How Can I Produce More Milk?

hi A.
i ran into the same problem. a lactation specialist at my hospital here in town recommended that i take a supplement called
fenugreek. i found it at my local health food co-op; although it was not cheap it really worked! i produced so much more milk than i ever did before!
good luck
T.

Hi A.,

The best way is to trick you body into thinking that Madison is eating more. Pump for 10 minutes or so after each feeding. This will make you body think that she is eating more. Also make sure to drink lots of water.
Hope this helps.

A.,

Not sure what is causing your milk problem, but with my experience, if you don't pump or feed constantly your milk goes away. I use to think that the milk would stay regardless if you feed or not; but if you don't use it often from the very beginning it goes away. Hope this helps!

J.

there are a few things you can do.. first off, are you drinking enough water?? pump in the morning when you are fullest - after she eats.. or pump one side and feed on the other. You may need to supliment with formula if she's not getting enough.. my son didn't get enough from me so I gave up--ended up he couldn't suck strong enough to get enough milk from me.. as your ped if there is a way to test that, not sure if there is...

good luck

hi... I remember feeling that way too! I have a 3y and a 6 month old. The first question that you want to ask yourself is.. is my baby gaining enough weight and growing as he os she should be?
If s then you are producing enough milk. WHat type of pump did you buy. I just got a brand new medela pump in sytle pump from my insurance company that is worth over $300. Now if you really want to increase your milk supply my lacation consultant advised me to pump 10 minutes after each feeding. I remember thinkng that this was crazy because I got nothing but what it does is stimulates the breast so that your body thinks that the baby is needing more. In a normal healthy setting our body makes what our baby needs and it will regulate as the baby grows. This is why every couple of months you will probably have a few crazy sleepless nights that the baby just wants to nurse , nurse, nurse. I know you are tired and feel like a cow but this to will pass and you will have a health, smart baby... breastfeeding is alot of work in the begining but it is so well worth it in the end. your baby will be healthier, you will be healthier.
I know that is is hard... sometimes I wish by boobs had measuring marks on them but let your baby show you what they need.
Good luck...

I can't remember the name of it but it is perfectly safe, I asked the doctor before taking it but in the GNC store you can ask an associate, they sell vitamins and tea for woman who need to produce more milk. It's organic and I can't even remember what the active ingredient is but it worked for me for a little while. I just looked online and this is what I got.. try it out, I pasted what was on their website...

