Bringing the Milk Back

Hi K.,

Start drinking Mother's Milk tea, it doesn't taste that good at first but over time you'll get use to it. I breastfed my daughter until she was 1 and now I'm breastfeeding my 5 1/2 month old son.

Good Luck

What helps me when my supply is low is eating more, drinking more water and RESTING as much as possible. My milk was always higher after a good nap. Best wishes! N.

Hi Christine,

As someone who is something of a teatotler, I found it amusing and somewhat disconcerting that the ONLY thing that worked to increase my milk production was beer!For a week, try drinking a glass of the darkest beer you can find--Guinness is the darkest and it's tasty too. Not a bad way to end the day. (The alcohol does not transmit thru the breastmilk) Other types of alcohol do NOT work to increase production,btw.

cheers,
K.

I used a product an herb--I think it was marketed under Mothers milk...Search for it on google...also increase your fluid intake, drink, eat soups, chicken soup, vegetable soup..i will take a look and see if I can find it.
OK--I found it:
There are many things that can cause a breast feeding mother to worry about her milk supply decreasing. As the body adjusts to the supply and demand of the child, and as the child itself becomes more proficient at nursing, a woman's breasts will appear to stop producing enough milk. Engorgement, over-active letdown, and regular leaking will diminish and may stop entirely. This is normal. The breasts are still producing enough milk to feed the nursing child; they simply aren't producing twice as much as they need to, which causes the leaking breasts and powerful letdowns.

However, there are times when a woman's milk supply will decrease on its own. If the demand for the milk lessens, which could be caused by a mother returning to work or a baby going on a nursing strike, the breasts will supply less milk. Stresses are a common factor of diminished supply. A nursing mother who becomes pregnant may find her milk supply decreasing as her body switches its attention to feeding the new fetus.

There are many ways to increase milk supply, even if the circumstances seem overwhelming or near impossible. The important thing is to nurse as frequently as possible and maintain a dedication and determination to breast feed.

1. Reduce your stress level. Probably the most overlooked factor of any change in the body is the lack of quality relaxation and a stress-free environment. Delegate tasks, put projects to the side until the breast milk supply is back under control. When nursing your baby, do so in a quiet room with no distractions. This is your opportunity to put your feet up for a few minutes and relax. The simple act of relaxing will encourage letdown; and at the same time there is nothing to distract the baby and make him stop nursing before he's actually full.

2. Drink plenty of water. A body that doesn't receive enough fluid intake is going to have a problem producing fluid! Drink at least a gallon of water a day. A good habit is to do this while baby is nursing; so that you do not forget.

3. Massage your breasts often. Babies will naturally knead the breast, triggering letdown. Take the time to massage your breasts while in the shower or bath, periodically throughout the day - such as when you're in the bathroom, and especially while baby is nursing. Even though the letdown may not produce a leaking breast or a spray of milk, it will still occur. This will signal to the breast that the baby is nursing more often, even if in reality he isn't. The breast will increase supply accordingly.

4. Watch your diet. A diet that consists of quick-fix food and loads of caffeine isn't good for mother or baby. As well as needing plenty of fluids, your body also needs lots of nutrients to provide a nutritious meal for your baby. For a quick snack, grab some fruit instead of a candy bar or fast food. For a nutritious, yet time-saving meal, throw something into a crock pot in the morning. At dinnertime the meal will be cooked and ready, without you having to spend time watching over it. Vitamin-rich vegetables, protein-filled meats, and hundreds of different casseroles can be prepared in a crock pot with little or no effort, saving you plenty of time.

6. Use natural herbs. Even major chain department stores now carry various types of herbs in capsule form; freshly ground herbs can be purchased at health food stores and online. Fenugreek is an excellent herb to help increase milk supply. It is an expectorant and has no side effects other than causing your milk to have a maple syrup scent. Milk Thistle is another wonderful supply enhancer, although not quite as effective as Fenugreek. There are also many brand-name teas available, such as Mother's Milk, or Mother's Milk Two for pregnant mothers who are nursing.

