Breast milk supply :(

Heather - posted on 01/23/2009

There is a website called breastea.com There is some kind of tea that wet nurses used to eat that would increase their milk supply. It is completely natural and it worked wonderfully for me. You might want to try it. It comes in different flavors. The mango one was pretty good. Also you could try to pump for a few minutes after every feeding. That might help too.

Frieda - posted on 01/23/2009

Good job making it this far. Breastfeeding is a lot harder than I thought. I also have low supply and have been pumping, supplementing, taking fenugreek and drinking Mother's Milk tea since shortly after the birth of my 3.5 boy. It seems like the only thing that really helps is getting enough sleep, but I generally only sleep in 2-3 hour increments. Whenever I get more than 3 hours in a row my milk comes in. Are you getting enough sleep? To make matters worse, my boy only wants to nurse side-lying and I haven't figured out how to solve that one yet.

Renee - posted on 01/23/2009

Selina, I understand what you're going through!  I've tried everything in my power to keep breastfeeding for as long as I can. We made it to 7 months with just breastmilk and starting solids, but Baby wasn't gaining enough weight. I made the decision to add in some formula, and while it does bother me some, I am happy that Baby is gaining weight and I don't have to stress out as much. We're at 8.5 mos now and I'm still able to nurse 4 times/day. I think we have found what works for us for now.

Carmen - posted on 01/23/2009

I don't actually know if my supply fluctuates but when I sense that it has I load up on lots and lots of oats. A short time after ingesting oats my breast have the tingling full sensation which lets me know it worked. So far all types of oats work... cereals with oats in in them, steel cut, quick oats, life cereal and cheerios.

Stef - posted on 01/23/2009

I have a sister in law who EBF twins and she swears that eating oatmeal everyday had really helped...just throwing it out there, its cheap and you can lower your cholesterol ;)

Michelle - posted on 01/23/2009

I am the mother of six children whom the first five I nursed with no difficulties. With number 6 I just recently got my period again (he is 10 months) for the first time in three years and I had a severe dip in my breastmilk.. It was very scary for me and the baby cried and arched his back.. it was terrible. I called my lactation consultant and she suggesed Mother's Milk Plus. You can buy it at Whole Foods. I take it four times a day and within three days I had my milk back. I am still taking it just as a precaution. I had taken the Mother's Milk tea and it seemed to upset my baby's stomach and made him spit up alot more. It did that with two of my kids and I really didn't see as much of a positive result as with the More Milk Plus. Good luck.. And keep up the good work.

Rebecca - posted on 01/23/2009

There is a herbal pill called phenugreek that you can get at GNC.  Everything about you will smell like maple syrup for a while!  The Mother's Milk tea, in my opinion, was awful.  Very gross!!!  When my supply got low, I took the phenugreek and pumped every two hours!  I believe in the phenugreek so much that I will take it as soon as I have another baby!

Selina - posted on 01/23/2009

I just wanted to thank everyone for the suggestions,they were very helpful i definitly will try a number of those things,especially the mother's milk tea and skin to skin.Im hoping for the best.

Thank you so much!

Stefanie - posted on 01/23/2009

All great suggestions so far. Worth repeating: Nursing on demand, Oatmeal, fenugreek, mother's milk tea, pumping after feeding, co-sleeping. One thing I didn't see was skin-to-skin contact. Skin-to-skin contact (you topless, baby in just a diaper), for just a little bit each day can increase milk production by up to 3 ounces a day! (at least that is what I was told by my nurse). I also want to reiterate what someone else said: every time you feed her something other than breastmilk, you are signaling your body to make that much less milk. Foods other than breastmilk are only for tasting and playing before 1 year of age.

Michelle - posted on 01/23/2009

You are doing a wonderful thing by breastfeeding your little one.  It's good to see mothers who will do anything to make it work.  I'm assuming your pediatrician is telling you she has poor weight gain.  I just recently had problems with supply and my 5 month old.  She got sick for about a week and didn't eat much and my supply suffered.  After 2 weeks of dealing with it myself, I called a lactation specialist at the hospital.  They recommended taking herbs - Blessed Thistle and Fenugreek - 3 of each (6 total pilss), 3 times a day.  I got them from The Vitamin Shoppe.  They also suggested that I pump for 10-15 minutes after each feeding whenever I could.  It took about a week, but my supply is fine now.  I also went off of the progesterone only birth control, just in case that was a factor.  I hope you get the advice you need here and can rebound.  Good luck.

Christine - posted on 01/23/2009

Don't get down on yourself Mama.  Sometimes it seems like such a struggle to breastfeed, and provide what is best for our babes.  I agree with trying the mother's milk tea.  I would make sure that it is okay to drink with your meds, I don't understand why it wouldn't be.  It does wonders for me when I need a boost.  Sometimes too much!  I have had others suggest oatmeal.  I haven't tried it myself, but have tried an occasional dark beer.  It really helps me.  How is your diet?  Are you taking in enough solid calories?  Are you staying well hydrated?  One of the other women mentioned the flucuations in supply due to a pill or your cycle...could this be it?  Sorry about all the questions, and if you have asked yourself them before, but it is worth a try.  It is great that your doc said she is doing well right now.  Oh, and how are they measuring her weight gain?  If it is using the weight charts at the doctor's office, I don't know if I would put too much weight in those because most of them (like my doctors) are only based on formula fed babies.  So, if this is the case, it could be all screwed up!  Just keep on nursing and pumping if you get a chance.  Try to keep her at your breast often, to help your supply and also to ensure she is getting some of your good hindmilk.  If you can, pump after a feeding session and possibly supplement in between with your hindmilk.    Hang in there and congrats on making it this far!!!

Jennifer - posted on 01/23/2009

Have you tried using Mother's milk tea or a tinture called Mother's milk...those help quite a bit. I would not stress (and stress affects your supply). Be proud of yourself for going over 7 months. she is not going to starve because she is starting solid foods and that affects your supply too. Just keep trying and every little drop helps! My daughter is a year and my supply seems a little low right now too but it is because she is changing...she is sleeping more at night! It is a supply and demand system so just keep nursing, take the prescription and you will be good!

Amber - posted on 01/23/2009

I have had similar problems.  My son (5 months old) only likes to feed from one side at a time but every 2 hours or so.  It is frustrating since I feel like he drops a feeding in the evening.  Anyway, things I have done to help increase supply are pumping a few times a day after a feeding and taking fenugreek.  The fenugreek is a herbal supplement that you take 3 times a day.  It seems like I feel fuller and I leak more often but I don't neccessarily see an increase when I pump.  It is not something that needs to be taken constantly, after I feel and increase I stop untill I notice a decrease again, usually after 2-3 weeks off the fenugreek.

Hope this helps! 

Diana - posted on 01/23/2009

Theres lots of herbal remedies out there which are completely safe for baby. Perhaps go to your local health shop and talk to them. If you are concerned that baby isn't getting what she needs you could always try to supplement one feed a day to ensure she's getting that boost - but make sure you pump. I had to supplement my boy from about 4 weeks which was really sad, but it meant that I could keep breastfeeding him which I may not have been able to otherwise.

Emily - posted on 01/23/2009

Are you taking birth control? Often women have fluctuations in supply during ovulation or menstruation and these dips can become quite extreme with hormonal birth control.

Other than that, I would continue to nurse on demand, allow her to comfort nurse as often as she wants day and night (consider co-sleeping if you're not already), and maybe try to pump a bit more after she's done. If she's sleeping well at night, maybe try to get up and pump in the middle of the night to help boost supply. Remember, any time she drinks from a bottle/cup or eats solids is time she's signaling to your body to produce less milk.