Traditional Medicinals® Organic Mother's Milk

* promotes Healthy Lactation*
* NEW Organic Formula
* ORGANIC 100%
* HERBAL DIETARY SUPPLEMENT
* Caffeine Free
* Herbal Tea
* Just herbs! nothin' else!
* No added flavors!
* Made with medicinal grade herbs!
* USDA ORGANIC
* Certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). 97% organic ingredients.
* Organic Mother's Milk®
What will Organic Mother's Milk® do for me? Organic Mother's Milk promotes healthy lactation* and is traditionally used to increase breastmilk production.* How do I know it works? This traditional combination of anise, fennel and caraway has been in continuous use for centuries by European women, often recommended by lactation counselors and medical herbalists. When should I use it? Unless prescribed otherwise, drink one cup of freshly prepared tea 3 to 5 times daily throughout your nursing experience. How does it taste? A pleasantly aromatic balance of sweet, spicy and slightly bitter.
* Traditional Medicinals®
o KNOWLEDGE • EFFICACY
o SUSTAINABILITY • PARTNERSHIP
o From the corners of the earth, to the bottom of your teacup, we’re preserving tradition and creating a sustainable future. For over 30 years we have been making herbal teas blending the ancient art of traditional herbal medicine with the most modern methods to ensure you a consistently effective and good tasting cup.
o We know that you choose to live as if there is a tomorrow, as we do. That’s why we purchase our herbs and manufacture our teas sustainably. Whether it’s working with a cooperative of herb collectors, supporting organic herb farmers or using 100% wind power to offset our electricity use, we believe that teas that are good for you should be good for the earth.
o Learn more about the vision, practices and science behind your cup of tea at www.TraditionalMedicinals.com.
o Sealed Fresh™
Every tea bag in this box has been individually wrapped and sealed for freshness, ensuring that the beneficial components of the herbs remain intact.
o Look for our other Herb Teas for Women
+ Cran-Aid®
+ Female Toner®
+ Iron Woman™
+ Organic Raspberry Leaf
+ PMS Tea®
+ Pregnancy Tea®
+ Women's Liberty®
+ Our Principles
# KNOWLEDGE
We believe in the healing power of plants and blend ancient wisdom and modern science to create our teas.
# EFFICACY
We research, test and use only the highest qualitymedicinal grade herbs to ensure the mostefficacious teas.
# SUSTAINABILITY
We source organic, bio-dynamic and/or wild crafted herbs for our teas and power our facility with wind energy.
# PARTNERSHIP
We cultivate equitable relationships with our consumers, customers, employees, farmers and our community.
# FLAP TALK
* Preserving and Protecting Our Future
Whether it is protecting our natural resources or nurturing children, women have always played a special role in preserving the world for future generations. We support your good health and we support your effort to create a positive future as well. That's why we purchase 100% renewable wind energy credits to offset our electricity use. We believe our future and the future for our children is worth it.
To learn more about the ways we are working towards a sustainable future, visit www.traditionalmedicinals.com.
Being Green is a Breeze™
* More on Organic Mother's Milk®
A galactagogue is an agent that promotes the secretion and flow of breast milk.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Brew Well to be Well

For maximum benefit, medicinal tea must be properly prepared. Pour 8 oz. freshly boiled water over a tea bag in a ceramic cup. Cover cup and steep 10 minutes. These steps directly influence the amount of beneficial compounds that will end up in your teacup! Gently squeeze the tea bag to release any remaining extract. Drink three to five cups daily. Sweeten with honey if desired.

Supplement Facts
Serving Size 1 cup brewed tea
Servings Per Container 16
Amount Per Serving % DV
Organic bitter fennel fruit 875.00 mg **
Organic aniseed fruit 350.00 mg **
Proprietary Blend 525.00 mg **
Organic caraway fruit **
Organic nettle herb **
** Daily Value (DV) not established

No Added Flavors

Manufactured by:
Traditional Medicinals®
4515 Ross Road
Sebastopol, CA 95472
www.TraditionalMedicinals.com

For more information look inside the box or visit: www.TraditionalMedicinals.com

©2004 040714_FFMM070104
To view the Label you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. You can download a free copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader at: http://www.adobe.com/acrobat/readstep.html

Try pumping after each feeding. Your milk may have just leveled off to the amount she needs. But if you want to stock up. I suggest pumping after each feeding. Breast feeding is supply and demand. So is more is in demand you will make more. I went through the same thing. It is frustrating. Drink plenty of water and try to relax. Good luck!

Eat more and drink at least 64 oz of water, definately more! Get lots of rest. I know you are not supposed to start feeding babies until 6 months old but my daughter had cut at least 1 or 2 teeth by then and was hungry so I started to give her cereal 1x a day. If you can cut back on pumping too, that should help because your breasts are never full. Try single side feeding, obviously do both if she is hungry, but feeding every hour seems like a lot too. Why are you pumping?

