Need Advice on How to Boost My Milk Supply

Yes, the fenugreek works...the teas worked for me, so I didn't need to take the pills. The thing that worked the best for me though, was eating an actual fennel bulb. Look on some recipe sites out there for some cooking ideas, the fresher you eat it, the more it will benefit you (ex: stir fry vs boiling it within a stew). It tastes like licorice until you cook it up a bit.
Also, avoid peppermint--teas, candies, oil etc. It's what you use when you want to wean.

I had a similar problem. I tired the tea and it didn't seem to help. I took fungreek (or something like that) and it seemed to help a little. My best advice is to DRINK DRINK DRINK. I know you have cut out dairy, but drink water by the gallons if you can.

try drinking one beer once a night, I think it's the yeast in the beer. Worked wonders for me!

I struggled with keeping my supply up while working as well. I can't say that any of these things worked in particular, but I was able to pump enough until our son was about 10 or 11 months and then added formula for daycare.

-Fenugreek or mother's milk tea
-Drinking water when thirsty, not too much. What I did was only drank water, or milk (no soda, junk drinks)
-Set my alarm to pump my breasts in the middle of the night (midnight or so) to add another pumping session to my already 3-4 times at work.
-Eat oatmeal for breakfast and whenever hungry at work
-Nurse as much as possible
-There are drops that I took several times per day that had fenugreek and blessed thistle in them. I can't remember the maker, but I purchased them online. It tasted horrible, but you only need one or two drops in your mouth or drink at a time. (you'll smell like maple syrup from this and the tea)
-Eat healthily and heartily

Good luck!
P.S. The drops/tincture that I mentioned above are from www.motherlove.com (like another mom indicated above)

yeah to all of the above! fenugreek (just be sure to take them regularly, don't stop until your supply's up), water, water, water, pump more frequently - and relax in the process :)

I second the advice of others: eat and drink plenty of healthy food, and sneak in an extra pump somewhere. You may have the best results for extra milk in the morning; we tend to produce less later in the day. I also agree that you have to buckle down for some longer pumping sessions--you might have a second let down quite a while after you think you're done. This results in more milk from the session and also cues your body to make more next time. Good luck!

By the way, my daughter had a dairy allergy, too, and there was nothing so sad as the day we had to throw out all of that milk in the freezer. All that work!

Whenever my supply started going down I took Fenugreek. You can buy it a GNC or other similar stores. Also eat oatmeal and drink plenty of water. Try pumping after you feed your son. Also when pumping to increase how much you pump, pump every 10 minutes for a few days and that will tell your body to produce more milk. What I used to do with both kids too is feed them on one side and pump the other. I was able to get two feedings that way (one side he/she was eating the other for later). Good luck! I know how frustrating it can be. The main thing to do is try to relax it will help your supply.

Hi there,

First, I recently read that pumping too much can diminish supply as the baby suckling is the best way to keep the milk going so maybe letting go of the evening pump. I am no expert, trust yourself. What has really, really worked for me is the Mother Love tinctures. Go to www.motherlove.com. I believe it is the More MIlk Plus. I just recycled my last bottle so don't have it in front of me but it has WORKED so well. Just add it to water, way more concentrated than teas. You can order them or find them at the co-ops or whole foods.

Good luck and blessings!

Fenugreek works really well and you can find it easily at a health food store.
Otherwise, a prescription called Domperidone works really well.
You'd have to ask your doctor about it and there are only a few pharmacies that carry it. I tried both and both worked well.
Good luck.
A.

Fenugreek. Natural herb, very safe. Ask a lactation consultant for exact amout to take. Available at any GNC or whole foods. Also, are you eating enough calories and drinking enough water? That might be all you need. Everytime I've breastfed, my milk tends to decrease around 4-6 months. Keep up the calories and H2O!!!

I was useless at expressing so you have my admiration ...

