Tips for Increasing Supply

[Babies]

Since this seems to sadly be a reoccuring topic, can we make a sticky on tips to increase supply. My heart goes out to any mom struggling with supply issues. I have been there, takes alot of work, but you CAN do it!!!

[Babies]

First and foremost, the best tip is to get a GOOD LC. Often the ones that work at hospitals or with your pedi are not the best. Private lc seem way more vested into helping you. If you don't click with the first one you see, try someone else. I found my third and best on www.medela.com.

Second, if you're using a PIS, beware that it is not the best pump for increasing supply. Hospital grade rental pumps are best. If you think about how much you will spend in formula supplementing, the pump rental cost comes out about the same.

Third, herbal supplements (fenugreek, blessed thistle) and prescription medications can help. Talk to you lc about them!

Resist the urge to supplement. Supplementing can damage supply. Nurse as much as you can and pump after each feeding. If you have to supplement consider using a Supplemental Nursing System.

Keep in mind, the more you stress, the less productive your nursing will probably be. Curl up on the couch with the baby and some water to drink. That's the best thing you can do!

[haydensmom]

Drink PLENTY of water!!! Fill up a glass and drink it during every nursing session. But be careful not to "overhydrate" as this can actually hurt your supply!

Oatmeal!

Eat a healthy, balanced diet.

Double pump between or after nursing sessions.

Massage your breasts while nursing to stimulate hindmilk letdown more easily (to ensure you get one!!)

Enjoy your baby! Sounds silly, but just thinking about the simplicity of your beautiful child can be enough to relax you! Not that this will increase supply, but it may reduce stress!

[stash]

#1 Nurse Constantly, or at least as much as baby will take the booby. Park your PP butt on the couch with some DVDs, snacks, tea and water, and make everyone wait on the two of you.

[Babies]

Co-sleeping really helps! Not only can you snooze while baby snacks, eats, whatever but you also get the skin on skin contact for a longer amount of time than normal nursing.

[EAugustin]

OH My Lamaze teacher told me about these drops from Motherly Love which are all natural which helped her alot... She only had to use it once and the next morning she said she was looking like Dolly Parton(sp) LOL
She now has a 2 yr.old and is still breastfeeding and she is a leader for the LLL so I knew I could ask her any questions about it cause this time around I want to just breastfeed and not add formula but with each of my babies my milk didn't come in as much as my last baby so I'm hoping that it will if not I'll just try those drops!! LOL LOL

[Babies]

Motherly Love which are all natural which helped her alot...

I think they are called More Milk Plus. I tried that, tasted HORRIBLE! I think it contains fenugreek, blessed thistle, etc. Didn't really work for me BUT some adoptive moms have had success lactating with it!

[EAugustin]

LOL yeah they warned me already!! I will be adding it to my juice (SMMILE) if it works then it will be worth it (SMILE) also I have the pill form just in case!!LOL LOL so lets see what happens! I have 4 weeks to get ready!! WOW... 4 more weeks! (SMILE)

[bethadele]

Ugh...Haven't been around in awhile precisely b/c of this issue!

One important thing to note are the things that decrease supply too...like sage. Umm...yeah...perhaps half the battle for me is figuring out what NOT to eat. What else may be decreasing my milk supply? Hmmm... say....post-partem bleeding for 2 1/2 months!!!!!

I'm going to try the Mother's Milk Plus drops. I'll let you know if I have any success.

[Krissy456]

Supply boosting for pumping/working moms:

http://workandpump.com/boosters.htm

[Musickitty]

I heard you should avoid peppermint, supposedly it can decrease supply. And I heard rooibois (red) herbal tea can help.

[Babies]

Hmmm...must effect different people in different ways b/c I've had both sage and peppermint and had no problems. Not in large quantities, but still. Weird.

[naturekate]

#1 Nurse Constantly, or at least as much as baby will take the booby. Park your PP butt on the couch with some DVDs, snacks, tea and water, and make everyone wait on the two of you.

i secend that, with a box of mother's milk tea

[stash]

I have to add that fenugreek (my LC recommended 2g, 3x a day) and blessed thistle really helped me this last few weeks...

[Babies]

Where did you find Blessed Thistle? I looked everywhere and tried several places online way back when and they were all "out"...

[mrswilson]

Eating oatmeal for breakfast (the 'old-fashioned' kind, not the instant) really helps me when I feel like my supply might be low. I wake up the next morning full and leaking every time.

Also, watered down gatorade seems to help me as well.

Also, I think a lot of women with brand new babies don't get the chance to eat enough...this is so crucial, even if it means getting someone else to cook for you! Your body needs at least 2300 calories everyday to produce milk.

