Tips for Increasing Milk Supply

That is what they gave me for my upset stomach and nausea so strange that they would give it to you for that reason.

Never know what some drs. will do.

Go to the health food store and buy these items:

Mother's Milk Tea - drink that 3-4 times a day!
Blessed Thistle - take daily
Fenugreek - take daily

If you have any questions feel free to email me ____@____.com or the people at the health food store should be able to help you too.

This will help tremendously!!!!!

B.

Congratulations Jennifer on nursing your baby this far!
It is highly unlikely that you will "have" to stop. There are many things that you can do to boost your supply.

-When nursing at home, pump on side that baby is not on. This takes advantage of the let-down reflex on that side while your baby nurses. Also, when pumping right after a nursing, you will not be able to pump as much since your baby just ate. Also, very few women (if any) are able to pump as much as their babies are able to get out. That is, your baby nurses more milk out of you in a given amount of time than a pump ever could in the same amount of time. Hope that makes sense. My body never could let down for a pump. The most I ever was able to pump out in one sitting was 3oz. Yet my daughter was 25lbs at 8mos....solely breastfed....I can tell you that what is nursed and what is pumped out are two different things.

-Wear your baby as much as you can. Do you have a sling? You can find them on e-bay for about $25. I use a ring sling with my babies. Co-sleep if it is safe for you to do so – even if it’s just naps. The more you can be skin-to-skin (or close to it), the better. This will help your body hormonally to produce more milk.

-LOTS of water is good. Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle are good herbs. When it comes to Fenugreek, you know you’re taking enough when you’re body fluids start to smell like
maple syrup. :-)

-Traditional Medicinal makes a Mother’s Milk Tea. They recommend 3+ cups a day in order to get it to work well. I, personally, am not a hot tea person – so I made a half-gallon, sweetened it with sugar and drank it cold. It’s not the most wonderful tasting tea, but I’ve had teas that are much more bitter than this one!

-There are certain stretches and pressure points that you can do before nursing/pumping to aid the let-down reflex. 1.) Roll your shoulders around to stimulate between your shoulder blades and spine. 2.) Cross your arms at/near the wrists and, using your knuckles, rub your chest. 3.) Take 3 deep, cleansing breaths.
*Remember, you will be able to nurse/pump more if you are relaxed.

I’ve also heard that certain beers are handy for increasing supply, but I don’t know anyone with personal experience with this. It may be that the mom becomes relaxed enough to not stress over nursing, and then is able to let down/nurse more as a result. I've also heard that oatmeal is good, though I have no personal experience with that.

Also, kellymom.com is a good online resource. As far as I can tell it is all sound advice.

I know moms that have successfully used Reglan. At least half of those suffered negative side effects from the medication - namely depression. Please just be aware.

Last of all, but perhaps most important. Contact your local La Leche League leader. Phone consults are absolutely FREE. Attend a meeting if you can. That way you can hear what other moms have done that worked for them. Also it is a great source of encouragement for breastfeeding.
http://www.lllusa.org/web/SanAngeloTX.html

I hope that you find some of this helpful. If anything I wrote needs clarification, or causes you to have more questions, please do not hesitate to email me!

K. H, mama to
Catherine, 4.5y
Samuel, 19m

Some more natural remedies are eating oatmeal and drinking Mother's Milk Tea (I think that is what it is called). Just remember that you have done awesome so far!!!

I was able to keep up my milk for about 7 1/2 months by taking Fenugreek. It's herbal, you can get it at GNC. You can take 9 a day. I also drank TONS of water, and made SURE that I ate 3 full meals a day plus a couple snacks. Your body needs the food energy to produce milk. Additionally, I started pumping every hour during the day, and pumped for 10 minutes after I fed the baby to trick my body into thinking she was eating more. I kept taking the fenugreek but only had to do the additional pumping for a few days.

Good luck!
L.

you may want to look into having your hormone levels tested, especially your progesterone. I had the same problem...I took reglan and fenugreek and pumped after my baby ate....and I dried up and she wasn't gaining weight. If you suspect you have done everything possible (ie: not given any formula that might compromise your supply) then I would get the blood test to see. Sometimes a woman's body acts like it was never pregnant and doesn't have enough hormones to properly produce milk.
Good luck.