All of these things can increase a diminished milk supply greatly, even to the point of restoring the powerful spraying letdown if a mother is especially determined. The single most important factor, though, is letting the baby nurse on demand rather than on a set schedule. Allowing your baby to determine how frequently he needs to eat is key to coordinating an appropriate supply of milk. If you can, carry your baby next to your body in a sling while you go about your day, so that a breast is readily available whenever the baby needs to nurse. Even if the baby is just nursing for comfort, an incredible bonding technique that formula does not provide, the breasts will see this as more demand and adjust their supply accordingly.

If nothing seems to be working or if the mother simply needs reassurance that her breasts are working as they should be, the La Leche League is only a phone call away. A La Leche League Leader can provide invaluable support, help a mother whose child is having trouble latching on or adjusting with new teeth, and can suggest many routes for increasing supply. For a fee, a mother can visit a lactation consultant who specializes in supporting breast feeding mothers. There are even supplemental nursing systems and lactational aids that will allow a mother to feed formula to her baby while the baby is nursing at the breast; which will stimulate the breasts to produce more milk while still assuring the baby is getting enough food in the meantime.

Take heart! There are ways to increase your milk supply or even bring back a supply that has completely dried up. Remember that your body grew your baby, and there is no better food than what your body custom-produces for your child. Formula does not provide the antibodies to illness that breast milk does, nor does it change and adjust according to the age and needs of your child like your breast milk does.

With a little effort and determination, you can overcome any breast feeding obstacle and give your child the food that Mother Nature intended!

Hi K.-
Just one more message of reassurance-
Your hair loss is a hormonal phenomena. When my first was about 4 months, my thick, curly locks started shedding in clumps. So I got a cute short, short hair cut. It grows back- don't worry.
And another wonderful thing about those first few months is that at some point your boobs become soft again- but it absolutely doesn't mean your making less milk. It just means your becoming in sync with your baby's feeding habits. My second is 8 weeks old, and my boobs are calming down- but I'm sure my hair will start falling out any day...Ah, the joys of motherhood-

Fenugreek, Mother's Milk Tea - I also heard about eating Barley and drinking Barley tea... which is probably found in the beer that someone recommended and seems more fun! Most importantly - don't stress about it. Do what you can - you've already done great. And if she ends up on formula a little sooner that you planned then so be it - I am not saying give up (I have nursed all 4 of mine and am currently nursing my 8 month old) but I hate to hear stories of mothers who get so down and fearful about breast feeding not working, etc. I think our generation has been programmed to fear formula and make us feel like failures if we don't succeed in the boob department. Sure breast is best - but she'll be a brilliant, beautiful, healthy wonderful girl regardless of whether she gets an extra month or two of breast milk! Good Luck!

there are a lot of good suggestions already. what i would say is don't supplement a whole feeding...first try to breastfeed, and if the baby is still hungry after, THEN supplement. try pumping after feeds as well massaging your breasts especially the farther out ducts to stimulate production. more frequent feeding and/or pumping will help milk supply. and really trying to relax, stay well hydrated and eating well will help. a lot is psychological, and just being more relaxed and even thinking about/visualizing/looking at pictures of the baby if he is not with you when pumping helps wtih supply. i was having similar issues a week ago with my 3 mo old, and these are the things that have helped me!
i think the hair falling out is not necessarily related, but is also just something that naturally happens at this stage anyway, so don't stress about it!

Hi K.,

My daughter is almost 14 months and I breastfed her till she was 3 months.

I had the same problem you are having when I went back to work and started pumping during the day. I spoke with a lactation consultant and what she had me do is:
1. feed each side 2 times that way yoou are retelling the boob to produce more milk
2. after you breastfed pump for 15 min both sides, you only need to do that for a week. This tells the breast that your baby wants more milk. (you may only get drops at first but eventually you will get a few onces).
3. Try taking Fenugreek it is a herb that won't hurt the baby

Good luck
L.

