Increasing Breastmilk Using Herbal Supplement Fenugreek

I had supply problems and used fenugreek with both my kids, the entire time I nursed. When I was pumping the first time I also used Reglan (prescription drug) for a short while. Fenugreek definitely helps with supply - I could see a difference if I didn't take it, measurable when I was pumping (second kid). I'm surprised your pediatrician hasn't heard of it, but probably shouldn't be - I got zero help from my OB or my pediatrician, but had to hire a lactation consultant to find out very simple information.

The Mother's Milk tea is not bad tasting and probably doesn't hurt, but I didn't notice any difference in supply although I drank buckets of it. With the fenugreek and reglan, I could really tell. (but you have to take a pretty big amount of fenugreek - I don't remember how much, maybe 8 caplets a day?)

Other tricks to increase supply - nurse at night as much as possible; take a "nursing vacation" where you and baby stay in bed (with lots of water!) for a weekend, nursing on demand; and just nurse more often - since I had supply problems (one breast doesn't have as much glandular tissue, for some reason) I nursed my young babies for a few minutes about every 90 minutes when they were awake.

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Hi P.,

I started using Fenugreek suppliments when my son was 6 months old. He had started eating baby food at that time, and my milk supply slowed down significantly. My pediatrician recommended Fenugreek. I bought it in the pill form at the GNC store, and they worked like a charm! I took the first one before going to bed and the next morning my breasts were completely engored with milk. Before that, I had almost completely dried up. You have to take them three times a day for the best results. I never had any side effects from the suppliment either positive or negative. They allowed me to continue beastfeeding my son until I finally weened him at 19 months! I think I remember seeing a version of Fenugreek that is in a tea form called Mother's Milk. I never tried it because I don't like tea, but I have heard it also works well.

J.

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I took it and it definately helped after a few days, but it was starting to make me a little sick to my stomach so I had to stop. Nothing very bad, but I didn't need that on top of sleepless nights and 20 diaper changes a day (I have twins).

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I had to use Fenugreek with my first son. It took about 3 days to notice a difference. It definitely helped! The only side effect that I noticed was a maple syrup odor on me and the baby! It's not a bad smell and it is tolerable, just odd! Hope it works for you...

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Hi P.- My sis used it and she said it did help some, she still wasn't able to BF as long as she wanted. She also said her only side effect was that she and her son smelled like maple syrup.
Good Luck
B.

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My son's pediatrician recommeded that I take Fenugreek to increase my milk production when my son was first born. My milk never let down due to a very difficult delivery and she said the herb can be helpful for milk production and that it is safe for infants. She also recommeded a prescription called Reglan (I think) that can help increase milk production, but said to use that as a last resort. The fenugreek did seem to increase my supply some, but since the milk never let down, it was difficult to get much out.
I hope it works for you and your baby.

K.

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i tried everything including an NON FDA drug that is approved in Canada but not here...and NOTHING worked...I gave up at 8 weeks.

Fenugreek made me smell like a bottle of maple syrup - but did nothing to increase My milk - they say its not harmful...

is your ped OLD because everyone at my office (3 yrs ago) knew all about it...

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Hi P.,

Just wanted to let you know I am another mom Fenugreek worked for! My lactation consultant told me about it and I originally bought some thru her but then went to the health food store and found I could get a larger bottle for less money.

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P.,
I did use this herbal supplement, too - under the recommendation of the lactation nurse @ my son's pediatrician's office. I didn't have any side effects, nor did I notice any with my son. I started taking it when I returned to work 3 full days a week. I believe it did work for me, I needed to continue to pump while at work to keep up my milk supply. I took the maximum dosage recommended on the bottle. The herb does smell like maple syrup, when you open the bottle and you may notice your milk may start to smell like this, too. It's ok, just a little weird at first. ; ) When I went back to work, I was freaking out, I was worried I wasn't going to produce enough milk for my son, and then I really wasn't producing enough, so that's when I called the lactation nurse, and she suggested Fenugreek. I read up on the herb on the internet, too - and didn't find anything negative about it. (This was over 3 years ago. - my son is almost 4 yrs. old, now.) I ended up only nursing him for 7 1/2 mos. In the end, I wasn't able to produce enough milk for him - I think the idea of going back to work really stressed me out and really worked myself up and was worried about not producing enough milk for him. = (
At least I got in as much as I did, which I'm proud of and didn't give up. = )

Good Luck! Give it a try!

