Improving Milk Supply

Updated on December 27, 2015
R.R. asks from Tacoma, WA
37 answers

My 4 mo. old son is completely healthy, but his weight is on low end for his height. My ped suggested changing my diet to increase my breastmilk supply and the caloric content of it, or supplement with formula. I'd like to begin by improving my milk to see if that works, before going to formula. Any tips? p.s. My diet is largely vegan (but I'm open to consuming more meat, some dairy)

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

M.A.

answers from Seattle on

I use the Fenugreek, i got a bottle very cheap at GNC, it worked, and it will not harm the baby. And drink lots of water

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.W.

answers from Portland on

Didn't read all the responses, but the key is to EMPTY the breast each time--even if it means pumping after a feeding. It's emptying the breast that triggers more production.

Another way to help this is breast massage. Find the milk glands, right up where your breast is connected to your chest, and after each feeding or pumping session, go around as far as you can and massage each (in a circular motion) a bit to let down whatever milk is still being held up there. I read this can increase production up to 30 percent. If you want to be sure you're doing it right, do it towards the end of a feeding--you'll hear the suckling pick up as the flow gets moving downward.

Herbs--fenugreek (I couldn't do brewer's yeast) and Mother's Milk tea, for sure. Drink lots of water too.

1 mom found this helpful

J.S.

answers from Seattle on

Breastfed babies are usually on the "low" end of the growth chart. I have been on WIC with my kids for 6 years, and they are just now putting out a new growth chart for exclusively breastfed babies this fall. (My nutritionist said it's about time, as they've always known it to be true that the breastfed babies grow differently than the formula-fed ones.)

As long as you are eating a well balanced diet your breastmilk will change in nutrients as your baby's needs require (wonderful thing God made that formula can't duplicate). I wouldn't worry too much. All my girls have been in the 90th percentile for height and 60s or below for weight. My sister's kids were "normal" height and in the 10th percentile for weight! All were breastfed and all are doing great a few years later.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.W.

answers from Portland on

There is a herb called fenegreek that can be purchased at a store like GNC or a herb store. I used this while my daughter was in the NICU to keep my milk in since she couldn't nurse at the time. I makes you smell like maple syrup. I did research about fenegreek to find out the side affects and there weren't any. It was a nice option that didn't hurt me or my daughter. Side note: I did use it with my other 2 children just to help out.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.B.

answers from Seattle on

My now 11 year old daughter had trouble gaining weight in the beginning, too. My midwife sent me to a lactaction specialist who advised taking fenugreek capsules, which seemed to help a great deal (although in the heat of summer, my sweat smelled a little like celery!). The other thing she suggested, which would be just fine on a vegan diet, was eating lots of nuts which are high calorie and high quality nutrition. So every time I nursed, I had a dish of nuts sitting nearby and nibbled them while drinking either water or something like high fat-content milk or kefir, or a yogurt smoothie with bananas. Basically, anything highly nutritious and high calorie was recommended, and it seemed to do great. On another note, as the previous response notes, it can be just fine for some babies. My sister-in-law had an experience similar to the last person's, as she is larger and her son is and was tall and lanky. Finally my brother went with my nephew to a doctor's appointment, and when they saw he is 6'1" and weighs about 140, the dr. figured it out - he is just like his dad! Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.C.

answers from Seattle on

While I am all for healthy babies, I am very tired of hearing about doctors telling moms that their children/ babies are underweight. Look at your and husbands family. Are they thin? Even one of them? Your child is probably just right for him. Being under 1, I would work on increasing breast supply, but after 1 yr old as long as they are eating/ drinking, let them be. I had doctors tell me to give my child ice cream, butter etc... anything fatty to put weight on her. I refused to add junk to her diet- why build up her fat stores that do not go away when she is barely walking. She is now 2 and still not on the growth charts. She has had steady growth and is very physically active- so she is going to be thin. She just made it to 24 lbs. As another post suggested- lots of fluids, adding an avocado a day would add vitamins and good fat to your diet. You could also try one of the high calorie mixes that the body builders use- just make sure that they have no herbs in them.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from Eugene on

