Help with Low Milk Supply

WOW! You have tried everything that I can think of. The only thing I might suggest is to try to cut out running all together. Coming from a fellow runner, I know this is hard. I tried this with my second baby, because with my first, I was running a lot and he was real little (around 5-10% on growth scale). He was about 5 months old when they start to get distracted and realize there is more to life than breastfeeding. anyway, i tried fenugreek and thistle and brewer's yeast and added a pumping time. I guess all this helped, as he stayed the same on the growth chart, which the pediatrician said was fine. We also started solids at about this time too. So, with my daughter, I started running after clearance and felt like my supply was going down around 2 months, so I quit running. I don't know if this helped or not, but she is now 11 months, and I never had to take any supplements. I also started running a little bit at around 9 months.
So, I must say you are doing a GREAT job and should be proud of your dedication, especially through flu season. Also, have you started him on solids. This may help. Baby food that you buy in stores is actually really low in calories, but if you make your own, you can add calories in lots of ways. Good luck and keep up the hard work!!! It is hard to stick with it.

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A.,

It sounds like you have just about done everything in your power....I really respect that!!! But, stress can also be a factor. You know if you have to just switch to formula he will grow up healthy and happy. It might just make you happy too.

Good luck,
DH

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stress has a lot to do with having and not having - it sounds to me like you are waaayyy tooo worried about it- God gave you the milk and your body's ability to produce it- there is nothing wrong with a follow up bottle for your son- instead of stressing... might I suggest that you take the time with your son to love love love and bond bond bond with him. Hold him close- sing to him, talk to him, shut out the world - just enjoy the time with him- your body will respond correctly- and even if you never make enough- after nursing on both sides then give him the bottle. I nursed four babies- My second son at six months had gone backwards in his weight- but he was developing fine - he was just a little guy- still is but he is catching up. I had a wonderful old school pediatrician that said not to worry - continue to nurse and just add in the supplemental bottles- she didn't push or harp or anything- I nursed him past his first birthday- funny thing was when he started eating baby food- the suplemental milk slowed down. I would nurse him and then feed him his food and then offer him to nurse again- by 8 mos- my supply had just kind of picked up on its own- you are strong and awesome and you can do this- relax and love on that baby and before you know it everything will work out just fine!! Praying for both of you!

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I agree with a lot of what has been said. It sounds like you are doing everything possible. That said, you also sound stressed and measuring makes everything more stressful. I am not saying that you don't need to measure but that you may want to focus on relaxation techniques. I always had to have a cup of hot peppermint tea to get me to relax before breastfeeding. I had the same problems as you are having with my 2nd and it was very stressful because I wanted it to work so badly and it was so wonderful with my first. Stress absolutely screws up everything. Get some classical music or nature music going, light some candles, get a snuggly blanket for yourself, visualize that milk flowing from all of the PERFECT ducts. As said by another mommie, visualization does not work immediately. I once used it for a weightloss and fitness goal and visualized my desired results for weeks as I rode my stationary bike. I was just about to reach my deadline when all of a sudden I dropped 3 pounds and hit my goal. I had been stuck for weeks thinking that nothing was happening. I also agree with the suggestion about pumping afterwards to make sure you are absolutely empty. My daughter was only 2 weeks early but she never did as well nursing as my son who was a week late so pumping was a big deal for us. BUT after all, even though she did lose a little weight and I was completely insanely stressed about it, she is now a beautiful, intelligent, funny 12 year old that loves to read and is happy in 4 Talented and gifted classes in school. I am not saying that to brag but to let you know that it will turn out okay. I was so stressed thinking I was starving her and not providing enough fat for her brain. Relax and all will be better. Best of Luck! Big Hugs! R.

Have you tried pumping after he was finished nursing . Thats what i did. I let my baby nurse and then i drank a big glass of water then i pumped for 15 minutes. I did this every time the baby nursed it took a few days but it worked for me, as well i took the herbals too. Good luck

I am also a nursing mom, I used to take a lot of herbs/vitamins before I became pregnant. I am leery of taking medicinal herbs when you are not sure how it will affect the baby, you know. I take a multi, calcium, spirullina , no medicinal stuff.

