Increasing Milk Production

I found that my milk supply decreased if I wasn't drinking enough water. Make sure you keep yourself very, very, hydrated.

Good luck!

For some reason some people just don't produce enough milk, and you can enjoy what feedings you have or if you think it healthy for him to have what you can produce, keep with what you are doing, but don't worry about it if you end up having to just go to a formula.

I had the same exact problem at 4 months! I went from pumping 24 oz, to 15-16 oz, to 8-10 ox, to 4-5 oz a day. My lactation specialist told me that the body can start it own weening process. As much as I loved breast feeding, my body was telling me that it was enough! I had to switch to formula, and literally dried up in 2 days. She said that the body is amazing at telling you what it needs. I miss it alot.

When I was nursing my second I had the same problem, I didn't produce enough for her. I couldn't pump anything and she didn't seem to get completely satisfied. My doctor recommended a herbal vitamin supplement called Fenugreek. You can find it at any of the herbal vitamin stores. It seemed to help a little maybe it will help you a little more. Hope this helps.

V.,

Have you tried taking an herb called Milk Thistle? You can find it at any health store or Whole Foods. They come in capsule form. I found that this is the only thing that works when I need to increase my milk. The teas do nothing for me either. Also, oatmeal can help increase your milk. Don't get the instant. Eat it the old fashioned way. Better yet. Soak it overnight then heat it up in the morning. Soaking it will begin to break it up so it's easier for you to digest (and later one you can two make two bowl and feed it to your baby in pureed form.) For one bowl i would take 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of oatmeal (I have heard steel cut is better but I don't have much experience with it), and just a small amount of lemon or lime juice (you don't want too much or it will taste soar; i have to make 6 cups of oatmeal in the morning for my children and myself. I only use about a Tablespoon of it if that.) Soak this covered over night. Then in the morning heat it up just a little on the stove top. After that add your favorite sweetener and other yummy additions and you have a healthy breakfast plus something to help your milk. With my 3rd (the first to breastfeed) I ate oatmeal everyday. I haven't needed it with my other two. The milk thistle and oatmeal combined might help. If you are under stress that can also reduce you milk. I would find a way to reduce stress. Prayer is best of all. Exercise is the also good. Taking a walk, aerobics, running, etc. Deep breathing in the afternoon. Leave work at home when you pick him up. We ask our dh's to do that. We need to do the same thing.

HTH!!!

God Bless,

K.

Hi, First of all way to go mom. You are trying so very hard and you need to be rewarded for all your efforts. I breastfeed both of my children for 18 months. With my 1st child I had every complication you could, seriously. I want to say that pumping is nothing like cuddling with infant to make milk. It is such a psychological thing. So it's not suprising that you don't make as much milk necessarily when pumping. However, 10 to 12 ounces sounds great to me. I would suggest nursing in the morning. If you can go nurse on your lunch hour. Nurse as soon as you get home and even in the middle of the night. On the weekends, I would take a weekend of just nursing constantly, even as a pacifier. And of course, drink ridiculous amounts of water. As you know, breast milk is 80% water. What I read when nursing suggested that nothing makes milk production increase as well as nursing more frequently, the more your nurse, the more milk you make. I read Dr. Sears Breastfeeding book 3 times before my 1st was born and it was the best book I read. I would recommend getting it or checking it out from the library. It is VERY positive and supportive of all your efforts.

Again, You are doing a great job for having nursed for 5 MONTHS. Drink lots of water, nurse as often as you can, REST, REST, REST and remember to take care of yourself so you can take care of your little one.

Have you tried power pumping? You pump for 10 minutes, rest for 10 minutes, pump for 10 and rest for 10. Do this for about an hour at a time. Try to do it at least once a day, but shoot for two.
Also, if all else fails, you could talk to your pediatrician or ob/gyn to get a prescription for Reglan--I have found the generic works better than the name brand.

You can ask your doctor if reglan (metoclopramide) would be appropiate. It is actually prescribed for nausea and increases stomach motility, but as a side effect works well with some people to increase milk production. I am a nurse of 10 years, and mother of 3, with a newborn.

Beer....I know, not the best idea, but it works.

Sometimes we get a little uptight when pumping at work - it isn't the most friendly place to pump even if you have a lactation room b/c you're still thinking about your busy day. I had the same problem when I went back to work and someone recommended I take my favorite picture of baby and maybe a book to get my mind off work. It worked, I was able to relax and being able to see my sweet little boy while pumping helped. I think being able to relax is a big part of it. Good Luck!

I took "blessed thistle" which is what they called it four years ago. Worked in 24 hours.
Good luck.

HI,
I strongly encourage you to call the breast feeding resource center at Harris Hospital downtown. They saved me many times. I nursed both my children til they were two and worked full time. The number is ###-###-####. Good luck.

Hi V.,
If you haven't yet -try switching the cups on your pump, that can sometimes make a dramatic difference. You can also ask your doctor about a prescription for Reglan(sp?). Fenugreek and Herbal teas can take up to 4 weeks to increase your milk supply.

H.

I feel your pain. I tried to nurse my twins 2 yrs. ago & had every desire to nurse them for a year. They were premies & didn't have a real strong suck. They also had a bit of jaundice & were sleepy a lot. Long story short, I nursed my daughter for an hour on one side, my son for an hour on the other breast & then pumped an hour for a total of 3 hrs.. They ate every 3 hrs. so I was a milk factory; however, the kids were losing weight.