Fenugreek helped for me when I needed to increase my supply after being sick. I'm not sure if it would help you more than a prescription, but it's worth a try. Also try feeding more often.

J., my dr. had given me the same prescription and also recommended a supplement that unfortunately I cant remember what the name of it is right now, but its at GNC. Go into your nearest GNC and ask for a supplement that helps with milk production and they will no exactly what your talking about. This helped me tremendously. I still had to pump about once or twice a day, but did not have any problems with my milk supply after taking the supplement. Hope this helps. Good luck and congrats on your little one.

If you drink lots of liquids this should help. Juices, milk, water etc.

Drink lots of WATER, not just fluids, but water. Also, HEB has Mother's Milk Teas which can also help increase supply. You can also take Fenugreek (in the vitamin isle). You will start smelling like maple syrup, but it works. Also, more frequent feedings, trying different latch positions and check yourself for clogged ducts. With my first child, I got clogged ducts really bad and I just thought I was drying up. With my second, I found I was getting clogged ducts about once a week. Getting them unclogged was vital in keeping up on the breast feeding for a year. I wish you lots of luck!

relax. i know that it's very stressful to keep up breastfeeding. i went through a very similar experience. (I used herbs to boost my production - blessed thistle and fenugreek.) pump often; drink loads of water; take blessed thistle and fenugreek. stress decreases your production - so try to relax. know that your body is making enough milk for your son. keep up the good work!

Girl, I am with you...right now! Number one, RELAX! Stress will lower your milk supply. Make sure you are staying hydrated, water is the best. Also, if you like the taste of beer, have 1(or 2 for that matter). I think the Hopps in the beer stimulates milk production...it really works!! Also, try drinking Mother's Milk tea...found at health food stores. You might also try contacting a lactation consultant. Good Luck!!

Call your laction consultant and ask about Phenugrek (?sp) you take way more than the labeled dosage and it should help you with milk supply, you will smell like syrup but it works. Also you could ask your OB about a supplemental Prolactin...Also make sure you are drinking at least 3Liters of water a day. They also have a tea at like GNC called mothers milk...
Good Luck!

The easiest and fastest way in my experience is to buy "Mother's Milk" Tea from GNC. Brand is Traditional Medicinals. I love ice cold herbal tea, so I bought a large percolator specifically to make this (and ice cold spearmint tea now that I'm not bf now). My percolator is 12 cups and it only needs one teabag, and sweeten to taste. It's great chilled, but I don't care much for hot tea. Anyway, this is very fast, because you can drink a ton and you feel the difference within a few hours. I've used this for 3 of my four bf children when I've needed a boost. Healthy, safe, delicious, and fast. Also, remember that a high sugary diet and relatively little nutrition will deplete your milk supply.

Hi J.,
I did not have trouble with this issue, but I do know that in the olden days, wet nurses were given beer to boost their milk supply. Wet nurses were women who nursed other people's babies, and kept it up for long periods of time. Maybe you could research that on the internet. I think the thought now is the B vitamins in the beer helped the nursing ladies. Are you drinking lots of water, and getting enough rest? Your body is designed to produce milk under the right conditions. I wish I knew more about milk supply so I could help you. You have given it your all. Wishing you the best. K.

Hi J.,
I had this problem with my oldest (now almost 12). She was born with a weak sucking reflex and could not BF. I pumped for six weeks, but was never able to get my supply up to what she needed, even pumping around the clock every 3 hours. I was told that some women just don't get the stimulation they need from the pump. I tried Reglan but couldn't tolerate it (did a number on my tummy). I guess my first question to you would be...was the drop off in your supply precipitated by anything? Sometimes, if they baby is going thru a growth spurt, they will seem to want to nurse constantly, which makes mom think that her supply must not be adequate to feed baby. She then begins supplementing with a little formula here and there...baby is satisfied by the formula and then doesn't want to nurse as much, which in fact DOES cause a drop in mom's milk supply. An increase in baby's frequency or duration of nursing does not necessarily indicate an inadequate supply. It is nature's way of assuring that mom maintains the supply that baby needs. My suggestion to you would be to try nursing EXCLUSIVELY for a few days. You will be exhausted and feel like your son is always at your breast, and baby will possibly be fussy at first, but this is the only way I know of to get your supply back up. You may want to consider taking him to bed with you at night (if it is safe...no soft bedding, pillows, etc...if you can sleep separately from your husband for a night or two just to get some good solid nights of nursing in, it could help). Ultimately, I had two other children and successfully nursed both of them for over a year. However, I was careful never to supplement with formula to make sure my supply never had a chance to drop off. I am certainly no expert--just a mom with some experience with breastfeeding--so don't do anything your doctor or lactation consultant has advised against! There is occasionally the rare mom who really doesn't have a sufficient supply, so you will have to be careful and monitor baby closely. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck!
Lynn

