Breastfeeding - Deland,FL

Fenugreek

http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/fenugreek.shtml

When i was breastfeeding my 3rd child I started to have problems with my milk supply. i went to the Doctor and she said that i should go to the mall and go to GNC and pick up a bottle of Fenugreek. I did and it worked for me.

:)

In addition to herbal supplements, don't forget to drink TONS of water and to pump the other breast when he is done with each feeding... that could help a lot!

Good luck,
K.

When I was breastfeeding, I was told to just drink lots and lots of water. This really helped me and I was never short on milk!

Mother's Milk Tea works.

For rich mother's milk, drink a glass or two of nettle infusion every day. Buy dried nettles from a heatlh food store or order online from www.mountainroseherbs.com

To make an infusion, take two handfulls of nettle herb and place in a quart mason jar. Fill with boiling hot filtered water. Let set for 4 to 12 hours while the herb infuses its amazing nutrients into the water. Strain out the herb and drink warm (don't boil it) with cream.

This herb is almost a panacea, so you may find that you feel better in many other ways, also.

Also be sure you have a healthy diet (www.westonaprice.org)

Finally, and with 3 boys I'm sure you must have noticed, breastmilk supply and baby's appetite fluctuate from week to week.

M. Minno

Well, after about 3 months your breast adjust. They don't engorge like they used to but they still make enough milk. You don't let down as much either. You may notice you may not need the breast pads as much as before. If your son is breast feeding every 2 hours and is satisfied you are making enough milk. If still unsure about it you can just pump and measure how much milk you are making. But rest assured you are making enough. C. W

With three boys I'll bet you're extremely busy! I'm not much of a drinker but when I breast fed I found that a small amount of beer increased my milk. - YEAST - I could have fed every kid in the neighborhood!

Hello,
I have a 15 month old daughter, and I breastfed her for 11 1/2 months so I thought I could help you out :) I would first call a Lactation Consultant at the hospital you delivered at - they are so helpful at answering your questions! I was told that you are the most full in the morning, and as the day goes on you are less full. However, like your baby, mine always seemed to be satisfied and ate every 2-3 hours, so keep up the great work! I would call someone before taking a supplement though. I was also told to ALWAYS keep a big glass of water by me at all times - make sure you are drinking enough before you feed your baby - I think you are supposed to drink a glass of water, milk, whatever 30 minutes before you feed them. At a Breastfeeding class I took, they told me that eating oatmeal is actually proven to help make more milk. I hope this helps, but I would talk to a professional first.

I thought I might be "drying up" too around four months. I still get pretty frustrated because my daughter is such a little piggy that I can never pump anything for babysitting. My breasts never feel full anymore except for first thing in the morning. I've noticed throughout the whole process though...if I don't drink AT LEAST two to three liters of water my production seems to slow a bit. I also love YOGI TEA'S nursing mothers tea. It super yummy and it always has a little message on the tab that lifts my mood. I like traditional medicinals mommy's tea too, but the fortune-cookie-like messages have me hooked. (you can find them both among others at whole foods)

=)

Good Luck

I would have had the same concern, except that my wonderful friend told me before I even had my baby that there will come a time around 3 or 4 months when your body will regulate your milk flow to accomodate your child's eating. So, I'm sure that is just what is happening. Just keep feeding him, and he will get exactly what he needs, not more. The body is amazing at knowing your babies needs. I loved it, because I went from several changes of the thicker breast pads to maybe one change of the thin ones. If you worry that you won't have enough in case he hits a growth spurt, just start pumping in between and freezing the milk for a rainy day. That's what I did and there was never a shortage. Good luck.

Fenugreek. It's been shown in clinical tests in hospitals to increase milk supply by 900%

I felt the same way that you do while I was breastfeeding my son. I looked everywhere I could online to see different stuff to increase my milk supply, really all I got was to eat oatmeal (which probably only worked because I told myself that it had to) However, then I started reading more on actual breastfeeding and what I found there made more sense. As long as you are consistant in breastfeeding then you will continue to produce milk. If he seems satisfied then he probably is. The reason that you are feeling less full in the afternoons is most likely because you ARE on a good schedule and your body is getting use to supply and demand. Instead of over filling (which people seems to confuse as having enough, I did the same thing lol) really your body has just gotten used to the amount you need to supply to feed him, and when he starts eating more they will adjust and you will go through the "full" breast feeling again. as long as he feels satisfied and that you are feeling the let down, then you should be fine. If that isn't enough to ease your mind, try oatmeal, also there is an herbal tea that of course I can't remember the exact name of right now, but is made for mothers milk. Check out places like motherhood maternity, I know that when I lived in washington they carried it at the store by my house,some grocery stores carry it as well. Hope this help and congrats on the addition to your family!

