Not Producing Enough Milk. - Charlotte,NC

Just thought I would throw my two cents in.. I personally have had major issues with my milk suppy. I've recently decided to stop breastfeeding and pumping since I was only averaging an ounce a day! My lactation consultant told me to take fenugreek 4 pills, 3 times a day and alfalfa 2 pills, 3 times a day. Now I did not notice and increase, actually seemed to decrease. However, after some research and reading - I think my body was just not going to produce enough milk anyway.. If you live in the Charlotte area and run out of fenugreek, or want to try taking it with alfalfa, I have a bunch of bottles of both that I ordered recently that are going to waste. The other thing I've been told is Mother's Milk Tea, which I know they sell at GNC for a like $5.

My OB prescribed Reglan to help me. But I do still supplement with formula. My daughter is 6 months old and from the time she was 3 1/2 months all this started. She just never seemed to be satisfied. Her ped. said as long as I breastfeed as much as I can it's ok. But that I need to just make sure she gets what she needs, be it breast or formula. Sorry I don't know anything about Fenugreek, but Reglan is what they gave me.

How many times a day are you feeding him? Also, how many ounces per feeding. I was having issues when I first went back to work and found that, as many bf babies do, my son had a tendancy to over-eat from the bottle. We had to scale back his ounces at daycare and replace with other types of reassurance (paci, rocking, holding tightly). Here is one of many websites with recommendations of how much to send to daycare http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html#calculator

I would also suggest pumping 10 minutes after feedings with him to up your supply.

Pumping is not a clear indication of how much you are producing. Make sure that you relax as much as possible and many people tend to have higher production if they are looking at a picture of their little one while pumping (a lot of it is psychological).

You can also increase the frequency of your pumpings at work to increase supply.

I have an 8 mth old and have breastfed the whole way. I have pumped 2 to 3 times a day since returning back to work and have had periods where is struggled with supply. I am more than happy to make recommendations, so if you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know. Sorry for rambling!

Try pumping on one side while he is nursing on the other, this will help the milk flow into the pump better, and also, if you let him empty the side you pumped on when he is done with the first one(hope this is making sense) then that will help too. I never had to pump because of going back to work, but there were times when I had to go out of town for the weekend and pump. When I got home, my milk supply was WAY down. No matter what kind of high tech pump you may have, it is never as efficient as your baby. So the more you can let him do the work the more you will make. Even if that means you pump a little before he eats a few times (maybe on the weekends) so that he really empties you out all the way. I know that when I returned home from weekends away I just had to let my daughter nurse as much as she wanted for a day or so (as uncomfortable as it was) to get my supply back up. Hope that helps!!

A mistake most moms who have to pump make is believe the myth that because the amount you can pump has decreased, your milk supply has decreased. That is absolutely not true! But having said that, I understand how frustrating it is when what you can pump decreases. Reglan can help, so do talk to your doctor about that. But most importantly, make sure you are nursing the baby plenty when you are home with him. That is very important in keeping your milk supply good.
Try pumping while you are nursing him. This makes it so much easier to pump, as the milk is already there! I wouldn't suggest doing it every time you nurse, as that will just get annoying, but do it often, at least for awhile. You can also try switching pumps. Sometimes the pump that worked so well at first, doesn't work so well after a couple of months. It all depends on the pump you are using! Is it manual? You can get really good manual pumps! Medelas are the best, and they cost more, but are well worth it. If using electic, make sure it's a good electric, because a cheap electric pump is worse than a halfway decent manual pump!
You may need to pump a little more than usual if you are able. It's important to keep your breasts stimulated throughout the day. At least hand express milk when you are at work, but try to store what you express so you can use it later!
Please feel free to contact me personally. There are also other herbs you can try. I have a whole book about herbs and breastfeeding!

PS. As someone else mentioned, DON'T put cereal in the bottle. Not only is it a choking hazard, it's also a sure way to make that baby gain lots of weight that will just sit there, very umcomfortably. If your doctor suggested it (which now, every doctor suggests it for every baby,) ask him why exactly and for how long. Do what you feel you need to do, but if you continue, give as little as possible. That cereal isn't made for drinking. It's very thick and hard to swallow and digest

Check out www.breastfeedingwomen.com they have a tea that has fenegreek, blessed thistle, fennel seed, anise, and alfalfa that she guarantees will help increase you milk supply and it is all organic and natural so you shouldn't experience complications. There are also prescription medications that can help increase your milk supply, but I would stay away from those at all possible. Good luck.

This is not scientific at all - just my own experience. I try soy milk and that seems to really work for me. I think it's all the estrogen in soy milk or something. Hope it works for you.

Yes, Oatmeal. It works My friend told me that by eating oatmeal it helps with production, I have no idea why but it does. I know when I first started I say some changes too, but dom't worry. The best advice I did get about breastfeeding was that whenever you get a prescription from a dr, (male more than felmae dr.s) and you ask about taking the medication and breastfeeding they will probably tell you to stop breastfeeding without even looking it up. PLEASE DON"T DO THIS. Call you OBGYN or the hospital where you had your baby and give them the name of the medicine you are supposed to take and they will look it up too see. SO many Dr.s do not take the time or want to take the time to look it up. there are so many medications that are completely safe to take while nursing but dr.s do not want to take the risk. hope i have helped.
E. b

Hello S.,
I would like to say much of the decrease could be from stress levels. Now that you are back at work, your body is taking on changes. Try to relax when pumping and think about your child. Like said also, try increasing your pumping times. You may also try getting warm packs and placing them on your chest prior to pumping to help stimulate your milk supply. Good luck and I hope all works out :-)

Hi S., Congrats on the baby! I make sure that I eat a lot more dairy - at least 4 servings per day. I'll drink milk, eat yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. I also used a tea called Mother's Milk. I found it at Earth Fare. It worked like magic for me! I hope that helps & enjoy your baby!
Y.

First, you should never add cereal to a bottle. It is a choking hazard. If you are feeding cereal, do so by spoon.

My guess is that your supply dwindling coincides with your introduction of solids. Try to cut back on the solids. Maybe every two to three days. Keep the baby on your breast as much as possible while at home. If he uses a paci, try comfort nursing him instead while you're home. Eat lots of oatmeal, offer him the breast as much as possible. Also check your pump to make sure it is working 100%. It could be that it's not suctioning the way it used to and contributing to your supply problems.

Ask your doctor for a perscription of Reglan. It almost doubled my production. You can't take it long term though. It can have a side effect of causing depression. Another one you can take is called domperidone (name brand is Motilium). You have to get it from Canada or Mexico, but it is totally safe and recommended by the American Pediatriac Association. Hope this helps.

A.