Need Help for Lactation

I would suggest making lentil soup. Lentils are really good for helping to make breastmilk. Tea will also produce more milk (I would suggest something without caffeine like chamomile).

I found that when I would drink a glass of water at the beginning of a breastfeeding session, my milk would let down with the first few sips. Lastly, drinking cow's milk and juices also helped me.

I hope this helps.

All great answers! Mine are in their early thirties now so I am able to stand back and see the result. First one - hungry all the time, switched to a bottle early, hardly had time for that either (the sun is up I must be doing something full steam mom!) Second one - cuddly, nursed all the time (and I mean all the time!), great weight gain, great bonding experience, can still remember his little fingers patting my breast as if he were listening to classical music. They are both great boys (oops, men) now. The greatest gift you will give your children is to be a good parent. If breast-feeding just can't be managed, don't feel guilty (I felt terrible!). LLL is great. They have all the tricks. I made a "mock"tail of milk and Brewer's Yeast every morning. Lots of vitamin B as I remember. It really worked. You can overdo the BY. I think I was up to 3 heaping tablespoons and cut back to 1 or so. You will know. Your face will flush. The, sort of, plus side is that you have more milk than you know what to do with. Baby on one side, hand pushing in on the other side to stop the flow. Feed on demand worked for me too. Good luck. Oh, I forgot, Brewer's Yeast tastes terrible but it was worth it.

It's so sad that people don't trust that breastmilk is BEST for a baby. A breastfed baby nurses every two hours, around the clock and when a baby crys to nurse more often than that, people assume the baby is still hungry. Then what happens is so typical to your situation. Formula is introduced, the baby sucks differently with a bottle than the breast and the more supplemental feedings the baby has, the less milk you produce. It's truly a no-win situation. Your baby is 3 1/2 months and already your milk is decreasing. The best then you can do now is to put your baby back to the breast BUT you will have to pump to begin producing what your baby needs to sustain his requirements for a feeding. IF you are serious about breastfeeding again, I strongly recommend that you contact a lactation consultant. If your pediatrician or OB does not have a referral for you, then contact Le Leche League in YOUR area and explain that you are looking for a lactation consultant to help you re-lactate. After the birth of my 3rd child, I had breastfeeding issues from day one. He had a weak suck, was not gaining weight and as a result, my milk supply decreased. I finally hired a lactation consultant to help me and she prescribed me to pump for 20 minutes every 2 hours...around the clock. I was exhausted, supplementing with formula, and still not producing enough to sustain my baby's needs. You might be able to overcome this. But, the reality is that you might not and you may need to make peace with that. The best thing you can do is begin putting your baby to your breast as often as possible. Latch your baby to your breast all day if you can! Nurse your baby before AND after a bottle feeding and pump in between but you must contact a lactation specialist to assist you. And, as far as how many times you breastfeed a baby, no matter what the age, you nurse as often as the baby wants. If it's every hour, every 2 hours, every 4 hours, you nurse when your baby needs it. Never look at the clock and say that baby can't be hungry because he just nursed. Every baby is different and needs to nurse as often or not according to his needs. Nurse often to get the milk supply up, however.

The advice given so far has been right on point. Keep nursing, stop bottle as much as possible, continue to pump after feedings to prompt your body to increase production, drink more liquids, and try fenugrek and CONTACT a LLL group.

You are not the only mom who has felt the family members knew more, but remember, they are from a generation where the lobby for formula companies and pediatricians was VERY strong (still is, but we are learning our lessons now ... ). They used to tell moms all the time that they didn't have enough milk, then your guilt gets to you and you think you're doing something wrong ... Times have changed and the power is back with moms!!!!

Don't feel bad, you're NOT alone and can probably turn this situation around. Nurse your baby ALL the time and that will help increase production too ...

Good luck!!

Hi R.,
I know it's a pain, but you could pump a couple times a day also then more milk will come in, and if you encourage it more baby should be more interested.Best of wishes.
C.

