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Post by nicole on Oct 14, 2008 15:11:22 GMT -5
Two supplements that can be used to increase supply are: Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle. They work best when taken together. I've used them and found them to be effective. Nicole
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Post by daffylexer on Oct 15, 2008 7:10:00 GMT -5
This may sound crazy, but the only thing that has worked for me is a combination of whole milk and my pre-natal vitamin. If I drink 3-4 glasses of whole milk a day, plus take my pre-natal I'll pump 8-10 oz more than when I don't do the milk/vitamin combo.
Alexa
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cubs
Senior Member
Posts: 395
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Post by cubs on May 11, 2010 10:43:06 GMT -5
Hi,
I started giving Liliana formula at night a month ago. She was never a good breastfeeder. She would latch on but never suck hard enough so she was hungry every hour. The doctor called her a lazy sucker. I was renting a pump from the hospital and it was working great. It was getting too expensive to rent so I bought the Medela Swing. Over the past month, I have noticed a decrease in my milk. Now, I can barley get an ounce per pump. Where before I could get easily 4oz. I have been drinking a ton of water and juice. What can I do to increase my milk again or is it too late??? Susan
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Post by carmenivy on May 11, 2010 11:51:27 GMT -5
The only thing that worked to increase my milk was to nurse or pump often. Are you on any form of hormonal birth control? Pretty much all forms of it, including the mini pill (which is not supposed to affect milk production) decreased my milk supply.
Don't feel bad if it just doesn't work out to breastfeed her. I am all for breastfeeding, and I had an easy time with my firstborn, but with Charlotte it was not as easy. She couldn't stay latched on, and I pumped and bottlefed it to her from four weeks on. By ten weeks, I just couldn't get any milk with the pump anymore. It was even a rented hospital-grade pump. I switched her to soy formula at the doctor's recommendation and it was like she was a new baby. I guess she needed that all along.
I hope you can find something that helps!
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Post by lfischer on May 11, 2010 14:54:17 GMT -5
Susan~
I mainly pumped for 8 months with Marah. She was a wonderful nurser, but my schedule and hers did not always coincide because of my full time work. When I felt like my milk supply was dwindling, I began taking Fenugreek. It did help. My schedule was to typically pump 4 - 6 times a day and I was able to get 8 - 10 ounces each time. I'm sure that is not as much as some women, but it worked for us.
Good luck!
Leah
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cubs
Senior Member
Posts: 395
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Post by cubs on May 11, 2010 18:59:52 GMT -5
Hi,
Thanks ladies. I bought Fenugreek today and hopefully it will help. Lately she gets about 2 bottles of breast milk a day but I would love to give her more. I just don't know why I have had such a decrease in the past week. When my milk first came in, I had so much. I know I shouldn't, but I do feel guilty that I cant give her more. My doctor said today that I have done a great job since she wasn't a good latcher, but I think its just the beginning of the motherly guilt. I hope the Fenugreek works and my milk increases again.
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Post by meeko08(Lisa) on May 11, 2010 23:34:42 GMT -5
If that doesn't work there is a pill the Dr. can prescribe. I can't remember the name but I got really sick when bfing logan and the dr. gave it to me and my milk supply went up again. They give it to women who are adopting a newborn but want to breastfeed so it does work.
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Post by mzr on May 12, 2010 4:48:10 GMT -5
Oh, Susan- I have BEEN THERE!! Here are the things that were recommended to me: 1) This sounds strange but my doctor recommended I drink a dark beer a day. I had horrible supply issues. I'm not sure if the beer helped relax me so the milk would come in or if it actually did anything. I heard that brewers yeast is good for increasing milk supply. But it's pretty expensive and hard to find unless you have a health food store near you. I figured that if my doctor recommended it I should be ok. I drank 1/2 a guinness at least 3-4 times a week for the 8 months I BFed. But I was pretty much exclusively pumping starting when Owen was 11 weeks old. 2) Fenugreek which I took too. 3) stay well-hydrated. Lots of water. 4) pumping. At first, the lactation consultant told me to pump for 10-15 minutes after each feeding. Your breasts will make as much milk as they think they need to for the baby so once Owen stopped nursing I would continue to pump to force my breasts to make more milk. Then, as it was time to start thinking baout going back to work, I did what is called "power pumping" to increase my supply. You pump for 10 minutes on-10 minutes off for 1 hours. I tried to do this 4-5 times a day from 8-12 weeks of age while I was on maternity leave to build up the stock supply for daycare. Once I started back at work, I did this in the morning before leaving for work and in the evening about 1 hours after putting Owen to bed. No wonder I felt like a COW! 5) breast compresses and massages prior to each pumping/feeding. This killed my hand but it did work. Good luck!
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Post by lfischer on May 12, 2010 8:55:43 GMT -5
Susan~
One other thing that worked for me - When I tried to double pump I never got as much milk. However, when I would pump one breast at a time, I was able to pump much much more. For the most part I think that it was because I was able to relax more. While I was pumping, I would do things on the computer etc...It did take a little more time, but in the long run it was worth it.
You are doing a great job!!
Leah
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Post by angelisaiahsmommy on Nov 2, 2010 21:31:24 GMT -5
Oatmeal. The non instant kind. eat a bowl of it every day and it will increase your supply. and like a pp said, hormonal birth control is a no no. I didn't think it was supposed to affect supply, but I discovered that while I was on it, I would only pump 2 oz if I was lucky, after I got off of it, I pump 5 easy. not to mention that the mini pill made me bleed constantly...like I never stopped. I bled until I stopped taking that stupid thing when Makenzie was 2.5months old!
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