I have just one word of advice: RELAX. You seem to be very uptight and nervous it is hard to be relaxed if you are used to working and going full-tilt all day before baby, but that really would be best for now, to let your body heal and your baby will relax more too.

I also supplement my baby with formula and he is doing great. It doesn't have to pure and natural for him to thrive, some babies need a little more food than mom can produce sometimes.

A., I'm sorry, but have to agree with what Stephanie said. You can only do so much. And breastfeeding, while great for your baby, is not the be-all, end-all for the nutrition and health of him.

Don't look at supplementing with formula as some sort of failure or as being detrimental to his health. Failure to thrive is far more detrimental than that. I would say to be content that he is nursing as much as he does, offer him a formula supplement immediately after nursing and stop driving yourself mad looking for a nursing solution. You've done great to nurse thus far, and can continue as long as your supply lasts, but do stop insisting that this is the only way to nourish your baby, and making such demands of yourself.

Relax and enjoy him. Best wishes,
B.

One of the first things they tell you is to be comfortable and relax. Try putting on some relaxing music. Could you be worring about the situation too much? Sometimes stress can dry you up too.

I had the same problem with my oldest. I eventually was told to quit because there was not enough fat in my breastmilk. It was very frustrating and sad but we both made it through he is now healthy and NINE! I cant believe it. You can pump your milk and a lactation specialist can look at it and tell if it the right fat concentration. Mine was always like water.

Congrats for making it this far. You did a wonderful job. Its said the first six months are important as it helps with tons of stuff including prevention of childhood cancers. I was never able to produce. Recently went to a class for breast feeding. The only thing they offered for not producing would be the amount of stress I experienced. I took a prescrip and tried 24 hrs every two hrs for 15 mins. for six weeks. I wish they would look into why women stop producing or dont produce instead of filling our head with no matter what it will work. My SIL wasnt producing a healthy enough milk. I truly hope you can get it back up again. If for some reason you dont or you still need to suppliment...Sam's Club has formula (Members Mark) 20.00 for a can that is twice as large as the regular formula for the same price. The ingredients are all the same as brand name. They also have name brand too. http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/search.do?action=search&...

It sounds like you have done everything plus some. It might just be that you need to pay attention to the Dr. and extra formula he will be ready for baby food and or you can make your own soon that will help put some weight on him also. Good luck.

I know you probably don't want to put on the extra weight, but try putting a little more fat in your diet. It is necessary for milk supply and you can lose the weight later.

You said you were pumping four times a day...It helped me when I wasn't getting enough for my son to pump for a few days once he finished nursing after every session (or at least the ones he wasn't getting enough). It seemed to get my supply up. Plus, my son would wake in the middle of the night for a few nights if he wasn't getting what he needed/wanted. That helped up my supply too.We had a pretty good set schedule, which my husband stuck to strictly while I was at work since I pumped at those times at work- that way I could still nurse all day long on my days off. Also sounds like you were going through a lot at the time. If you are stressed about him not getting enough, that could be contributing to it. I know it's hard not to stress when it has to do with your baby! I had days/weeks where I wouldn't get enough and would have to supplement a little. I hated it and it stressed me out the first few times, but I finally gave in to the thought that I've given all I've got, so what else was there to do except give him extra in the form of formula.

When my son was born prematurely and in the NICU for two months, the doctor prescribed Reglan to keep me from drying up. A word of warning, though. If you are under unusual stress or have a history of depression or anxiety, Reglan can cause hallucinations and other "help, I'm losing my mind!" symptoms. Despite that, it did work for me.
I would also discuss with your doctor the possibility of some residual inflammation from the abscess draining, and whether or not anti-inflammatory medication might be a good idea.

Hey A.,
I am so sorry that you are having a tough time with your milk supply. I am sure that is was the sudafed that dried up your milk. There is a "Ten Talents" cookbook out there that I used when my babies were nursing and it did say that alfalfa sprouts were great for increasing your milk supply. That is relatively easy to get and eat on your salads, etc. When you sit down to nurse, make sure that you have a HUGE glass of water and drink it while you nurse. Also, make sure that you are eating rich, rich foods (high in fat), as the baby will need all those calories. Fried chicken, chocolate cake and 1/2 a beer every night was the doctor's advice given to my mother when she was nursing me and had 3 little boys under the age of 7. It worked like a charm! I hope that this advice helps you and your baby. Have you contacted La Leche league as well? I would...lots of nursing moms there with lots of advice too.
Blessings to you and yours,
K.

