
Chelseaszidik - posted on 10/20/2009 ( 564 moms have responded )
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This is a frequent question and many moms have some great advice. Please post any tips you have on increasing milk supply.
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- Encouraging (7)
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MOST HELPFUL POSTS
Rachel - posted on 10/20/2009
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**a nursing "vacation"--get in bed or some other comfy location with no top and cuddle baby skin to skin. Nurse often, even if its just comfort nursing
**stay well hydrated--not drinking enough water can often cause a supply dip
**eat healthy! Your body needs good fuel to keep yourself and your baby going :)
**Oatmeal is a natural milk booster--the old fashioned oats cooked on the stove seem to work the best but use what you have :) Oatmeal, cookies, even oat-based cereal
**www.kellymom.com has a list of other natural herbs you can take to boost supply. One of the most popular is fenugreek but some mom's find it doesn't work by itself and need to combine it with others (I used it in conjunction with blessed thistle). If you decide to take a supplement, please be sure to research it! Some of these are used for other things and can affect your health (for example, fenugreek is commonly used to help control blood sugar--if you have low blood sugar already, it can cause a plummet in your numbers).
**If you need to, break out the pump and use it for some extra stimulation :)
**If you are pumping for your little one and need to get more out, try playing with the settings on your pump. Changing the strength & speed of the suction several times throughout your session can help you get more milk or stimulate multiple letdowns. You can also do breast massage before/during pumping to encourage more milk to come out. Some women find pictures of their babies help them pump while others need to be distracted to get more (I usually read while I pumped).
Minnie - posted on 10/20/2009
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Put baby to your breast whenever baby wants it, even if baby nursed half an hour ago. Frequent and unrestricted access!
Jennifer - posted on 11/05/2009
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I would be VERY careful with the Reglan. A La Leche League leader, who happened to be a nurse practitioner, prescribed that to me with my first child. She didn't know about my history of depression. I had very little ppd until I started taking the Reglan. After about a week on the meds, I became nearly suicidal and even had thoughts of harming my baby. When my OB found out, he nearly croaked and told me to stop that med immediately and told me to triple my dosage of Zoloft for a week...that is a very dangerous med if you have a history of depression. I currenly take Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle with my 4 month old and I am having much better luck than with my first child!
Michelle - posted on 10/24/2009
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Someone commented that you needed to drink lots or milk ... my nurse explained to me that you DO NOT have to drink milk to make milk ... I mean why would a cows milk help you to make milk? The cow doesn't need to drink milk to make milk.... Just drink alot of fluid and you will be good!
Another thing that helped me was to drink Mothers Milk Tea.... I LOVED IT and I also pumped right after her last feeding before bed and after her first feeding in the morning... especially since I started back at work. Since my daughter is now 8 months though i don't have to pump at night since my supply is quite steady ... But if I ever think she is going through a growth spurt I start pumping at night again. As soon as I could pump(my doctor, lactation consultant and nurses told me to wait till she was 4 weeks to pump) I pumped at least 2 times a day right after her feeding... only on one side at a time though ... so I would pump the right when she was done feeding and then the next feeding I would pump the left. I had a freezer full of milk in NO time. By the time I went back to work I had like 50 bags worth!!! If you add up those plus the ones before going to bed and after waking up ... THATS ALOT OF MILK.
Good luck to everyone! This is what women were ment to do, obviously we have boobs, what else are they there for (NOT OUR HUSBANDS HAHHAHA) Your body will do what it has to do just don't stress!
Emma - posted on 10/21/2009
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Don't switch breast til a 3 hour mark. The baby will get a higher calorie milk called hindmilk instead of foremilk so it will keep baby sustained til you switch breasts. Worked great for me. Also like all the others, drink lots of milk, nurse often etc etc etc