Since day one, I only produce 1oz from my left breast and 2oz from my right (left side is due to loss of breast tissue removed in multiple surgeries). As he gets older I have been supplementing with formula...he "asks" for the other 1-2 oz. I have been trying to bring more milk in by pumping 15-30 minutes after feedings, but it is not working and I find myself supplementing more...ugh! Thoughts?
The way to get MORE milk, NURSE, NURSE, NURSE. Keep hydrated (drink lots of water) and NURSE. I never got alot when I pumped either and wondered if my son was getting enough, they can get more when they NURSE than we do when we pump.
Good Luck
My first piece of advice would be to stop supplementing with formula and nurse as much as possible. By supplementing you're just decreasing your supply even more. Breastmilk is created by supply and demand.
You can't really gage your milk production by how much you pump. Pumps are not nearly as efficient as your baby is at getting milk.
Drink plenty of water (at least 64 oz of water a day). Try eating oatmeal every day, it can be instant oatmeal for breakfast, oatmeal snack bars, oatmeal cookies, etc. It helps to stimulate milk production naturally. Nurse often, every 2 hours, and pump after nursing. If you miss a nursing session, make sure you pump.
If you need to you can get a prescription from your doctor to help increase your milk supply.
You can also try fenugreek, which is an herb. Be very careful though, do your research and ask your doctor first. You can't take it if you are taking certain medications or have certain health conditions. Also, herbs are not regulated by the FDA, so you never know what you're going to get. You have to take so much of the stuff your urine and sweat start to smell like maple syrup... but a lot of women say that it helps.
Some women say a beer a day helps with supply. I wouldn't do that though unless your little guy is sleeping through the night so the alcohol has time to leave your system. Plus, studies have been done, and there is no real proof that it helps.
Check out www.kellymom.com. It's a terrific breastfeeding resource. Also go to http://www.lllusa.org/. I really think you should find a lactation consultant if you haven't already. You can find one on that website, your doctor can refer you to one, or the hospital where you delivered probably has one on site. You also might want to check out a local breastfeeding support group. Some hospitals have them, or you can probably find one on the lll website.
Good luck!!
I know there's no proof, but beer did help me. (And I hate the taste, so there's no ulterior motive:-)
There's a certain hormone that it increases, which apparently I get low in.
I know breast milk is best, but do what you can and then don't beat yourself up. It's not good for you, the baby, or your milk supply!
Hi Amie!
My M-I-L is a lactation consultant and I had problems with my last baby with milk supply. She had me power pump and it really does help. You pump for 10 minutes, off for 10 minutes, pump for 10 minutes, off for 10 minutes, etc for a full hour and feed as you normally would. You will see results. Please don't go by how much you pump-it isn't as effective as the baby nursing. Also, most women get different amounts from each side of their breast when pumping. If you have any questions, you can contact me by email. If I don't know the answer, I will ask my M-I-L. I hope that this helped!
Mindy
EAT,EAT,EAT,EAT,EAT,EAT,EAT. Make srue you are intaking enough calories. You need to eat more when breastfeeding than you did when you were prego. Lots, of good calories, got of water, and only supplement if you really have to. Otherwise your body will not feel the demand. And there is a huge difference in pumping and "feeding" for demand. The power pump idea is a good one. But, again. If you are not suppling your body with the food to make the milk then it's a lost cause. Good luck. EAT!
Remember that you baby can ALWAYS get more out of you then a pump can. Your baby is what stimulates your milk supply, not a pump. The way that the baby sucks is different then the pump no matter how good the pump is that you are using. Maybe try pumping some before feedings instead of after. That way your baby is always the one draining you. Let him suck as long as he wants too. Don't pump so much that there isn't enough left for him but enough so that he has to work a little more for it. Then your body will get the message that it has to make more. Also remember that it is ok to suppliment sometimes if you need to. I had to give my oldest a bottle every night before bed because I just didn't ever have enough at the end of the day and she nursed for nine months. Don't give up, it will come.
I think oatmeal works for me. I eat a bowl of oatmeal every morning. I have always been a pretty big milk producer though. I pump at work 3 times a day and get 16-18 ozs. I do believe drinking water helps too.
PS I wouldn't cut out the supplementing unless your doctor says it is ok. Any breastmilk a child gets is a benefit to them so you do what you can. Some people on here are little pushy when it comes to breastfeeding.
"Milk Thistle" from your local health food store!! Everyone I know, including myself that has tried it has produced more milk. Very healthy for your milk also! It comes in pill form so you can swallow it.
Good luck!