There are these pills you can buy at whole foods which are called more milk plus it helps but you need to eat often and drink plenty also my lactation consultant had told me you can't go mor than 4 hours without feeding its all about supply and demand

It's great that you are breast-feeding your baby. However, you may have gotten some bad advice. It probably would've been better to pump in order to get more milk for your baby. So when your baby was asking for more you'd have a back up bottle of your milk. The more you nurse & pump the more milk you make and the opposite is true. I remember I had a lot of milk in the am and would pump & save a bottle for the pm when my milk production would die down some. You should drink a lot of water which is usually the best way to make more milk & rest because being tired will also decrease your milk production. There's a tea called Mother's Milk which increases milk production. (Found at The Beehive on Bird Road I think.) Also Malta works well although I'm not a fan of the taste. As far as how many x's to feed I was taught on demand which is usually every 3 hours at the beginning. I think I also had to count wet diapers but honestly don't remember what the lactation specialist told me.(4 yrs ago)

I went to a lactation specialist who was amazing. I had a really hard time at first for different reasons but she was excellent & taught me so much. I recommend her to everyone & get great response. When I went to her she wasn't covered by our insurance but it was the best money we ever spent. I only went to her twice. The 1st time to learn & the 2nd time to make sure my baby was getting enough milk. The difference was quite measurable. I was able to nurse my 2 kids for a yr each.

This is the latest info I had for her, not sure if she's still there b'cus she's moved around from when I went to her. I wish you the best & congratulate you for making the effort.

Faith Ploude, BA, IBCLC, RCL
Board Certifies Lactation Consultants
Lactation Center
3659 South Miami Avenue, Suite 4004
MIami FL 33133
###-###-####
____@____.com

Congrats on wanting to breast-feed your baby. It is true that breast-feeding is harder "work" for the baby than a bottle, so once you start formula, they do start to prefer that. But your lactation is on a supply and demand basis - the less he eats, the less you'll produce. If you want to increase your supply again, then you have to increase how much you're feeding him and reduce the formula you're giving him. If you do this, I would let him nurse as much as he needs it for the first week or so, and let your body have time to catch up to his demand. Or you might also try pumping between feedings to increase your supply, and giving him your milk in a bottle instead of the formula.

I dont know exactly where you live...go to BOCA COMMUNITY HOSPITAL and ask tor Carey. They give experts advise and have mother/baby breastfeeding classes. She is the best. She helped me a lot and I never had to pay any class, but I am not sure how does it work exactly. Good Luck!!!

it might mot be too late!
can you find an IBCLC (Int'l Board certified Lactation Consultant) near you? if you're in miami, FAITH PLOUDE is THE woman to see, she's at Mercy Hospital Lactation Services.
or call la leche league! for free:
The La Leche League Breastfeeding Helpline - US began on June 1, 2007. Everyone in the U.S.A. will have access to toll free breastfeeding help 24 hours a day. Just call 1-877-4-LALECHE (1-877-452-5324.

No, no, no, don't formula feed!!! I had the same dilemma when I had my little one at about that age. I was worried that she wasn't getting enough milk that I researched and called La Leche and Planned Parenthood and the Health Department. I received great advice. She said don't worry about not feeding your baby enough, she is eating enough, and the more you put baby to your breast to feed her, the more milk you will produce. In essence, when you formula feed and skip breastfeeding, you will produce less and less milk. If you put baby to breast more, the more milk you will eventually make. So please, give up the formula and just solely breastfeed and I will assure you you will be producing more milk again. Or if you still want to formula feed, pump your breast at that time also so it will keep the milk flow going. Of course, it's easier for the baby to feed from the bottle because it's easier and faster and therefore baby prefers the bottle. Breastfeeding does require some work on baby's part because it's harder to suck out, but don't let that discourage you. I wouldn't listen to anybody except the professionals and La Leche. Call them and they will tell you the exact same thing I told you. Also, when it's time to breastfeed, it really does help when you look at a picture of the baby and think of how much love you have for baby.

Good luck and don't give up. I breastfed exclusively for 13 months and I also had bumps along the way, but stick with it and don't think baby is starving, just put him on your breast more often and your body will naturally produce more milk.

And why do grandparents always think the mommies are starving their children? My mom said the same thing, oh, she's not eating enough. Naturally I let that go in one ear and out the other.

