Low Milk Supply/ Motherlove More Milk Special Blend

Its a really good product and you can buy it at whole foods. I took it along with Fenugreek capsules because my supply was very low.

It works for most people but not for me- but I hear great things about it for others.

There is also lactation tea (organic) at wholefoods.

Hi S.,

Contact the La Leche League. They may have some ideas.

www.lllusa.org/VA/WebTidewaterVA

Good luck. Keep trying. D.

brewers yeast tablets worked great for me, I took up to 20 per day and could feel my breasts get full with milk about 20 minutes after I took them...also milk thistle can help...good luck and good for you for breast feeding..

I swear by full fat yogurt and astragalus tea. The tea I took to maintain a healthy immune system, but I quickly realized that it helped pump up my supply. Here's more info on it
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/astragalus/

Try adding Brewer's yeast to your diet to increase milk flow. If you are a drinker, a little wine or beer once a day may help.

I had a c-section, so my milk was delayed in coming in and we had latching difficulties which necessitated the use of a nipple sheild. My lactation consultant warned that I should pump as well, to keep my supply up because some contact is lost with the sheild in the way. So, while I was nursing on one side I would pump the other. My son was always able to get more milk out once the pump had stopped getting any out. Eventually, my son didn't need the sheild, but I kept a pumping schedule to keep my supply high. It's worked wonderfully for us. Good luck!

Is your daughter gaining weight? If so, you've got enough milk. Always make sure that you nurse her fist (at least 15 minutes per breast), and only supplement with formula if she stops nursing and still seems hungry. I didn't have the greatest supply, but during the 4 months of my maternity leave I'd just let my son nurse as long as he wanted -- sometimes he'd nurse for as long as an hour (When he'd do these marathon nursing sessions I'd either turn on the TV or make sure I had a good book on hand)

I struggled to pump enough for him when I first went back to work. I tried the More Milk Plus from Motherlove and frankly I'm not really sure if it made a difference (but it certainly didn't hurt, so it's worth a try) -- what I will tell you though is that it tasted much better if I mixed it with an ounce or two or apple juice.

Make sure you are drinking enough fluids and eating balanced meals. Oatmeal is supposed to help increase your supply so I always had oatmeal for breakfast and I made a huge batch of oatmeal cookies and stuck them in the freezer and I'd pull them out to have as snacks as needed.

Another suggestion is to pump between feedings -- it'll boost your supply plus you can freeze the pumped milk for a later date. I loathed the pump, but to be honest, pumping was really the only thing where I could see a big difference -- the more I pumped and nursed, the bigger my supply. Also, don't be distressed if you pump shortly after nursing and you only get an ounce or two. Babies are MUCH more efficient than a pump.

Don't give up -- We stopped supplementing formula after the first few weeks and even though I was constantly obsessed with my supply, I was able to nurse my son without using formula for an entire year and he gained weight like he was supposed to and is a very healthy little 14 month old boy.

Hi,

I am nursing my third child and found that drinking water after each feeding really helped to keep my supply up. I nursed exclusively 12 & 14 months and am 3 months into this one. I keep a 32 oz water next to the bed and by morning it is empty.
Hope this helps,
L.

Try taking Fenugreek tablets. It's a natural herb. I used it to help with my milk supply however I don't recall the amount I was taking. It definitly helped, but it will make you smell like an Indian restaurant! My husband loved it but I didn't care for the smell. Hope this helps!

Hi S.,
First I would like to congradulate you on wanting to stick with the breastfeeding--kuddos to you! Your starting off good with the motherlove blend. There are several teas that help increase milk supply, Mother' Milk and Woman's Nursing Mom teas. Some foods you can eat(increase in your diet) that will aid in milk supply are: Leafy green vegetables (i.e.beet greens,Parsley, kale, collards,etc..); pecans, apricots, sweet potatos;carrots, peas, green beans. Blessed Thistle leaves are famed for its ability to increase milk supply. Its best used as a tincture (up to 20 drops 2-4x daily). Not sure where you live but a great herb store I use call Smile Herb is in College Park,MD. Hope this helps
Dani
mom of 2 energized children, ages 3 1/2 and 8 months!

I had issues with low milk supply. I've never tried motherlove but I did use the herbal supplement Fenugreek. Take 3 of those horse pills three times a day for three days and you should see an increase in your supply. The only strange side affect is that it makes your sweat smell like syrup. I've read that it can also make the baby's urine smell like maple syrup as well which is fine but something to keep in mind as there is a disease out there that causes the same thing... the baby will be fine but you don't want your Dr. thinking he has something wrong with him. My babies never had the syrupy urine smell. I liked that I only had to take the Fenugreek for three days. Keep at the breast feeding though if you wish to continue. The more you nurse the better your supply. You can also help your supply by pumping in between nursing... I'm sure that's the last thing you want to do. Good luck! Google Fenugreek and read up on it.