I had the same problem. I tried all the things that you are trying plus I was on Reglen. Nothing seemed to help me and it was very upsetting to me. I felt like it was my fault or that I was a bad mother (at least that is how the lactation consultant made me feel). I talked it over with my OB and she really put my mind at ease. She said that some women just have problems producing milk and that I had given him all that I could. It was hard to accept but I finally had to realize that he needed more than what I could give and now I have a VERY active and energetic 17 month old healthy boy. It really is a frustrating situation to be in. I wish you luck as you try to work through it...you really are doing all that you can.

A.,

I nursed my 4 babies and I had a lot of problems with the first one. You have to think of yourself like a COW. Dairy farmers feed their cows lots of grain like left over hops etc. from breweries. The thing I used that was most helpful was a thing called "Free 'n Dri Breast Shells". I finally found a similar product for $19.95. Go to:

http://www.yourchemistshop.com.au/avent-isis-breast-shell...

What they do is allow the opposite breast to leak out the same amount the baby is receiving from the other. I would pour the milk into a Playtex bag and put a wire tie on it and freeze it for relief bottles. They are hard to find, but worth the search. They are a 2-part, flesh-colored plastic device that fits in your bra. You can wear both of them while away from your baby so you don't get engorged. It puts a slight pressure against the nipple and allows a the milk to leak (spray) whenever you think "Gee, I wonder if the baby is hungry". I never used a pump. The same principal the farmers use works for us. Your body will produce the amount of milk that is taken out. What you need to do is eat a good diet (don't limit fats), eat a lot of healthy grains. Drink at least 2 beverages with every meal. I usually drank orange juice and coffee with breakfast, tea and milk with lunch, tea and milk or juice with dinner. I normally cannot drink beer, but I had a nurse suggest that I sip a beer while nursing and it worked great. It relaxes you and it produces rich, creamy milk. When I did this, I would notice a thicker layer of cream on top of the milk I saved for relief bottles.

You sound very intellegent and have realized that the antihistamines cause you to dry up, that's what they are for. You need to stop all the supplements and get your nutritian from food. Eat like a cow. Add bean sprouts to your tuna salad sandwich along with nuts, dried cranberries, or raisins, pickle relish and lots of mayonaise. If you diet, you will not have enough milk. Also, at 5-1/2 months, your baby should be drinking about 4 or more ounces per feeding. What you want is fewer feedings (so your body has time to replace what is removed and your nipples have time to heal) and more taken at each feeding. You can even let him nurse and then drink from a bottle the amount that leaked from the other side into the breast shield after pouring it into a bottle. I hope you can find the breast shields. They were a life-saver for me. Believe me, our breasts were made for this, you shouldn't need any drugs to make it happen. At 5-1/2 months, your baby is close to the age to start supplemental food like rice cereal and bananas. Use your own milk to mix it. My babies were all over 8 lbs at birth and had nothing but my milk until they were 6 months. Blessings.

Hi A., WOW and I do mean WOW! I've never heard of anyone go to this much effort to nurse. I commend you for your dedication. This might sound silly, but your mind and thoughts are powerful so consider this: Repeat to yourself numerous times daily that your milk is increasing, it is rich and lifegiving. Your baby is growing, he is prospering, well and strong. You will not likely "see" a difference the first day or even week, but your thoughts guide your body. I am guessing that each time you nurse and weigh, you are a bit(or a lot)disheartened at the irregularity of improvement. Just keep telling yourself and your DS that he is growing so well and you have plenty of milk. Yes, weigh and continue all the effort you have invested. Simply know and believe that it is going great. When you weigh DS, say to yourself and him, that though the scale doesnt report the benefits that your child is receiving, he is getting stronger and improving daily. Your desire to give the best to your child is SHINING through in your post. Peace, C.

ps. If it turns out that you must switch gears and feed formula or add solids, you are still nourishing your DS. The positive thinking may guide you to a different approach. Remember above all else you are doing the VERY best you can no matter what and that is all anyone can do.