There are only two things I can think of:

1. Try not to supplement as much with formula, and when you do- pump when he eats.

2. Pump more! Especially right after he eats first thing in the morning, and right after he eats before bed.

My midwife said that cornmeal (muffins, corn chips, etc.), alfalfa sprouts, and oats (oatmeal, granola, etc.) are also helpful. I didn't really notice a difference, but she was convinced! Can't hurt to eat a little cornbread, right? :)

A lot of people think that their milk production has decreased at about the 2-3 month mark. In reality, it is just that your production has regulated. Your breasts probably feel softer and less heavy, but trust me, you are still making enough. Don't rely on the amount you are able to pump, either because that is always going to be less than your baby can suck out. If your baby is pushing you for more milk, it could be that he is just going through a growth spurt, in which case, in a few days your production with catch up with his demand. Our bodies are a lot more amazing than we think. You are making enough for him and you just have to trust that. As long as he is growing well and gaining weight, you are making enough. But if you are worried, you can try stopping supplementing with formula for a few weeks, or cut back to only one formula feeding a day. Then increase the amount of times that you breastfeed him and offer both breasts at each feeding. You can also buy the Mother's Milk tea or another tea like that with fenugreek in it. Make sure to drink enough water. Also look at this website. It has great advice on breastfeeding. I could not have continued without it: http://www.kellymom.com

Hair loss is also totally normal at this time and not due to stopping breastfeeding. It is a hormonal thing that happens to everyone. During pregnancy, the natural hair loss cycle stops and your hair gets really thick because you lose very little hair. Then 2 or 3 month after the baby is born, all the hair that was supposed to be lost during the entire 9 months of pregnancy comes out all at once in big clumps. I thought I was going bald at first but after about 6 weeks it stops and the new hair starts growing in. Yes, you will feel like your hair is really thin, but it will come back. Trust me.
By the way, my son is almost 9 months, is exclusively breastfed (he gets solids now too) and there were many times when I was worried about milk supply or some other issue, but it has always worked out. He is extremely healthy and ahead of the curve on his milestones. Have faith in your body's ability to provide for your son. Millions of women have done the same for thousands of years.

I am in my 10th month of breastfeeding and I have noticed a direct correlation between my intake of liquids and food with my milk production. Make sure not to forget to keep nourishing yourself. Other than that, just keep at it. Your body will respond to the demand.

What makes you say your milk production has gone down? If it is that your breasts don't feel full, that's normal around this time. I am breastfeeding my second daughter and remember feeling like that. If you really feel it is low, the tea made for nursing moms is said to help but my daughter always just nursed more frequently to get my supply up. If possible, try to stay at home a couple days and nurse a lot and keep your fluids up. I also found that affects my milk production.

As far as your hair, mine started to fall out around 2 months (she is now 4 1/2 mon) and continues to do so. My doctor told me that it has to do with the hormonal balances and will continue until I STOP breastfeeding.

I don't know where you live but you may want to check into a nursing support group also. I know it helped me a lot both times.

Good luck and feel free to write back!

Hi K.-

When my supply was waning I was told to drink, drink, drink (water). Also to pump as much as possible on like a three hour schedule. I know stress can reduce your supply, don't know if thats a factor. When I had questions with my first I called the lactation consultant at the birth center I went to, she was very helpful. Good luck!

After your son has finished nursing, pump for 5-10 minutes - it tricks your body into thinking you need to increase production. Also, realize that almost all babies will take formula after they finish nursing if it's offered - this doesn't mean they are really hungry unless there are other signs of hunger. All the best, and keep it up.

To increase your milk production, give your baby ONLY your breast milk, by nursing on both breasts at each feeding. Do NOT suppliment with formula!!!... which defeats your milk production! After nursing, drink a glass of liquid (plain water is fine) to replenish yourself. The more your baby nurses, the more milk your body will make...it's supple and demand, or demand and supply. I was like Molly Moo Cow! When I stopped nursing, my hair did NOT shed, neither did my own mother's (who nursed me and my two brothers long, long ago )...neither did my two girlfriend's hair who nursed...so, I can't answer you about that.

