Breastfeeding Question - New Port Richey, FL

Hi, Accidentally I discovered that my milk production increased after I had some lightly fried oysters. This is just personal experience, but it might work for you, too. Best wishes, --- A.

Hello E.,
Congratulations!!! I am still breastfeeding my daughter (8 1/2 months) You are definitely producing more, for most part pumping pumps less. When I pump, what works for me is that I still pump for couple of minutes even if there is no more flow. After I am done pumping (and no more flow), I have my daughter right after on the same boob and it's amazing how much is still there. My most successful pumping is when I am pumping on one boob and have my daughter on the other. Relaxing state of mind works wonders. You are doing great, keep up the good work!

E.,

I experienced a decreased supply around then too. Do you have a hospital grade pump? I rented mine through a local hospital and that helped some. I also had some success with several herbs (fenugreek, alfalfa and milk thistle, I believe.) I read up on them online and in some breastfeeding books. I can't say I had a huge increase, but was able to produce enough to continue to nurse my son. La Leche League was helpful, but really their biggest suggestion is to nurse as much and as often as possible and, unfortunately, as a full-time working mom, the most I'm around my son is on the weekends. Just remember however much you can produce and get into her is REALLY beneficial. My son is now a healthy, happy two year old and I chose not to supplement him at all, so I have to believe that even the decreased amount of breastmilk along with a really healthy, well-balanced diet served him well. :) Good luck!

E.

I know what I am is going to sound very odd to you. But it worked for me whne my son was only 3 month I drank this drink and I produced 8 oz in one breast, But what you do isfirst you soak some sesame seeds in some cold water so it can get soft (about 10 mins) then you cook then in the same water so they can get even more softer. Then you turned it off it cool down fro a few mins(about5 mins) Then you add some milk to it and some suger kinda how youwoul dmake your coffee lie if you drank coffee and you slowly drink it. (since it still will be hot)

1 cup of water
2 table sppon of sesame seeds
milk about 1-3 oz of milk (the amonth you like)
sugar about 1-4 tsp (the amout you like)

I know it might sound crazy but like I said it really worked. When I had my daughter I didn't drink any of it and I was only able to breast feed for about 2 months. But you drink one cup of this everyday. I hope that it works for you. And God bless your family

You would benefit from La Leche League as well probably. Here is the site:

http://www.lllflorida.com/web/TampaFL.html

She might be starting to take less milk if she's on solid foods. I think your body makes milk on demand so the more she nureses the more you make. She could go on nursing til for a long time while only taking a little milk. Sometimes our bodies don't let down to a pump like they do to our babies so maybe she's actually taking more than what you get when you pump. There is something called "more milk special blend" that I got from a lactation consultant and it brought my milk supply up immediately when my first baby was a week old and I lost my milk due to her not transferring and stress.

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DRINK MORE WATER!! I've found that the min. I decrease my water intake my milk supply goes down. I usually drink at least 8 glasses a day but sometimes I just can't and end up drinking soda or tea. I swear the next day I can tell that my milk supply is going down. I have breast fed two boys one until he was 14 months old and the other is 5 months this week and still nursing. My second one has been a bit more challenging with my milk supply probably b/c he is a bigger baby than my first one. I hope this helps!

Katie

Hi, E.,

First, let me commend you in continuing your breastfeeding relationship this long. Good job, mama!

Next, let me reassure you that a drop in what you are able to pump is not abnormal around the 10 month mark. It is not indicative of how long your breastfeeding relationship may continue. As baby takes more solids, your milk supply will drop. Also, there is a biological change that happens that makes pumping a bit more of a challenge as your baby approaches one year of age.

Let me ask, how often do you need to be away from your little one? Is it everyday or only occasionally? If you work fulltime, then you will want to take some steps to increase your production like pumping more frequently, increasing your fluid intake, eating milk encouraging foods, and perhaps taking herbs to enhance your supply. A lactation consultant should be able to guide you in this department. On the other hand, if you are not required to be away from baby all that much, then rest assured that nursing should continue just fine. Watch your baby for signs that she is getting enough: adequate wet and poopy diapers, contentment after a feed, normal eating and sleeping intervals. If any of these things seem awry, start by staying home and keeping baby close -- offering the breast at every opportunity. If you continue to experience frustration, contact a lactation consultant of LaLecheLeague for more help.

Good luck and remember that you are doing great things for your baby by giving her the gift of nursing!

Peace,
H.

E., in my opinion, all of the responses have been right on target. Even the best pumps don't work as well as your baby when it comes to drawing out milk, and the more you nurse, the more you'll produce. In addition, however, I would strongly recommend a nursing tea. Most are made with fennel, fenugreek, raspberry leaf, nettle leaf - ingredients that are known, tried, and true. I have used both MilkMaid tea by EarthMamaAngelBaby and Nursing Mother Organic Tea by Yogi Teas. (Both are available at Amazon.) Try your local health food store; they should have something. This was recommended to me by the lactation specialist at LRMC when I gave birth to my 3rd baby last December, and I can really tell a difference when I drink it. Good luck, and congratulations on sticking with it!

