Fenugreek, how long does it take before it actually takes effect?

Tanya - posted on 02/16/2013

Not all herbs are created equal. Cheaper herbs in plastic bottles can loose their efficacy. You want a high quality brand Fenugreek in a glass bottle like Nature's Herbs for maximum freshness and potency. You also need to take the appropriate dosage for your weight so buying from a breastfeeding company as opposed to a health food store that will provide you with that information is key. There are also products that contain the appropriate dosage of Fenugreek for the average sized woman such as Mama Java Breastfeeding Blend Cafe Mocha. When taking the appropriate dosage in a quality herb, you should see results in just 48-72 hours. Your can find these products at http://www.lactationconnection.com

Stephanie - posted on 04/07/2010

My lactation counselor told me to take up to 4 pills 3-4 times a day. The dosage is a lot, but it seems to work. I still have a hard time producing milk and my baby lost half a pound in a week at a month old... the doctor told me I had to supplement formula, which does not make me very happy. I know that she needs the extra calories since I am not making enough milk for her and that's ok, she needs to grow! I have tried everything to get my milk supply to increase and it isn't working much! :( Hope you have a better time with it!!

Nichole - posted on 04/06/2010

i was told to start with 3 tablets 3x's a day and increase it every day until my body and urine smelled like maple syrup, that's when you know you are taking enough of it, and by day 4 i had alot of extra milk but i took fenugreek in conjunction w/ double pumping directly after nursing for 15 additional minutes as well...I had a full extra 5 ou. after 4 days in one sitting....talk about huge !! ouch

Andrea - posted on 04/05/2010

Yes, pumping is not a good indicator especially with a manual pump - not all pumps are created equal - I got HALF the amount out of a first years ELECTRIC pump as I did out of my Medela electric.

Jennifer - posted on 04/05/2010

Pumping really is never a good indicator of how much milk we are making. Some women pump and get a lot, some pump and get none. I could NEVER produce when pumping, but my now 5 y/o was always in the 97th percentile in weight even when he was exclusively breastfeeding. Keep up the good work, it sounds like you are doing an awesome job. Just keep at it.

April - posted on 04/05/2010

Mama, you're doing well. =) Also check out the forums on this website: www.llli.org. It's the La Leche League's website and the ladies on that forum saved our breastfeeding relationship!

Erika - posted on 04/05/2010

Wow, reading all your comments really made me feel confident about



breastfeeding again, thanks ladies! My little one is turning 5 months



on this coming 14th of April. I noticed that my supply started running



low when he turned 2months old (after I had a flu). I knew so coz I



could barely make an ounce of milk (from both breasts) whenever I



pumped (manual pump from The First Years), and so my frustration



started. I really want to nurse him longer that's why I kept on



researching on what to do. I tried eating oatmeal (with almonds even)



twice a day, had a bottle of beer (just made me tipsy coz im a non-



drinker), drank yogurt drinks and soymilk daily, ate tofu and tahô



(soft silken tofu with brown sugar and vanilla syrup) daily. But none



of them seemed to help me at all. I am from the Philippines which kinda



makes it unfortunate for me in terms of not having any LLLC or



lactation consultants in our country. Just the other i read through an



article that says that for first time moms whose milk supply are



running low, some lactation consultants advise moms to take 15capsules



of Fenugreek a day. I started taking 12 capsules yesterday and it kinda



works for me though but not as much as I was expecting.

Jennifer - posted on 04/05/2010

It depends on how much you are taking. I was told to take 3 pills 3 times a day. For a total of 9 pills. Plus you need to make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids. If your little one seems more satisfied and is nursing longer, it sounds like your supply is fine. Often we think our supply is low when really it's just that our bodies have adjusted to what our little ones need. More nursing/pumping will also help to up your supply.

Emily - posted on 04/04/2010

I also agree with Andrea. You really don't want to feel engorged or be leaking. That is something that usually happens in the first weeks/months of breastfeeding, but is not the norm for the duration of the breastfeeding relationship. Your breasts do not need to feel engorged or hard in order to have milk in there.

As long as your baby is nursing well, you're nursing on demand, and baby seems satisfied, you're doing absolutely fine. It doesn't sound like you have a supply problem at all.

To answer your questions.. I noticed a difference with fenugreek (since I pump at work) in about a day or 2. And yes, it's okay for you to take Mother's Milk tea if you want.

Jennifer - posted on 04/04/2010

anywhere from a few days to a week. often combined with blessed thistle. in order for any galactogogue (milk increasing drug/herb/food) to be effective you also have to increase effective stimulation, ideally by nursing more, otherwise by pump.

how old is your baby? what has been happening to make you think your supply is down? If your supply is truly decreasing, it is important to determine the cause and use cause-specific remedies. (i.e. if it's a hormonal issue, a galactogogue is unlikely to be enough)

Ella - posted on 04/04/2010

also the BEST time to pump (to stock up) is between 3Am-5AM. Is there a La Leche League meet in your area?? They are SO helpful!!!

Ella - posted on 04/04/2010

ITA w/Andrea.. I haven't gotten the engorgement feeling. Have you checked out this site? http://kellymom.com/

Andrea - posted on 04/04/2010

You wont ever get the "engorged" or hard feeling from it :) That feeling is supposed to go away after the first couple of weeks of getting your milk in the first place. Just because it doesn't "feel" like there is milk in there, doesn't mean there is none. Often, the baby nursing is what brings the milk in - so I would not be looking for an abundance of milk. I have been taking "More milk plus" for a couple of months now (started when my daughter was 3 weeks old because I made some stupid mistakes and my milk when WAY low), and it started to work within about 5-7 days. I know it worked because of how my daughter acted after a feeding and when I pump, I get 3-4 oz - but I only get engorged in the morning and that's because my daughter sleeps 10 hours.

The more you nurse, the more easily your breasts will fill up - but again, remember, the "letdown" of the milk is often triggered by the baby suckling, so don't expect it before that.

The best way to increase your supply is to nurse more often - nurse every 1 1/2 - 2 hours (start counting at the beginning of the feeding) for 2-3 days straight - that will do more than anything you can take :) Also make sure to drink a glass of water with EVERY feeding, make sure you are eating 1800-2200 calories a day - and relax :) If your baby seems happy, and is nursing fine, and having lots of wet diapers, then they are getting enough milk.

Sara - posted on 04/04/2010

I've been using it for a week or so and it hasn't kicked in yet. You could also try Blessed Thistle - that herb is used primarily for milk flow/production whereas Fenugreek isn't. Lots and lots of fluids, too.

Emily - posted on 04/04/2010

For me, it kicked in, in about 3-4 days. My breast never got engorged, or super hard, but when I pumped i was getting a heck of a lot more than when i wasn't taking it. Your milk supply should deffinitely be up, especially if you little one is showing signs of comfort, and staying on longer, she's probably getting enough. Good luck with it, i hope it works out well for you! Also, it's okay to take with mothers milk tea. My laction consultant, told me i could also take it with alfaalfa, so i got some of that too, to help boost it up a little more. You could maybe try that as well! Good Luck =)