R.

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I used Fenugeek with my first child, and now with the second I started to take another Lactation herb that I bought at Wild Oats in Hinsdale. If you have never been there, I recommend it because they have herbs for every health issue. Last week my supply went way down because I have bronchitis and my baby was also sick. One day I ate 2 bowls of oatmeal, plus tons of water, and the herb, plus nursed every 2 hours. My supply seems to be much better again. I hate water, so I drink the flavored water and tons of it.

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I tried that, as well as Reglan and More Milk Plus. None of them worked for me, but I still think it is worth a shot for you. Good luck!

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Hi P., I just finished breastfeeding after 8 months and when my supply got low at one point, I ate oatmeal.....it was amazing for me and my supply increased almost immediately....good luck

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HI -- Yes, I have used it before and it does work. I think it took a day or so to increase my supply, and I had to drink several cups a day, but it does work. When I went off of it, my supply went down by several ounces per pumping session. There are other lactation teas out there if fenugreek does not work for you. Check out the "womens" section of Whole Body at Whole Foods Market, and you can see a variety of teas to assist with lactation. one of them is bound to work for you. Making sure you get lots of water is also very helpful for increasing supply. Good luck!

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The only way that I know how to increase breast milk is by drinking more fluids.
I've never heard of taking supplements before.
Are you pumping the milk or having your daughter actually breast feed? Pumping doesn't produce nearly as much as the baby feeding directly from the breast. This much I know.
I had problems with my milk with my first child and it was because no one told me that you had to drink a lot of fluids to produce more milk, not even the lactation expert at the hospital. I wasn't too happy. I had no problems at all with my second child and breast fed her until she was 2. I probably wouldn't have fed her for so long, but she had the start of spinal meningitis when she was 2 days old and I wanted to make sure that she had all the anti-bodies she needed from the breast milk.

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It didn't work for me. The only thing that really worked was:
1) drinking more water
2) nursing more often

I hear eating oatmeal helps. I never tried that one.

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I used Fennugreek with my first child. I started it at 2 weeks and within a couple of days it really helped. The only side effect I found was that I would sometimes burp a yucky taste which was clearly the herb.

After a few weeks I tapered off it and then only took it if my supply went down enough to notice. I was never able to pump enough during the day to feed him at the babysitters, but he did reverse nurse and ate almost all night as we co-slept so that might be why too. (And also I was a teacher...so high stress.)

Oddly enough, with my second child, I immediately had enough milk to feed her. I had to pump milk for her as she was born prematurely and very sick, and I had more than enough for the NICU, and ended up throwing some away from the freezer a year later. I nursed her till she was 2 and never had supply problems. Weird, huh?

Good luck with the Fennugreek and the nursing!

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I have personally needed to "relactate" two times during the last year while breastfeeding my second child. I tried Brewer's Yeast tablets -- but the side effect was LOTS of gas for myself. I also tried Mother's milk tea -- and that worked very well. I have not tried fenugreek, but have heard it recommended.

The other possibility -- if you are hesitant to use a supplement because of the risk to your baby: I suggest to use an electric breastpump after you feed the baby (every time). about two days of this and generally you will see an increase in your milk production. Also, make sure you are drinking plenty of water -- as you cannot give what you are not putting into your own body.

Hope this helps -- it's just what I have learned from nursing two children for over 1 year each.

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I've never heard of anyone having any real side effects, some people say they smell like maple syrup, I didn't notice it. It worked well for me. Make sure you're taking enough - 2-3 capsules with each meal. You should see a difference in 72 hours.

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Worked like a charm for me...the only side effect I noticed was smelling like maple syrup!

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I tried it, and it didn't work. The only thing that worked was increasing the frequency of feedings/pumping.