Hi there, I just saw your question and wanted to say that I am not able to answer your question but when I nursed my 3 year old for 2 years whenever I had problems I found TONS of help from babycenter.com boards under breastfeeding. I overcame a lot of problems with that site and just wanted to share. Hope you get the answers you need. Have a great day!
K.

Never heard of any herbal supplement to increase breast milk, it is my understanding and experience that your milk with replenish itself between feedings, as long as you are drinking enough fluids (water, milk, juice, avoid caffeine products), or even eating dairy products (yogurt, etc.). One thing that I noticed, was that I didn't like to drink so much (I tend to be a camel), but I also realized that when I nursed so much, that I was actually thirsty. The body needs fluids to replace fluids...

Hi R.,

First of all make sure your multivitamin is absorbing in your system. This is of utmost importance. A child can have less milk if it is richer. If you're unsure, feel free to get in contact with me.

Fenugreek is the herb of choice for milk production :). It is very inexpensive at the health food stores and because it is a food, you don't have to buy an expensive, standardized brand. I do recommend that you buy a pharmacuetical grade because of the purity. Don't go to Wal-Mart, GNC or Vitamin World, go to the Vitamin Shoppe or a local health food store that only carries pharmaceutical grade.

Hope this helps!

M.

Hi R., congratulations on breastfeeding your baby! I have been a lactation consultant for 20 years. Before adding supplements or a pumping regimen to your busy schedule, let's first see if there really is a problem. The fact that your breasts are feeling less full does not in itself mean that you are not making enough for the baby. This may simply be the result of your production being very well synchronised to his needs. It is normal for a breastfed baby to feed frequently, even at this age, so that does not indicate a problem. We are what anthropologists call "continuous contact" species, and our babies are biologically designed to feed frequently due to the composition of our milk. And most importantly, he appears to be satisfied after feedings. If he were not, he would let you know, by nursing more frequently or longer. Weight gain is another excellent indication of adequate intake. Babies at this age are generally gaining about 6 ounces per week. From 4-6 months, breastfed babies usually gain 4-5 ounces per week. Solids are not recommended until 6 months of age.

I am sure you are very busy with three boys! You didn't mention how old your other sons are. Take a look at your schedule: is he allowed to end the feeding or do other distractions lead you (or him) to end it before he might really be done? Does he use a pacifier a lot? Ideally most of his sucking needs should be met at the breast, to stimulate supply and maximize his intake.

Don't fixate on the growth charts at the pediatrician's office, because these are not based on breastfed babies. As long as he is gaining and growing in length and head circumference as well as weight, he should be fine.
Has any other change occurred that might have caused this difference? Feeding less at night, for example? Your taking some kind of medication, like the Pill? If not, just relax and keep nursing. If he has a growth spurt he will increase frequency/length of feedings. As long as he appears happy and satisfied, just relax and enjoy!

I do encourage you to find your local La leche league group. It is a great way to find very knowledgeable support for breastfeeding and learn about normal breastfed baby behavior. You can always call a leader to address specific concerns even if you don't attend any meetings. Good luck!

I have heard of lots of different ways to increase your supply. For me, eating a bowl of oatmeal daily really worked. Also, if you have a pump, you can try pumping a little while after your boy is done eating, but before he is ready to eat again. It just might trick your body into thinking it needs to produce more. Dont pump till your empty, just enough to trigger the need. Good luck!

When your son is down for a nap - mom needs a nap too. Your milk/body will replenish faster while you are sleeping. Lots of fluids (water and milk) as the others have said.

Try pumping in the afternoon ~ The theory is that if you pump some of the milk and then still breast feed your son your body will realize it needs to produce more milk. (Pump in the afternoon for a week and you should see an increased supply in the afternoons following).

Yes there is. At any vitamin shoppe or health food store they have a tea called Mother's Milk which will aid in increasing your milk production. Also, I spoke with a couple pediatrician's and read numerous articles on the benefits of drinking beer to increase supply. I never liked beer before, but since my second child was a voracious eater I tried it to keep up with him and it really seemed to work! Good luck and keep up the good work!!

I take Blessed Thistle and it makes a huge difference in the amount of milk I produce. I ran out of it a few weeks ago and tried going without it. Within a couple of days my milk was down by almost half. I pump because I work full time so I know exactly how much comes out for each "feeding." I have found that not all Blessed Thistle is the same either. The only brand that has worked for me is Nature's Sunshine. Good luck!