First of all, I agree with the others that pumping is good after but not before feeding. And that Madison's growth is the most important measure. I actually went to the lactation consultants at Women and Infants when I was getting paranoid, and they did something where they weighed the baby on an extremely precise scale, had me nurse him, and then they weighed the baby again. I had felt that he hadn't gotten anything but in fact it showed he had taken about 5 ounces in those few minutes. Obviously you can't measure each time, nor can you know if 5 ounces is the right amount, but it was good for me mentally to have that number in my head and to know that even when I had thought he wasn't getting much he had in fact taken in a lot. I relaxed about it then, and things got so much better.
With my daughter we never successfully got the breastfeeding thing down and I ended up pumping exclusively for 14 months. It was difficult but worth it - there is nothing better for the baby than mother's milk and she is (knock on wood) 4 years old and has a great immune system. She never got even a cold for all of the time where she was getting my milk. Anyway, at about 6 months when I got my period for the first time, my milk supply decreased dramatically. Because I was pumping it was not just a suspicion, but I actually saw that i went from getting 6 ounces at a time from each to having to struggle for 2. I don't know which came first, the period or the milk drop causing the period, but at that point I was very concerned and obviously not making enough. My doctor prescribed Reglan for me. It's an anti-nausea pill used often for people suffering from the effects of chemotherapy. For some reason, a "side effect" is that it increases milk supply. I went from getting 2 ounces to effortlessly getting as much as 8 ounces from each breast at a time! I started with a couple of pills a day and eventually was able to drop down to just one pill every few days. I would notice after I stopped taking it that my milk supply would slowly dwindle again, and when my refrigerator stash got low I would take a pill and within a few hours I was filling bottles again - with minimal effort. Check with your doctor. It is true that traces of the drug are passed to the baby through the milk, but as the drug is even approved for babies my doctor told me those traces are harmless, and that the health benefits she got from my milk far outweighed any risk associated with the small amount she was ingesting.

Good luck and don't give up!

I know exactly where you are coming from. Many people will say it is impossible to not make enough milk, they have no idea that it really can and does happen. There are many teas and herbs out there to aid in lactation, Mother's Milk is one I had tried, I can't honestly say if it helped or not, sometimes just thinking it is working helps.
At two months old my sons pediatrician decided he had lost so much weight that we should supplement with a little formula, so we did, and it worked the boy actually got full, and I got a few minutes to myself each day.
Aside from drinking water morning, noon, night (and every second in between) relaxation is key, if you get stressed out about the lack of milk you won't produce as much and if you are tense your milk may not let down when you are trying to nurse. You can use the pump anytime. Even if you are not getting anything a lot of times just the pumping or having the baby suckle will remind your breasts that the kid needs more to eat, the more they are used the more they make, the law of supply and demand.
Best of luck hunny, and remember that if she does need formula supplement or is switched over that you have been doing your very best and do not get dissappointed in any setbacks with nursing her.

A.,

Fisrt of all, don`t worry!

I was byuing a nursing tea at the organic section at the stores.If you can eat nuts,go fo it.I mixed nuts (walnuts)with a little bit of honey.Drink a lot of green tea with milk.Peanut butter sandwich is good too.
Try to lay down and rest as more as you can.eat enough and don`t worry about your waight gain.I put a lot of extra pounds when I was nursing .they all gone.

I felt the same way, so I went to a natural foods store and got something called mother's milk. It worked real well for me. Good luck.

I was also worried initially (my son was born May 22) about milk supply - its hard to know when we cant see how much is going in their mouths. My doctor said to stop worrying as my son was gaining appropriate weight and lenght. That is the real indicator (weight gain). If your daughter is not gaining enough weight your doctor will have you add supplementation. I know it gets harder to know when the MD apts get further apart so if you are worried call your doc before you automatically start supplementing.
About saggy breasts - I am already starting to feel that way and my son is one month younger than your daughter. I was told that this is normal and is not an indicator of decreased supply. For me, I only feel 'full' if I have gone 5+ hrs, where before I would feel that way if I went 2 hrs.
Good Luck!

Hey A.!!
I had the same problem while breastfeeding. I tried the pumping and had the same issue of saggy and not full. A friend of mine told me to try this natural tea called, "Mother's milk." It has been used by moms for hundreds of years. i don't remember what was in it that made it work, but I got it at a natural food store and it was great. Hope this helps!!