A little about me: I have 3 children and I nursed all three of them for a little over a year. I struggled with my supply with all three. The worst was when I went back to work for a month and a half and tried to pump. By the end of the week my supply had dwindled to almost nouthing then it would boost again over the long weekend when my 1st one nursed.

S.,

I tried that product and loved it. However, the taste is not so great. But, with the increased milk supply, it is fairly easy to get over the taste. There are also so teas out there that help stimulate the milk glands. The best advice I can offer is to try to feed as often as possible to stimulate the milk glands to produce.

S.
Proud mom of a soon to be 1 year old.

I don't know if this had anything to do with it but I found out that my milk supply decreased when I didn't drink a lot or got seriously dehydrated. Also, I found that pumping after he ate also increased my milk supply. good luck.

I tried herbs to increase my milk supply and they didn't work very well for me. The thing that worked for me was to eat oatmeal every day. The quick oats don't really work as well, it would have to be the kind you cook or the 1-minute oats. I read this on breastfeeding.com and they couldn't explain why it works but it does work. As long as I ate at least one serving of oatmeal per day my milk supply was fine. I nursed and pumped for my son for 14 months. I hope this helps.

R.

try fenugreek and mothers milk tea i think its called. i cant remeber the tea name but if you go to a vitamin store they should be able to help you.

Hi, have you tried fenugreek? You can get it at GNC. It helped me increase my milk supply. I have never heard of the product that you purchased - sorry!

I have the same problem with low milk supply so I started taking Fenugreek & blessed thistle (3 of each 3 times a day)you can get them at any health food store and it seems to be working. Also drink a lot of water

Hi S.
More Milk does help if used properly and if that is the solution to your problem. Have you had your thyroid checked lately? A low thyroid level can also be the problem. We have a IBCLC lactation consultant who can come to your home for a home visit of answer any questions on the phone. Please don't hesitate to call for more help.
Holly
Mothering Mommies, LLC
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Have you talked to your doctor about this? I don't think a breast reduction will interfere because it doesn't remove your actual mammary glands which helps you produce milk. Do you have a breast pump? if so try pumping -by actually taking part in breast feeding your body should adjust to creating more milk. So every time your daughter has a bottle of formula try pumping and your body should try to adjust to the demands of her feeding. By not feeding at this time you are telling your body that you don't need to make the milk.
As well, stay away from alcohol, caffeine, and medication if you don't need it. Try to relax when you are feeding. I heard that barley can help (old wives tale). And no I havent heard of motherlove. Did you talk to a lactation consultant at the hospital or you could ask your doc or pediatrician for a recommendation for one. Usually they are at the hospital and more than happy to offer support.
Good luck and keep on trying.
:) I have a 2 year old and I breast fed her for 18 months. There were times when my milk fluctuated.

Hey, S..

I had a breast redux in 1989, was told I'd never be able to b-feed because he took the nipple off and cut the connecting whatever's there. (I don't remember the physiology of it.) I had Andrew in 1995, b-fed with difficulty for 8 mos. I had NO b-feeding support, though, and was told by doctor that he should be fed on schedule and only for a specified length of time.

In 2005, I had Sophia. Great b-feeding support. I was told to feed her as much as she wanted. The first year was grueling--she's a long-term eater, many times a day. But I was able to exclusively b-feed her (except 40 ounces of formula--total, ever--when thrush and mastitis were KILLING me, figuratively speaking, of course) through 7 or 8 months, when we started her on solids. She's still b-feeding well now at 2.5 years, and she hasn't complained about lack of supply. I've never been able to pump a lot of volume, but I assume she's gotten more than a measly two ounces in a feeding.

Still, it's really necessary to get the baby on as much as possible, as long as necessary. I had a Moby Wrap, so I could go shirtless in the house and tie her to me so she could nurse whenever she wanted while I went about my business (for the most part). That, I think, was huge in our success.

It can be really tough to do it after a redux, but it IS possible. Read Defining Your Own Success by Diana West. Excellent tips, explanations, everything you need to know about b-feeding post-redux.

Good luck. Email me off-list if you're interested in venting or learning more.