I had a friend recommend using "More Milk Plus". I purchased it at Whole Foods in Tampa. It worked ok for me but my friend said it worked really well for her.

You should be able to ask your pediatrician (call the nurse) or do a google search for how many times a day your baby should feed.

Good luck! My daughter is just over 9 months and still breastfeeding - though we are supplementing with formula now too.

Hi R.-
Kudos to you for sticking in there with the breastfeeding. As a mom who only lactated for one of her children and nursed exclusively with my second, I, too, felt the need to provide them with as much breastmilk as possible. Since your baby is already 4 months old and probably prefers the ease of taking fluids from a bottle vs. the extra energy it takes to breastfeed (they have to draw the milk out of your breast with their mouth, requiring more energy expenditure on their part), perhaps you can pump and give your baby the breastmilk in a bottle? Pumping will not only increase your milk supply, but also give you the options of offering him breastmilk more often. You will also get to see exactly how much your producing in ounces in a given day. It does require a bit more effort than breastfeeding exclusively, however, you do get the benefit of getting in breastmilk into their diet. I think a 4 month old should be nursing about 6-8x/day, depending on whether you have introduced solids yet. Best wishes to you!

I hate to say it, but unless you are pumping and putting the breast milk into a bottle; it may be too late. With my second, I gave her a bottle at 6 weeks old because I had to be at the hospital with my husband and couldn't get home to feed her and she never nursed well again after that. I hope you are luckier than I was. Here is a recipe for cookies that help build milk supply. I haven't tried them yet, but I have heard nothing but great things about them...

http://www.recipezaar.com/Oatmeal-Chocolate-Chip-Lactatio...

I breastfed all 4 of my children. My last 3 child i went back to work and reduced my breastfeeding and I know when you milk supply diminishes it can be really hard. As far as i know the only real thing you can do to increase your milk supply is Increase the amount of time you feed you child. Instead of givin him the bottle right away give him the breast especially when he is really hungry, try to feed him as long as possible with both breasts and only after that if you feel he is still hungry give him the bottle. At 4 months I still fed my babies on demand which may have been as often as every 2 hours. I know that sounds like a lot but if you really want to increase your milk production its the way it has to be. Now if you are not able to feed him or he is just too fussy and you have to give him the bottle first- I would pump. There are some cheap pumps out there and they work really well and then you would have some breast milk to give from a bottle if needed. You either need to refrigerate the milk to use that day or freeze it, and never heat breast milk in a microwave. Breast milk you put on a bowl or cup of warm water to get it to body temp. Good luck!

Contact the local chapters of La Leche League. Search on-line for the current chapter leaders and phone numbers. They can help.

It's a trick breast feeding and bottle feeding. The bottle is "instant gratification" and the breast takes a little effort on the baby's part to start the flow. Drinking a lot of water helps your body to produce. And there is a saying "Today's sucking is tomorrow's milk"...
Google "LaLeche League" and get in touch with lactation experts.
Blessings, S.

I have brestfed 4 healthy boys so.....a 4 month old will feed approx. every 3-4 hours during the day. Now, if you want to build up your milk supply you will need to nurse more frequently. You can also use the herbs Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle to help build your supply if you think you are low. But the best thing is to just let your baby do it.:>) You can also pump to help increase it as well.
I don't know the people who recommended formula, so please don't be offended. But there are many other reasons why your baby may have cried after. If a baby is still hungry the solution would be to brestfeed him more not less!
Feel free to contact LaLeche or something like that! They have a wealth of information and support available.

God bless and try and enjoy this precious, once-in-a- lifetime moment w/ your little blessing!

I fell for the "your baby is hungry so supplement" line too. I don't believe it was true. I started supplementing my daughter at 3 months and my milk supply was very low after that. I didn't want to pay for formula any longer so I decided I wouldn't. The next few days I fed her CONSTANTLY!! Breastmilk is supply and demand so the more you feed him, the more milk you will produce!
I breastfed my daughter exclusively after this time until she was 11 months. And I was never worried about her not getting enough. She actually didn't start cereal until 7 months because breastmilk was so satisfying to her! Good luck! And about how much to feed him...feed him when he's hungry, stop when he's not!