HI my name is D., I breast fed my first daughter when I was 18. She had a hole in her heart and they told me my antibodies would help her fight infection when she had surgery. Which she had when she was 3 months old. She was only 4 pounds when she was born and by the time the surgery came she was 13 pounds. Which was great. So my doctor told me to pump after she ate. Not before. And every 2 hours let her feed. That was what I hated the most was not knowing how much she ate. I think u r feeding to soon and am not allowing enough time for ur milk to produce. I would stop pumping for like 2 weeks and see if u can noticce a difference. Also try to wait at least 2 hours for feedings and change breasts at each feeding. Hopefully u will make enough milk. Some people just dont make enough. I didnt make enough to pump and feed so I just fed her. She was breast fed for 6-7 months. Changing to a bottle will be another hard task. TRUST ME> But it is the best thing for the baby u can do it. I have another baby who is 4 years old and I just did the bottle thing. I also have 3 stepkids I am pretty experience when it comes to kids.I am only 27 years old. I was a stay at home mom now I work full time and my husband works full time and both my girls go to school and an after school program we all get home at 4-5 They love it. Its hard when u just start out with kids but it will come naturally trust ur instincts they are the best A mom's feeling goes along way Good luck sweetie.

I had the same problems when my son was born. He was a big eater, and I didn't think that I was producing enough milk. I too have saggy breasts, and after the beginning, they never felt full. I spoke often with doctor's and the lactation consultants, because I thought that I wasn't feeding him enough. But through all of this, I kept up with breastfeeding, and he grew. If I thought that he wasn't full after one breast, then I would let him feed off of the other. This seemed to help. In regards to the pump, I would pump the breast(s) that he fed off of right after his feeding. That way, any leftover milk from my breast was gotten, plus, this was supposed to make the body produce more milk due to the increased demand (at least that's what the experts said). This did seem to work. Although I didn't get that much pumped milk to put in a bottle, it did help me to produce more for my son to drink. I never did seem to produce enough extra to save for later, but my son was content. The doctor's also stated that even though I didn't think that I was producing alot of milk, the milk that I was producing was probably very rich and condensed, so that the quality made up for the lack of quantity. If you have any more questions, please ask. I too am a stay at home mom, and since this is my first child, I've been, and still am, constantly questioning about everything new. I hope that this has helped you. Just don't give up. I've recently started to ween him off of breastfeeding, due to him having seven teeth at the moment (even though he's only 7 1/2 months). I decided to do this when I started walking around with band-aids on both breasts. But until then, I breastfed him. So again, don't give up...everything should work out. As long as your little girl is happy, healthy and still growing, then you're doing fine.

Hi A., A couple of ideas,feeding every hour is probably not giving you enough time to recoup your milk supply.
Why are you trying to pump?
Are you eating lots of fruit and veggies?
Drinking TONS of water?
Have you tried supplimenting w/formula
How about cereal?
Call you're doctors office and speak to a nurse! The baby needs her nutrition!

It is very important to drink alot of fluid during the day. The baby actually does a better job of drawing out the milk than the pump also. As long as the baby is growing nicely, she is getting enough milk. Your pediatrician would let you know.

Hi A. - I nursed my daughter for 8mo and I remember feeling freaked out that I didn't have enought milk for her all the time. It can be nerve wracking!

Talk to your pediatrican. At 4 mo, she might be ready for rice cereal -but talk to her pediatrician before you try.

Another thought, I found when I cut my calories (to loose the baby fat), I found that I produced less milk. I began adding a snack inbetween feedings (a glass of orange juice/whole wheat crackers and cheese/pita bread and hummus/applesauce... basically carbs) I saw a difference in how my breasts felt. You might too.

Lastly, I've heard of a supplement to help increase breastmilk production, I never tried it, but try asking the peditrican about it. He/She may know of it and can guide you a little.

Good luck!

Hi there A.. I noticed the others told you this already but it is the most important thing involved in making your milk supply and that is Drink a glass of water after every nursing. It replenishes what you just provided her with. Hope that helps!