M. at momontheside dot com

MothersMilk Tea helped me. You can find this at grocery stores sometimes or a health food store. I usually mixed a bag of rasberry tea in with it. Good Luck :)

I have supply issues. My son is 6 months old and I do not make enough milk for him, therefore, he gets supplemented with formula after nursing. It sucks but that's the way it has to be. I have tried it all. Pumping for 15 minutes after each nursing session, increased frequency of nursing, fenugreek, blessed thistle, mother's milk tea, goat's rue, and more milk plus. I have changed my diet to milk friendly foods and increased my fluid intake. I have been followed by the lactation consultant since my son was 3 months old. I did not have this problem with my other kids, so this has been very frustrating for me. None of the above things helped me. I do hope that they will work for you. If not, consider contacting a lactation consultant and have them help you out. They can do weight checks on your daughter weekly, they can weigh her before, during, and after a feeding so you know how much she is getting at a session. There is a prescription med that can be prescribed, but I will warn you that it can cause depression and wouldn't recommend it if you are predisposed to depression. I took that as well, and while it did work, it sent me into a downward spiral for a few weeks until it was out of my system. I have since come to terms with the fact that I'm just not making enough and it is more important that he get some rather than none if I'm willing to put in the time. To this day, I continue to pump after each feeding in order to, at the very least, maintain my current supply. I also go to BF support groups at JW Hospital once a month. It's free and they weigh before and after a feeding as well. On a side note, I have had my thyroid checked as well and it's fine. My prolactin levels just aren't what they should be and since that is what triggers your body to make milk, I don't make enough. Good luck and great job on your determination. It gets very frustrating, but it is worth it if you are willing to put in the time.

You have a received a lot of great advice so I will be brief. I have never heard of motherlove but I think drinking lots of water works, and eating oatmeal can help. I am pretty sure I saw a difference in my supply with my third baby when I ate oatmeal cookies!!

Good luck. Glad to hear you are so determined!! What a lucky baby to have a mom like you:)

Hi S. -

I used a tea called Mothersmilk from Traditional Teas which you can find in health food stores also taking feenugreek (sp?) which you can also find at heatlh food stores in capsules these were both quite effective and harmless to the baby. Also you can try pumping, this was never very effective for me but I had friends that it worked for.

Good Luck R. A

Nurse her as much as you can...nothing will increase supply more than her demand. Spend as much time holding her as you can, too. If you have to miss a nursing session, be sure to pump to keep supply up. Be sure to stay hydrated...keep a bottle of water within reach at all times. If you want to try a supplement, many swear by fenugreek. There's also a product called Mother's Milk tea available in the herbal tea section of many grocery stores.

Good luck...it's great that you are determined to stick with this. I had some issues when my son was a baby, and I know the more that I was "threatened" with BF not being an option, the more I was determined to make it work. WIth the help of a great lactation consultant, I was able to nurse him to a ripe old age!

My only recommendation is to pump as much as possible. Demand increases supply. Even if you don't get much out when pumping, it'll help.

S.,
How frustrating to have so little response to your attempts to increase your supply!
I have heard good things about the More Milk products from other moms. This product does have Fenugreek in it, which if you are getting enough (your urine will smell like maple syrup) could produce an increase in milk supply within a day or two. I recommend the book "Defining Your Own Success: Breastfeeding after Breast Reduction Surgery" by Diana West. There are also some good articles on the La Leche League website about breastfeeding after breast reduction. Many moms who have had breast reduction have limited milk supply, but it is still worth giving your baby as much breastmilk as you can. You might also find a breastfeeding mom support group (like La Leche) encouraging.

I breast fed for a year. I noticed that pumping very often and drinking lots of water (although I have read that water does not increase milk supply) increased my milk supply. I was fortunate enough I was able to pump every two hours at my job. My milk supply increased from 3 ounces to 6-12 ounces per pumping session. Although, it was very uncomfortable if I wasn't able to pump, as my breasts became accustomed to this schedule. I also noticed that if I did not pump and fed my son straight from my breast, my milk supply decreased. However, if this does not work, I have had samples of a tea that is supposed to increase your milk supply, although I did not try it myself. I'm not sure of the name of the tea, but the sample I had was all natural and I got it from a sample bag of goodies from Babies R' Us. Good Luck and remember to pump, pump and pump some more!

Hi S.,
Motherlove is a great product. It works for me every time I feel like my supply is lacking. For more advice you may want to consult La Leache League or a Lactation consultant. They may tell you to pump right after each feeding. I did a combination of pumping and taking Motherlove and before too long I had way, way too much milk! So I just stick with the Motherlove anytime I feel like the baby needs more.

Elizabeth
Elizabeth

S.,

Here is a link to a top-notch resource, at the La Leache League site: http://www.llli.org/FAQ/surgery.html The LLL folks have more knowledge on any breast feeding issue than just about anyone out there; they top docs, and most lactation consultants, and their help is free.