I had/have exactly the same issue as you!. My son was tiny when born and had trouble gaining weight. I was vegan (and am at heart!), but started eating some chicken, as my doctor thought that more protein in my diet would help him. She also suggested eating some dairy, as that can make milk fuller and fattier, but I am allergic to dairy so that part didn't work for me. My son is still on the small size for his height at almost 8 months, but is totally healthy and is slowly catching up...he even has rolls on his legs now (which used to be about the width of a quarter!) I have vegetarian and vegan friends who had perfectly healthy kids whom they breastfed...some of just need more protein then is physically possible (at least for me) to eat in order to create milk with enough protein and fat. I also pumped. Not sure if this help anything but my supply. Good luck!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.Z.

answers from Anchorage on

I am vegan and have a 21 lb. 7 month old. It is not necessary to eat meat! Aside from all of the other suggestions of fenugreek, mother milk tea, etc. Are you sure that you are nursing enough? If you start using formula, it is likely that your supply will further decrease. Have you cut out any night nursing? I would suggest also trying to feed while babe is sleeping during the night.

You can also seek help from the La Leche League in your area before trying formula for more suggestions. I have found them to be helpful.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.P.

answers from Portland on

You are the expert...not your doctor.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.G.

answers from Portland on

I can't speak on increasing the caloric content of breastmilk bt on the supply side, Fenugreek tablets worked great. I tried the tea first but didn't have the best results.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.B.

answers from Dallas on

Have you tried Mothers Milk Tea? Eat oatmeal 1x per day for 2 weeks. Make sure you are not overdoing it. Good resourses are La Leche League, kellymom.com and breastfeeding.com.
Some women feel like they are losing milk at this point when actually their body is getting really good at making milk on demand instead of storing it up and baby is really good at getting it all out so your breast have stopped leaking, arent as full etc. This is normal!
Good luck
Taffy
I Work From Home and YOU Can Too!
www.workathomeunited.com/BeAtHome

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.M.

answers from Seattle on

Hi R.,

I had a lot of troubles with breastfeeding from the beginning, but stuck with it anyway, even though I did have to supplement until he started solid foods. You can increase your supply by pumping after nursing him. And the more you pump, the more your supply can increase. But supplementation is a fine option, too -- and contrary to what many folks say, it doesn't mean the end of breastfeeding. I had to supplement from two weeks on but breastfed until my son was 20 months old, nonetheless. The more moms I talk to about this, the more I realize that most kids go back and forth between bottle and breast just fine...Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.H.

answers from Portland on

Hi R.,
I have had good results in the past with a tea called Mother's Milk by Traditional Medicinals and also Fenugreek. My midwife said oatmeal is one of the best milk producers too. She told me,"eat a lot of oatmeal!!". Another big one is RELAX!! I know when I am stressed that my milk is not enough I don't produce. If you are vegan you have to consume a lot calories, even more than pregnancy which I know from some of my vegan friends that struggled meeting those caloric needs. Maybe while nursing try eating more chicken or fish and other protein substances. One way you can tell the fat content of your milk is to pump and let the fat/cream settle out to the top. Mine is probably 1/3 cream. Just remember though every mama is different and so is her milk. I have the hardest time gaining in pregnancy so I drink a calorie/ protein shake that is super yummy. It is called Pro-zone and I get it at Life Source (Salem) and that helps me get more calories quickly. You are a good mama, I can hear that just by your willingness to sacrifice your diet beliefs. May you be blessed with fattening milk:)

J.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.B.

answers from Seattle on

Hi R.,
I used fenugreek, which worked great. But also keep in mind the height/weight charts used by doc's are designed for formula feed babies, who grow bigger in the first few years. Our breast feed babies catch up, just at the pace they were designed to do :) So if your boy is healthy in every other way and not hungry, maybe he is just were he should be.
T.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.G.

answers from Seattle on

Fenugreek tablets can be purchased at super supplements or Fred Meyer in the natural foods section these help with boosting the milk supply, I took Lactation Ease by Solaray this has Fenugreek and Fennel. Mothers milk tea is great to drink if you are a tea drinker. Another supplement I took while nursing was DHA from Nordic Naturals (the strawberry taste ones were not so bad) this helps with memory and mood support. When I wanted my daughter to have a more filling nursing like before bed the Dr. recommended that I eat a peanut butter sandwich and oatmeal, I did and it worked great! I hope these help!