Don't worry...I never had the "full" feeling - size isn't necessarily an indication of how much milk is being produced. Especially after the first few months when your body has figured out the supply and demand pattern of breastfeeding. Feedings every hour is a lot of work with a four month old! Do you know of any lactation consultants in your area that might meet with you - they can even do a pre and post feeding weight check to see exactly how much milk Madison is getting and then give you some suggestions about pumping or other milk increasing ideas. Lalecheleague.org might be another resource for nursing experts. Good luck!
Warmly,
E.

Hey A.,
I go to a breast feeding support group every week. They are free at South Shore Hospital. Monday through Friday from 1pm to 2pm. You sound like you could really learn from the group. There are lactation consultants that help and answer questions. Like for instance it takes your milk at least an hour and a half between feeding to come back in so feeding her every hour isn't helping in that area. And if you want to increase your milk, pump after every feeding.. right after every feeding. And if she is still hungry maybe you could give her a bottle with the breast milk that you are pumping. Also at the support group we weigh them before the feeding and after to see how much they took in. If you are too far away from south shore hospital try calling the hospital you gave birth at and see if they offer the same kind of group. good luck.

A.,
Is she growing and gaining enough weight? You'll know you're making enough as long as she is growing, and seems satisfied after feeding. Don't panic about your breasts not feeling as full, either. They've adjusted to supply and demand, and it seems like if you're trying to nurse every hour they wouldn't have time to fill up anyway. Here are some tips to increase milk supply: drink lots of water, eat well, sleep when you can. Oatmeal is a good helper as well. There are herbal teas you can drink that are known to help increase milk supply as well. For more info, you can check out www.milkshare.com. Another thing to check is your latch. If baby isn't latching well, she may not be nursing effectively. Call your local LaLeche League leader or find a Lactation Consultant in your area (WIC can be of help as well!). Do everything you can to avoid supplementing (short of starving your baby of course!). Once you start supplementing with formula, it begins a downward spiral of supply and demand and your milk production slows even more until it's gone. You're doing a wonderful service to your child by nursing- keep it up! Many blessings, and feel free to email me if you want to talk more about breastfeeding and parenting issues (I spent many years working with families with infants before I had my second child and finally quitting to open my own biz!).
Many blessings!
H.

First, don't worry. Chances are you are making enough milk for her. If she is gaining weight, and has several wet diapers a day she's well nourished. Each woman's breastmilk is concentrated differently and it's not at all like formula. One ounce of your breast milk may have X# of calories and mine my be Y#. So even if it seems not much is coming, it's rich with nutrients & is what your baby needs. Also what you get when you pump does not accurately reflect what your daughter gets in the same time frame. Babies work the breast differently than a pump & the closeness, smells & noises of your baby trigger more milk than a pump can.
Now to save your nipples, try to space your feedings further than every hour. It is true that nursing is "supply & demand" but if you are nursing too often, she's not getting the denser hind milk & your breast may not be getting the message to make more. Push back the feedings just a little bit at a time, but if she's really clearly hungry don't delay the feeding.
With the heat we had just recently, I'd bet you are a little dehydrated. You don't have to go nuts over-hydrating, but every time you nurse have a big glass of water or juice. Try to avoid soda & coffee as the caffeine can increase the effects of dehydration. Decaff tea, especially nursing formulas can help quite a bit, so those are fine.
The last bit of advice I have, I want to suggest that you do your own research on too before deciding you should or shouldn't try it. Beer has been shown to aid lactation- I'm not sure if it's the barely, hops, yeast or combination of all of them, but beer clearly boosts milk production. I'm not suggesting you get smashed & feed your daughter, but 1 beer to boost your milk supply might be a reasonable idea. I'm almost certain 'near beer' (beer without alcohol) will work the same way. It's not recommended that moms drink any alcohol while nursing, but I'd suggest doing your own research & seeing if the small (if any)risk of a single beer outweighs the benefits of continued nursing for you.
Best of luck and your doing great so far :) Choosing to keep trying when you run into problems will make your nursing time last longer, and the longer it lasts the better it is for you & your daughter.