Low Milk Supply Following surgery....please Help!

I had the same problem following a recent foot surgery! I am not sure WHY this worked but it is THE only thing that worked. More frequent nursing just turned me into an all night pacifier! The pump didn't work, stimulating the glands didn't work, drinking more water didn't work, avoiding pain meds and caffeine didn't work. This Maxi Milk herbal stuff worked. I'm not one that uses only herbal supplements for things. I've always been hesitant but in my desperation a friend recommended it and it worked! Almost worked TOO well!!!!!!!! Now I have a freezer of excess from when I took it!
Here is the link where I got it.

http://www.mountainmeadowherbs.com/maximilk-4oz-p-153.htm...

Good luck! That is a frustrating experience but you will get through it! :)

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Try eating some oatmeal if you like it. For some reason I craved oatmeal and ate it with peanut butter every day for the first 3 months of my daughter's life. Then later read an article that it has been shown to increase milk supply. i Probably not a miraculous increase, but every little bit helps. It sure is tough to nurse and pump while working- I had to give up at 12 months. Kudos to you for hanging in there, and good luck!
L.

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Anesthesia and pain medication decrease milk supply. You are doing the right things to increase your milk supply, but you may not be taking enough fenugreek. Do you smell like maple syrup? If not, you are not taking enough. Talk to your OB our pediatrician about how much to take. You can also ask about a perscription medication called reglan. It is used to treat nausea, but also increases milk supply. Hope this helps. M. Marcy, registered nurse

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Hi L. -- try Motherlove's More Milk Plus to boost your milk supply. It's great in the convenient veggie caps and available as tinctures as well. Pick it up at Whole Foods or Pharmaca or directly from Motherlove at www.motherlove.com

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Keep nursing... don't stop! Your supply requires continued nursing to develop. Also: "MORE MILK PLUS" is a god send! I know women who have had NO milk and it has helped so much. Call Motherlove or www.motherlove.com to talk to someone, and do it today, get it started asap! If you want to continue nursing your sweet baby, I believe this will help. You are such a good mom to continue nursing, and I am so glad you asked for help. I always remind women, it requires so much support to breastfeed our children, and asking for it is half the battle.

Good Luck and happy nursing!
S.

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Hi L., I'm new to this site but your request for help caught my eye - it's something i may have some advice on. One of my friends did try a prescription for the problem, but it caused her so much anxiety (a side effect) that she had to stop - it wasn't worth the quality of life shift. Other, less invasive things that have worked for myself or others include: Fenugreek (like you said), any Mother's Milk teas you can find, More Milk Plus (a short-term solution, a tincture to be taken several times a day) and ... get this ... oatmeal water. It works - I tried it! Boil 1/4 cup oatmeal very slowly with oh, say 4 cups of water, until a lot of the 'essence' of the oats has come out into hte water. Strain the liquid, then drink and try to enjoy. Yeah, it's nasty, but when my milk was low this was my mom's suggestion - she used it after she had surgery when I was a baby, and it worked like a charm. Good luck - I know low milk is stressful!

S.

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I'm a lactation consultant. I 'planted a tree', an offer from a long distant friend and ended up on this site. I just caught your question and thought I'd respond.
Having surgery and going back to work are big 'hits' on your milk supply. First, what kind of pump do you have? Brooklyn is 7 mo. How often does she nurse? I like to try first with more stimulation both with the baby, as much as she will nurse. Keep her close to you whenever you are around and let her nurse whenever she and you can do that. She is the best stimulation you have. Then use the pump at least 15 min, double pump (for the most hormone release) after each feed, if possible and as often as you can....up to 8 times a day. I know this is lots....but if you can focus for two-three days of just being nuts about stimulation and physical closeness, often times that in itself helps. You said you had difficulties with supply to start. I might help to use a herbal product. I know of Lactaflow (at Baby, Mother and More), take two droppersful in a small amount of water (doesnt' taste great, just down it!) 4 times/day.

Under 'edits'...the pain pills don't hurt milk supply, antihistamimes do, for sure and lack of stimulation for a day or two does. Maybe having your wrist out of commission kept you from nursing?
Mother's Milk Tea is a fairly weak, but sometimes effective help. Lactaflow is better for more severe situations. Let me know what you think. B.

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HI! I had an issue when I was nursing with producing milk - I was told to take Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle twice a day -within a few days I was able to keep up with my baby :0)

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One thing that can help is oats. If you don't like oatmeal, you can soak the oats in water and use it to make juice or tea. Usually works within a few days. I'm a midwife, mother of four and grandmother of two. You can check my website for lots of stories and info. inspiringbirthstories.com Best of luck with your family.

D.

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Lyn,

I struggled with my mild supply for a couple of months, I am so impressed that you are working & breastfeeding! Good for you!

My MD prescribed Reglan, which did not increase my milk supply-- just made me drowsy. What did work for me was a combination of fenugreek and an herbal supplement called More Milk Plus. I have only used them together, so I don't know if it was one or a combination of the two that caused my milk supply to increase in a matter of days.

If you have not already, contact a lactation consultant, most hospitals & some pediatricians offices have one that you can talk to for free. Find a local vitamin shop/herb store, they may have a recommendation. More Milk Plus is made by Motherlove Herbal Company, www.motherlove.com.

I hope that helps--best of luck to you!

R.

I just remembered one other thing... my yoga instructor specializes in pre & postnatal yoga gave us all cookies from the dutch bakery after we delivered...I want to say they had fennel (I hope I am remembering right) on them, she said these cookies are served to women in the hospital after giving birth in Holland. Worth a try, besides the cookies were yummy!

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