[Kassy]

I believe the #1 reason for a nice milk supply is nursing, nursing, nursing... I did Breast milk and and some formula with my first baby. With my 2nd I exclusively BF'ed and I did have a noticeable larger supply with this one. I would constantly nursed him and pumped whenever he was asleep and always had enough to BF and more for bottle feedings for the times I went out without him.
The more you nurse, the more supply

[vidya_lr]

Garlic increases the appetite of the baby, thereby, making him/her nurse longer. The longer they nurse, your supply increases.

Try taking Garlic.

In India, new moms are given lots of garlic the first few weeks and they say it really boosts supply. Personally, I dont like garlic, so, I never took it though, but, I know it from my relatives and friends who BFd

[Tonya]

I wanted to increase my supply so I could also build a stash. Here's what I did:

I started eating oatmeal- even the instant stuff.
Secondly, While Adan is on one boob, I pump the other. I found that while he's nursing, my other side leaks alot. I finally realized that is wasting milk, so decided to pump. I always get at least 3-4 ounces off that side while he's nursing. If he seems hungry after the one boob (which is uncommon- usually he falls asleep) I just feed him what I pumped. I've been able to build a little stash in the 2 weeks I've been doing this.

[seb05]

hmm

I am taking some garlic and have started adding a little more garlic in foods. And have also started taking a few seeds of fenu greek (2x a day). My mom thinks drinking a lor of milk will help.. but will that increase gas in my baby?? Ive noticed she farts and sometimes shows displeasure before a fart.

I do notice when my boobs get heavy and when they get emptied out.

Am i doing it right??

Thanks
Sujatha

[Babies]

I am taking some garlic and have started adding a little more garlic in foods. And have also started taking a few seeds of fenu greek (2x a day). My mom thinks drinking a lor of milk will help.. but will that increase gas in my baby?? Ive noticed she farts and sometimes shows displeasure before a fart.

I do notice when my boobs get heavy and when they get emptied out.

Am i doing it right??

Thanks
Sujatha

Why in the world do people think milk makes milk? That's so stupid. It's water that will help you. Up your water intake not your milk. You are right babies can't digest the proteins in dairy products all that well...thus the gas.

This is from Kellymom on the Fenugreek dosage...

capsules
(580-610 mg) 2-4 capsules, 3 times per day
6-12 capsules (total) per day
~1200-2400 mg, 3 times per day (3.5-7.3 grams/day)
German Commission E recommends a daily intake of 6 grams

capsules
(500 mg) 7-14 capsules (total) per day

powder or seeds 1/2 - 1 teaspoon, 3 times per day
1 capsule = 1/4 teaspoon
can be mixed with a little water or juice

tincture 1-2 mL, 3 times per day (or see package directions)
tea one cup of tea, 2-3 times per day

[vidya_lr]

I am taking some garlic and have started adding a little more garlic in foods. And have also started taking a few seeds of fenu greek (2x a day). My mom thinks drinking a lor of milk will help.. but will that increase gas in my baby?? Ive noticed she farts and sometimes shows displeasure before a fart.

I do notice when my boobs get heavy and when they get emptied out.

Am i doing it right??

Congratulations on your baby, do you have a boy or a girl. Yes, you will notice when your boobs get heavy and when get emptied....
In India, new moms are not given a lot of water (I dont know why), so, I just drank lots and lots of milk and DD never had a gas problem. She was just fine, I swallowed about 2-3 spoon full of fenugreek every day.

[Babies]

bump to keep this sticky alive!

[sundrip]

This is specifically for women with PCOS but is useful to others struggling with supply as well: http://breastfeedingpcos.blogspot.co...to-herbal.html

[Babies]

bump

[stephmama]

Bump. I'm gonna need this sticky soon!

[MommaBear]

A high sugar diet can be very helpful in boosting supply, and adequate protein (at least 65 grams a day) is needed in order to maintain your muscle mass while still making lots of milk. If you're sick and don't have much appetite, at least try to get some sugar in (Gatorade is good for that). Otherwise, grab a cheeseburger and a milkshake daily... the baby needs it!

[Muzzie]

I have been taking the fenugreek capsules, 2 capsules 3 x daily , and it has upped my milk supply greatly, I get let down about 1/2 and hour after...heavy tingly kinda sore boobs....but then when my son is ready for feeding the milk ti literally squirting out a foot if he accidently slips off the nipple.

I have found thou that there tends to be alot of fore milk before the hind milk comes in, and thats great for me at the moment as it is summer here in New zealand and my son seems thirsty...as well as hungry.

The mums at my coffee group also recommened a tigers milk mixture to boost supply and here is the link to that
http://www.naturopath.co.nz/assets/F...ers%20Milk.pdf

[MommaBear]

bump

[haydensmom]

Bumpy