I Think I'm Drying Up

I had that problem too when I was breast feeding. My obstetrician recommended to take fenugreek pills. Most of the vitamin stores carry it. It is not harmful at all. It worked for me. My son is now 7 and I remember having the same problem. The fenugreek pills worked for me.

Check your local health food store for Mother's Milk tea by Traditional Medicinals. It includes fenugreek, organic fennel and other herbs that can help. It is not expensive and is very effective. Be careful about drinking even imported beer for the purpose of the yeast, beer is a sedative and gives the impression that the baby is getting more because the baby has to work harder to get what it needs. Do not worry that your breasts do not feel full. That is very normal, as is a 10 month old changing their nursing time or schedule. Make sure you are drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day. Soda does not count as it can dehydrate you, and caffeine from coffee or tea may effect your milk. If you are nimble at pumping, try pumping one side while Gabrielle is nursing the other. This may both help boost milk supply and cause you to let down more for the pump than you might otherwise do. Keep up the good work!!! And remember to relax and enjoy the breastfeeding...

T.

At 10 months it is perfectly normal to not feel the engorgent feeling any longer. It is also normal not to leak (if you are finding that) She is also at an exciting age where she is gaining some independence. But with that independence comes a need to reconnect with Mama. Which could explain the frequent nursing. To just "dry up" doesn't generally happen with out a medical reason, or a signifigant drop in nursing. Increasing water can never hurt, but I don't know that pumping before bed is necessary, unless it will make you feel better. If you do choose to pump, keep in mind it is not a good indicator of the amount of mil k you are actually making.

I also recommend calling or coming to La Leche League. They have really helped me. We have a meeting tomorrow at 10. Check out llllakeland.com or call ###-###-#### it is a recording which will give you local leaders numbers. Hope to see you there tomorrow!

Have you been taking any antihistamines? Those can dry you up. She could just be nursing longer due to a growth spurt. It's normal for your breasts not to feel full at this point because your milk has regulated.

Some things that boost supply:

Imported beer (the yeast), oatmeal, Fenugreek. Also, there are some herbal tinctures you can get at Whole Foods that boost supply.

Also just letting her nurse a lot will help.

HTH

C.

M.
I had this problem when I was breastfeeding my son..I went to the local lactation office and they told me two different herbal remedies to use to increase my production of breast milk and they worked very well I beleive they were Blessed Thistle and Fungugreek not sure on the spelling on the second one any helath food store will know what you are talking about..They are not expensive supplements either and will not harm your daughter in anyway..I took them twice a day and it increased milk production dramatically..Also drinking plenty of water will help and pumping helps also atleast it did with me :)When I started feeding my son with a bottle I bought the Avent bottles they are available at Target and some other places now because they are more like the breast and that was the only bottle he would take for the longest time..They are a little on the expensive side but well worth the price..Hope this helps :-)
K. Mom to Jon Jon 4yrs
Step Mom to Jake 4yrs
Gainesville

Annette had really good advice. Your daughter may be growing, hence the need for more frequent feeding. (Just another reason you might be feeling the way you are.)

Her demand might be increasing, and it does take a couple of days for your body to meet a new demand...right now you're doing everything exactly right. You're nursing her when she wants to nurse and you're paying attention to her needs and you're seeking help! Great job!

If you give it several days and still feel like you're not producing enough, please don't give up, especially if this is something you want to continue. There are ways to increase production (but first you need to determine if you are in fact not producing enough--you do that by tracking weight gain, wet and dirty diapers, etc.)

To increase milk, you need lots of water (not necessarily just any fluid, for coffee, soda, and other sugary caffeinated drinks won't be as affective) and lots of rest. Make sure you're resting throuought the day, remembering that resting does not necessarily mean sleeping. (reading, relaxing on the couch, breastfeeding, are all resting activities...not TV tho.) Also make sure you're going to bed at a reasonable hour for when you wake up.

Nutritious eating will also help your production.

It's possible that she is ready for a bit more solid food as well. Please refer to Super Baby Food for ideas on what to feed a 10 month old.

