One More Question About My Low Milk Supply!

Hi S., I'm a nurse and I teach many mothers about breast feeding, I also nursed my children. I would recommend that you continue with the tea and the fenugreek, I used them both and they do work. But first you must relax and decrease your stress level, and get plenty of rest. You must continue with your pregnancy water requirements per day. Eat 3 well balanced meals a day, including nutiritous snacks in between. Try pumping less frequently do it about every 3 hrs, and pump for a longer amount of time about 20 minutes if you are using an electric pump, longer if you are using a manual pump. drink water while you are pumping. Think about your baby while you are pumping a picture will help. This is an extremely critical time for your milk supply, if you can get someone to help you with your 2 year old, the housework, and help watch the baby while you get some rest do so.

I ended up taking Domperidone (a prescription not sold in the US, but in other countries to up milk supply). I was able to EP for 8 months for my preemie.

If this method doesnt work, email me and I will get you the info on the other!

My 75 year old Grandfater told me to drink a beer. Oh my gosh! I should have drank half a beer, in a matter of hours I had so much milk I was leaking everywhere. I don't like beer but I got it down and was glad I did. I had not had enough to satisfy my 3 month old and was having to give him formula too. Untill my Grandfater told me to drink a beer. I felt ok with this because I felt it was better than putting medicins into my milk. The beer has a good amount of yeast in it and the old timmers felt it to be healthy.
Good luck!

Yes, I have used, and still use fenugreek for milk supply. Start by taking two capsules, 3 times a day. If you don't see an increase in 1-3 days, increase to three capsules, three times per day. If your sweat starts to smell like fenugreek, kind-of like maple syrup, then it is working. And make sure to drink LOTS of water.
Good luck.
Barb

being an old mom who breast fed all 6 of mine , the more you let them suck the more milk you will have, also drink lot and i mean lots of water, you may not think you have enoug milk but you will. some babies for the first few months like to be on tit always i had 2 that did and grew up reall good, by the way they we very big babies 9 and 10 #s. just relax and enjoy this time in your life, it passes really fast. never used pumps. did feed othere babies too, including my 1st grand child when my daughter had mastitus. stillhad plenty of milk for my baby. you may reite me at ____@____.com hope i helped. do not know about pills. D.

You should pump the same amount of time on each side that your baby usually takes to finish.

My lactation nurse at our pedi office had me take 3 fenugreek 3 times a day and that WILL work...wow. It does not take long. I also did the Mother's Milk tea, but the fenugreek did work faster and was easier for me to keep up with taking. Hang in there.

Bless your heart. I went through the same thing. Fenugreek is important. So is blessed thistle. If you have trouble finding them, Special Addition carries them. You can pump for 10 minutes per side or 15 if you're pumping both at once. Stick with it. Your body will get there. It just needs to trust that you need the milk. Consistency in feedings is what does it. Also, it's important to know that once you jump start your supply, you may have a whole lotta milk. If your breasts aren't getting emptied, you could have a problem there as well. So when you go to get your herbs, pick up some granulated Lecithin to sprinkle on your cereal (1T per day). It will prevent clogs in your milk ducts. Good luck!

Hi S. -

I hope that you are doing well and feeling better... low milk supply is very stressful on a nursing mother. I'm sure you already had all the response about drinking plenty of water, cutting out all caffeine (if you can, if you can’t then reduce it greatly), do not take any antihistamine (no one in the hospital told me this one and it affected my supply), etc. I had a lactation consultant come out and she also suggested Blessed Thistle. I did not use the Fenugreek since the Blessed Thistle worked so well so quickly. Another thing is to make sure that you are supporting the baby’s head properly for latching… I know this sounds silly, however I have had more than one friend mention this as causing issues with nursing their second child (seems like we can forget a lot from one child to the next… lack of sleep plays a big part in that I’m sure!). 

Best of luck, and remember to enjoy this time!

Pumping every two hours is great. I would pump for at least 15 minutes but no more than 20. Sometimes, I would pump for 30 minutes but that was only when I was really full, usually first thing in the morning, just to get out as much as I could. Any longer than that causes for very sour nipples. I took the herb you are referring to and have had great results. I took the brand called More Milk Plus. Hope you are having success. By the way sleep is sooooo important to your milk supply.

Yes, pump for 10-15 minutes. It's actually the frequency and not so much the length that will matter the most. Ten minutes is great...fifteen is too, if you are able. I totally missed your first post on this! Fenugreek is a great help for milk supply. I'm not sure how soon you should see a difference. Whenever there is any change in milk supply (like if the baby is getting ready for a growth spurt), they will generally nurse a ton - sometimes every 30 minutes, and it will feel like you're empty - and it won't be until 2-3 days later until your supply responds and you suddenly will have a ton of milk. I'm not familiar with why you are having low supply issues, but that's about what is normal whenever there is a need for more milk - 2 to 3 days for a response. I'm sure it's already been suggested, but nurse as much as you possibly can. Even if you feel empty. With low supply you don't want to go longer than three hours without nursing (or pumping - but nursing is the best).