My daughter (2 months) was acting hungry after her last feeding (9pm). I supplemented with defrosted Breast M and then pumped, added pumping immediately after BF for the 1st 2 feedings in the morning and have noticed marked improvement in my supply. I have also reduced the use of the pacifier and increased soothing and offering of breast throughout the day. I went from being able to barely pump anything to pumping 5 ounces this morning after I fed her. What I read was that the best way to increase your supply is to have your baby stimulate your breast.

HOpe this helps.

J.,
Your problem could be something as simple as not drinking enough water.
My kids are grown and married now; I did nurse them each about 9 months, but their interest dwindled as my supply was never super abundant.
Through the years, as I was around my friends who nursed their kids too, and I noticed that they
always sat down to nurse with a glass of water for themselves. None of them had trouble with having enough milk. When my daughter had her son nearly 10 months ago, I encouraged her to drink a glass of water at least every time she sat down to nurse. She has also had plenty of milk.
Until very recently, I was never a person who drank anything unless I was really thirsty. No water throughout the day. Looking back, I really believe it was behind my supply troubles. I just cant believe my doctor, the pediatrician or even my mother didnt advise me that I needed to drink a lot of fluid while I was nursing! It seems so obvious now.
Good luck to you. Be persistent! It is so worth the effort.

dear J.,
start to nurse him more often. ive heard of this happening alot, where women are completely dry. when i began to go through something simular i would literally nurse my baby evey hour, thats if hell take it. my daughter would not leave my arms. she would nurse, and then cry, and then nurse. persevere though. try not to give in and give him a bottle, but every few hours if your worried about him not getting enough. the more vigorously he feeds the quicker your supply will come in. you may be tired and sore but after he has stimulated your breast for so long you may be surprised to wake up extremely engorged the next morning. good luck.
M.

J. I understand what you are going through. Try actually nursing him more instead of pumping. I found my son helped better than the pump. Also I took Fenugreek and drank Mothers Milk (it's really a tea and tastes horrible but just add some honey). You can find both of these at a health food store. Also I found that if I was stressed that my milk supply dwindeled (sp). So trying doing yoga strectches or pilates. Just relax....that's the best advice I can give. Good luck sweetie and congrats for making such a wonderful choice.

I had the same problem. I used a herbal formula from http://www.motherlove.com/. They have several to choose from. They pretty much incompass everything that was said by everyone else. They have all the milk increase herbs and grain alcohol. I suggest the pill form because the liquid is disgusting, but they really work. I know how frustrating it is. Keep on going. We are at 6 months now and going strong.

mother's milk tea & fenugreek supplements. both at whole foods. make sure you check w/ dr. to be sure they don't interact with what he has you on. good luck!! i have a gavin, too; love that name!!

ok I had very bad experiences with lactation consultants. The first thing is to forget everything they said and re-form a feeding relationship with your baby. Stress can reduce milk production and low milk production causes stress. Try to relax. You are also in TX in the summer. Have you been drinking enough water for your body to use, plus enough to be used for milk? I am not talking about soda or juice, but real water! Do try to cut back on soda of any kind and for salt in general. Also stay away from coffee and tea as they are also diuretics and will make you lose water. If none of these things pertain to you, or if you have tried them all to no avail, then please don't be too h*** o* yourself. You are not the only one in this situation. As long as you are providing your child with the proper nutrients to grow healthy and strong, you are doing your job as a mother. We are lucky to live in a society where we can have formulas with DHA and RHA (are in breastmilk). Just make a valiant effort at the nursing thing and then re-focus on the joy of having an infant.