I agree that pumping and just feeding as much as possible is your best bet. I believe the hair loss in unrelated and is simply related to post-pregnancy hormone changes. I lost a TON of hair between 2 and 4 months post-pregnancy, and I was pretty much gushing milk that whole time, so they definitely weren't linked for me. Best of luck!

There is a really good herbal tea that is just for this purpose. It's called Mother's Milk. You can buy it at your local health food store like Whole foods. Follow the directions. The tea bag really needs to sit in hot water for 20-30 mins to get the medicinal purposes of the tea. You can also drink a none alcoholic beer every day. That helps too.

hi K.;

the most reliable way to bring up your supply is to cut out the formula. what is the reason that you're using it? your breast milk is FAR superior in quality to formula so if you use it because you have to be away from the baby, i would really reccommend you pump instead. the best way to do that is to rent, from a good surgical supply or drug store, a HOSPITAL GRADE breast pump; i think the best kind is the Medela Classic.

I nursed my son till he was 3, right thru my pregnancy w my daughter, who is now 20 months and still nursing; my son is 3 and a half. they never ever had a drop of formula. the only reason i pumped was i wanted my husband to help me with feedings, which turned out to be useless anyway since my son never did well w the bottle. but using the Medela pump, i could get sometimes as much as ten ounces out, no kidding. using a high quality pump like that will also increase supply.

but i was home and ultimately pumping was more of a hassle than the help w feedings; if you are only supplementing to let others help with feedings, i would say, try having your husband or whoever else helps, do other things, and you do all the feedings, breast only. "Breast is Best," as they say. it is annoying to have to get up at night but the breast milk is so much better than the formula (even if your ped says it's not; they're wrong.) that it is really worth it in the long run.

also, you will find by the time you've been at this for 5 or 6 months that it's totally a breeze, you're used to it and it's so much easier than dragging formula around everywhere you go. you never have to take baby food with you or anything, just your own body! convenient! and breastfed babies don't need solid food, if they don't want it, till well over a year. however, if they DO want it don't hesitate to try things like chunks of melon that they can slurp, bananas, soft bagels to chew on, avocado... both my kids ate solid food, anything they could hold, by 6 months.

if you do have to be away from the baby seriously consider a pump; it is not cheap to rent but again, you'd be willing to pay more for the best food for your child right?

good luck!
J.

I breastfed my son for 6 months; at 8 months, I introduced solids and formula in which he weaned himself off nursing. I also had breast surgery prior to giving birth and have few working milk ducts. I was relieved and suprised to be able to nurse after 2 breast augmentations around the nipple.

Your breastmilk may be decreasing for many reason. 1) Your diet- I found that drinking lots of fluid and eating LOTS of oatmeal helped increase my milk production. 2) LOTS OF REST!!! 3) I found that pumping immediately after nursing increased my supply because I was telling my body I needed more, and thus would produce more milk. 'Supply and Demand'. 3)Make sure you are emptied 'completely' during each nursing session. Pay attention to having 'let-downs' each time he nurses. 4)Try changing positions while nursing. This ensures emptying all the milk ducts. 5) Have you started menstruating? Sometimes that may decrease the amount of milk. It 'goes right back up' after you've menstruated. 6) Have you started exercising? That decreases the production a little as well. 7)Don't give up. Pump, pump, pump. I literally nursed and pumped around the clock. I don't have completely functioning milk ducts, so I had to work extra hard to continue nursing my son. I hope the information helps. Good luck!

Also look into lactation groups for support as well!

nurse every time your ds wants, be sure to let him "drain" one side. if he sleeps before he finishes both sides, try pumping the other side. also, how can you tell your production is down? i know i would get nervous that i'm not producing enough - especially right around 6 months - dd ate seemingly for hours, and i wondered if i was producing enough. if your baby's diapers are the same and he's gaining weight, you're probably ok. the more you supplement, the less you'll produce, so go for bfding as much as possible. good luck!