Good luck!! It's great you are doing so much to help your supply. Also, oatmeal is supposed to be really helpful - old fashioned, not instant oatmeal.

acupuncture can help increase milk production.

I don't know about milk supply, I didn't breast feed my son when he was born 22years ago. But i do know a little about Fenugreek. It cleanses the body of toxins! I've been taking it for a couple of Years. it helps to remove junk from your digestive tract (intestines, colon etc.) helps your body function better like an engine that gets a tune up! So that's just an added benefit along with apparently increasing your milk supply!

Hi, I've used Mother's Milk Tea, which is made with fenugreek. I could ever tell if the tea worked or if my supply went up because of the increase in fluid. I never tried the pills because I read that they make you smell like maple syrup. The best thing I ever did to increase my supply was to put my baby to the breast at least once an hour, even if just for a few minutes.

Fenugreek response varies... but as far as pumping, you should be nursing on demand and pumping some extra milk after the baby seems done. (Pumping at different times just means your body thinks it needs to feed your baby at that time everyday.)
I could take about 1 to 2 weeks to get your milk up.

I have three boys, all nursed for almost a year but really hard when my supply went way down about 5-6 months. To keep my milk up and going I took 2 Fenugreeks with each meal (totaling 6 a day)and when I pumped I would pump for 20 minutes on each side and really try for a second let down with each breast. I massaged as pumping to empty milk ducts well. Hope this helps. Any more questions please ask!

I use Fenugreek. I am still nursing my 15 month old. I had to use it when I needed to take medicine for my runny nose & earache. I always drink lots of water. To me the most important thing about breast feeding is being relaxed. I do remember that when my daughter was about 3 weeks old, she would suck non stop and never seem satisfied. It's just a growth stage that is to increase the supply. Most important is to relax & it will all get easier. I swear that breast feeding is so awesome because it makes things so much easier after you get over the one month to six week hump. It's all uphill after that. It can be a bit time consuming but a great out from other responsibilities. Sorry, can't do that...I'm feeding the baby..lololol.

I started seeing improvement in about a week - maximum improvement was closer to 3 weeks. Make sure you're staying SUPER hydrated, too... you never want to get thirsty.

I pumped till I was empty + 2 minutes on each side.

S.

I had the exact same problem b/c my 4 month old began sleeping through the night, and I didn't get up to pump. Milk supply dwindled to about an ounce per side...I would have moved on the the Fenugreek & herbal teas, but I wanted to try round the clock pumping first. That is the exact schedule I did, every 2 hours during day, then every 3 at night. I was actually suprised it took as long as it did to come back (I expected within 2 days), but STICK WITH IT. By the 4th/5th day it had noticibly improved, and after 7/8 days production was back in full swing. I'll say it again, DON'T GIVE UP!!!

I'm late getting into this so it may not be anything new. There's no pump made as efficient as a baby, so nurse as much as possible. A personal use pump like a Pump in Style is not enough to replace a baby-you need a hospital grade rental if you're not nursing. Try combining the Fenugreek with Blessed Thistle. I'm a Breastfeeding Educator in Texas and we have access to research indicating that this combination is more effective that just either alone.
Pump no longer than 15 minutes if you're not nursing and about 10 after nursing. Frequency is more important than duration.
I'll be praying for you-Susan

Since Fenugreek is herbal, it'll vary woman to woman on how quickly it affects things. The general consensus among my friends who've taken it is one week. They also said that their sweat and urine smelled like maple syrup once it was really in their systems...
as to pumping -- if it were me, I would pump 15min during the day and 10min at night -- the less I'm awake at night the better as far as I'm concerned :-)
K., mama to
Catherine, 4yrs and
Samuel, 1yr

I have found that Fenugreek works pretty fast when I have taken it. There is another product that is fantastic called "more milk plus" It has helped many of my clients who needed a bit more umph than just fenugreek. It is in tincture form and can be found at Whole Foods. Eating oatmeal every day may also be helpful.

You may need to get more rest. Maybe you can take a nap when your baby does. Also, put a hook up high on your bedroom door, put some small toys in the room, and let the 2 yr old play while you sleep. Also of course the usual, drink a lot more water, nurse real often, eat balanced meals. And when you nurse, the baby gets most of the milk in the first five minutes; after that it is mostly for comfort. Rotate sides, start on the opposite side each time. Nurse every hour or two for the little one. It will build your milk supply.

Marge Wood, former LLL leader, a million years ago, grin.

I took Fenugreek when I was breast feeding and drank mother's milk tea. It definitely helped. I went from pumping 2 ounces to 8 ounces but I had to work at it and it took a little while for it to build. I think for some of us, breast feeding is a lot of work. I'm not sure why! Best of luck to you!

Please take it easy on yourself!!! I had the same problem. I tried everything including hiring a doula, a lactation specialist, taking phenogan and getting smashed 15 minutes prior to pumping to relax enough to let my milk down via advice from the pediatritian. The thing that helped the most was renting a hospital grade pump through a breastfeeding supply store (Special Addition in Austin is great about $70 per month). 8 weeks later I still only produced 2 ounces a day! I was relieved when I made the decision to stop trying to breast feed (I was also able to drink a margarita that night and begin a diet the week after). I gave my son all that I could and he is a thriving, chunky, healthy, and happy 2 year old. Please try the hospital grade pump for 1 month! I hated phenogan (via a prescription from a doctor), but the side effects made me nervous and more depressed. Seek help/guidence from you OBGYN and call Special Addition! Also, do something nice for yourself because you deserve it!!!