To increase milk supply I would stay hydrated and well nourished. Also, there is a tea by Yogi Tea called nursing Mom's tea. The main way to increase your supply is frequent nursing. I would nurse your baby first, then if you feel like your baby needs more give a little formula. If you do it the other way around, your baby will suck with less vigor therefore less milk will come out. Lastly, you said when you pump you get a total of 3oz. Just remember your baby is more efficient than that, he probably gets closer to 5oz. That is plenty for a feeding.
verify with your doc about the milk thistle. even "natural" supplements can counteract meds we take. (ie folks on blood pressure meds cannot drink grapefruit juice!)
Hi,
You can use an herb called fenugreek. I have a thyroid problem and so that causes milk supply issues. With Fenugreek, I was able to breastfeed for a year. You can also get metropol, a prescription from your doc, to improve supply.
Hope this helps.
Vicki
Have you tried a natural supplement called Fenugreek (sp?)--GNC sells it. It worked like wonders for me. Take a couple w/ a glass of water and after a few days my supply noticeably increased. Also make sure you are not taking things like antihistimes that decrease your supply.
While I, too, have found that a lot of moms on this site push breastfeeding....but I'm one of them and I find that to be great!! I breastfeed and have the entire time with my 8 month old and will continue to as long as I can! Anyway, your question sounded like you were wanting to know how to increase your supply, so that shows you, too, want to continue breastfeeding....good for you! I agree with everyone has said (except for I haven't heard of oatmeal, but who knows?!) Stimulation, drinking water, mother's milk tea, and beer are all ideas the lactation consultants I have worked with have suggested. Continuing supplementing is a tough one because you need to stimulate more and if your baby is getting full with formula, you won't get that stimulation as much and therefore, you're body won't know to make more milk! Plus, pumping can only do so much (like another mom said, your baby is able to get much more than a pump). You may want to contact a lactation consultant if you continue to have problems for one-on-one help.
Amie I went through the same situation, what I did was called my OB and she prescribed me a medication that is give to women who can not produce enough milk or when they have adopted and they would like to breastfeed their child, well anywho I would definently check into that, it work like a charm for me. Another think for me was home remidies (these work the best) drink as much liquids as possible milk is a must, oatmeal, oatmeal, oatmeal this helps out a lot. Well I hope my small advice helped you.
Hi Amie. Good for you for trying breastfeeding despite some obstacles! Some things that work to increase milk production are oatmeal and root beer. Both were recommended to me by a lactation consultant and really helped. You can also take the supplement Fenugreek. It will make you smell like maple syrup and it does give some people an upset stomach. I know many women who have used it successfully.
Good luck and remember that supplementing is ok if you need to do it. Your baby is still getting so many benefits from any nursing.
I highly recommend La Leche League. You can find information on their website www.llli.org and you can look up a local leader that you can talk with one on one to get some good ideas. They have information on the best plan for pumping to improve supply, various supplements that increase supply and even a couple of medications that increase milk production.
Good luck.
Hi, I completely understand your situation. With my first, I had problems producing enough...stress was part of it. I used everything possible and was able to breastfeed for at that time recomended 2 years. When I was pregnant with my sextuplets, I breastfeed as much as possible...my body was honestly drained, stressed, tired...all the above. The hospital hooked me up with a milk bank based out of Texas, with their milk and my own we were able to provide good quality breastmilk for 9 months. Most people don't know about this...just wanted to put it out there for an option. Good luck-breatfeeding really is the best choice if you can.
I also didn't make enough milk and was having to supplement with formula since my son was 6 weeks old. I was no longer able to breastfeed him at all at 3 mos. He is now 5 mos. old. I was pumping every 2 hrs. and after every feeding trying everything. It was so stressful. One of the nurses at my pediatrician suggested taking the herbal supplement Fenugreek. It didn't work for me, but did for her. You can buy it at GNC. I also tried Mothers Milk Tea (at health food stores). It's worth a shot. But if these things don't work, don't beat yourself up like I did. There is no reason to feel guilty. My son is perfectly happy, healhy, and content with formula. Good Luck!
Hang in there! Your milk production is probably increasing even though you can't pump a lot out right now. I noticed the same thing when I pumped; that one side made more than the other. When your baby is young, like yours, they nurse so often that it's difficult for your breasts to keep up enough to satisfy the baby, but rest assured, they do keep up. Your baby could be going through many growth spurts & your breast will need some time adjusting to the new demand for more milk. There's nothing wrong with supplementing with formula, but, if you didn't want to do that, just nursing your baby 30 minutes later or an hour later. You do start to feel like a cow being milked constantly, but I remember doing that with my baby especially when she was that young. Eventually, you won't be nursing that often & when you pump, you'll get so much more milk that you'll be freezing it.