Sometimes for unknown reasons, breastfeeding just doesn't work. I ended up having to supplement my son as well. I finally decided that he was doing better with the formula than with the breast milk. Personally, you have done all you can do with the breast milk. Now, its time for the formula. Good luck.

As a side note, I nursed both my kids. I was more successful with the first. Both my kids were sickly kids so I don't really prescribe to the notion that all babies given formula get sicker than breast feed babies. I just happen to make babies with bad ears! Enjoy your little one. They grow up so fast!

Oh honey. You are trying so hard but sometimes just wanting to do something isn't enough. I'm afraid you can't see the forest for the trees. You are wanting to breast feed exclusively so badly that you aren't getting that your baby is NOT growing. So instead of supplementing him, you are trying all kinds of supplements for yourself. I had never heard of domperidone so I googled it and this is the first thing that popped up under www.medicine.net:
GENERIC NAME: DOMPERIDONE - ORAL (dom-PAIR-eh-doan)
Medication Uses | How To Use | Side Effects | Precautions | Drug Interactions | Overdose | Notes | Missed Dose | Storage

USES: This medication increases movement through the digestive system. It is used to treat symptoms of stomach disorders. It may also be used to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by certain medications. Due to safety concerns, this medication is not to be used by breast-feeding women to increase production of breast milk.

HOW TO USE: Take this medication by mouth as prescribed usually 30 minutes before meals and at bedtime. Do not increase your dose or take this more often than directed. Your condition will not improve any faster but the risk of side effects will be increased.

SIDE EFFECTS: Headache, dizziness, dry mouth, nervousness, flushing, or irritability may occur the first several days as your body adjusts to the medication. Trouble sleeping, stomach cramps, hot flashes and leg cramps have also been reported. If any of these effects continue or become bothersome, inform your doctor. Notify your doctor immediately if you develop: chest pain, slow/fast/irregular heartbeat, swelling of the feet or ankles, difficulty urinating, swelling of the breasts or discharge from the nipple in men or women, menstrual changes, sexual difficulties. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

PRECAUTIONS: Tell your doctor your medical history, especially of: history of breast cancer, allergies. Limit your intake of alcoholic beverages. This medication should be used only if clearly needed during pregnancy. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. Domperidone passes into breast milk. Due to the potential risks to a nursing infant, breast-feeding while using this drug is not recommended. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding (see also Uses section).

Stop and think. Do you want to take meds so you can breast feed and pass that on to your baby? There is NOTHING the matter with formula. I breast fed all three of my kids for as long as I could. With the first one I had two strep infections within the first 6 weeks and with the anitbiotics, etc- my milk supply was never much. He grew, but very slowly. At three months I gave him a bottle and he pretty much looked at me, said "thank you very much, you are excused" and was perfectly happy with that bottle from then on. And doubled in weight quickly. My second nursed for about 6 months, the third for 6 or so - who can remember by the time you get to three?! They are all healthy, smart, wonderful teens now. That baby will be on solids soon if he isn't already. You have done GREAT breastfeeding him and giving him all the nutrients that he really needed those first few months but maybe it's now time to let it go. Keep nursing a couple of times a day but supplement also. This is about the baby, not about you.
Good luck.

A.,

Congratulations on the new addition and on successfully breastfeeding so far. I know for me, breastfeeding was as difficult as not getting enough sleep.

I see you have gotten some GREAT advice, one thing I didn't see was could you be pregnant? I got pregnant with #2 when my son was 6 months old. One reason I knew was that my milk supply just left me!!! I was making an extra bottle or two a day, to overnight being one short a day. It was all due to #2. Just a thought...

Otherwise, RELAX and good luck!!

I used Reglan. Three pills a day for ten days. My doctor perscribed it. It worked for me. Good luck!

My OB put me on reglan when I had low supply. I only took it a few days, so I'm not sure if it worked.
It made me a little crazy. It sounds like your doing everything you possibly can. Your son is lucky to have such a dedicated mom.