I had to go in to the drs. office for 3 weight checks & at 5 weeks old they still hadn't gotten back up to their birth weight! I didn't know they weren't getting enough. I did know my pumping was very scant but I just thought I was empty or not doing something right.

I tried the fenugru, the herbal stuff, double electric breast pump, hand pumping, lots of water, etc......I came to the realization at 3 mos. old that I would have to go straight formula. All was well. The kids fattened up & my breasts were relieved (after many clogged ducts).

Good luck but I think you've tried everything. People told me the more you nurse, the more you have.....keep pumping....I did it all & to no advail. Women are just made differently.

i do think stress plays a role in less milk (it's so hard to work and be away from our babies) and also that the pump is just way less effective than nursing is. i pump a minimum of 15 min, 20 if i have time. you could also try pumping after nursing for 5-10 min. or so to help your body feel that it needs to produce more. my lactation consultant did say that even if you only pump 1 oz. a session, you do that 4 times and you have a 1/2 a bottle for him! that's what keeps me going when i feel like i am not making much. i also sometimes pump before bed to have milk to store or use the next day.

How long do you pump? I'm EBF'ing triplets and get about 60oz/day. Granted, I started off pumping 10x/day when they were in the NICU (for 10 days) - and also BF'ing about 6-9x/day. BUT I think pumping is an "art". You have to learn how to do it. I sit down for about 30mins each time (and an HOUR in the mornings) for a total of 5 pumps/day - and I gently squeeze each breast once the milk stops flowing. That always gets more. Then when that is done I sit there for at least another 5 mins and sometimes I'll get another 1-2 more letdowns (which may produce another couple oz!). You might not be pumping long enough and think you are done when you aren't. You could also pump after you feed your baby - that will probably get you more.

Good luck. I took Fenugreek and drank the Mother's Milk tea and I don't think that helped at all. If nothing else, call a lactation consultant (your pediatrician's office might have one - mine has 2).

How much Fenugreek are you taking? I lost my milki supplyn completely with my second child after taknig the mini-pill and I took 4 fenugreek 5-6 times a day and I continued breastfeeding until she was 10 months. I smelled like maple syrup all the time but it helped with milk production big time! Mine are 610mg capsules and I get them at GNC. Once my milk flow came back I cut down to only 1-2 pills 4-5 times a day. My lactation consultant told me how much to take and my babies pedi told me that amount was fine. Good luck!!!

Hello V.,

Did you try anise seed tea? or star anise tea? also eating sweet potatoes will help. another question, are you drinking enough water?

Good luck and keep trying.

C.

Ask your OB to prescribe Domperidone. It is a compounded med and most insurances don't pay for it. When I used it, it was about $68 a month and well worth it to me. Make sure to ask to start on the lowest dose first though. Also, check with yoru pedi and make sure it is OK with them. Some peditricians are OK with it, but others aren't. Note, it is approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Good Luck!

I took fenugreek and blessed thistle. They greatly increased my milk supply with my first child but I also stayed at home with him. If I were you I would call and speak to the lactation consultant at "The Nesting Place" in grapevine. She is an awsome lady who I'm sure would be able to help you in your situation. Great job on keeping up the breatfeeding despite the difficulties it may cause you having to pump at work. Breastfeeding is one of the best things you can do for your son. Good luck to you. You'll never regret the time and effort you put into breatfeeding.

Your dr can prescribe Reglan to increase your milk supply.

You can also do something known as 'power pumping'. What you do is devote 1 hour to pumping. During that hour you pump for 10 min, rest for ten min, pump for 10 min, etc. for the whole hour. This should increase your milk production. It tricks your body into thinking the demand has increased, making your supply increase.

Another thing, most hospitals have a lactation consultant on hand, or a help line, you can call for more suggestions.

http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal_galactag...

Try this site...I hope it helps a bit!!Remember to google all you can yourself and you should find the best info out there on the web!!

--M.

For a while when my milk production was decreasing, I woke up in the middle of the night (3 a.m.) and pumped. Because my daughter was sleeping all night, my body just really thought it was time to quit. I did this just until I was waking in the morning with full breasts, and then I quit. Also, I pumped around 11 each evening - the last thing I did before I went to bed - to help me wake up with full breasts. I did this for a very long time - probably six months or longer. My lactation consultant recommended all this. Whatever you do, I hope it works!

I know that resting enough as a mother is not a probable task, but getting enough rest is important for milk production. Also, someone told me they were instructed to dring Gatorade when milk production was low and she said it worked great. Are you using a good breast pump? A really good pump can make a lot of difference as well. Be sure to drink plenty of water and like others said, relax while pumping. I hope this helps. Good luck!

I had the same problem or so I thought until I talked to a lactation specialist. According to her pumping more will not always increase your milk production because the suction is not the same as coming from your baby. Also she said that as long as the baby is not acting like it is starving then all is well. If you are a stay at home mom you can nurse more often till your milk production increases. Also make sure you are drinking alot of water(very important!!) Brewers yeast is not a good idea if you are prone to yeast infections, dandruff or any other kind of fungal infections. Though brewers yeast has alot of benefits it is REALLY bad for people who have the above problems.