.kellymom.com is also a fantastic breastfeeding resource website.

Hope this helps. Good luck!!

I, too, experienced some decrease after my son began eating solids. Here's some hints I learned/heard/tried:

1. Drink plenty of water!!
2. Yogi Tea's Nursing Mom's tea (I get it at HyVee)
3. Raspberries, raspberry tea (made from the plant, not flavor extracts), raspberry juice (I like apple/raspberry), etc.
4. Nurse more, pump whenever possible (I try to be sure and pump one extra time an hour or two after my son goes to sleep)
5. Fenugreek! I was hesitant at first, but IT WORKS! 2 capsules 3 times a day. (I asked the doctor first, and she said it was fine and many people use it, but I had to check!)
6. Oatmeal.
7. Get plenty of rest and relaxation when possible. Stress can cause decreased sypply as well.

There are many 'threads' about this topic. You might want to look through archives on this site and see if there are some responses with more/different information. Here are a couple links to get you started:
http://www.mamasource.com/request/2027736262743425025
http://www.mamasource.com/request/7378046593099890689

Marshmellow root capsules! They are easy, convenient, and natural! They boost you right up!

I'm not a beer drinker (hate the stuff!) but if I can choke down half a bottle, I have way more milk in the morning. It does something with increasing one of the hormones. (What I read online said that the beer was just an old wives tale and wouldn't really help, but apparently my breasts disagreed.) I only will drink it at night after my baby is down for the night so he doesn't get the alcohol.

I tried the tea, and it didn't help me, but it did keep me hydrated, which is good while breastfeeding!

If you are able to get to a local health food store. Pick up some Milk Thistle. I have quite a few friends who have used this and were able to get the milk supply that they desired. There are no side effects and is very healthy for your milk. You can talk to the herb specialist in the store, I'm sure they can tell you more about it and show you where it is located.

Good luck!
S.

I had to stop nursing for a week while I took some antibiotics, and my supply went down as well - even though I pumped. My lactation consultant recommended some herbs, and they have really helped: Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle. You can go to kellymom.com for information on dosage and side effects. After my supply increased, I stopped taking them as regularly, and noticed it decrease again. So there is a chance you'd be stuck to taking the pills indefinitely. I'm still needing to supplement, and it's been about a month and a half - but my son has also gone through 2 huge growth spurts during that time... I have high hopes... Good luck - I know how frustrating it is when you can't provide the nutrition your baby needs.

Watch out for the medicine you are taking apparently Sudafed has a chemical that dries you up fast. I learned that after talking to the leche league consultant. Eat and drink frequently, pump if you can in between feeding until your milk supply starts to increase.

I agree with the previous responses and have heard the lactation consultants I work with mention each one of them to moms: mother's milk tea, nursing/pumping often (stimulation will naturally increase supply), drinking a beer, and eating certain foods can help too (see kellymom.com for this).

I attend a breastfeeding group 2x a week and have since my son was born (he is now 7 1/2 months). This has been so helpful for any questions I have and just the support of other moms. It's run by the hospital I delivered at by the lactation consultants and is free! You may want to look one up in your area just so you have someone to call for questions. Or use kellymom.com as this site answers almost every lactation question there is!

I was suprised to hear the one poster read that drinking a beer was "an old wives tale." I took a breastfeeding class before I had my first child and they actually told us to drink a beer to increase milk supply. I would try the oatmeal and a beer first before you tackle the herbs, but if you don't have any luck with those, I would contact a lactation consultant who can tell you exactly what to take.

Along with nursing more often, and increasing your fluid intake, I would recommend as much rest as possible ( I can hear you saying "HA, right!") and paying attention to good nutrition. Just a thought.... Is your baby showing that she is not being satisfied each feeding, or are your breasts just not feeling as full? If the baby seems fine, but the breasts seem less full, it may just be your body finally adjusting to the amount of milk she needs right now. The more babies I had, the less I noticed any engorgement, yet the babies were satisfied and gained weight fine. However, without fail, each one went through periods of not being satisfied and with increased nursing times my body responded with increased production, though I could not tell a whole lot of difference in my breasts. These times corresponded with the typical growth spurt times for babies: 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Another important thing is to have a quiet, relaxing atmosphere while you are nursing. This can be next to impossible with the ages of your other children. I often read to mine while nursing, which kept the chaos to a minimum. Keep your confidence in your God given ability to nourish your baby. Bless you.

You could also try Mothers Milk Tea... made by Traditional Medicine.

Good Luck

Talk with your doctor. If you are taking estrogen you might have to stop b/c it tends to dry you out. Also, my doctor recommended Fenugreek to boost my milk. It is an herb you can find in any health food store, some grocery stores. Cut back on the caffeine, drink lots of water, and get as much rest as possible. It might just be that your child is hitting a growth spurt and is needing more than before, so feed often.
Best wishes and congrats on #4!

Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea;
This is a wonderful tea to increasing milk supply speedily..!!!
God bless you..!

There is actually a method to breastfeeding, silly as it may seem. So, whenever feeding always have the baby nurse on both sides and then it is important to begin on the breast that you finished with, the next time you start. And after the feeding go ahead and empty the breast manually or with a breast pump until supply and demand reach each other.

There are natural ways, but first a high calcium diet, and sun on your skin in order to convert it to vitamin D in your liver. High protein diet is very important. You need to stuff yourself on yeast and calcium foods in order to have enough milk. Also, drink a lot of lemon juice, avoid sage tea for it dries up milk.

Helpful herbs to increase milk supply: milkweed, caraway, goat's rue, and fenugreek.

Hope this helps! Info came from my natural remedies book! It's very helpful to me.

Call and ask your doctor about a medication that will increase your milK. My doctor gave me Reglan. IT WORKED GREAT!!!