L.U.

answers from Seattle on

Hi R. - do you feel like you have a low milk supply? Does your child cry because he is hungry? I ask this because my son was also on the low weight chart and high on the height (we are talking h-95% and w-35%). He was healthy, and happy, just VERY long, and thin! he is still VERY tall for his age (he is only 5 and as tall as second graders) and his is still very thin! His doctor also mentioned to me that he was on the thin side, but I asked myself how he was behaving. He ate, and slept, and I am fortunate that I produce enough milk for a small country (I would nurse on one side and pump 5oz out the other), so I knew he was getting plenty to eat. I think, by looking at me (I am heavy) the doctor thought that maybe he was not getting enough to eat, but he was...he's just naturally a thin boy (lucky him!). So, ask yourself the above mentioned questions, and listen to your gut! If you think he is healthy, happy, and eating enough...then he is. Those stupid charts are not always right. Good luck mama, L.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.L.

answers from Seattle on

Hi R. -- Here's a link to a post someone submitted a while ago. There is quite a bit of info there:
http://www.mamasource.com/request/2157136849695408129

Fortunately, I think all things that increase milk supply are vegan (or at least vegetarian).

Here's my response:
I would go for the pills (Fenugreek) because the concentration of the herb is higher. Just be sure to take enough -- I think the recommended amount in 9 pills per day. You know you are taking enough when you start to smell like maple syrup. This is no joke! Other tricks you can use are to eat oatmaeal (not the instant kind), stone fruits (apricots, peaches, nectarines), barley (this is the basis for the beer recommendation). You can get the same benefits from beer with the non-alcoholic varieties. I like the clausthaller (sp?) brand.

As most other people have mentioned, drink TONS of water and get plenty of rest.

You can also check out this site -- it's a great resource for breastfeeding and infant feeding in general:
http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal_galactag...
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

Good luck to you! Just remember that if you need to supplement with formula, don't feel guilty. Even if you nurse just a little bit, you and your child are still reaping the benefits. I was only able to give my daughter breast milk for four months. I cried when it was time to go to formula. But she thrived and I kept my sanity by not worrying about how much milk I was producing. A sane mama and a full baby tummy make life much, much easier.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.W.

answers from Portland on

you have alot of great responces. so I think you will do fine. when I was B feeding my boy I was Stressed to the max. it was the hardest time in my life. and my milk was not working so well with him, we were readmitted to the HOspital and I had to feed him with a saringe with formula untill he gained an OZ a day. ( more stress) I am Vegitarian so I have some simmilar diet restrictions any way someone told me to make a Nutritional Yeast drink. I would take a warm glass of watter and mix into it 2 to 3 heeping tbsp of Nutritional yeast. twice a day. after i did this my brests were bursting with milk. and we were off and Breast feeding like champs. he bulked up to 21 lbs at 5 months. I don't know if it was the N. yeast making milk.... or the extra b vitamines that helped with my stress leaval and helped me sleap at night. I really don't konw but it worked like a charm for me. pluss the extra b 12 wasn't a bad side effect either... energy for me and nutrition for my boy. a total charm I tell you. but I haven't heard any one else talk about it since..... so who knows. by boy is very healthy and amazingly smart. i wish you all the best. Don't give up.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.S.

answers from Eugene on

First, your milk supply is probably just fine. If your baby is nursing well (feeding him whenever he wants, for as long as he wants) and has wet and poopy diapers, he's probably getting plenty of milk. The fact that he is on the low end of normal on the chart is not necessarily a problem at all, it just means he isn't "average"! (and who really wants a baby who is "average"?). Especially if you are using the bottlefed chart, but even if you're using the breastfed chart, there is a wide range of what is normal and healthy, and since many babies are overweight, yours is probably actually closer to the norm of what is natural and healthy than it may appear. I'd say trust yourself and your baby. And congratulations on following a vegan diet, it is by far the best for you and your baby! (and don't listen to the people who will tell you your baby needs cow's milk as he gets older). So continue to eat really well yourself, and your baby will thrive beautifully. It's important of course to eat a balanced diet, with enough proteins and fats, but there are plenty of good vegan sources of those, nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, oils etc. Humans do not neet to eat any animal products to be healthy, in fact are much healthier without them. And I agree, lots of water in your diet is important (in fruits and vegetables, as well as plain water). If you are still wondering about you milk supply, there are herbs that can help enhance your supply.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.S.

answers from Seattle on

Let me recommend a book that was helpful to me "Nursing Mother's Companion"
Increase your calorie intake by 500 calories. Which if quality calories isn't much but necessary. Drink enough fluids. Maybe snack and drink water while nursing, some easy snacks would be a banana, nuts. For begans the book suggests supplementin with B12 especially if you don't drink milk or eat eggs.
I'm sure there are other supplements or good foods like spinach that hit many different nutrients.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.K.

