How to Produce More Breast Milk Help!

I know this is super late but I used Fenugreek Tablets I buy in the herb section at HEB Plus. NOTHING works better or faster.

Take two tablets 3 times a day. SOOOOO much easier than making tea!!! LOL

My ob/gyn prescribed me reglan...it's known to help moms produce more breast milk. It's also prescibed for other things like indigestion, etc...so I thought it was wierd but it worked for me...good luck. I know that's so frustrating as I never produced enough to feed my twins...

Lots and Lots of water! It always helped me. Also try not to stress about it it makes it worse. Good Luck! I breast feed two children until they were 18 months old it was not all smooth sailing but worth it!

I used these and the brewers yeast in the really boosted my supply. I used crasins instead of chocolate chips. They were super yummy. Good luck!

Housepoet's Famous Lactation Boosting Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip & Flaxseed cookies:

* 1 cup butter or marg
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons water
* 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal*
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them
* 1 cup or more chocolate chips
* 2 tablespoons of brewers yeast* (be generous)

Directions:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Mix together 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes. Cream (beat well) margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix well. Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to the margarine mix. Beat until blended. Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips. Add to margarine mixture. Stir in oats then chips. Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment or silpat. The dough is a little crumbly, so it helps to use a scoop.

Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies.

Serves: 6 dozen cookies

Preparation time: 15 minutes

*can be found at any local health food store.
*NOTE* IT MUST BE BREWERS YEAST, NO SUBSTITUTIONS.

Hi M.. Here are a few tips: pump at least every 3hours while away form the babes, drink plenty of fluids, decrease teas, sodas and any other items with caffeine. keep at water bottle at your side. Stress also plays a big part. It's hard making this work when you need to go to work true enough but try to destress. Maybe when pumping place a sock filled with rice and heated for a minute around your neck to help relax you. Amd most of all don't give up your doing well!!!

Hi M.,
All of the suggestions below are great and many of them I've read about before. I'm going to try and help you on the flip side. If you happen to be like me and have severe allergies, you might think that taking an antihistime every so often is no big deal. WELL...it is when you are breastfeeding!! I have been nursing exclusively for 8 months now and found that whenever the weather changed my milk supply would drop. I finally called the pediatrician and she said that antihistimines will dry you up quicker than you can SAY milk! :) So, stay away from those.

You can also do searches for more answers. (here are two)

http://lalecheleague.org/bfsupply.html - Milk Supply Issues
http://lalecheleague.org/FAQ/FAQincrease.html - Increasing your milk

I hope this helps...don't give up!! You are on the right track...Oh! I almost forgot...at about 3mo, 6mo and 9mo babies naturally go through a growth spurt and have a higher demand for milk. You may just need to step up the feedings or pumping sessions (I know, you feel like a dairy cow!) but it will help you get through the week or so and then they go back to a normal eating schedule. At 4 months my son was eating every 30 minutes!! NO JOKE. It lasted a week and I thought I was going to die but I'm so glad we pushed through it!!

Remember to ask lots of questions and know that you are not alone in this. Breastfeeding is a lot harder than I think we thought it would be, huh? But it's OH SO WORTH IT!!

Blessings to you!

Sounds like your baby had a growth spurt and needs more milk, the best way I found to stimulate more production was to get some extra nursing sessions in. Every time my daughter seemed to need more than I was making I would try to get her to nurse more frequently when I was home, even waking her up in the middle of the night or just offering her a chance to nurse when she was fussy even if I didn’t think she was hungry. I also tried things like drinking beer and taking fenugreek (sp?) supplements, I’m not convinced that made much of a difference. Drinking tons of water, getting enough rest and nursing frequently are my best tips for boosting supply.

I nursed my son for 6 months and my daughter for 12 months while working full time, it was challenging at times but it can be done, hang in there!

I have been taking Reglan to increase my low breast milk but not found any luck, then started drinking Healthy nursing tea after suggestion of my LC and it worked wonder boosting my supply.

Start eating oatmeal!! Oatmeal for breakfast, and and oatmeal cookies to snack on!

Hi there, I was a great producer and I have a post on my list of posts. click on my name and then go to my postings and see what I have written on producing more milk. it may help. Hope it does, A. J

Hey M.!
Well it might sound crazy but this is what i did with my 2 sons...
Before ever breastfeed i used to drink condense milk with a bit of coke and eat alot of peanuts......i dont know if that was the main reason why i had that much milk.....but i surely tell u it worked for me.....my boys are 1yrs 3 months apart and i was still breastfeeding my 1st when my youngest was born so im really happy with my result! Ps....i did not gain any pounds due to the condense milk! Cause i know many are afraid od it cause of that!.....this is what my granda used to do back in time!..hope it works for u!

