Fenugreek - Tampa,FL

Hi J.! 1 -2 tabs was NOT enough for me. I was told by a lactation consultant to take up to 8 a day. Check your bottle. Also, what seemed to work better for me was to supplement the tablets with Fenugreek tea. Often I would find the tea at Albertson's in the specialty tea dept. If not there most health food stores will carry it. I would typically drink up to 4 cups a day. I didn't produce as much milk as some people say they did on the same regimen but it was enough to feed my baby and still pump. Pump as often as you can while taking the fenugreek - you'll get more milk if you pump often and consistently. Hope this helps.

I had supply issues about the same time (my little guy is now 4 1/2 months). I took 3 pills 3x a day to see results. Sometimes my mid-day dose would be 4 pills. It helped. I don't think you can overdose on it. When you're sweat and urine smell like maple syrup, it's in your system.

I know you didn't ask, but here's some other tricks. Mother's Milk tea, it helps to make milk richer. Oatmeal helps for supply too. Be sure to drink lots of water and keep your food intake up.

About once a month, my supply dips a little when I don't pay attention and get lazy about water and I have to do all the above.

I took up to four of the brewer's yeast tablets twice a day....I don't know much about what you are taking

J., I don't know enough about why you are taking it, and if it is the best course of action for your situation, but no galactagogue will work without the added frequent emptying of breasts. This means pumping several times a day if you do not have a breastfeeding baby. To read more aobut fenugreek, you can check out www.breastfeedingonline.com and just click on Fenugreek at the top.

It does not work for all women. If it is not working for you, than something else might. You can also check out herbs from www.motherlove.com to increase milk supply. Especially effective is More Milk Plus.

You can email me anytime with the specifics and I will see if I can help you solve your problem with supply.

Best,
P.

I used to take that when my daughters were infants. I used to also drink the fenugreek tea, which seemed to help more. I believe its pretty s

J.,

Years ago I was told by a Practioner Nurse/Lacatation Consultant up to four times/day up to two pills each time. It should really help you. Good luck!

Cheers,
T. Marshall

You may want to consider calling a lacation consultant. the website www.flca.info has a directory of lactation consultants. Milk supply issues can sometimes be the start of weaning and sometimes you only have a percieved supply issue and it may be something else like reflux etc.. Another excellent website is www.kellymom.com . As far as how many fennugreek capsules to take it is not that easy, you need to know the milligram dose on the bottle, if you are diabetic it can normalize your glucose levels, if you are allergic to ragweed you should not use it etc.. The recommend dose is 600mg 3x a day. I would at least try to talk to a consultant.

You may want a lactation consultant or peditrician to check for a tongue tie, if you are taking birth control safe for breastfeeding you will certainly want to make sure this isnt the culprit, also evaluate all the fluids you are consuming, as well as making sure you are getting a balanced diet and sleep sleep sleeping...sleep and stress are probably the biggest culprits in low supply.. and I have also heard the tea works better for most. HTH, S.

Take 4 of Fenugreek and 4 of Blessed Thistle 3 times a day. The amt that the bottle calls for does not correlate with increasing breast milk. Once you milk increases you can decrease the amt. However, I found that when I decrease the amt, my milk decreases too. You can find more info about the dosing on breast feeding websites. www.kellymom.com is the BEST website!!

Hello J.,

I have 2 children,I breastfeed both.I had the same problem with my second and I tried Fenugreek with no reward.I had to start pumpung in between feedings (as hard as it sounds, I was pumping or nursing around the clock)That seem to help.My Doctor had the beat advise. Supply verses demand,the more you nurse or pump the more you product.It wa trying but in the end worth it.It mad a big difference when I would pump at night because she slept thru the night from 6 weeks on.I hope this helps.Also take in a lot of water and dairy.

HI J.,

I took Blessed Thistle and Fenugreek at the same time 3 pills 3 X a day. I noticed a difference but hten my body got used to it. For me the best trick is sleep but with 2 kids... when you're rested, you produce more. Try that if you can. In any case, do not supplement with formuka, that for sure will decrease your supply.
Good luck

Hello J.,
I am D. Geymayr, Director of Prenatal Plus - Yoga in Miami. I work with couples through pregnancy, birth and beyond. There is Organic Nettle Tea that is also very good for stimulating milk supply and high in protein. Your baby is still SO young and totally depends on you. Remember all of the nights during pregnancy you didn't sleep so good, well that was preparation for this...
Everything will balance out with patience and love...

Best to you,
D. Geymayr, R.Y.T., HBCE, CD, CLD
Prenatal Plus - Yoga
www.prenatalplusyoga.com
____@____.com
###-###-####

I never took any supplements, but I've noticed if I pump the opposite breast while I'm nursing, I get 4-8 oz of the pumped breast. Without nursing, I usually get about 2-4 oz.

Fenugreek did not work for me eithier. So I went on a search for something else. And I found a pill that you take 2pills three times a day. Easy to remember cause you take them when you eat. This is called MILK-AID. It has 600mg of each of the following: Aniseed, Caraway, Fennel, Fenugreek. The normal dosage in a Fenugreek is only 500mg. There are two place that see it online, and the chieper of the two is http://www.rubber-ducky.com/ They are 17.95 a bottle. Is you order 75.00 or more shipping is free. Plus 5.00 discount for over 95.00 and 10.00 discount for over 185.00. you will need 3 bottles a month. But that is much less then you would spend for formula. You will spend that in a week.

