Increasing Milk Production - Orting, WA

I also had to pump after 3 months when I went back to work. I found that if my milk production fell behind a little to kick it up a notch:

1) pump every 2 hrs to increase production - this might seem time consuming, but I think it is your only good chance to produce more. The more you pump, the more you produce. I had to pump every few hours for about 10-15 minutes.

2) make sure you have a quiet, relaxing place to focus on pumping

3) have a picture of your daughter handy, it helps to let down your milk

4) drink LOTS of water/fluids all day

Good Luck!!

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B.,

Go to your health food store and get these 2 herbs.

Fenugreek (capsules) you take 4 every 4 hrs.
Blessed Thistle (liquid herbal extract) 30 drops every 4hrs.

You will be a water fall by day 2-3
very safe to use my doc told me about it.
you will smell a little sweet and your urain will smell alittle too but it works great.

Good luck,
K. (chelan washington)

1 mom found this helpful

I have a horrible milk production issues, due to medical reasons, so I have tried a ton of things when my now 2 year old son was a baby. First you need to try fenugreek (herb - over the counter -) Start with 1-2/day. I ended up taking 9/day (3 3x's a day). If that doesn't work try mothers milk tea (you can drink it cold if you want). These didn't really help me a bunch but like I said we found out 2 months into all of this that I had a medical reason for my issues. I also tried the prescription Reglan. Its side effect is increased milk production. I don't know if you want to go that far but its an option. There is another prescription also - but it has to be compounded by a pharmisist and it is called DOMPERIDONE or MOTILIUM. I havn't tried it yet but I am going to when our next baby gets here in Sept. My lactation nurse used it with her last baby and had great results. Just some things to look into and possible try. Good Luck and I understand the fustration. (The most milk I have EVER gotten in one feeding/pumping was 4 ounces, and that was without nursing for a whole day! I have only ever been able to give 2 ounces at each feeding) Let me know how it goes.

1 mom found this helpful

I'm a Lactation Consultant in private practice. www.second9months.com. You need some help that is very personalized, not just general information. I'd be happy to do a phone consultation with you so that we can get this situation turned around. i'd be curious about what type of pump you're using? new or used? have you started any birth control with hormones? and many other questions. Please call or email to get some help!

R. Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC
206 356=7252

Try to eat old fashioned oatmeal everyday - it works well for me but I don't care for the taste so I add brown sugar and bananas. I have been told avacado works too

My daughter is 10 months and i just went back to work. I haven't noticed any problems with milk production yet (*crosses fingers*), but i wanted to comment on the formula issue. My daughter wouldn't eat or drink anything outside of nursing until a few weeks ago. She's never had formula, and wouldn't even drink breast milk out of a bottle. However, this past week things are getting better.

One friend suggested i try her on goats milk in a bottle instead of breast milk. Yesterday she drank four ounces of it! (You may want to check with your pediatrician to make sure goats milk is okay for a six month old.)

Another thing that helped is that my nanny just kept at her - she gets breakfast, lunch and dinner in her highchair, even though she barely eats anything. And, my nanny kept giving her a bottle at lunch even though she didn't seem to like it. Acclimatization seems to be working.

Good luck with everything.

Have you tried the dietary supplement fennugreek or mother's milk tea? Also, pumping and nursing as often as possible seems to help me.

I don't really have any earth shattering advice for this one. I've heard good things about Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle (which has less side effects then the Fenugreek). You can also try Reglan, but that take s a prescription from your MD. Talking with a lactation consultant is always a good idea. Anyway, I'm mostly responding to empathize. I had similar problems with both of my girls (5 and 2) The circumstances were different each time. With my oldest I had lots of stress, was working full-time, first baby. With my second I was working part-time, had more experience as a mom and was much less stressed. With both kids my milk started decreasing at about four months. With my first I basically gave up when she seemed to be losing weight. We were in the middle of moving and I had very little support. She seemed very happy to switch to formula. My second I fought it a lot more. I took supplements, pumped more, all that. Nothing changed. She went from the 90th percentile in her weight at two months, to the 25th percentile at six months. When we tried to start supplementing with formula, she would not have it. I was mixing it with rice cereal and she would take it that way, but not from a bottle. I felt horrible, my baby wanted my milk, I wanted to give it to her and my body was not co-operating. Finally we started mixing the cereal in the formula and cut a hole in the nipple to give her basically watery cereal from the bottle.(not recommended I know) She chugged it down! I gradually decreased the amount of cereal in the bottle until she was taking straight formula. I'm sorry if this is really long. I just wanted to give you encouragement. You breastfed for six months and that is something to be proud of! Hang in there and do the best you can. I hope the different techniques of increasing your supply work for you. If not, don't beat yourself up, you did the best you could.