I had that problem with my first son and questioned myself a lot but now that I have a second one without the same issues, I realize that sometimes it has to do with the child. My first fell asleep at the breast, fed inefficiently, etc. I think it had to do with my latch with my first one. If you see some Dr. Jack Newman videos, you can see how the latch makes all the difference and how he comments about which moms he thinks will have to supplement based on the latch. With all the blocked duct problems, you might actually have too much milk yet your child cannot drink efficiently. Engorgement sometimes makes it harder for your child to remove the milk. Also, More Milk Plus is the best in terms of herbal stuff to try. My other guess is maybe since you get blocked ducts, it means your child is not emptying your breasts. You make more milk when your breasts are empty so the pumping afterwards would help. Or you can pump a little before so you get the foremilk out then breastfeed so your child will get the hindmilk. The hindmilk has a lot more fat. You can recognize this foremilk/hindmilk in your baby if he has green, mucousy poop instead of the healthy yellow poop. You can also help this by pumping longer, making sure you get the hindmilk and then bottle feeding it to your child. By now, the bottle should not confuse him though he might be against bottles now if you haven't tried them. These are just suggestions that were helpful for me. Like every child is different, every boob is different too. Breastmilk is higher in fat than most formulas but there are a few that are specifically made for weight gain. It's just once you supplement, it will affect your supply but my guess is your supply/demand has already been affected by pumping. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I was at the same place with my first son and we're still working on weight gain now that he is 2 so it's nerve wracking.

Hi A., have you talked to a lactation consultant? A mom that I know from the baby gym said that when she got a cold she took Sudafed as well and that was it. She couldn’t get her milk supply up after that. I would talk to a lactation consultant, your doctor, or your pediatrician. Especially before taking too much herbal things. I know because it is herbal and natural it is easy to believe that it “can’t hurt” but I would just check to be sure… You are doing a good job being persistent! And how ever it turns out know that you have done your best.

What is that medicine that you cen get from the doctor when you are prego for when you are nausaed? My PA at the doctors office told me that medicine helps. I love it that you are breastfeeding but I would give it another week or so and if no change I would stop and go to a formula. Less stressful and maybe better for the baby if he is not gaining much weight. Some mothers just can't breasfeed the entire year for whatever reason. Hang in there!

This may help you also. I used them with my second son because I had a lot of trouble producing with my first. I had been told that there was a weightloss patch that was all natural and would actually help with milk production. By the time my son was 5 months I was pumping roughly 5 to 6 oz every 3 hours. When I decided to stop producing I actually had to quit wearing the weightloss patch so that I wasn't producing as much. I was iffy about trying it at first because it was mainly for weightloss but it's not a quick weightloss and it's all natural and had a lot of benefits from helping with joint problems to lactation. I signed up as a distributor to get it half price because there were no qualifications and I didn't have to spen $400 per month and keep product on hand etc. Let me know if you are interested in more information.

Hi A.,

Congratualtins on getting to 5 months plus... a LOT of moms give up way before then and you are doing your very best.

I had read somewhere that the quality of the milk is more important than the quantity.. My first was 4lbs 5 oz when he was born and the dr wanted him to gain 2-3 oz per DAY soI researched waysof fortifying my milk supply to make every drop count... we had to syringe feed him fo rthe first month and weih him before and after each feeding... i hear your pain.

I went to Walmart and got a supplement called Alfalfa and took it 3 times a day 3 tablets each time. Basically it is grass and cows eat grass and make good milk so by adding the greeen s to my diet I fortfied my milk...

I am now on baby # 2 and am doing the same thing... taking the alfalfa and eating oatmeal everyday. I do drink the mothers milk tea occasionally but I have read that for some people the herbs may hinder your milk supply.

Also it may be time to start suplementing some solid foods he is almost at 6months when they recommend you ad solids to their diet anyway.

I hope this helps. Keep us posted on how he is doing.

Keep on keeping on.

Relax and enjoy feeding him when you are breastfeeding.. remember tio enjoy every moment and remind yourself/tell yourself constantly you are making more/fillinf milk fo rhim and he is prospering.

Sounds like you are doing a great job, and trying most of the tricks I've heard of. I too had low milk supply with all three of my children, who all suffered weight loss were at some point off of the growth chart. Supplementing with formula wreaked havoc with my first child's digestive system (and yes we went tried almost all of them) so I went in search for more natural alternatives. What I ended up doing was supplementing with warm runny egg yolks, and RAW goats milk. Both must be of VERY high quality and purchased directly from a farmer. I know it probably sounds crazy but all of my children (now 8, 5, and 2) are VERY healthy and thriving. And beware, your doctor will probably strongly advise against both of these options. You will have to do some research on your own and decide for yourself what you think is best.

Here are a couple of websites you may want to check out to get some ideas for figuring out what may work for you and what you're comfortable with. Also be aware in your research that most articles referencing various milks are referring to pasturized milk. Raw milks are COMPLETELY different.

www.realmilk.com (click on anything in the top red box, then do a search for baby formula, or feeding baby to get started on your research. There have several homemade formula recipes. For me, since I was only supplementing and still breastfeeding I opted not to do the whole formula figuring most of the essentials would still be supplied through my breast milk. So just do what you feel is right for you and your baby)

www.kellymom.com (this to me is the absolute best resource for breastfeeding and troubleshooting. you may find some more ideas for increasing your supply and dealing with blocked ducts.)

I see you are in Austin. I used to live there, and there is an excellent goat farm not far from town, called White Egret Farm. They have eggs too (www.whiteegretfarm.com). The Real Milk website also has a list of sources if you want to check out other farms in your area.

Good luck and hang in there. I know it's tough but you and your baby will get through it.

I wonder if he's just not draining the breast well? My first two breastfeeding attempts didn't go well ( they were preemies 32 and 34 weeks which complicated things further) and exclusively pumping I lost my milk within a couple of weeks. So when I was having problems like yours with #3 I was devastated. I finally started pumping after I nursed her and found out that I still had plenty of milk in my breasts, that my supply was NOT the problem. The lactation consultant said she was latched on fine, but clearly she wasn't emptying the breast. She was early also, 36 weeks.

So if you pump after feeding and see that there's not milk coming out, you know it's a supply issue.

I would definitely nurse more frequently. Nursing the baby is more efficient then pumping. If you nurse every three hours and you KNOW your supply is low, nurse every hour and a half instead. That should help.

I did end up using formula and supplementing until she was 6 months old. But by then her mouth was bigger and was only taking 4 ounces a day of formula, so I was thrilled. She started solids and didn't need any more bottles. She breastfed until she self weaned at 13 months (I was pregnant and the milk had changed.)

I do wish you the best. Way to go for trying as hard as you have. With the blocked ducks and everything, if you did decide to wean, don't feel bad about it. You have given it your all. But I would definitely make sure if it's your supply, or the baby, and try solids along with breastfeeding (you can put expressed breast milk in the food and feed avocados, a very healthy fat)before using formula.

By the way, my next one I never had to supplement and she nursed until she was 15 months old, when I was pregnant again. I encouraged her to wean and I had a stillbirth, so I wish now that I had not weaned her. Breastfeeding is good for mom and baby and just because the baby will be starting solids does not mean that baby won't need mama's milk anymore!

If you have an acupuncturist who does Chinese herbs nearby, I suggest you make an appointment. Not only can they help you with milk production, they can help your son. To find out, you can go to Acufinder.com or NCCAOM.org. Each state has it's own licensing laws and regulatory agency, but if you can find out what that is in your state, they also probably have an online list of licensed practitioners.

Chinese herbs are prescribed completely differently than Western herbs, with each person's constitution in mind.

My lactation consultant said they commonly suggest Motilium to moms with NICU babies. Here is a link to more information. It has to be ordered from abroad, though:
http://www.breastfeeding.org/articles/domperidone.html

Some doctors in the U.S. prescribe Reglan for this as well, but it has more side effects. However, most of the side effects for both are seen with long-term use. I took Motilium for 1 1/12 weeks as my baby's desire to nurse increased when my supply went up and, in turn, further increased my supply. I also found drinking tons of water to be helpful.Good Luck!

I have been pumping for almost a year and I constantly fluctuate in milk supply. I drink mother's milk tea in addition to BT and Fenugreek. Try rolled oats, oatmeal. Good luck.

It sounds like you are doing an awesome job! Kudos for trying to keep it up. I exclusively pumped from 6 weeks until my son was a year old, due to taking a bottle in the NICU and not wanting me from then on.

The only other thing is to drink Mother's Milk tea. It's in the organic isle at Kroger's.

The suggestion to pump after your son eats helped me also. Once you pump some and get a supply you could always supplement what you pump after he nurses.

Good luck!

One thing my lactation consultant advised me to do was to eat oatmeal. It seems to work for me. Not the packet kind, but the one in the cans used to make cookies.

You could check with your local hospital and see if you can rent a hospital grade pump. Any other pump confuses the breast. With a hospital grade pump, pump in-between feedings maybe to signal to your breasts to make more milk or maybe even after a feeding to tell the breast to make more milk and to drain the breast completely.

It all comes down to supply and demand.

I've been told that eating oatmeal is a natural way to help build up your milk supply. I have not done this myself, but two of my friends have. It doesn't sound like much, but it is something simple to try in addition to everything else that you are already doing. You might want to try an internet search to determine what the suggested daily quantity is. Best of luck to you. Your son is blessed to have a mom that is so concerend about his nutrition. Just remember that if you have to supplement with formula and or switch to formula all together that your son will still get all the nutrients that he needs. Most importantly, he already has a mom who loves him very!

:) S. L.

I had low supply with my first 3 babies, as well, and tried everything that you tried, including the domperidone. I am pregnant with #4, and hoping that I will be able to make enough this time. The only thing that I didn't try was acupuncture - a friend said that maybe a good acupuncturist could help my body to correct whatever is wrong and allow my body's energy to flow properly to produce enough milk. Maybe this is something you could look into.
Good luck, and please know that you're not alone.

Hi A.,
I had a low supply as well and pumping did not seem to help, nor did the beer really. What worked for me was oatmeal. I even found a drink made from oatmeal that worked very well too, if I didn't want to eat oatmeal. And best part, even oatmeal cookies!! Try it, you might even want to try breads made with oatmeal in them, or trail mix bars like Nature Valley chewy, has a lot of oatmeal in it. I don't know if you will have a hard time finding a drink, the one I found was at one of the local Mexican Markets like Fiesta, not sure if HEB has it but they might. It's made by Quaker and it's called FrescAvena , you mix a couple of teaspoons with milk. Cinnamon flavor is very good!If not try SunHarvest or Whole foods. Good Luck!

A.-
There is also some organic tea-I don't remember the exact name, Mother's milk. I found it at the HEB that I shop at on Slaughter.
Hope this helps.

Mel G

I have also had supply issues with my daughter. It is my understanding that long term use of raspberry leaf might inhibit supply...so you might consider laying off of it. I also take Goat's Rue supplement (only available online-- I used the Lucky Vitamin website) and it has helped a bunch. But if you do take it do some research as it can have side-effects (nausea especially). Also try Brewer's Yeast (which you can get at a health food store) added to your foods (it tastes terrible but putting it in peanut butter helps) and eating a bunch of oatmeal.

Hope these ideas help out some. Good for you for sticking with it!!

~K.

Oh also, after months of research I discovered that fennel is not good for long-term use. While it helps production in the short term, like raspberry leaf, can harm it in the long term.

I tried Goats Rue by Mother Love, it seemed to help me.

It sounds like you're mainly concerned about your son gaining weight. I would recommend nursing him on just one side. That way he gets the hind milk or cream that comes at the end of the feeding. Make sure that he is completely softening your breast. Then if he's still hungry have him nurse on the other breast. For his next feeding make sure you start with the breast you ended on. Hopefully, this will help him get the calories he needs to gain the weight. I would also try eating rolled oats. I am currently nursing my fifth child and I eat raw rolled oats with milk and fruit like blueberries or bananas almost every day. Good luck and way to go in trying to take good care of your baby!