Stressing out about breast feeding certainly won't help the supply any. Take comfort that your child is happy and healthy and if the milk supply doesn't come there are some very well balanced nutritious formula's out there. I would be more concerned with putting drugs in my body that feeding my baby formula.

D.

J.

The most important thing to do is to try and relax. stressing out can cause you to dry up. There are herbal teas that can help. Beer is also good with increasing milk. I find that the dark beers with lots of hops worked better for me. I drank a half a beer a day. Another thing you could try is the more mama's milk Cd from Earth mama Angel baby. I found it very helpful when trying to relax. It has visualizations to help with let down and it also gives support and encouragement. Good luck!
M. K
PS: Also stay away from parsley and sage. These herbs are said to decrease milk.

www.earthmamaangelbaby.com

Hi J.,

I've used Fenugreek. It's an herb that you can buy @ HEB, online or at The Vitamin Shoppe. It really helped me quite a bit. Other things I've done to help...3 Ovaltine shakes a day (the malt in it has something to do with increasing supply)& Tasty Nursing Mom's Tea. I get my tea from a place online and it tastes soooo much better than any of the others I've tried. Her website is www.tubsntea.com She's a midwife but I talked to her after my 2nd set of twins and she really helped me get my milk supply up. I'd recommend the Tasty Nursing Mom's Tea II & Lactura Virosa.

I did all 4 of those things and it made a huge difference in my supply. Another great website is www.kellymom.com. I read for hours about different things to help.

I hope all of that helps! My twin girls are 3 1/2 months and nursing well again. My first set weaned themselves early so I'm praying that I can go the full year as well.

Have an awesome day!
A.

I have had the same problem from the beginning. I was told to try the herbs Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle. They worked a little for me, but I got really tired of taking 20 pills a day! I have had to supplement with formula (even when taking the herbs) and luckily my little girl still nurses like a pro. Don't feel bad if in the end you have to supplement. You are doing a wonderful job and even just a little bit of your milk will help give your baby the extra protection that nursing gives babies. Keep up the good work and stay stress free even if you do have to do both. It is OK!

Take a look at these areas of your life:

Are you drinking plenty of water and other fluids?
3 quarts a day is ideal. Yes, you'll use the restroom a lot, but it's worth it to increase your milk supply.

What is the stress level like in your life? Nothing dries up a milk supply like stress. Women in third world countries nurse for years and don't have nearly the supply of food and water we have, but they have an amazing support system within their families and communities. Try to relax and get others to help you, so you can just focus on bonding with your baby and relaxing.

I am a mother of two and had a brilliant lactation specialist help me with the same thing. These are the two key points that turned the tide and allowed me to continue nursing.

All my best to you,

J. Wilson

I have had a low milk supply from day one and have to supplement with some formula at most feedings. But I have read that some breast milk is better than none so I have kept nursing despite the frustration. I researched some on the web and decided to try a supplement from the health food store. Ask for something like Mother's Milk. It has really helped. I still have to supplement, but I can tell my daughter is getting more milk. There is also a tea that I purchased. I really recommend trying this strategy. I was skeptical at first but I noticed a difference the second day. Good luck!

I am having success with pumping every 2-3 hours for at least 12 minutes, drinking more water, and taking Healthy Nursing Tea by secrets of tea....Good luck!

hi, i belong to the thirld world country .i too failed at nursing my child coz i was so stressed at the thought of failing.but will tell you why most of the women in thirdworld/ developing countries do.(advised by our grand mothers tried and tested).

1)take lots of fluids specially water and milk.
2)take fenugreek (not the supplements but we get them in the pure form).
3)eat lot of garlic.they eat 4-5 garlic pieces 3 times a day.this worked for me.though it does not taste good.i used to saute the garlic in butter and garnish with salt and chilli powder.
4)they also eat lot of goat meat and fish.
5)eat wheat bread.
6)most importantly they nurse so frequently throughtout the day.they do not have the option of pumping and storing and hence have to nurse frequently.)i went wrong exactly here.i too started pumping and using formulas though my mom warned me (my mom is a doctor).she said that the milk production was something like a demand and supply equation.the more the demand
(sulking) from your child the more will you produce .so i started eating the above and started well again.
hope these help you. all the best.