As my son got closer to a year, I could get less and less milk out with a pump. But I still had enough milk to feed him. Babies are much better at getting out milk than a pump is. If she is still making plenty of wet diapers a day and doesn't seem hungry after you nurse her, I wouldn't worry too much. You may need to pump at home too in order to have enough of a stash while you're away. If you nurse on one side and pump on the other, I think you get more milk. I went on to nurse my son until he was three and five months after weaning, I still have milk.

Check out the general support board at breastfeeding.com The women there have excellent info.

Good luck!

The amount of milk you produce is tied to the amount she drinks. If she is eating regular foods and doesn't drink alot then that is what you will produce. If you want to boost up the amount of milk then pump more, pump every 2hours instead of every 3 hrs etc. YOu make as much milk as your child needs, which is why people who have twins can still breastfeed because there body is producing enough for the two babies.

I've breastfed three babies. My 16 month old just weaned herself a couple of months ago. When my first was about 8 or 9 months she started favoring one side. Slowly the milk decreased on the less favored side. I took fenugreek pills which really helped a lot. The same thing happened with the other two. On the second and third daughters I gave up and just let them nurse on one side. I was unable to pump even with the very best pumps. I was a little lopsided for quite some time. But the babies were well-fed and happy. Good luck to you.

Hi E.,

You may be producing more than you think. The amount that you pump is not necessarily a good indicator of how much milk you're delivering when your child is actually nursing. Here's a really good article at kellymom.com that helped me when I had the same concern you posted: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/low-supply.html . Kellymom is one of the premier sources of breastfeeding information on the internet. I hope this helps!

i nursed for about 9 1/2 months until my son started biting me lol. he was already starting to prefer solid foods anyway and kind of weaned himself. i know my milk supply decreased around 7-8 months. that's how i found out i was pregnant again lol. just thought i'd throw that suggestion out there. might want to pick up a test just to be sure. i asked my midwife and my mom and a lot of other women and they all said that when you get pregnant there is usually a temporary decrease in milk (kinda like then you take a cold medicine or something and it takes a few days to build your supply back up) so i would say either a.) you're pregnant or b.) it's just that she's eating more solid foods.

You could try a product called More Milk Plus by Motherlove. I had some success with it with my first 2 babies (I have 3 - all of who breastfed...my 7 month old still is). You can buy the product at natural food markets ie. Abby's.

Also, you could try pumping immediately following nursing. Try it for 2-3 days and your supply should increase.

Also, just a thought...could it be that you really are producing more than 2 ounces. Remember the baby always gets more than what you actually see when you pump. Just a though.

I hope this was of some help.

Blessings!!

Hello,

I have breasfeed all 3 of my kids and i had this kind of problem on my third kid and i asked my doctor what should i do and she said that i should go to GNC in the Mall and pick up a bottle of Fenugreek. I did and i used it (one time) and it did help me make more milk within 24 hours. Go online and go to www.yahoo.com and go to the search box and look up Fenugreek and then you can read about it.
Also remember you need to keep eating like you are still PREG. so that you can keep up the milk supply.

Good Luck and keep up the good work mommy.
Enjoy your little one.
God Bless and take care.

From one mother to another.

call winnie palmer hospital and tell them to trnsfer you to the breast feeding nurse she will help with any question most of the time there a 24 hour nurse there that can answer you. Also dink alot of milk and water eat really good stuff. Hope this help

I, along with almost everyone I know experienced a drop in supply around the time we got our period back. I'm not sure if you are in that situation, but supply definitely decreases when that happens. The good news it that it usually comes back after your body regulates itself to the returning "cycle". :) So if that is what is going on, then this advice may help! Congratulations on 9 1/2 months of breastfeeding so far!!!!

H.

Contact your doctor, they can give you a medication to increase your milk supply. Have you thought about pumping?

You have some great advice here - I just wanted to say CONGRATS on such a wonderful accomplishment for your daughter. I am due in about 2 weeks and I hope to breastfeed for many months as well. You are an inspiration!

Hey E., You could try fenugreek capsules. I wasn't sure how they worked, but this is what I found on the web about it: Fenugreek contains hormone precursors that increase milk supply. Scientists do not know for sure how this happens. It has been found that fenugreek can increase a nursing mother's milk supply within 24 to 72 hours after first taking the herb. Once an adequate level of milk production is reached, most women can discontinue the fenugreek and maintain the milk supply with adequate breast stimulation. The pills can be found at most vitamin or drug stores (and I found some at Publix.) Good luck and God bless you for sticking with it!!

Try eating pears and drinking pear juice -natural milk production stimulation. Sounds strange, right, but works.