Good for you realizing that breast is best! My suggestions are fenugreek, get the seeds and make a tea from them (not the tea itself, this way is more potent) put about a teaspoon in some water and heat it up. You can eat the seeds too. If you cook it too long it will taste very bitter. Also you can drink raspberry leaf tea. More suggestions are to eat LOTS of fresh green leafy veggies. Stay away from dairy products too. People think they need to drink milk from a cow to produce human milk, which is insane. What do cows eat???
Take some time to relax, drink lots of water and pump till your milk comes in.
Keep up the good work and be positive. Women CAN get the milk supply back up, women who adopt can also lactate so you are on the way!

Your milk supply is based on supply and demand really - so I suggest pumping as much as you can and then your body will think it needs to create more milk in order to feed the baby...

Breastfeeding is all about supply and demand. The more he nurses the more milk you should make, given that you have had plenty of rest and are well hydrated. So when you feed him formula your body does not know to make more milk. When my daughter was a newborn we had to supplement a tiny bit but each time I would pump for the stimulation while my husband fed the baby. If I were you I would make an appointment with a lactation consultant to see if it is possible to get your supply back up. Good Luck

Usually breast fed babies don't like bottles. But to make sure you milk doesn't dry up pump a couple times a day. You can put your milk in the bottle for him. If he won't take it from the bottle mix it with the formula. But pumping is a good way to build the milk supply back up. My friend let her husband suck the milk when the baby wouldn't. But everyone is different. Relax, a lot of babies are raised on just formula and survive just fine. But it is true breast milk is better, also cheaper.

Going to see a lactation consultant is so worth it! Mine was great. You can go to breastfeedng.com or contact your hospital. La leche league also helped me a lot (http://www.llli.org/WebUS.html). Good luck!

I had problems with breastfeeding for a while too, so I definitely feel your pain. I talked with La Leche, as well as a friend who is a naturopathic doctor. Fenugreek helps - you can make the tea, as someone else recommended, or there are capsules you can take, which is what I did. Also, the Mother's Milk tea helps. But the most important way, as frustrating as it can be when you get used to feeding less often, is to breastfeed more often. I started breastfeeding before and after every nap, even if he only took a little each time, because the more OFTEN you breastfeed, the more your milk supply increases. I had to do this for about a month, if I remember, and then my supply increased and I could feed him less frequently. Good luck. I know it can be frustrating, but you should be proud of yourself for sticking it out!

Hi! I am currently nursing my 8 month old and also breastfed my oldest child until he weaned himself around 9 months old. The tricky thing about nursing is figuring out what works for you. I have always nursed on demand when I am at home (I pump when I am at work). The best way to boost your supply is to let your son nurse as much as possible. At this age, he is probably eating about every 2-3 hours (however formula tends to hold them over longer I believe). Let your son nurse before you give him formula and then try pumping afterwards. You may not get much but it will tell your body - "Hey, we need to make some more milk."

The fussiness after his feedings could have been caused by gas... Mylicon drops can help with that. They are also sensitive to what you eat, it your diet consists of a lot of salt or spices that can cause fussiness too. The downside to nursing is that sometimes mommy has to have a somewhat bland diet... it gets better as they get older. My oldest could not tolerate any caffeine when I was nursing so I had to nix all coffee and soda, he would eat a little and then cry, eat then cry. It was pitiful.

I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck. Breastfeeding is very demanding yet very rewarding.

Also, when I notice that my supply is getting a little low I go to my local herbal medicine shop and get fenugreek. It also helps boost your supply.

I know you got a lot of responses and I did not read through them.

1 Supply and demand. The more you latch him the more you produce. Less bottle more mommy!

2. Lots of water

3. Something that helped me tremendously was a tea you get at your local GNC. I think its called mothers milk and it helps your milk production tremendously... I drank it 30 minutes before each feeding.

Hope it all goes well.