I took Fenugreek when I first starting nursing my newborn over 8 years ago.
I believe it does help. However, you are already doing the best thing you can do for low milk is nurse, nurse, nurse and nurse some more! And when you arent nursing, you are pumping in between. Milk supply isnt always in abundance right away. As long as your baby is getting satisfied you've done your job. They know when they are done. I wouldn't pump too much, so there is time for the milk to come back in for the baby. Over pumping can get in the way of nursing. I wouldnt pump over 10 min.
Also, stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and remember to try to eat as healthy as possible.

Hope this helps!
C.

As far as length of time pumping to increase your supply, every Lac spec I've ever talked to told me at least 15 mins.

I use the tea and add a splash of pure cranberry juice to make the flavor better. Sometimes I add honey, sometimes I like the tart taste.

Blessings~

This happened to me too and it was so easy to fix. I was not drinking enough water.
As soon as I started to swig tons of water my milk increased like gangbusters!
R.

On my second child I was low on milk so I started drinking ... well its a healthy shake. you can find it at walmart. It was in the baby area. sorry i cant come up with the name. If its not in the baby area its by the meds. It says on there for breastfeeding moms. It helped a lot. If I come up with the name ill get back to you. Good Luck

When I drank a glass of wine in the evenings, my milk supply increased. Just one glass each night was all it took to open the floodgates!

Hey Mama! Good for you for working so hard to keep your supply up for your baby. Mama's milk is now and always will be the best for that little bundle of love.
I lived for fenugreek for two years. My daughter nurses once a week now (she's 3.5) and my supply is NO more being that I'm expecting number two. But I needed it from 6 months to 2.5 - You should be taking THREE fenugreeks THREE times a day. I know, you're thinking "NINE PILLS A DAY?!"
and yes...that's correctly. What did LLL tell you? I know a fab lactation consultant. Mellanie Shephard. I don't have her # right by me, but she's in arlington, email me for it if you're interested. It should take SEVEN days to see results with the fenugreek. Just keep at it and you'll notice your arm pits and other *ahem* moist spots will start smelling like maple syrup. One morning you'll wake up with milk supply galore and fenugreek will be to thank! You should be pumping 10 minutes on each breast (at least) - 15 wouldn't hurt.
Good luck!
T.
Mama to Zoey Star 9*9*04
Baby Z.S. Due 9*?*08

Hi, S.! I took Fenugreek to increase my milk supply and it worked great! It'll even make your sweat smell sweet! Try saying that really quickly five times! One other thing ... it may increase your appetite. I was always hungry! Other than that, it worked just great! :-)

I took Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle and it didn't work for me as far as milk supply. But what doesn't work for one may for another.

Pumping (with a high grade quality pump) and constantly feeding my baby is what increased my milk supply with most of my babies. There isn't a set time for pumping. Pump until your milk is gone and maybe a few minutes more. Sometimes that will be 10 minutes, other times 25 minutes. But you MUST stay hydrated. WATER, WATER, WATER, and more WATER!

But even with that sometimes your body just doesn't want to produce milk. And if that happens, you haven't failed you or your baby. It just happens. It happened with me on my 5th child. No matter what I tried, my milk would never increase enough to completely fulfill my baby's needs. So I supplemented with formula. It happens sometimes. I fed him as much as I could and he got a bottle the rest of the time.
Baby number 6, didn't have much trouble at all. Everytime is different.

Best of Luck!

I personally have never tried fenugreek, but when I was concerned about my milk supply my midwife suggested drinking a little DARK beer. The hopps that is used to make dark beer is rich in nutrients, and I can tell you first hand that it really works. I actually produced so much milk that I became engorged, which is pretty impressive for an "F". Drinking a small amount does not contain enough alcohol to affect your baby (breast-feeding mothers should never get drunk), and I personally feel better having a few sips as opposed to taking pills. My two beautiful, happy & healthy daughters (ages one and two-and-a-half) are a testament to how effective & safe it is.

the mom of 6 has hit the nail on the head. Breast feeding is about supply and demand. Pumps can not stimulate your body to produce more milk because emptying the breast is best done by babies. If you just take a day to let your baby use you as a pacifier (get comfy!), you will see improvement in 24 hours. Keep at it until he's satisfied!

This is a huge luxury for stay at home moms. If you're working, spend every moment at home with a baby at your breast. I have done both. Also rest assured that your pump quantity is a fraction of what your baby gets straight from the breast.

Think about it. If women in 3rd world countries can nurse their children until an average age of 4 because they have no choice, surely you can relax and let your baby do what he is engineered to do! Quit worrying and start lactating, Mom!

Whenever I've needed to take it, it takes about 3-5 days for me to see a noticeable difference in my supply. However, I know others than see a big difference within 24 hours!