Hi Jenifer,
Try "Milkmaid" tea instead. I think it contains fenugrek, it is the most fabulous stuff. I tried many thing to amp up my milk in the beginning. This was the best ! A friend gave it to me and I have already reccomended it to another mom who thought was amazing.You can get it at www.earthmamaangelbaby.com. By the the way, my daughter is 20 months and still breast feeding. Goodluck ! :) M. & baby Amelie

J. -

I did a lot of searching on the internet before I took the Fenugreek and came across an article on one of the Breastfeeding websites that helped me a lot. Fenugreek is used as the flavoring for maple syrup products. Basically the article said that because the Fenugreek stimulates your sweat producing glands, you know you are taking an appropriate dose when you smell like maple syrup. I know that sounds a little weird, but that is the experience I had. I would take 15 capsules each morning and while I was taking the supplement, I did smell like maple syrup. It was not obvious to others, the only person that noticed was my husband. I will say that within 24-48 hours of beginning the Fenugreek, my supply had boosted considerably. For me the BF benefits far out weighed the number of capsules I took and the smell of maple syrup :-)

I would ask a holistic practioner as they will have the most complete information; although I did find this information

Dosages of less than 6 capsules/day (approx 3500 mg/day) produce no effect in many women. One way to determine if you're taking the correct dosage is to slowly increase the amount of fenugreek until your sweat and urine begin to smell like maple syrup. If you're having problems with any side effects, discontinue use.

HTH.

S.

according to breastfeedingonline.com:
Fenugreek and Breastfeeding
How Much do I Need to Take?

Fenugreek Capsule Form (580-610 mg)

2-4 capsules, 3 times per day --- 6-12 capsules (total) per day
1200-2400 mg, 3 times per day (3.5-7.3 grams/day) (3)
German Commission E recommends a daily intake of 6 grams (4)

It has been found that fenugreek can increase a nursing mother's milk supply within 24 to 72 hours after first taking the herb. Once an adequate level of milk production is reached, most women can discontinue the fenugreek and maintain the milk supply with adequate breast stimulation. Many women today take fenugreek in a pill form (ground seeds placed in capsules). Fenugreek can also be taken in tea form, although tea is believed to be less potent than the pills and the tea comes with a bitter taste that can be hard to stomach. Sweat and urine smells like maple syrup (this is common and often a sign that you have reached the right dose)

Fenugreek is an Indian spice, and since I can cook with it -- I know it does not do any harm -- but I am not sure about the tablet form. To boost the supply, please also drink lot of water and milk (not coke or any kind of soda). I am a believer in breast feeding but I will suggest you to give one bottle (either in late evening or midnight) to baby, so you can rest -- that will increase your supply if you are better rested -- there is no such thing as well rested when you have a baby to care for -- believe me I have three boys (One older one, and twins ) and I wished someone had given me this advice when I was nursing.

Hi J.,
You have gotten some wonderful answers and I just wanted to add my two cents worth.
First I would suggest that you think about why you feel your milk supply has diminished? Is it because your breast feel softer? That could be normal adjustment post engorgement.
Is it because your baby seems fussier? That could be that she is getting older and looking for more stimulation.
Is it because she nurses for shorter periods of time? She may just be getting to be a more efficient feeder. Or, is it a weight gain issue? That could be just a normal weight gain pattern for her. Is it because you are able to pump less than you were before? That could be equipment malfunction.
If you decide that you truly do have a supply issue then I would suggest that you add pumping to breastfeeding if you haven't already. About one hour after you feed your daughter at the breast double pump with a good electric pump until about 2 minutes after you last see milk being expressed. Also, some folks have suggested more water which really won't do anything unless you are truly dehydrated. However, if you are not taking in enough calories your milk supply will decrease. Make sure you are getting about 500 more kcal per day than you normally need to maintain your weight. Do not try to diet.
If your baby doesn't seem to be gaining enough you could feed her the milk that you pump rather than saving it and/or you could try breast compression to increase the amount she gets at each feed. Go here for a handout and videos on breast compression: http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml
Also, think about anything you might be ingesting like pseudoephedrine, hormonal birth control, ergotamine, bromocriptine, carbergoline or alcoholic beverages. These things can interfere with milk supply.
I find myself writing such long answers because it is easier to personalize my advice when I have more give and take with the Mom. So, I suggest that you contact a lactation consultant near you for more individual assistance. I had a Mom come to me recently complaining of a decreased milk supply. We weighed her infant on a hospital scale and then Mom fed her for her usual length of time. The baby nursed for about 15 minutes total and when we weighed her afterward we found that she had taken in over 6 ounces!! You can go to flca.org for a list of LCs in your area.

K. Ianacone, RN,MA,MSN,CCE,IBCLC

Hi J.! I did the fenugreek too, plus combined it with several other herbs after A LOT of research. I had little success with the fenugreek alone, but more success with a combo of fenugreek, alfalfa and blessed thistle. I took 2 of each three times a day along with my prenatals. This seemed to work, but I was going through a lot of herbs and vitamins. Several articles I read said that with fenugreek and the teas, it takes a lot to make a noticeable difference. Also this story http://www.breastfeeding.com/lighter_side/lighter_side_st... seems to indicate that there are other interesting side effects as well. Also, a lot of women notice a maple syrupy smell to their milk when they're getting enough of the herb to increase their supply. Best of luck to you. My son Owen and I are almost at a year of breastfeeding only (up until solids) and still going strong. And, he's had no illnesses even in a small, home based daycare. :) I'm a true believer.

There is an herbal tea called "mother's milk", that I took while I was breastfeeding and it definitely increased my milk supply. I noticed an increase in my supply within two days. This tea has fenugreek in it. Hope this helps!

I was taking 3 Fenugreek & 3 Blessed Thistle three times a day which was recommended by a lactation consultant to help increase my milk supply. Hopefully this helps you.

I did whatever the max showed on the bottle, and honestly I noticed no difference (other than smelling like syrup!).

I remember it being 3-4 pills, three times a day when I had to take it for my first baby. I also took Blessed Thistle. Check with Florida Hospital Lactation Department to verify.