Fenugreek - Springfield, MO

Healthy nursing tea was the great help for my low breast milk supply. I used to drink this tea for three to 4 times daily.

Hey R.,

Just wanted to drop you a line to let you know you are not alone. Fennugreek didn't help me with my milk production either, and I was dried up within 3 months of my son being born. It was really depressing. Hope you get some good tips, and I wish you luck!

D.

R.-

I've heard from several patients and friends that it is often necessary to "megadose" on Fenugreek in order for it to work. I also recommend Mother's Milk tea... you can get it at Wild Oats/Whole Foods.

FYI- Dr. Jack Newman (www.drjacknewman.com) recommends 3 capsules 3 times a day of fenugreek. I believe that is much more than the dosage on the bottle.

And, as always, contacting your local La Leche League for support and advice is a great idea.

I hope that helps.

Yours in health,
Dr. Alyssa

Are you taking the right amount? To increase milk production, I took 3 capsules, 3 times a day. You can call a lactation consultant at a local hospital (even if you didn't deliver there) and they can help you (the lact. consult at St. Luke's East was VERY nice). I highly recommend doing this. I never got off to a good start bf my first, but with my second, we got the hang of it. Then when I went back to work, my supply dropped and the lacation consultant recommended fenugreek and helped me figure out the right pumping schedule. With my first, I tried fenugreek without a lactation consultant's guidance and it didn't work for me. Better to call sooner, rather than later. Good luck!

I can't really comment on the Fenugreek or any other supplement, however, I just wanted to say to drink plenty of water. I find my production depends a lot on my water consumption. It is especially important to make sure you're well hydrated in this heat. I make sure to drink at least 8 oz every time I nurse or pump, and of course more in between nursing sessions.

My sister-in-law used a combo of fenugreek and blessed thistle and was able nurse her twins until 10 months. She had lots of highs and lows in her production (as we all do) but taking these 2 supplements helped a ton!

Hi R.--I take a product called Probiotics and they help GREAT!! It's a totally natural supplement that keeps more nutrients in your body which helps produce more milk. You also have to drink LOTS of water, too. If you'd like some more info I can send you some via e-mail. It's a wonderful product that I've been using for a while now. It even helps with indigestion and heartburn as it helps break foods down better. I also give it to my baby sometimes when he seems like he has an upset stomach. It's VERY safe!

Hope to help out :)
Liz W.

Hi R.,

I had some problems with milk supply early on too, and had thought about Fenugreek, but didn't end up resorting to that because I found success via combination of other things:

1. Sleep-as difficult as it is, staying rest helps
2. Eating right-as much as I wanted to take off the baby weight, cutting calories negatively affected my supply
3. Oatmeal - strange as it sounds, I think this was the 'magic' bullet that helped me the most. I began eating oatmeal for breakfast and sometimes in the afternoon (until my supply increased and then I cut back to 1x per day, and now I don't have to eat it at all:)
4. Don't stress - easier said than done, but relaxing also helped
5. Regularly pumping - I EP, so in the beginning regular pumping was key. Every 2-3 hours until my supply increased. If you're breastfeeding, try pumping after each feeding.

Good luck to you.....--seriously, try the oatmeal:) ---I'm also a member of babycenter.com, and several of the moms on that board said that oatmeal worked for them too!

First and foremost stress can lead to a reduction in supply. So take some time to calm down each day. Just sit in a quiet place and take deep breaths. You know you've taken enough Fenugreek when you smell like molasses. If you don't smell like that then you aren't taking enough. Also look at Whole Foods for a Mother's Tea. That helped me some. Just stick with it. Try hard not to supplement with Formula. If you do that it all goes down hill after that. Stick with it. Increase feedings and pump after each feeding. If you are persistent it will come back. Give a month or so. I would also suggest calling your local Le Leche League.

Are you breastfeeding with a nipple sheild? If you are it can significantly reduce your milk production. Studies have shown that in order for the hormone that produces milk to be released into your body you must have skin to skin contact. I had a lot of trouble with milk production with my 1st daughter because of the nipple shield so I did a lot of research and read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding written by the Le Leche League. It turns out I had flat nipples and the thing that could help me the most was a breast shell. A hard plastic shell that fits over the nipple to bring it out enough for the baby to latch on. I hope I was helpful!