Hi, A lactation Specialist told me that pumping on one side while you nurse your baby on the other side helps a ton--your body thinks you are nursing two babies and starts to produce milk to support both babies. Hope this helps! S.

All of the following was shared on a childbirth educators/doula group - VERY helpful information on how to do breast compressions. If your milk supply is dwindling DO THESE! *big grin* A. <><
************************************************

Breast Compression by Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC

The purpose of breast compression is to continue the flow of milk to the baby once the baby no longer drinks (open-pause-close type of suck) on her own. Breast compression simulates a letdown reflex and often stimulates a natural letdown reflex to occur. The technique may be useful for:

1. Poor weight gain in the baby

2. Colic in the breastfed baby

3. Frequent feedings and/or long feedings

4. Sore nipples in the mother

5. Recurrent blocked ducts and/or mastitis

6. Encouraging the baby who falls asleep quickly to continue drinking

Breast compression is not necessary if everything is going well. When all is going well, the mother should allow the baby to "finish" feeding on the first side and, if the baby wants more, should offer the other side. How do you know the baby is finished? When he or she no longer drinks at the breast (open-pause-close type of suck).

It may be useful to know that:

1. A baby who is well latched on gets milk more easily than one who is not. A baby who is poorly latched on can get milk only when the flow of milk is rapid. Thus, many mothers and babies do well with breastfeeding in spite of a poor latch, because most mothers produce an abundance of milk.

2. In the first 3-6 weeks of life, babies fall asleep at the breast when the flow of milk is slow, not necessarily when they have had enough to eat. After this age, they may start to pull away at the breast when the flow of milk slows down.

3. Unfortunately many babies are latching on poorly. If the mother's supply is abundant the baby often does well as far as weight gain is concerned, but the mother may pay a price -- sore nipples, a "colicky" baby, a baby who is constantly on the breast (but feeding only a small part of the time).

Breast compression continues the flow of milk once the baby starts falling asleep at the breast and results in the baby:

Getting more milk.

Getting more milk that is high in fat.

Breast Compression-How to do it

1. Hold the baby with one arm.

2. Hold the breast with the other, thumb on one side of the breast, your other fingers on the other, fairly far back from the nipple.

3. Watch for the baby’s drinking, though there is no need to be obsessive about catching every suck. The baby gets substantial amounts of milk when he is drinking with an open-pause-close type of suck. (open-pause-close is one suck, the pause is not a pause between sucks).

4. When the baby is nibbling or no longer drinking with the open-pause-close type of suck, compress the breast. Not so hard that it hurts and try not to change the shape of the areola (the part of the breast near the baby’s mouth). With the compression, the baby should start drinking again with the open-pause-close type of suck.

5. Keep the pressure up until the baby no longer drinks even with the compression, then release the pressure. Often the baby will stop sucking altogether when the pressure is released, but will start again shortly as milk starts to flow again. If the baby does not stop sucking with the release of pressure, wait a short time before compressing again.

6. The reason to release the pressure is to allow your hand to rest, and to allow milk to start flowing to the baby again. The baby, if he stops sucking when you release the pressure, will start again when he starts to taste milk.

7. When the baby starts sucking again, he may drink (open-pause-close). If not compress again as above.

8. Continue on the first side until the baby does not drink even with the compression. You should allow the baby to stay on the side for a short time longer, as you may occasionally get another letdown reflex and the baby will start drinking again, on his own. If the baby no longer drinks, however, allow him to come off or take him off the breast.

9. If the baby wants more, offer the other side and repeat the process.

10. You may wish, unless you have sore nipples, to switch sides back and forth in this way several times.

11. Work on improving the baby’s latch.

The above works best, in our experience in the clinic, but if you find a way which works better at keeping the baby sucking with an open-pause-close type of suck, use whatever works best for you and your baby. As long as it does not hurt your breast to compress, and as long as the baby is "drinking" (open-pause-close type of suck), breast compression is working. If you would like to see some mini videos showing this technique, please look at the following: http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml and scroll down to the Compression and Compression Two videos.

You will not always need to do this. As breastfeeding and weight gain improves, you will able to let things happen naturally.

Just eat lentils and hot soups. Also, if you boiled milk and add a table spoon of dry coconut and drink it, you will see the difference. I hope my ideas help.

A little about me:

I am a 36 yr Mom of 3 wonderful kids. I have 17 year old boy, a 13 year old girl,and a 4 years old girl

Here's a cookie recipe I was just given to help with milk production.. I'll copy the whole message here..

These cookies rock for lactation:

Housepoet's Famous Lactation Boosting Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip & Flaxseed
cookies
Ingredients :

* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons water
* 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal*
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 cups flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them
* 1 cup or more chocolate chips
* 2 tablespoons of brewers yeast* (be generous)

Directions:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Mix together 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal
and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes. Cream (beat well) margarine and sugar.
Add eggs one at a time, mix well. Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla
to the margarine mix. Beat until blended. Sift together dry ingredients,
except oats and chips. Add to margarine mixture. Stir in oats then chips.
Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment or silpat.
The dough is a little crumbly, so it helps to use a scoop.

Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies.

Serves: 6 dozen cookies

Preparation time: 15 minutes

*can be found at any local health food store.
**NOTE** *IT MUST BE BREWERS YEAST, NO SUBSTITUTIONS.

*If you don't like chocolate chips, it can be any sort of sweet chip-like
thing. (Peanut butter chips, butterscotch, whatever you like!) And I imagine
that you could even sub with nuts if you wanted! But those cookies?
Seriously, the BEST EVER.

--

Other than that, find a good Lactation Consultant, start going to LLL meetings, and after
baby's here, add Brewers Yeast & Flax into EVERYTHING thats baked. Eat
steel-cut oatmeal in the mornings with Brewer's Yeast & Flax on top. Fenugreek (after
baby is here!) will leave you smelling like a bottle of maple syrup, but it
definitely gets the job done. I've heard that "Mothers Milk" is really awesome
- I've never used it. Everyone's got really awesome suggestions though, I'm
just really piping up with the cookie recipe! :)

And Lansinoh lanolin really helps with the soreness for the first 6 weeks or
so. (And beyond!)

Not only that but I would contact Kathy Parkes.. She is an amazing Lactation consultant!!

I am a pumping mother too. Though I have never had trouble producing enough, I have noticed fluctuations in my production and what seems to help. First I would consider whether you are dehydrated, stressed, or tired. If any of those apply I would deal with them before moving moving to more extreme measures. Especially when I don't drink enough I notice that my milk supply goes down. It also seems to make a difference whether I am cold when I pump. Have your pumping conditions changed? If none of these apply you could try Mother's Milk tea or fenugreek. If none of this helps I would contact a La Leche League leader. They might have some good advice.
Good luck!

Hi! I successfully breastfed 3 sons for a total of 3 years... are you drinking enough water? That would be the first thing I would do. Make sure you are drinking the required 8 8 oz. glasses a day, and then some! Make sure you're not drinking too much coffee/soda. They are diuretics, which eliminate liquid from your body and can make you dehydrated.

Good luck and don't give up!

C. B.

I read that almonds make you produce milk, (I was having problems making enough) so I started eating that kashi go lean crunch almond flax cereal for breakfast and added a few extra almonds, then would eat a handful throughout the day (and anything else w/ almonds in it i.e granola bars, etc)and started producing more milk than he can drink, at almost six months I am still making plenty. It can't hurt to try since they are a super healthy food. And drink all the water you can stand!

When I had the same problem, I was advised to drink Mother's Milk Tea and take Blessed Thistle. Both can be found at the health food store and in some grocery stores. It helped me a little, but I was told that it will help some more than others. After a few weeks of using those remedies, and because they were not helping me produce enough milk, I called my OB as a last resort. She prescribed me Metoclopram (a generic form of Reglan). It helped me produce plenty of milk. This should only be used as a last resort. And you should not take it if you have any type of depression. Before my doctor would prescribe me anything, she asked me to try other things. You should call your OB and see what he/she recommends before you try to get a prescription. Good luck. I know how frustrating it can be...belive me!

Hi! I had a lot of trouble with my milk supply. My son's pediatrician recommended either fenugreek (an herb you can buy in pill form at whole foods) or Reglan (a prescription medication). I tried fenugreek, and it increased my supply by a couple ounces. Another mom I know also tried fenugreek, and it resulted in a huge increase for her. Also be sure you are getting plenty of sleep and eating well, though I know that's hard with 2 kids and a job! Good luck.

There is a supplement called Mothers Milk Plus... available at Mothers Work in University Village. IT REALLY WORKS! I too had problems with production occacionally taking a dive. I think it had to do with hormone levels and stress. This product really helped!

Good luck and try not to worry. Even if you have to supplement with a few ounces of formula every so often you are doing great!!!

I am a retired RN / lactation certified.
The answer is in drinking a lot of water (like 2 quarts a day), and getting enough rest. Without water and rest few moms produce adiquate amounts of breast milk.
Good Luck.

I was in the same situation as you a year ago - my milk supply was never abundant. Fenugreek (Whole Foods or Central Market) and oatmeal are great, plus I also tried Brewer's Yeast (you can purchase a big bottle at GNC). What saved me was Domperidone - similar to the Reglan prescription that was mentioned earlier, but without the side effects. Unfortunately, it's not approved in the US for breastmilk production, but it IS safe for you and the baby. I spoke to a lactation consultant and she was very supportive of my decision to go that route. If your OB gives you a prescription, you'll have to get it filled at a compounding pharmacy (I can give you some #s if you're interested), or you can get it filled from Canada without a prescription - I did both - the Canadian pharmacy was MUCH cheaper - www.inhousepharmacy.com. It's sold under the brand name Motilium. I was very determined to breast feed and not use formula - I wouldn't have been able to do it for a full year without these supplements.
Some days when I was short I would have to squeeze in an extra pumping session either last thing at night or I would wake up earlier in the morning.
Good Luck!