Above all, keep up the good work! You're doing awesome, and she is lucky to have such a caring mommy.

Same thing happened to me. I was only able to breast feed for 7 months. The doctor said I needed to spend more time in bed to get my milk supply up but I had a toddler so that wasnt exactly possible!!!! No matter what I ate or drang, I was drying up. My doctir suggested a prescription that would help but I refused it and just figured my time was up! We switched to formula until he was a year and then just to organic milk. I was crushed becasue I had the same hopes as you to feed for at least a year, but it all worked out.

Hello M.,
I nursed my child for almost 20 months, when he self-weaned. I must say that I am still not completely dried up and he is 3 1/2! Have you tried drinking herbal nursing teas. Weleda makes a good one, but I always used Mother's Milk tea by 'traditional medicinals'. These can be found at any health food store. 3 cups a day should keep your milk production up to speed. It definitely helped me.

Also, in regard to getting her to drink from a bottle: I pumped milk ahead, froze it, reheated it in warm water and placed it into a bottle w/ a contoured nipple for a family member to give a feeding once every other day. This gradually lead to me being able to run quick errands and allowed my child to ease into daycare feedings when I returned to work part-time (10 months). Best of luck to you and kudos for breast-feeding!

Kindly,
D.

Believe it or not a beer will also help. When I had low milk production my L.C. had me drink a beer each day for about a week. My milk increased right away.

Make sure you're getting enough rest also!

Good luck!

Hello M.,
Here is some interesting information that I recently learned while reading from baby center. I know that I use certain spices / herbs while cooking, but I did not know some of them could do this:
Herbs What you should know- Chamomile, ginger, echinacea Taken in teas, these herbs probably pose no danger to your baby. Drink any herbal tea with caution, however, especially when you don't know all the ingredients.
(Stay away from goldenseal, which often comes with echinacea, because it can be toxic in moderate doses and experts aren't sure of its effects on nursing babies.)
Most teas are benign, but some have been known to cause liver toxicity, warns Jan Barger, a registered nurse and lactation expert.

Ground fenugreek, anise, borage, raspberry leaves, blessed thistle, saw palmetto, dill, chaste tree, garlic, nettles, fennel seeds, goat's rue, false unicorn root, vervain, cinnamon These herbs are often used as milk boosters and are generally safe for your baby. Fenugreek is sometimes sold in Mother's Milk tea, which can contain other herbs that may not be good for your baby. Taking any of these herbs in high dosages may cause your perspiration to smell like maple syrup.

Mint, sage, parsley These herbs, most often eaten in food, may dry up your milk supply.
Avoid them if you're trying to breastfeed, but you can use them when you start to wean � they won't hurt your baby.

Feverfew This herb is used to treat migraines.
Don't take it while breastfeeding, as it may increase your baby's heart rate.

St. John's Wort This herb is used to treat depression.
Don't take it while breastfeeding as no studies have been done to see whether it's safe for nursing moms. It could affect milk production and can reduce the effectiveness of certain drugs.

Hope some of this is helpful, Jen W

There are quite a few things that you can do , however most women often have this effect where their breasts are not "full" after a while . this does not mean that you dont have much milk. it means your body has adjusted PERFECTLY to that which your baby needs. you still have milk. and its a supply and demand type thing. if you are letting the baby nurse as often as she wants and she is having the wet and dirty diapers as she has been previously then you know she is getting enough. if you want to try for your own comfort you can try mothers milk tea. you can get it at nutrition stores like nutrition smart, ot fenugreek. theres also blessed thistle. that sometimes helps. those are a few herbal things that might help. pumping will help as its extra stimulation. rest and good nutrition fo ryou are important. If you have more questions you can check out my website www.palmbeachdoula.com and go to be informed, then scroll to the bottom and go to breastfeeding information. or email me at ____@____.com

Hi! Nurse, nurse, then nurse some more! Breastfeeding is about supply and demand so if your daughter is demanding then your supply should pick up. If you use a pacifier try taking it away and have her comfort nurse instead. Good luck - breastfeeding is so important and so worth the effort!
A.