The best way to increase your milk supply is nursing and lots of it. I would nurse first and then offer the bottle. Make sure the nipples on the bottle you're using are size 1 so the flow is very slow. If he's being lazy about nursing it's probably because he has bottle preference. He doesn't have to work as hard to get milk from a bottle than he does from you. Drinking plenty of water, eating oatmeal (not the instant kind), fenugreek, and Mother's milk tea (I've seen this at Publix) should help too. I have heard that gatorade increases milk too. I would recommend calling La Leche League for someone to really help you. They are free! And a great website for info is kellymom.com. Here's some of their info on increasing low supply:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html

If you want to know if your baby is getting enough to eat, look at his output. In general if he has 4-5 noticeably wet diapers, he's getting enough.

http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/enoughmilk01.pdf

Hey there! I think everyone has given you pretty good advice on how to increase your supply, so I won't go over that again. But I do have info on how much your baby should be feeding: according to the book "YOur baby's 1st year" a 3 to 4 month old should be getting 4 to 6 feedings a day of breast milk or formula and 6 to 8 ounces per feeding. Good luck!

DON'T GIVE UP! Try coaxing him to suckle longer, even if you think your empty, and your supply will increase again to meet his needs. You can also go from the "second" side back to the first, as it is already beginning to fill again, then maybe back to the second side again. Also, gradually decrease, and possibly water down his formula so it's not as satisfying. You should breastfeed, where ever possible, when the baby is hungry -- which could be from 6-10 times a day, especially while your trying to bring him back to the breast. It's tough after they have gotten used to bottle nipples that also give him his supply much faster but be determined.

If all else fails, pump your breasts as often as possible & bottle feed your breastmilk - it's nature's perfect, complete food your little one.

Best of luck!
V. B

I have an unused Supplemental Nursing System from La Leche League if you're interested. It was $50 or $60 (can't remember) but I'd be willing to let it go for less. It's still in the sealed packaging.

R. congratulations on your baby boy!!
My daughter is almost 7 months at about 2 months we started expressing milk so my husband could help out with feedings. It has been a great bonding time for them both now that we have a routine down - they do breakfast together, he reads her the paper they "chat" about what they dreamed about the night before - it is the best thing to listen to as I get to go to sleep while they have there time together.
Now I'm not saying that pumping is fun, but it allows me to give my daughter breast milk all the time. I have formula in the house for emergencys and have only had to use it once. She can down a 5 oz bottle in minutes so nursing her full time would stress us both out way too much and she would be attached all day as it takes her much longer to nurse. I pump ever 4 hours during the day and about every 5 hours at night but if my milk production slows I go back to pumping every 3 hours.
I do nurse her before some of her naps and before bed to get her in the sleep mode if she needs a bit more after her bottle and for me it's a great way to end the day with some one on one time with my daughter. As for foods that produce more milk - I personally have found I produce more milk if I have protein with every meal and make sure I'm eating 3 good meals each day. If I get busy and skip a meal I can really tell. R. don't stress yourself out - if your son is happy with formula use that to fill in what you are not producing with nuring or pumping. Whatever works for you and your son is the right answer. For me and my daughter my breast pump is the best answer for us. Enjoy your son!!

The best advice I can give you about getting more milk to come in for your baby is to nurse him more often...there isn't any other way that I know of (and I have nursed 5 babies so far). It's all about supply and demand (and stick-to-it-ness) In the beginning you could just stay home and stay put and nurse all day....on and off...just keep offering it to him and wean him off the bottle...it's so much easier for them to get the milk from the bottle and it makes them lazier for the breast...Their jaws get strong when they nurse, but it's like any exercise...it takes doing it to build that muscle and it our natural tendency is to do what's easier...he's just mad that it's hard...But he'll get over it..he wont' rememember it...and you have to be strong mama...this won't be your last battle with him wanting what's easier...YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Nursing isn't always convenient, and no one else can do it for you...but that is also one of the best perks of nursing! You have to share that baby (the 1st one esp.) with everyone, but no one can step in when it's feeding time (when you are nursing, of course!) It will get easier...way easier, and it's so much cheaper!!! Plus, the obvious benefits of health for baby and the bonding is worth every inconvenience (and all the lack of sleep!) It's such a short season, and you only get one shot at it per child...Enjoy it!! The only time I sit down these days is when I nurse my baby!! It also releases stress releaving hormones in Mama when baby nurses so there are benefits for you physically too (and it's proven to dramatically reduce the chances of breast cancer too!!)