A couple things help me when milk supply goes low. Get more rest, eat more/better food, drink more water.

I had the same problem ! I was drinking loads of water & still not pumping enough, my baby was not getting satisfied so i had to switch to formula, which i put my baby on carnation formula (now called good start) -
(from walmart) ! And she loved it ! Was more happy &
i am a f/t working mom too !
Have a great day!

Drink lots of water and eat lots of oatmeal products. It may help pick up your supply.

You can try taking fenugreek and blesses thistle (I think it is 3 capsules, 3 times a day).

Could your cycle be returning? That will decrease supply.

When my baby was in the hospital I had to pump, and wasn't getting much. The nurses told me about a supplement you can only get at GNC- Phenugreek. They said take 3, 3 tomes a day (even though the bottle says different. The only side effect is that your sweat and urine smell like maple syrup. It worked wonders for all the moms! By the way it was only about 12 dollars. Good luck!

Hello M.. I was able to produce enough breast milk when I drank alot of water. My breast would swell up so much they would leak. I had to change my breast pads frequently. I suggest drinking enough liquids that did it for me and it may do it for you. Hope that helped.

Take care and God Bless

L. M

You can check out www.kellymom.com for help with how to increase you breastmilk supply. If your baby still nurses at your breast, then you could take some extra time over Thanksgiving to be with your baby which can help increase your supply again!

M., I can only tell you what worked for me. When my production slowed down with my first, I increased my water and ate a small salad a day. I added 2 glasses of water a day and in less than a week I had to put folded up thick washclothes (along with two nursing pads) in my bra and would still leak through. I never had to pump before (I was fortunate enough to stay home with him), but absolutely HAD to pump or be engorged. It worked so well that I had literally gallons of milk stored that I really should have donated, but didn't think about it at the time. If wetnurses were still used, I could have nursed a handful easily.
Hope this helps.

Hi M.,

Fenugreek did work but it made my baby very gassy and colicky. If you do an internet search you will see that this is a common side effect.

As a last resort, I did try Motillium but it can get very expensive. It helped tremendously! Insurance won't cover it because it is only available at compounding pharmacies in the US or other countries.

Reglan also helps and insurance does cover this. Just make sure that your body can tolerate it. A side effect is anxiety and I had this problem with it, but hopefully that was just me and not you.

Good luck!

Hi M., I didn't read all the replies, so maybe this was already written. I worked with my first child and in the beginning I made lots of milk, but around 8-9 months, I was not successful with pumping much at work, maybe 8 ounces or less when I needed at least 15. I refused to supplement with formula, so what I did was pump while the baby nursed. Every morning I would pump on one side while the baby nursed on the other side, then we switched sides. The baby helped to stimulate my body to pump better and I got more milk. I guess my body learned how to let down better with the pump. I did it every day and then on weekends, I would sometimes need to pump more than just once a day to build up enough to last through the week. It didn't seem to work well at night, so I had to make sure it was in the morning and give myself the time before work. It's a little tricky and my husband had to help until I was coordinated enough to do it alone. It worked for me until she started drinking milk at 1 year. I didn't drink any special teas or herbs, just water, milk, cranberry juice, and lemonade.(Not mixed all together)
Good luck

I've used Fenugreek. It's an herbal supplement that I bought from Whole Foods. It helped my milk production. I also drank Mother's milk tea. good luck!

Try fungeek and mothers milk tea. Reglan can help too! Ask your ob. Just keep pumping and feed everytime possible! kellymom.com or llli.com has great info! gl

The herb fenugreek helped me. It also increased my appetite though. But this was great for increasing milk production naturally.

Take fenugreek and ramp up your water consumption. If you are able, try to pump a couple more times per day too.

Hello M.,

What worked for me is Lactate Support. You can purchase this supplement at Whole Foods in the Vitamins Department. I was able to nurse my son for 10 1/2 months. The only reason I quit nursing is my son started biting me.

Hope this helps.

M.

We sell a lot of Fenugreek and More Milk Plus in our store. Both work really well, but the More Milk Plus works faster. Check it out www.thebreastfeedingshoppe.com--Mamasource members get a 10% on all purchases!

Hope this helps!

N.

Hello M., I also had the same problem. I went to the health food store and got on Fenugreek and Mother's Milk tea. You do not have to use them both but I did and they really worked. You can take the pills which are the Fenugreek three times a day and the tea you can drink whenever! They are both natural and both help produce more milk. Also drinking lots of water helps too! Hope this was helpful!