Mother's milk tea worked well for me. You can get it from most natural food stores, online, and at some of the vitamin stores in the malls. It doesn't taste bad either!

I used Mother's Milk tea to increase my supply (I needed all the help I could get with twins!). I also ate oatmeal every morning (supposed to increase milk as well). I have a friend who works for a lactation consultant who told me an ~ocasional~ beer is helpful as well (something about the yeast in it). You may also need to pump after feedings a few times a day to help boost your milk supply. I had to supplement with formula which I never had to do with my first-born. I hated it at first, but knew that I was doing the best I could for my boys. Don't beat yourself up if you need to supplement from time-to time- you are doing a great thing by sticking with the BF this long- any mommy's milk your little one gets is great! Best of luck and don't give up!

Hi R.,
The same thing happened to me, it was around 10 weeks,(my daughter is now 13 weeks)and I also got worried that I may be "drying up" but it is completely normal, this is the time that your breasts will start to soften and not become as engorged unless you go for long stretches, like we are during the night now since she is sleeping 4-5 hours(whoo hoo!) I don't understand how it works, but the breast adjusts to the milk supply and feels less full although there is plenty of milk inside. I still sometimes squeeze a tiny bit out after she nurses just to make sure there is milk to ease my paranoid mind!lol... we just went through a growth spurt where she wanted to nurse every hour for several days and I can tell it has increased my supply. Baby knows how to tell your body to produce more milk when they need it. But if you want to increase your supply to have extra milk in case you need to express and store it, you can use Mother's Milk Tea, I personally don't like tea so I went with the supplement Fenugreek. I took it early on when I was worried I wasn't producing enough milk but stopped and just let baby do her thing, as you will see your son will do the same. Enjoy each nursing moment :)

Karine

Hi R. - I've heard fenugreek can help but I was leary about taking herbal supplements while nursing. I've also heard oatmeal in any form is great at increasing supply. On the other end, I read somewhere that parsley dries you up. You can probably do a quick internet search on things that dry you up and maybe cut those out of your diet.

Good Luck.
M.

Fenugreek and plenty of rest. Because it takes so much to make milk and if you do not get enough rest it will affect your milk supply. Try not to be a super mom and until your milk supply increases nap when the baby naps and rest, it will help.

First make sure you are drinking at least 75 oz of plain (not flavored) filtered water every day. Not drinking enough fluids will cause your milk supply to dwindle. Blessed Thistle and Fenugreek are two herbs approved by lactation consultants. Those are the two herbs I took when my daughter was 6 months and not interested in solid foods.

Here are the dosages:
Fenugreek: 3 capsules 3 times a day
Blessed thistle: 3 capsules 3 times a day, or 20 drops of the tincture 3 times a day

You can get more information at Kellymom.com http://www.kellymom.com/newman/24cabbageleaves-herbs-leci...

Best wishes,
G. G.
Certified Health Educator
Winter Park, FL

Mother's Milk Tea is a good way to increase your milk supply.
Good Luck!
L.

Hi R.
I'm sure you know that @ 3mo. babies go through one of the biggest growth spurts, so you feel like they aren't getting enough but in 24hrs your body will adjust to their needs. However if you need an to thicken your milk you can try Lactation Ease (@ most healthfood stores) it's safe and very effective.Sometimes what you eat has to do w/ the amount and thickness, remember to eat plenty and drink lots of water. Good job mom....and good luck. J. j

Hi R.,
My daughter breast fed both of my grandchildren and she swears by raspberry tea. It will take a little while but it really helps if you think your volume has decreased. The more they nurse the more you produce to keep up with production. But if he seems to be happy and full I wouldn't worry about it.
Hope this helps, good luck and God Bless.
T. M.

Hi R.! It really doesn't sound like you have a supply problem. If your son is eating on a regular pattern and is satisfied, don't worry!!!! That full feeling really only exists in the beginning when you are starting/establishing your supply. I was worried too when I didn't feel as full but took comfort that my son too was satisfied after he ate, went an appropriate length of time between feedings, had enough wet/dirty diapers. I think we as moms over-think things sometimes. And we sometimes hear things from the older generation that make us have doubts. Everytime my son would go thru a growth spurt and eat more frequently she told my I was drying up. And everytime I had to explain that was just his way of getting me to up the production! Most babies know what they need and how to get it. He'll let you know! You are doing a great job !