They also have local extremely well-educated leaders who can help you over the phone, or in person at the local support meetings. On the LLL site you will be able to find numbers for local support. Here's a link to a good place to start on their site: http://www.llli.org/nb.html

The link I listed above also has information on a new book just published about nursing after breast reduction/augmentation. It may be key to helping you succeed.

I've benefitted tremendously from LLL resources over the span of the years I've nursed my five babies. I'm on month 15 of nursing our last baby, and am so very thankful for all of the support and information LLL folks have given me over the years. It is truly an outstanding organization. I'd take their advice any day over that of a pediatrician or many lactation consultants. They are spot-on.

Keep on keeping-on, Sister. I'm proud of you for persisting. Your baby was born to the right mama; she is so blessed to have you as her mama and to be with a mother who understands the enormous life-long benefits of breastfeeding.

Warmly,
JennyC.

What else have you tried? Mother's Milk tea works well for me - you can get it at health food stores or sometimes in the organic section of your grocery store. One beer a night works too. I've heard that oatmeal also works.

Good luck!

Hey S.! Great job on the decision to breastfeed! I am so proud of you and just a little goes a long way for your child's health. I could only breastfeed for about 5 1/2 months because my son was huge and i couldn't keep up. A few things that did help my milk production though. I bought an electric pump for when I was at work. Pumping when you are away from your child or even if they aren't feeding often stimulates the glands to produce more milk. the more suckling or pumping, the more they make. It's a supply and demand thing. Also, make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids. That is huge! Stay hydrated and most of all just relax :) You are doing a great job and you want the best for your child, so enjoy your first mother's day! You are a great mom and your love for your child is obvious :)
Best of luck to you and don't forget they have lactation consultants at almost every hospital. go check them out :)
T.

I had extremely low milk supply for the first time, after my son had thrush. The lactation consultant advised me to take fenugreek. 5 pills a day for 2 weeks straight. My supply is better than ever. And yes it does make you, your urine and your babies urine smell like maply syrup. Nothing to worry about though. Also I nursed every two hrs. or whenever he wanted for a couple days straight, while taking the fenugreek. Hope this helps! Dont give up :)

I had a similar problem and when I spoke with the doctor she said to eat whole grains, drink mothers milk tea, and if I wanted to I could drink Guinness Dark Beer because it had the whole grains in it as well as the yeast. I was also told by someone that eating lots of parsley would help out with increasing your supply. And also drink plenty of fluids. Hope this helps.

L.

S.:

Hello, good morning and congratulations!

First rule of breastfeeding - DO NOT STRESS!! Stress decreases your milk supply.

Second rule of breastfeeding - it does not matter what size breast you have!

Now, a positive attitude is important. Ensure your daughter is latching on properly. Drink pleny of water (don't over do it!) and relax! :) Pump regularly and often.

Consult with a lactation consultant as well - most insurances will pay for it. I have an AWESOME one I can and will refer. She's in the Winchester, VA area but will travel to D.C. and MD.

Again, it will happen but stress is a key factor. Please feel free to contact me privately.

Take care!

Cheryl

Drink a TON of water. I had issues because I wasn't drinking nearly enough. I also tried Reglan - it is a safe medicine and has been shown to help in some cases.

Pump more frequently and it should help - it is all a supply vs. demand situation.

Good luck!

Hi, S. - I don't know if this is an old wives' tale, or how you feel about alcohol, but I remember hearing that drinking a beer can increase milk supply. Good luck! N. B.

HAve you tried fenugreek? THat helped me when my flow was slow. HAve you talked to a lactation consultant or go to the la leche league. They may be able to help you figure this out. I wish you lots of luck.
A.

This is a grandmother talking. I did nurse my four babies. However the fourth one did not go for long. I was very busy chasing the others. My suggestion is plenty of fluids and plenty of rest. Enjoy, I did. N. R

S.,

I have had some milk supply issues, also. I have found that drinking excessive amounts of water (150-200 oz. a day) seems to help me out quite a bit. I would try to drink a bottle or 2 of water in between nursing sessions.

Stress is another killer of milk supply. Once I stopped stressing about supply, I seemed to produce more. Try to concentrate on the joy of nursing and let the rest of the world melt away.

I had ONE reflexology session, and that seemed to be right around the time that everything turned around. The area for milk production is on the balls of your feet, near the smaller toes.

FYI: make sure that you check out the ingredients of the product with your ped. to ensure that it is safe for breastfeeding mother. (you never know)

I hope I helped. Remember to think about the love and happiness you feel when nursing, in the moment.