answers from Seattle on

Fenugreek - an herbal supplement recommended by my naturopath worked for me.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.R.

answers from Portland on

R.,

I highly recommend the LaLeche League for advice and support. I also had trouble with my milk supply due to a thyroid problem (I had a great supply that suddenly dwindled). I brought it back with Fenugreek - much more than recommended on the bottle. My Natorpath told me to take 2 or 3 pills 3x/day (I can't remember now). It worked great. I also drank Mother's milk tea. I actually also purchased a drug only available here at Compound Pharmacies called Domperidone which some women swear by. I ended up not needing it. I took the Fenugreek for many months and now don't need it again!

I agree with other mothers here. Trust yourself and your baby. Your body is meant to feed him! My son would pull at my nipple while nursing trying to get another let-down and that is one way I knew my supply wasn't the same. I also paid attention to how much he was actively swallowing while nursing.

My Naturopath also recommends a Goat's Milk recipe if supplementation is needed.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.C.

answers from Portland on

You know, I wouldn't worry about his weight as long as he's healthy and happy! You are his mom. YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST! Breastfed babies are on the "low end" of those stupid charts anyway, but proven to be the heathiest.

However, the herbs fenugreek, nettle, strawberry leaf, raspberry leaf etc help produce more milk. Also grain quinoa and millet also are good. The key for me is drinking alot of water and eating as often as hungry. I am nursing a 9 month old. I have nursed off all my fat (skinnier than I ever have been!) and just eat like a horse, but I notice when I don't drink enough my little guy is not happy.

You might be interested in a book called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It's all about nutrition.

As a side note, I would avoid formula. The healthiest, closest thing to breast milk is goat milk.

I love Jesus too!
In His LOVE,

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.O.

answers from Corvallis on

PUMP, PUMP, PUMP. The more you stimulate the breasts the more you will produce. After every feed pump until breast emptying slows to a crawl. The added benefit of this is that now your husband can get in on the night feeds and give you a break and sleep. Sleep is HUGELY important when breastfeeding and most moms don't get enough. I also used the herbs and stuff, but really found that pumping was the key. And if all else fails DON'T FEEL GUILTY!!!! Even a little breast milk is better than none. You aren't a bad mother or less of a woman if you can't provide for 100% of your child's nutrition.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.T.

answers from Portland on

Hi- you have lots of great advice here. I had similar challenges with milk supply, so I'll add my experience hoping it will help also. I had to work to get up my milk supply. A few things I did were:
1. Made sure my daughter nursed long and really got to the hindmilk and drained my milk supply. It was about 20 mins per breast. I didn't let her suckle and nap. This got my supply really kicking it up a notch
2. Pumped on top of feeding. At four months, you can get in one pump at night before the "wee hours" feeding.
3. Drank LOTS of water. One whole hospital bottle (16 oz) at every nursing at a minimum
4. Eat good sized serving of yoghurt a couple of times a day. I'm not sure really how much this contributes to milk production, but it's really good for you and baby regardless.
5. Drank Mother's Milk herbal tea. I just really enjoyed it and heck, maybe it helped.
6. Got a lot of rest
7. Ate lots of proteins from legumes (chickpeas, lentils, etc).
8. Generally just upped my calorie content - what better excuse to enjoy seconds? (PS - even with all that extra my weight came down to below my pre-pregnancy weight...I'm a size 4...I think it's because of all the other calories we burn keeping up with baby and everything else!)
Good Luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.A.

answers from Portland on

I don't know if this would help or not. But I use Mother's Milk tea by Traditional Medicinals. It helps to keep the milk supply really full. This would be something you could do in addition to your new diet. Hope all goes well. Good luck!! :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.R.

answers from Portland on

I would check with a professional lactation consultant at Southwest Washington Med. Center before switching to formula. They have REALLY helped give me lots of info. Also, I think they have FREE lactation support groups one day a week or something like that. Good Luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Seattle on

At six months my milk supply went down also. I took Fenugreek (an herbal supplement that you can get at PCC or Trader Joes) and started to pump after I nursed. It did help improve the supply, but by six months I needed to supplement baby with more. Maybe since your baby is only 4 months, you'll have more luck :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.O.