All of the possibilites we have found are here

http://forums.a-little-wish.co.uk/Default.aspx?g=posts&am...
you need to register.

Your doing really well, be proud and keep it up :)

The tea didn't work for me either. Are you eating oatmeal? I ate oatmeal for breakfast every day when I felt my milk supply was in a slump. I also made sure to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Water is the #1 ingredient in breast milk.

Good luck and stick with it as long as you can.

Just remember that producing breast milk is a supply and demand process. You will have to "tell" your body to produce more milk--probably by pumping more often (like maybe 5-6 times per day instead of three) for awhile. Good luck with your decision!

You have gotten some great advice! I see a difference in my supply if I don't eat enough healthy calories or drink enough water. Fenugreek and brewer's yeast are supplements that you can take. If you have time when you are pumping, go for at least 5 more minutes past when you stop seeing milk coming out. That will tell your body that the demand is higher. Good luck! I was looking for this same information a few months ago and got some great ideas. I hope all works out for you and your son!

I take fenugreek (5 capsules 3 times a day) and Blessed Thistle (3 caps 3 times a day) This helped me go from no milk to some. I then started on Domperidone and am now getting a decent supply - not enough to not have to supplement - but definitely a lot more than i did. For really great advice check out Dr. Jack Newman's site
http://drjacknewman.com/
Also - i have been able to order my Fenugreek on Amazon for only $1.99 a bottle! And Blessed Thistle for a little more.
Let me know if i can help in any way -
I have learned way more than i ever wanted to know about increasing milk supply in the past 8 weeks.
warmly,
M.

Hi S.! You have had alot of good advice! One other thing you could try is red raspberry leaf supplements. There is a tincture( drops for under the tongue), capsules or tea.
I noticed that one person said to basically nurse all you can. That can sometimes have an adverse affect so I would not nurse or pump anymore than every 2 hours unless your baby demands. I have always had problems with milk supply so I hope things turn out well for you!

S.,
What a great job you are doing providing your son with your milk. It can be a challenge to work and pump and sort that all out. You can take Fenugreek supplements or Mother's Milk tea to boost supply. La Leche League has stuff about boosting supply on their web site. I went through this with my son too. I had enough supply if he was nursing, but he drank more from a bottle. You could also try changing the bottle nipple to the lowest flow if you aren't using that now. I also pumped over the weekend to provide those few extra ounces he needed during the week. You can also play around with the pressure and positioning of your pump. Sometimes a change in speed or suction can give you more milk too. Good Luck!!

I've nursed 4 babies and have used a supplement called Fenugreek. It will help boost your supply. I was really surprised at how well it helped my milk supply. I used it during those times when our baby was growing and not getting enough milk. It usually worked pretty fast too. My doula recommended it to me. It's very safe. You can get it at any nutrition store. I know that you can also get it at the HyVee at 156th and Maple.

I've heard drinking a little bit of beer helps, if you don't mind the small amount of alcohol. Otherwise you can ask your doctor what to take.

Are you eating enough calories and drinking enough water?

Perhaps you may need to get up once a night to pump also. You said you pump 3 times while at work and once when he's asleep. That's 4 times a day. Try to make it 6 times a day. Remember that it's all about supply and demand. If you demand more, your body will supply more... but make sure you are providing it the fuel it needs to carry on your request.

While you work on your milk supply try having daycare mix your breast milk with a bit of formula in each bottle.

Good luck!

Nurse, nurse and nurse some more! The more you nurse the more your body will want to make. It is a game of supply and demand. Also, drink plenty of water, pump whenever you can. Many people pump one side while they nurse the other, I never got the hang of that but it is worth it if you are able. This sounds crazy, but a small amount of beer once in a while is good for milk production. When in doubt nurse. A wonderful resource is Ask Dr. Sears Web site. It has never failed me. Meanwhile, know that you are giving your child the best nutrition, especially when there are digestion challenges and don't give up.
Good luck!
J.