I wish you luck and happy memories.
J.

I had milk supply issues with my first son because he had difficulties latching on. Try Fenugreek. It is an herbal supplement that was recommended to me by a lactation consultant. I took 3 of the pills 3X a day and saw results. You can get it at GNC and some other places. I took it all throughout the year that I breastfed my son. I did find success with it.

I don't know anything about the other. You can find more information about Fenugreek online.

Good luck and hang in there!

J.

Hi S.,
I have never heard of the product you mentioned, but when I was breastfeeding my second daughter, a friend of mine would make me a seaweed soup. For the short time that I consumed it, it seemed to help increase my milk supply. Unfortunately I have lost touch with her and never did get a chance to learn to make it myself, but if perhaps you are able to find someone that knows of this Chinese seaweed soup, try it. Also, there is a tea that I used with my third child (who I breastfed for 26 months) that I found in select supermarkets. I cannot think of the brand right now, but it is called Mother Milk. It comes in a green box with pink accents. Sorry if this wasn't much help, but I wish you the best.
L.

Sweet heart it will be fine. Just keep nursing. I nursed twins twice for over a year each time. The more you nurse the more milk will be produced. My advice is to increase your fluids, mainly water, no caffiene and eat healthy meals. Most important keep a positive attitude and keep trying.

You can do this!!!!

hello, my doctor always said, the more you do it, the more milk will come, use the pump even if you don't need it, every 2 hours or so for at least 30 min at a time, it should increase, and very important, don't forget to drink alot of water, you should be drinking....take your weight and divide it in half, those are the ounces of water you should be drinking every day. This should be water not just liquid, and no coffee or soda because that would dehydrate you almost immediately. hope this helps

I didn't read all of the responses but I skimmed and didn't see the website I was directed to when I had supply issues. http://www.bfar.org/ is specifically for women who are breast feeding after reduction. You might also try http://www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html for information on breast feeding in general.

I pray you are successful in your endeavor to breast feed. I know I was frustrated when my son weaned himself at 9 1/2 months, but at least I got him that far! :)

I heard drinking lots of water helps as well as eating a small snack before you feed. Personally, I think drinking milk helps. I used to drink 2-3 cups a day then stopped for a while and I could tell that my son was not getting enough - don't have any scientific proof but just a motherly hunch! Good luck.

I had a terrible time with nursing and supplemented with formula for most of my son's first year. If you are gauging your milk supply by how much you can pump then you may be guessing wrong about how much milk you can produce. I could never pump adequate milk to feed my baby each day while I was at work (he was home with my husband) but I never had a problem if he was nursing directly. I tried drinking the different teas recommended for increasing milk supply but never noticed any difference in what I was able to pump. I just never could pump very much. One thing I did do was to take to days where I did absolutely nothing but nurse my son as often as he would go along with it--didn't go anywhere or do anything other than nurse and watch tv for two days. After two days of him just nursing constantly my breasts did get engorged more often and I could pump more than I had before. But I had to keep up teh more frequent pumping schedule to maintain that. My bosy always produced more milk at night, as if it could sense that nighttime when I was home I needed more and daytime since it was a pump they could get away with producing less milk because eventually I would give up. By the time my son was 9 or 10 months he was eating enough solids that he was still nursing but not completely dependent on mother's milk for sustenance and we were able to stop supplementing with formula. He got enough milk nursing in the mornings and in the evenings and would have about 4 ounces of pumped milk to drink during the day. It is very frustrating to not be able to pump much or to have to supplement with formula but don't give up. The mother's milk changes at different stages of their development and provides so much that they can't get from cow's milk. You will be glad you stuck it out even if you do have to supplement. I ended up nursing until my son was 20 months old and was a little sorry even then to quit. But after he started on solids we rarely supplemented with formula so he had a solid year of exclusively breast milk. Good luck! It is hard and frustrating but it gets better.

Continuing to nurse will increase your milk supply especially with supplements. Your baby will have to nurse bascially round the clock for about 2-3 days and your milk supply will increase. I used Fenugreek and Blessed Thislte supplements 3 each 3x a day for 3 days and with those and lots of nursing my milk supply increased. You can also pump in between feedings to increase the supply. Pick up Dr. Sears Breastfeeding Book it has a lot of great information.

Good Luck!

I've used Motherlove and I've used Breastea from http://www.breastea.com I think they are both good products. I would take as recommended and make sure you are pumping and/or breastfeeding every 2 to 3 hours. Overnight don't go longer than 4 hours without doing one or the other.

Healthy nursing tea by secrets of tea has natural ingredients that increase milk supply efficiently and has no preservatives.