Hi,
Here is what I have been told (with my last child, who is now 2, I had the exact same problems) You can take Fenugreek capsules and they help increase your supply. Also, Blessed Thistle is another supplement that you can take. You can take both of them if you would like. The lactation consultants that I talked with said that it is safe for your child as well. Also, I would try and pump more often. The milk is like a supply-demand, so if you are only pumping a couple of times/day, then your body thinks that you don't need to produce that much milk. I hope that this helps, good luck!

Hello B.,

That sounds tough. I don't have "professional" advice, just what works for me. Here it is.
Number one is the baby. The more he nurses, the more milk I have. I wake him up to nurse him; I nurse him before he sleeps and when he wakes up, and in the bathtub, and lots on weekends. Number two, when I pump, I have to watch a very positive show on TV to get the milk to flow. If you're at work, if you could watch a positive show or video you like on your computer, and/or listen to music you love, I would.

Good luck,

L.

Hey B....
Go get some mothers milk tea this tea is made specifically to help bring milk in and increase it... you can find it at fred meyers, haggens and health food stores too.. hope this works for you...

Hi There~

I took an herb called Fenugreek and it seemed to help. You can buy it at GNC, Fred Meyer, etc. I took 2 pills, 3 times a day. But, be warned, it stinks! It smells like celery and it makes your urine stink! Fenugreek along with lots of water and pumping as often as possible should help! Good for you for being so committed!

Hi - It is hard to go back to work and pump! If you are not in a relaxing place to pump that can have an effect on your pumping sessions. Try to relax as much as you can and having a picture of your baby can help too.
I used a couple different herbal things to increase my milk. I did use Fenugreek, but that works for some people and not for others. I honestly am not sure if it did or not. There is a great website called kellymom.com that has a lot of helpful tips, lots of information on breastfeeding, pumping, etc...One of the things that I did was ate oatmeal..that is supposed to increase supply, and protien. Make sure you are getting enough water during the day as well. There are a lot of things that can affect your supply..I would check out the kellymom website.
Hang in there and just keep going! It will all work out!

http://www.breastfeedingwomen.com/Home.html

A girlfriend had a similar problem and she used goat's rue and she said she noticed a differnce literally overnight. I tried fenugreek, but I didn't notice a real difference and it made me smell like maple syrup (there are worse things to smell like!), but I know that it has worked for other people. Good luck!!!!

I too had milk supply problems and used several methods to make it better. I found that a combination of techniques worked better than just one. First and foremost, I used fenugreek tea...this I found worked better than the "Mother's Milk" herbal tea blends. I used an herbal tincture by HerbPharm called "Mother's Lactation Tonic" and I used a therapeutic grade essential oil of Fennel that was diluted and rubbed into my breasts. As I live in Canada, I was prescribed domperidone to help increase my supply, but I never really felt this did much good.
One of the key factors I found was to relax. The more I stressed about the condition, the less milk I produced. When I was really relaxed, my milk was over flowing. I completely understand your predicament as my son totally rejected formula as well. Get a massage, take a hot bath, do whatever you can to take the stress off yourself and you will find things improving! I hope this helps. B. W.

B.,

Another group that you might want to join is the Pumping Moms Group on Yahoo groups! http://www.pumpingmoms.org/ When I was pumping a lot for my twins, I got these emails and they were very helpful and encouraging for pumping moms. Not to mention nearly all of these ladies work and pump and have LOTS of great advice to help you.

Some questions I would have for you now are, how long do you pump each time at work? What kind of pump do you have and if it has adjustable suction/speed have you fiddled with that a bit? How often do you nurse her at home or do you exclusively pump?

My pumping sessions were anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes each. You can sometimes get a 2nd letdown if you continue to pump after it seems they are dry. I assume you have some sort of hands free pump bra? That is another must if you don't! I used to sit at the computer and work while I pumped to keep my mind off of it and that helped to relax me a bit. Now that you are feeding her solids are you still nursing or giving the same number of breast milk bottles as often as before solids? It could be if you have skipped one of those feedings that your body is producing less milk now.

I remember reading from the ladies that went to work and pumped that they noticed a dip in the supply at first. Again, I would join that group as I am sure many ladies have even more helpful advice and can support you in this time when you have to be back to work and still want to breastfeed.