answers from Portland on

Hi R.,

I had a low milk supply and my daughter was very small. I was told by lactation to eat lots of avocadoes and oatmeal to increase my milk supply. Also the Avocado has lots of good healthy fats!! I was also prescribed something to help increase my milk supply or you can try fenugreek it is in the vitamin isle I think and brewer's yeast. Or one lactation person told me instead of brewer's yeast I could drink one beer a day. I don't like beer but if you do, you could try that. The thing that helped me the most was the prescription. Hope this helps, good luck!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.L.

answers from Seattle on

Didn't read through all the responses, so I hope I'm not being repetitive, but in keeping w/ your vegan lifestyle, you can add more good fats into your diet to increase calories. Try olive oil infused w/ herbs for dipping yummy hearty breads. Also eat more avacados, guacamole, yum yum!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.G.

answers from Portland on

GUINESS!!! Yes, the dark stout from Ireland. You got it. Guiness was recommended by my midwife and I swear by the stuff. After a few months and a few inflamations, I had only one fully operational breast for milk and Guiness helped the supply. I drank a pint before bed (sometimes it took a while to finish!), but I had fantastic breast milk, full of fat and my daughter quickly gained because of the rockin' night feedings. and whatever was left, i pumped.

Also, coconut milk is full of fat and the good stuff for your diet.

And, I say screw the charts. If the diapers are wet and poopy, and his eyes and hair are bright, no worries. Breastfed babies are usually on the low end of the bottlefed charts (it's such a racket!)

You're his mother...deep in your guts you know what's up, who to believe and who's full of it.

Congratulations on mommy-hood, and welcome to the club :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.L.

answers from Portland on

You've gotten great advice so far. My two cents are that, of course, growth charts are just averages and each child is different. There may be really no reason to change anything you are doing. I hate to say it, but any doc who suggests supplementing with formula is just not a breastfeeding-friendly doctor and needs more education about the health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. If you are concerned about your milk supply, I would echo the suggestion to take herbs like Fenugreek and make sure you are drinking enough water. In addition, your hind milk, the milk that he is getting toward the end of the feeding is higher in fat and calories than the fore milk that he gets at the beginning of a feeding. Make sure you are feeding him for a good long time on each side. If he pulls off and then wants to feed again not much later, put him on the same side again and nurse him before switching to the other side. In this way he can get more high calorie milk without you needing to change anything else.
Oh and feel free to call La Leche League. Those LLL leaders know a lot about breastfeeding and are volunteers so they're free and easy to reach.
Good luck! You sound like a mom who knows what she's doing.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.F.

answers from Portland on

I lived in Nigeria for a couple of years. The women there used to drink coconut milk to improve their milk supply. Actually, it worked so well that when a women became a "wet nurse" for a baby because its own mother had died (a wet nurse is someone who takes over nursing for a baby), they would begin producing milk. I'm not sure how easy it is to obtain coconut milk in the states, and I don't know how much they drank, but it really worked well. Also, make sure that you are getting a healthy amount of protein in your diet and push fluids.

Hope this helps.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.L.

answers from Yakima on

Milk supply is first dictated by your water intake. So drink lots! And rest plenty. Keep up with your prenatal vitamins and fish oil! It's my understanding that the caloric content of the milk will be regulated by your boy. But I would guess if you wanted to help that, you could add healthy fats like avocados, and nuts (but watch for rashes and other signs he may not be ready for them). I think in general just eat healthy stuff at short intervals during the day just like when you were pregnant. There are many lactation specialists that recommend having a snack basket right by your nursing chair. Along with a fresh glass of water or mother's milk tea. I would not recommend going anywhere near formula. Breath!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.K.

answers from Portland on

I had the same problem. Milk, butter, eggs, cheese, peanut butter... anything with lots of "healthy" fat. Hard to do vegan, but if you're willing to be a carnivore for a while, it might help. Of coarse, lots of complete proteins from the vegie world, too. To help increase the quantity, there are several herbal supplements you can take (visit any health-food/vitamin store). Also make sure you dring lots of water (at least 64oz a day). You could also try pumping in between feedings to help increase supply.

I eventually did have have to supplement - apparently I make "skim" milk, and not much of it! If you have to, also, just know you are doing a great thing by breast feeding, and sometimes even the most dedicated nursers need some help!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.Y.

answers from Providence on

I would suggest healthy nursing tea by secrets of tea. It helped me to increase my low flow of milk.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches