How Do I Increase My Supply While Pumping at Work?

My advice mirrors Lisa's exactly. Drink LOTS of water (it is, after all, the primary ingredient in breastmilk!), pump and breastfeed as often as possible (having baby at the breast is far more effective in establishing and building supply than pumping), and take Fenugreek. Fenugreek will make you smell like maple syrup when it's built up in your system, but at that point you'll notice an increase in production. Also, oatmeal helps boost production. Eating a large serving of oatmeal every morning can make a noticeable difference. When you're home, breastfeed as often as possible, without a schedule. If you can, take a day off and stay in bed with the baby all day, topless if at all possible, so she can nurse as often as she wants to. Breastfeeding is supply-and-demand, so the more demand she creates, the more supply you'll have!

Hope this helps!

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When my DD turned 6 months old I had a dramatic decrease in my milk supply. In order to make sure that I had enough milk for her for the next day (because I only gave her breastmilk...no formula)...I would get up in the middle of the night and pump while she was sleeping. It was hard...but I was willing to make the sacrifice because it was important to me.

Like everyone else said...it is a supply and demand issue. Another thing I did was pump AFTER she finished eating. So I would get up in the morning...breastfeed...and then pump for an additional 10 minutes or so. I didn't get much milk...but the increased stimulation helped. I did the same thing after her feeding when I got home from work...and after her bedtime feeding.

Good luck!

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Mary-

I've read the replies you've had and they all sound like wonderful advice. And I applaud your willingness to go the distance with breast feeding. My two cents that I'd like to add is a little different. If after you try the pumping, teas, oatmeal, and other great ideas and it still doesn't work maybe it's your babies and bodies way of saying I'm done. Please don't think I'm recommending giving up. I say keep feeding her to your last drop. What I'm focusing on is the feelings you might get if this happens. Make sure you are prepared to feel something like a loss. Breast feeding your child is such a close bond, when it quits you feel a loss and you might even feel anger and guilt. These are normal feelings to have. Some women feel this so strongly it can send them into a depression.

That's what happened to me. I was doing everything I could to keep my milk up and stimulate more. I had a little medical drama that tossed my hormones out of balance when my daughter was around one month old. After that I fought a hard battle with my supply, pumping until my nipples practically fell off. All I did for days and days was pump and feed and feed myself. Nothing worked. My body said quit. My daughter had been on formula since the hospital because she needed to have the extra hydration that I couldn't give her until my milk came in. So she didn't have any problems switching over to it 100%. I however did. I felt like my body betrayed me. I was angry at it and I felt like I let my daughter down. My husband tried to pull me out of this funk and I just got angry at him too. This anger I felt towards myself and my entire world pushed me into a depressive state that took me awhile to crawl out of. It wasn't bad enough to need therapy or drugs but it was hard on my family while I worked things out. I wasn't prepared for these feelings. I've read that they are natural but I think it was too early for me to be feeling them.

I just wanted you to be aware of what you can feel when and if you have to stop breast feeding prematurely. The simple and sweet advice I got from my dad that helped me the most was "Honey, you gave her the best part at the beginning". And he was right. Every drop I gave her was important and in the beginning is the most important of all. Eventually I came out of my funk to find my bewildered husband still there happy to see "me" again and my wonderful daughter in one piece and whole even on a 100% formula diet. She doesn't hate me for it and she kinda likes it now because I can mix it with her cereal. :-)\

I'd also like to add a short thought on stuff that can help you. You can try drinking a dark beer everyday. It's probably just like the oatmeal. It's the yeast that does it by the way. My neighbor did this and her milk practically doubled. But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't try the drug Reglan. This is not meant for breast feeding. It's a side effect that causes you to increase secretions. It has other nasty side effects and can cause horrible withdrawal symptoms. Your daughter won't be better off even if you have more milk because she might not have a healthy mom.

So again, congrats on keeping it going at work. And great job on the willingness to keep going but IF something happens be ready for the roller coaster but always remember you did your best job and your daughter will always love you.

Smiles,
Jen
http://www.mommysjoy.com

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Pump, pump, pump! It is important to pump as much as your daughter eats. So if she is eating 3 bottles while you are at work, then you need to do three pumping sessions hopefully pumping the amount that she would be eating. Many times when you introduce formula bottles into your baby's day, you end up not pumping as much as she eats.
Kelly mom is a GREAT resource for more information about breastfeeding. It dispels a lot of the breastfeeding myths.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/index.html
they have some great tips on how to increase your milk supply and how to manage work/pumping/breastfeeding.
Also, you might try calling the LC at the hospital where you delivered. They are always so helpful!

You are a real trooper! I am always so impressed by working moms who are determined to continue to breastfeed! It isn't easy...and pumping is no fun. I started working 1-2 days a week and have found it to be a real challenge getting those pumping sessions in. So hang in there, you are doing an amazing job!!
Wishing you the very best of luck!!!

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The best way to increase milk supply is to increase the demand - more feedings/pumpings.

I was able to do this by drinking water, juice etc almost all day. This worked good for me as I am thirsty most of the time anyway so give it a try. Good luck.

Pump Pump Pump Mama!!!

It is a supply and Demand situation. You increase your supply by increasing that stimulation. Try to fit in atleast one extra pumping session at work even if it is only 10 minutes. You can also try to have a super pumping weekend where you pump every few hours during the day supplemented by feeding when baby is hungry to get things rolling again.

Good Luck!

I've had great results with herbal tea.

Try:

(1) Organic Mother's Milk tea by Traditional Medicinals ~ HEB sells it.
OR
(2) Organic Milkmaid Tea by Earth Mama Angel Baby. I saw it at HEB or you can order it from their website http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/milkmaid_teabags.html

Both work but I had a faster increase with Milkmaid Tea - try both!

I didn't read the other responses but more power to you for extended breastfeeding! Your giving your daughter the best start! Try not to stress because that can decrease your supply. God Bless!

I had a problem with decreased supply for a bit as well -- I pump exclusively, as my son had some latching issues, and using/weaning from using a nipple shield was not working out for us. He exclusively gets my breastmilk, and I produce about 40 ounces per day (he's eating up to 30 ounces per day). He is 11 weeks old.

What worked for me was returning to a sort of "newborn" schedule in terms of pumping -- every three hours around the clock for at least a week for 15-20 minutes (I have a Medela electric double pump) -- from the research we did, and the actual experience I had, the only thing that will bring supply back is increasing demand, either by pumping more or by feeding more. I now pump every four hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and do not pump after going to bed. My husband does the bulk of the night feedings. We find this works because we both get more sleep overall, and we both get nearly equal amounts of interactive time with our son.

First of all, yay for you!

You're right on that hydration is key righ tnow. I think if you continue to pump you'll be back in the swing of things, though increasing to three times a day for a while will certainly help - even if you don't get much for a bit while you pump extra, the extra stimulation tells your body it needs to make more. In the meantime, put her to the breast anytime she wants - she's better at increasing your supply than anything. The weekend is a great time to really nurse, nurse, nurse. In fact, since she probably went through a growth spurt recently, you might consider taking a "nursing vacation" - staying home one day and doing nothing but nursing all day long.
Also, make sure you breastfeed FIRST, then feed solids. Solids are fun and are a great experiment in taste and texture, but they are nowhere near the nutrition of breastmilk. Make sure she fills up on breastmilk before she eats the solids. That will help, too, if you've been feeding solids first.

Eating oatmeal (while not fully understood) seems to help many women increase supply. I always had plenty of milk for my little ones, but pumping was difficult for me (some people aren't good "pumpers"!) when I worked with my first. I started eating oatmeal and noticed a difference in my pumping output. If I skipped the oatmeal for the day, I would notice a difference too. ANother natural thing you can do is drink MOther's Milk Tea. It's an herbal tea that is perfectly safe during breastfeeding. You drink 3-5 cups a day and it helps most people. There is no need for you to try any kind of drug to help, and this tea is totally natural. It is made by Traditional Medicinals and can be found at any health food/natural food store (both the Krogers in my town carry it, too, in their natural food section).

Good luck, and hooray to you for going this long and strong, and wanting to keep it going!!!

M.,
This also happened to me when my son started eating solid foods. I talked with my lactation consultant and she said that is normal. I had already started pumping every 3 hrs during the day to try to keep my supply up. She also recommended the Mother's Milk Tea. You can find that at HEB & Whole Foods. Good luck!

S. S.

Hi M.,
I pumped twice a day at work also when I returned from maternity leave. Like you, I nursed in the mornings before I left and again in the evenings when I got home. I did not pump at all on the weekends and nursed my son on demand. When I would notice that my supply seemed to be diminishing a little, I would also realize that I had not been drinking enough liquids. That truly was the secret for me. As long as I was drinking lots of water throughout the day, eating well, and resting whenever possible, my supply would come back. I am now a SAHM and since starting my son on cow's milk at one year, he nurses less and I now produce less, so I think your body is in tune with your baby's needs too. He is now 15 months old and we are still nursing at bedtime and sometimes before naps, so even when your supply diminishes, you are still able to nurse. Good luck!

I second what the other ladies have said. Between 6 and 7 months a baby begins to nurse more frequently (growth spurt.) If your pumping or breast feeding does not INCREASE or even decreases it will cause a sharp drop in supply because your body thinks you are weaning.

I applaud your efforts to continue breastfeeding even while working! Having had three babies in the NICU I know how hard it is. I finally gave up because even pumping every 1 1/2 hours for 20-30 minutes I was only pumping a few ounces A DAY!! This was two months into it and all the water and fenugreek in the world wouldn't help. For me, pumping just doesn't work!

Blessings to you and your family,
S., mom to 5

Fenugreek. Milk Bank Nurses at Texas Children's Hospital recommend it. I did it. It works. Sorry this is so short, but I gotta get!

I would suggest pumping more often if possible, and a great way I found to increase my supply was to drink 3 cups of Mother's Milk Tea. You can find it in the organic tea section at HEB. It is wonderful..and I saw dramatic results! Good Luck!

If you have time and your employer is ok with it, try to fit in a third pumping session for a few weeks. You might end up with less each time but more overall and it will get your production up again. You might also try one of the varieties of mother's milk tea that are out there. I had good luck with those earlier on (although it didn't seem to help much as I got closer to my daughter being 12 months). Good luck - and congrats on breastfeeding so long after going back to work. It's tough, I know, but worth it!

Drink more water. After a while, I had to increase my water intake to keep my supply up. I do suggest pumping a few times at home until your supply increases. When I was pumping at work, I was drinking at least a gallon of water while there. I would drink more water before and after work. I was able to nurse my son and give him only breastmilk while I was at work.

Good luck!

The same thing happened to me when my little girl was about 8 months old. I continued pumping at work even until all I got out was 2-3 ounces a day! My husband used to call it "white gold" because it was so precious to us. I tried to stay hydrated but my milk supply continued to go down. I finally contacted a lactation consultant who told me that the less time my daughter spent on my breast, the less I would produce because it sends different signals to the brain....even though I was pumping. My daughter was also eating solids by then and wanted my breast only at night before bedtime. Eventually, I became resolved with it and stopped pumping at work...and continued nursing her at night till she was about a 1 year 1/2. I was told by a friend that there is an herbal tincture called "more milk" that you can buy at Whole Foods that can help increase production. Good Luck!

You say she gave you her cold...are you taking any form of decongestants? If so, that will start drying up your milk supply. I would just suggest start drinking as much water as you can...and try not to float away, lol.

Good luck!

I am a senior midwife student. The more you pump or breastfeed the more milk you will produce. It is very important though to drink plenty of water. You also need to be eating enough calories. You need 500 extra calories a day. You can also try fenugreek capsules which is an herbal supplement that will help with supply. You can also drink mother's milk tea which will increase your supply. You can get both at any health food store.

Take Care,
L.

the more you pump, the more you produce. would come up with more but gotta get the kids to school. Good Luck, and God Bless, great for you to keep trying to breast feed.

Hi Mary,

I have a 19 month old son, and also had to pump after going back to work.(when he was two months) We also supplemented with formula. Unfortunately I was only able to pump for until he was four months. It got to be too hard at my job, being a hairstyist and having one bathroom in your salon and having to lock yourself in there for 15 minutes while i pump got to be too much at work to sqeeze in. I had a customer tell me about a vitamin supplement call Fenugreek. Something about it is supposed to increase your milk supply as long as you take like it says. Go to your local health food store or vitamin shop and ask about it. Also they say the more frequent you pump the more milk you should get, and it is very important to stay hydrated...make sure you are drinking plenty of water!! Well good Luck!
C.