Hi! Im a mother of two. I managed to continue at least partly for my older girl to 1 year and I'm at 9 months and counting for the younger. Some things that helped me are keeping hydrated, mothers milk tea, fenugreek capsules and oatmeal. The best way to increase supply is to nurse more. If you can take a "nursing vacation" -- spend a day or two with the baby close to you and nursing as often as possible -- this will really help to pick up the supply. If you pump at all you can add a pumping session to increase demand this will help pick up the supply.

It is supply and demand. You have to pump, pump, pump along with continued nursing and your supply should go up.

I noticed that I was shedding clumps of hair in the shower between months 2-4, and I didn't have supply issues during that time. I learned that apparently women tend to shed less hair than normal during pregnancy (because of hormones), and as the body adjusts post-partum, hair loss can be expected. If it is any consolation, I'm still nursing almost 1 year later and for several months now I noticed that I have lots of short hairs growing back all over my head. The new growth is causing me to have a seriously frizzy head as the new hair is catching up to my regular hair length, but I'm just glad it is growing back! I think I read about the hair loss/re-growth associated with pregnancy on babycenter.com.

Drink lots of water, and you should also be eating an extra 500 calories a day than you were.

dont stop!!!! you are fine, what is happening is your body isnt realizing he needs more since you probaly give him the formula instead of having him nurse more. the best thing to do is to pump after he eats, even if you get nothing. then to nurse him as much as possible, if you feed every 3 hours, offer it to him every 2 hours. also, if possible, squeeze in an extra pumping session. whatever you do, dont up the formula. your body will never know it needs to make more unless you stop. what happens is, he will empty your breasts, then maybe just an hour later, he may want more. that means you offer him more, not the formula. its not your body not making enough, its your body doesnt realize it needs more. when he goes from lets say 5 to 6 ounces, there will be a transition time where he will want more and nurse all the time. dont mistake this for not making enough. you just have to give your body a chance.

also look into fenugeek(sp?). so many moms say its works wonders. also go to la leche's website. get in contact with a lll lactation consultant. they can help you. dont give up, you are doing great.

as for the hair, my sister and i both lost tons and tons of hair. it was all over the house and my clothes. i nursed exclusively till 8 months. the hair is lost because of the change in your hormones, totally normal for most moms. good luck`

ETA and most importantly, nurse him whenever he wants, no matter how long ago he was nursed. dont try to have him on a schedule. not nursing on demand will def hurt your supply

can't remember the herb, but if you go into a health food store like whole foods or the health shoope (not like a gnc type of place), they should be able to help you.

I would suggest rest whenever you can, drink milk, juice, water, hot cocoa, eat oatmeal(with milk), barley, and soups lots of them, especially fish....forget about solids as a main dish till your milk supply is steady...did I mention rest...oh and breast feed only...it'll be hard, but you will get results...I had a similar problem with my first son, all of this worked for me...I lasted one year breast feeding....with the second it was much easier and milk supply was much better...good luck

Kristen, I knwo what it's like to lost milk production for no reason but I have learned things to keep it going alittle longer...first of all, drink a lot of water, take Fenugreek (recommended by my OB midwife) and it was used by during the Biblical times and it helps produced more milk and if you want to with it, drink that special tea that you can get at the health food store along with Fenugreek, eat peanuts or if you're allergic to raw peanuts as I am, eat the roasted kind or some kind that has been cooked or roasted or something, but I prefered to eat the Teddy Bear peanut butter because I was allergic to the other kind, the junky kind like Jiffy and Peter Pan for example and it's healthier. The pediatrician will try to discourage eating nuts because of allergies, but I have allergies to them but my kinds don't. I eat the healthy kind and natural kinds anyways. Also, eat garlic. Not the garlic powder but the fresh garlic and put it in your foods and it will help produce more milk and stress will make your milk production go down. So, try to be relax and enjoy that time and try those things. Also, what will also help you lose milk suppy will be parsley. Watch out for that in your food. Hope this helped and let us know what is up and I'll pray that you'll receive Jesus's Wisdom if you ask Him.

i am having a similar issue. i have been taking fenugreek for about a week now. the hospital lactation consultant recommended it. i know that many other women have taken this as well and has helped them.