Best of luck!

H. C.

You CAN do it, dear heart- but you need to get '''selfish'' to do so. I breastfed each of my 3 back in the seventies and eighties - . ( for 14 months, 12 months, and the last one for 11 months) When you are not at work- do what you can to ''cocoon'' with your baby- sit with her- be as mellow and focused on yourself and this precious time. Housework, other 'tasks'- none of that counts - . All that other stuff that we can allow to make our lives so frantic is for another yaar. Be selfish for this next 6 months-. Of course- I'm sure you've talked to La Leche - they are great. Keep your nutrician and your hydration EXCELLENT -- be selfish- . And I know how impossible this all may sound- but you can- I promise.

Blessings,
Old Mom
aka - J.

Check on line for herbs. They can work wonders. Or if you can go to a naturopath, they would know which ones increase lactation. Have you checked Le Leche Leagues website? They're a great resource!! Keep trying and best of luck!!MM

Congrats to you for trying to provide the best for your baby and seeking help! How often does your baby nurse on the days you're not at work? That's how often you should pump on the days you do work. If she nurses for 20 minutes every 3 hours, then try to pump the same. The more you pump or she nurses, the more milk you will have. She'll nurse out more milk than a pump will get, but try to mimick her patterns as much as possible. You can also try fenugreek or "mother's milk" tea. They both help increase milk supply while you're taking them. Way to go and know that every bit of breast milk she gets is worth it!

I used Fenegreek (sp?). It is an herbal pill that helps increase your milk supply. It seemed to work for me. I would ask your OB about it.

Another I idea I have for you when having to look into formula feeding. Make sure you also try soy formula and also check your bottles. Some bottles have a faster or slower release nipple. I personally love the Playtex Vent Air Bottles. They are like a regular bottle except angled and have a venting system to release the air out of the bottle instead of into baby's tummy. They have slow, medium, and fast flow nipples and fairly inexpensive for such a great bottle. My oldest son had a really hard time with most bottles and these were the only ones he could and would use. But I also say try soy because a lot more babies need then people realize and spitting back up the formula is a symptom of both regular formula allergy and wrong nipple/bottle. So you know if you are worried about it, ALL 4 of my kids had to have soy but can drink regular 2% milk know. Good Luck Roberta

Add pumping in the morning and evening while nursing your child on the opposite side. I always got more this way too. It's a little awkward, but it works. Drink a full glass of water before too.

Hi B.,
Good work still nursing/pumping for your little one, even though you had to go back to work. I use a tea by Traditional Medicinals, called Mother's Milk. Whenever I am a little low, I make a strong cup, (sometimes two or three tea bags), and within an hour or so I am full and ready. Hope this helps. Have a great day! :)

My daughter turned one yesterday (I can't believe it), and I'm still breastfeeding and have been pumping at work since she was six weeks old. I agree with some of the advice people have already given you (some I just haven't experienced myself), such as pumping longer to try for a second let down, drinking a lot of fluids (water worked for me, not milk), etc. A couple of other things I might add:

I used Mother's Milk tea, which may have the same herbs others have mentioned in it, I don't know.

When I felt my milk supply was lagging, I also pumped after night feedings--feeding her on one breast, putting her down to sleep, and then staying up a bit longer to pump the OTHER side.

And they say when a mother goes back to work the baby sometimes needs more night feedings in part to make up for the lost time together. Perhaps there's something reciprocal there, too, as one of the other responses mentioned, maybe you need to spend more time with her as you can when you're home--maybe your body is reacting to the reduced time with your baby.

One final thought--I thought I had a supply problem at one point--my production dropped dramatically as you said yours did. I tried the tea, I tried more pumping, etc. Nothing. Then I thought, since my pump was a hand-me-down, maybe it was wearing out--my lactation consultant told me that could happen. I borrowed a friend's newer pump (after sterilizing everything, of course) and wham, production was back to normal. So that's something else to check--make sure your valves aren't worn out or just the pump in general before you lose faith.

The other idea I had I've never tried, but I had thought about it myself, as my baby had never had formula and when I thought I was going to have to use it, I was worried she wouldn't take it. You could try mixing some formula with some breast milk to make your milk go further and hopefully find a mix level that your baby will accept as it tastes more like your breast milk... Again, I don't know if formula packages advice against this--it was just an idea I had to try to ease my baby into taking some formula if I needed it.

And finally, when I was producing less, I became a bit overprotective of my frozen milk supply. If I felt my husband or caregiver squandered my "white gold" needlessly (thawing too much so it had to be discarded), I was all over it!

If you get your supply back up successfully, you might consider night pumping or other extra pumping a little bit to build a frozen supply just in case you have trouble again!

Good luck!

If you can you might want to talk with a lactation consultant.

There are also a number of herbal remedys available. You might want to hit your local health food store or Fred Meyer/Safeway health food section and look for Weleda brand nursing tea (or other brands).

The book, the nursing mother's companion by Kathleen Huggins says that taking fenucreek capsules (take 2 to 3 capsules, 3 times per day, pg. 78)together with blessed thistle (also in capsules 3 capsules, 3 times per day, pg 79) will increase milk production in 1 to 3 days. Those can also be found at health food stores. The only warning on fenugreek is for women with asthma- with a possible increase in symptoms.

Hope that helps!!! good luck,
N.

B.:

It seems like you have your plate full. I personally would suggest getting lots of rest when you can. You seem to work a lot and then supplying milk for a little one while you have a toddler is an extreme amount of stress in itself. Try to find times when you and your little ones can rest together and enjoy each other,

Also, a freind of mine suggested to me when I was breast-feeding and working full-time, to eat lots of grain-oatmal, ceam of wheat, etc. You'll also need to counter that with lots of fruits and vege's. The thing that worked for me was to eat a lot of eggs, fruit, vege's and then eat the breads that supply the carbs (some vege's have tons of carbs too-good carbs). Iwould also eat steak twice weekly and the rest of the time chicken or hamburger. If I didn't want meat, I would eat peanuts and fruit for a snack everyday.

The point is to make sure you are getting your nutrients and taking care of your needs while taking care of the baby. I know it's hard because I have an 11 mos old and a 4 year old, so I've been there. However, lots of rest, plenty of small meals all day long and healthy snacks and lots of fluids should get you back on track.

Also, try to reduce your stress level. That is exactly what almost stopped my milk production. A little wine a day makes that milk plentiful too. Such as, after your done feeding or pumping, or right before bed, drink a small glass of wine and it should bring in your milk fully. I wouldn't make a huge habit of this, but it won't hurt the baby, and the yeast from the wine will increase your supply. I was told this by a woman who did this with all of her children, and they all are highly intelligent kids.

Best wishes,

Kim B.

DRINK LOTS OF MILK!!! To procuce milk.

Just try to relax a bit as much as you can when you pump. Try to close your eyes, and breathe slowly. There are also teas you can drink that help your milk production, but also boost the nutrients in your milk. Usually in the natural stores like New Seasons or Whole Foods.I know you should drink alot of water in the am, and no coffee or caffeinated beverages. Good luck. It will be OK.

Hi I had the same issue when I got sick and lost my milk. The Dr. prescribed me some medication but when I looked online it said it was not safe to take while nursing. So I did some things on my own, I drank whole milk all the time and ate food with high calories, and lots of sweets, sugar, My milk came back like the day I had my daughter. I figured when your nursing you need more calories and it worked. You may gain a few pounds but it comes right off once you start getting your milk back.

I hope that helps!

Hey B.,
My lactation nurse is going to put me on Fenugreek which is a natural capsule or sometimes come in tea form. I had a breast reduction, and with my last little one I could barely pump an ounce out. So when this one comes in August I wanted to be better prepared. She did warn me that moms with a nut allergy might want to stay away from it, but other than that I heard great things by it.
Hope that helps.
H.

Everybody has provided some great advice. If you don't have it yet, there is a great book (available at most bookstores) called: "So That's What They're For!: The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide" 3rd edition by Janet Tamaro. It is a great resource and full of good advice. This may also seem simplistic but try not to think/focus on "not enough milk"/"baby not getting enough" and focus/think more on "Plenty of milk"/"I can produce all the milk my baby needs". As others said, it is stressful enough to be working and not being with your baby as much as you once were. You might be thinking "How could she possibly be getting everything she needs if I am not there for her" (I know, I did!) If you can, please try to visualize her well fed and happy/healthy when you are not with her (it may be hard at first!) Also, please try to feel thankful to your amazing body for all that it does for you and your baby. Kudos to you for your wonderful efforts!

Good luck!

A. :)

When I was breast-feeding I was always told that it is just like supply and demand. The more that goes out the more that will come in.

So my suggestion would be to try pumping more often maybe and make sure that you completely empty the breast.

Hopefully this helps. :)