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Hi P.,

Not sure if anyone has responded back to your question. I have been taking Fenugreek for 2 months now. My milk supply went really low for no reason, and my doctor recommended this supplement. It only took a day and 1/2 before my milk supply came back. And not only did it come back, but I had much more than I ever had before. It was awesome! I know the back of the pill box recommends you taking 1-2 pills 2-3x's a day. I took 3 pills 3x's a day. My doctor also recommended that amount. But what I found was I personally couldn't be on these for more than a week or else I would start losing my milk again. I'm sure everyone is different. But just so you are not alarmed or discouraged if you start losing your milk again. When this happened I would take myself off of the pills for a few days and then restart taking them again. My milk would once again come back in. It's been a tough and frustrating process for me, but it's been all worth it! Good luck, and please don't hesitate to ask me anymore questions about the pills.

A.

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I would also say to try Reglan first. I dont wouldnt trust supplements as there is not that much info about them just yet.

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Hello P.,

Yes, fenugreek does work. And it is safe. I used it briefly for my first child (now) and it was just enough to increase my supply when it was down. I have many friends who have used it throughout nursing. It has been used in SE Asia for generations for this very purpose. I'm a bit surprised that your pediatrician has not heard of it.
One odd side effect- your persperation may smell like maple syrup if you take it! I have a friend whose husband kept making this claim- she thought he was just imagining it- until she realized it was the fenugreek!
Congrats on your baby!!

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Hi P.! Congrats on your new baby. I saw that you got a lot of responses, so I'm not going to add to it (I didn't read thru them). I know how it is to have a low supply. I take herbal supplements daily to keep mine up (I have a 3yo son who nursed 22 mos and a 7.5mo daughter, still nursing).

I run a weekly breastfeeding support group in Naperville, Mondays at 10:30-11:30. It's been around for 3yrs now. We're not la leche league, just moms there to help each other and offer support.

If you'd like to come, the info follows.
Wheatland Salem Church, 95th/Book Rd. (SE corner)
Entrance/door #3 (east side). Room 125 (just inside the door)

My board-certified lactation consultant, Janet Talmadge (mom of 4 adult children), comes regularly to support and offer advice. She's full of tons of great info and facts. We've had over 60 moms be part of the group at some point or another (not that they all came at the same time).
Best wishes for a great breastfeeding experience!

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I just checked my e-mail so I may be a little late on some advice... but you may find it useful anyway. I too took Fenugreek when my supple went down with my first baby. Unfortunately for me it did not work. I was trying to get lots of rest, drink lots of water, pumping, nursing, and herbal supplements. My baby became very frustrated as so did I and he was loosing weight. I eventually said that giving him formula was the right thing to do while I still nursed him strictly for a comforting thing until he was no longer intrested about nine months. I tell you this because there should be no pressure on the nursing. Yes it was my first choice and yes I wished it would have worked out for me... but I am just one of the women that don't produce a lot of milk. When I had my second baby the same thing happened at the same time... around 3 mnths. She got very fussy at my breasts and with the knowledge I had with my first... I skipped all the stress of increasing my supple and went straight for the formula. Of course, this my not be your senario... just don't stress, they all grow up just fine.

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Fenugreek works for a lot of women, but only if you take enough. Go to the health food store and buy the capsules and take 3 capsules 3 times a day (that's 9 every day). If they bother your stomach, you may have to cut back and build up to 9 a day. (Don't take fenugreek at all if you have diabetes or a thyroid condition.) The only side effect is that you'll smell like maple syrup.

Once your supply is where you want it to be, cut back on the fenugreek SLOWLY, like 1 capsule every couple of days.

Also, with a 4 month old, be sure that her latch is very good. Sometimes a latch that's OK but not great causes the supply to drop at 3 or 4 months.

C.

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Hi P. this is T.. Yes-it does work and you can supplement with some other natural alternatives. There are organic natural teas and there is a website www.bellybotanicals.com and they have a product called mama milk extract that you can combine with all of these. You an get the teas at any health food store. There should not be any aide effects. Most herbs are helpful but you also have to follow the recommended dosage and not overdo it--ANYTHING in excess is too much. I have 4 children that have all been breastfed and I have used it and just had another baby as well. Make sure that you get it in liquid form not the pill form it is not as effective. The wonderful herbs that are available for us to use for medicinal purposes are as effective as medications and are much safer. If you want to know more about it many of the health food stores carry wonderful reference books.

Good Luck!!

T.

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I haven't used the supplement, but have used the Yogi Nursing Mother's tea, which I buy at Whole Foods. It does have fenugreek in it, along with some other ingredients and I always notice a bump in supply when I drink it. I usually save it for growth sprurts or when I'm not getting a ton of sleep and feel like a need a little bump in supply. Good luck!

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P.:

the first issue is what is going on with your milk supply.

herbs can help increase a milk supply but the driving force of a milk supply is milk removal. Fenugreek is one of those herbs.

you might want to consider consulting with a lactation consultant to find out what is going on and what can be done.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions
www.breastfeedingandparentingsolutions.com

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Fenugreek worked well for me. The key is you have to take enough though. The capsules I have are 610mg of Fenugreek in each capsule, to get the milk boosting effect you have to take in at least 6 GRAMS a day. Both lactation consultants that I talked to told me to take 4 capsules, 3 or 4 times a day. I smell like maple syrup, my milk smells like it, and my baby smells like it too.

Just the herb won't increase your supply though. You need to tell your body that you need more milk. Either by nursing your baby more frequently (on demand, avoiding bottles) or pumping. Some people say to pump before feeding baby, others say pump after feeding baby. I have been pumping after feeding baby, just so that it isn't a frustrating experience for him- we are still kind of learning this whole eating thing! You need to pump until the milk stops flowing, and then add 5 minutes after that. This will tell your body that it needs to make more milk.

Breastfeeding is a demand and supply system. If you don't create a demand, you won't have a supply. Baby is the ideal one to create that demand, but a pump will work too.

Reglan is not a benign medication. Lots of women have issues with depression while taking the Reglan, so I would suggest the Fenugreek first. And research has supported the efficacy of Fenugreek to increase milk, and it's safety for both mom and baby. You may have bowel issues with it, so start low with the dose and increase slowly to see how your body responds.

I wish you all the luck with increasing your milk supply! And one of the other posters is right, make sure you are drinking enough, and eating enough. But the big key is creating that demand. And it will take a few days to increase your supply- so be patient.

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I used it and loved the results! I used it in pill form. Also use mother's milk tea, it also helps. The only drawback to Fenugreek is that it makes every fluid smell like maple syrup. You can smell it but it doesn't hurt anything. It doesn't make the breastmilk any less appetizing to your baby. Also pump more often. Increase in demand=increase in supply. Good luck!

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I tried fenugreek and didn't really have much luck with it. I also tried the prescription drug (also for anti-nausea) and had some better luck, though it did make me sleepy.

Honestly, since breastfeeding is a supply-and-demand game, your best bet might be to just focus on the feedings themselves: feed when you're calm and so is the baby, drink enough water, and try to avoid pumping and supplementing.

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You may want to avoid TYLENOL, ADVIL, and there's a bunch of spices to avoid like i think THYME is one of them... my dr rec that herb, also increase liquid, nurse EVERY HOUR for awhile and he actually said BEER helped and assured me that they only get 1/100th of what we intake... wasn't sure if i agreed w/that last one though!

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Since DD is 4m, she could be going through a growth spurt which would make it appear you're not producing enough milk.

Fenugreek works well, with the only noticable side effect being you might smell a bit like maple syrup (but is that really that bad? :)) while taking the supplement. Same applies for drinking Mother's Milk tea. I also recommend trying Motherlove brand More Milk Plus tincture as well as the herbal capsules. I've also used Vitanica brand Lactation Blend herbal capsules, all with good results. I keep the Mother's Milk teabags at my desk at work and will drink that mid-day instead of reaching for more coffee. Make sure your water intake is good. And stay on top of your nutrition. Oatmeal & other whole grain meals work wonders. Since you only work 1 day a week, can you do a "nursing weekend" where the two of you spend a couple of days simply resting & nursing continuously as often as she needs? Spend the day in bed together, getting up only for the bathroom or to get something for you to eat/drink. After 1 or 2 days of this, you should notice your supply meeting her needs once again, and I'm sure she'll love the exclusive mommy time.

HTH & good luck! And keep in touch with your LC if you have other questions. It might be worth a visit to a Le Leche League meeting or a local breastfeeding support group also.

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I took it with my daughter and I really think it worked. I'll probably take it with my next one too. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with issues breastfeeding. Also, if you like tea, they also have a Mother's Milk tea you can get at GNC that helps with lactation too. Between both of those, I was always ready. lol. Hope this helps.

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I tried that and perscription medication to help bring in more milk and neither helped me. It's not harmful though.

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I was using a lactation tea that I bought at Whole Foods. It wasn't too tasty.... but when I followed the instructions it seemed to work. But, to be honest, what seemed to work the best...was drinking A LOT of water throughout the day and the occasional...beer. I know. But it worked. Good luck!

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I haven't used Fenugreek, though I have friends who have and it's worked very well. If you're looking for any info on breastfeeding, contact La Leche League. They have been around for 50+ years and are a leader in breastfeeding support and information. There are a bunch of groups in the Indy area. Check out http://www.lllusa.org/web/IndianapolisIN.html
to find one near you. They are invaluable!

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"More Milk Plus" is another herbal supplement that is sold at Whole Foods designed especially for nursing mothers.

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Wow..your ped had never heard of it?

It's very common to use that herb for this use. The only side effect is that if you have problems with low blood sugar this herb can also decrease blood sugar so you might be careful if you have this condition.

It generally takes 2-3 days for you to notice an improvement. You also want to drink LOTS of water, eat oatmeal and nurse as much as possible....that is the primary thing that is going to increase supply.

You have to take enough of the fenugreek for your sweat to smell like maple syrup in order for it to be effective.

Here is a dosage table and some information:
http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html

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I used fenugreek with my first. It helped me and my production. The american academy of pediatrics approves of its useage. It is safe. I took 1 capsule twice a day. I had no side effects.

I am sure you know to drink lots of water and get as much sleep as possible.

Sarah S. Mother of two 3 and 5

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I used this while nursing. You have to take quite a few pills a day. Did it work... it helped a little I think. "Mothers Milk" tea is also supposed to help. I did buy some of that but it smelled horrible. Yes, there is a "maple syrup" smell to you. Good luck and keep trying. Check out LaLeche League for more support or Kelly's Mom too is a wonderful source. The most important thing for product is to drink LOTS and LOTS of water, eat well and if you can, catch up on sleep. ha ha

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I have used Fenugreek with a combo of Milk Thistle twice. I had milk supply issues with both of my children. They worked great. Do talk to your lactation nurse about the correct dosage. There were no side effects for me. The only problem is that you have to take it for almost a week before you see any results, but it worked beautifully for me. You also have to take quite a lare amount to get it to work. I think it was like 6 pills a day of each. The second pill i mentioned helps increase the effects of the Fenugreek. But remember it has to be milk thistle. the first time i purchased something called blessed thistle and which is not the same as milk thistle. good luck and i hope that helps.

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Fenugreek helps a lot..I had it around 4.5 months. Instead of pills i got the actual fenugrek and made sprouts out of it. Used to have handful three times a day.

I also used a fenugreek product called edible gum. You can either deep fry or pop like popcorn in microwave. Thrash it and mix with sugar with or without roated flour so you can eat. Edible gum is given to all lactating women in India for first 40 days to establish milk supply and it works...

All the best!!

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I've never taken it myself, but have heard from lots of moms that it's helpful. Oatmeal, as another poster mentioned, can help quite a bit too. Is there a reason that you think your supply is low? The easiest way to boost it is to eat plenty, drink plenty, and nurse your baby often. Congrats on breastfeeding your girl!

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Oatmeal can help with supply too.

Fenugreek is safe *IF* you are not allergic to peanuts.

Congrats on your little girl and on nursing her!!

Manda

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