There may be some stuff at the health food stores to help you with your milk...I'm not up on that, but Souther's is a great health foodstore and they are soooooo helpful and fairly priced. They are in the Dover area. Many of my friends have found the Le Leche' League to be a great support during nursing esp. when having problems. They are amazing..

My 5th child has had some food allergy issues so we have had to do things totally different with him (mostly I can't eat my normal diet anymore...) but it is sooooooooooooo worth it all! It also helped me lose some baby weight!! Can't beat that! LOL!

With your first child, everything is so new and everyone has their opinion...but trust your heart. God gave that baby to YOU and YOUR HUSBAND and HE will lead you in your caring for him. I pray God's best for you and your sweet family!

Love, K.

Hi R.! I don't know of any foods to help w/milk production, but I've read about an herb/herbal supplement that helps milk production. If you don't want to do that, you would have to nurse the baby more often or pump to stimulate your milk production. And it could take a week or two to get it going again, not just a day or two. I have 5 kids and have nursed all 5, the youngest being 4 mos old. Advice on how many times you should breastfeed....whenever he's hungry. You can have some days where he nurses every hour or two, and other days he might go 4 or 5 hours. For the past 2 days, my 4 month old has been nursing every 2 hours....my guess is she's going through a growth spurt. The best advice I can give you is to relax and not worry what everyone else says. Just smile and nod and do what you feel is best. My friends have given it up b/c they feel the baby isn't getting enough b/c the baby is nursing every 2 hours, but that's completely normal. I think of it as a great excuse to have to sit down every couple of hours and not do anything b/c noone else can feed the baby. Good luck!!!

I am currently breastfeeding, and you have to eat calorie rich healthy foods, protein, carbohydrates, etc to increase your flow, the more you express, the more the milk you will produce (based on demand/supply) and you can express to have your little one still get breastmilk if he just prefers bottle to breast. I have a 4 1/2 to 5 mo old baby now and I work, so I only get to breastfeed him when I get home, but I express for the next day and my husband feeds him at least 3 4oz - 5 oz servings until I get home.

acupuncture helped me a lot.

Way to go on wanting to increase your nursing sessions and decrease the formula. You are right that breastfeeding is healthier and you can do it! I would get in touch with a professional lactation consultant asap. There is some that work through Morton Plant at ###-###-#### that offer free phone advise or an in-person appt if needed for FREE, no matter if you had your baby there or not.

You can take fennugreek capsules (3 capsules,3x a day), drink coconut milk (by itself or in a drink or smoothie), eat oatmeal, drink red-raspberry-leaf tea, drink LOTS and LOTS of water....all these can help boost milk production, but they most important thing is to have the milk nursed or pumped out as your body makes it,even now. If you aren't nursing or pumping often, then your body doesn't think your baby needs much- and it reduces your supply. If you pump in the am right after nursing that will be a good start. Pumping at dinner time/evening is NOT the best time,as supply is usually lowest then. I would start nursing more, pump after nursing with a quality electric pump or hospital grade rental pump and taking the supplements and eating/drinking well and your body will respond to the baby's needs. Pump several times a day AFTER he nurses to stimulate your body to make more and nurse many times a day on demand. Even if you don't get much out from pumping at first, it's ok, still pump for 10-15 min which still stimulates your body. Relax and just think about the baby while you pump. Try not to let others give you their advice when they say 'the baby is still hungry' or if they try to push you into giving formula. They mean well for you/the baby but it is not good advice for you and isn't supportive. Remind them that you know that breastmilk is best and that you are really trying to get your nursing back on track and that you need their support. Way to go for hanging in there and wanting to fix this. Just hurry, before your supply goes too low....call the consultant,they will return your call soon and get you started back to giving your baby more breastmilk!

Healthy nursing tea. I have a very low supply too. Without this tea, I couldn't BF. you can get it at walmart or amazon. Take 3, 3 times a day. It'll take a couple days to notice but your increase will be drastic. I drink it daily :) safe for both you and baby:) it says right on the label it's used for the help of lactation !!