So my daughter is almost 4 months and ive started supplementing her bottles and now I have progressed to formula feeding her 90% of the time but I would like to do the exact opposite where i am breast feeding 90% of the time and giving her formula less and less, but I was wondering who did what to help produce more milk. ANYTHING Will help!
thank you for your time!
There is also an herbal medication that helps but i forget the name of it. I used it and it did help me. Try a google search. The only side effect is it makes you smell like maple suyrp
Here are somethings that might help:
1. Eat oatmeal, the original old fashioned type. You can add milk, fruit, or whatever but stay away from the instant as it is not as beneficial. There is argument over whether this is myth or fact, it worked for me. Think moo.
2. Always drink a glass of water before you breastfeed. ALWAYS.
3. Becoming emotional usually gets the milk flowing so look at your baby while nursing and try to remember each moment of excitement that you've had since she was born. The first lil yawn, stretch, anything that make your heart swell and go awwww.
4. Don't drink caffeinated beverages, soda, or take antihistamines. Caffeine, sudafed and allergies meds will dry up your sinuses and your milk!
5. Call La Leche League or go to their website: http://www.llli.org/resources.html for more help.
Good luck. ;)
Drink more liquids and nurse her more. The more she nurses the more milk you will make.
Check out the website http://www.kellymom.com. It is an AMAZING site all about breastfeeding/motherhood. Exhaustive source. I'm almost positive they have information on relactation. But technically "relactating" is getting your system going when you've already gone dry. What you're probably dealing with is actually low supply (unless you've been supplementing for a really long time?). How long have you been supplementing 90%? Are you 100% dry? Have you thought of pumping to see how much you're producing at this point (and then feed her that bottle)?
One of the best things you can do is to do a weekend of nursing. Ask Daddy (or g-ma, etc) to take care of EVERYTHING and anything for an entire weekend. Your job is to sit in bed and do nothing but nurse nurse nurse and hold your baby in bed with you, nothing but skin to skin contact. When she's sleeping, hold her on your chest. When you're sleeping, let her sleep next to you and feel free to let her nurse in her sleep. Don't detach your nipple from her mouth, even if she falls asleep. All of this contact stimulates the hormones necessary to produce milk.
Another option, if you work, etc, is to pump, pump, pump. Any chance you get.
Take fenugreek. Drink Mother's Milk Tea. Eat lots of oatmeal or bake yourself some oatmeal cookies (make sure the oatmeal isn't processed at all). Try drinking an oatmeal stout (or half of one, if it makes you nervous). You'll have to wait a certain amount of time before nursing/pumping, but I can't remember what it is. You'll have to check on kellymom. The stout should not be a regular thing, just a once a week type of thing, if that. Try to use regular oatmeal cereal instead. I guess I'm just saying, be careful not to transfer too much alcohol to baby (which I'm sure you know, just covering my bases!).
Um.. *thinks* My mind is blanking at the moment, but like I said, check KELLYMOM, it's all on there. I also highly recommend getting the La Leche League breastfeeding book asap.
GOOD LUCK!! I hope it works.
Most babies will dry nurse just for the comfort of it. After the second time you will find your milk has come back and she will nurse to be fed. Remember to change sides while she is dry nursing so your milk returns to both breasts.
for whatever reason, hot cocoa would make me produce a lot of milk. weird, I know.
Definitely nurse her more often. You can take fenugreek capsules (start with 3, 3 times a day and increase up to 5, 3 times a day if needed). You should notice a difference within a day or two, and you will smell like maple syrup. Make sure that she completely finishes off a breast before offering the other. Wring it out while feeding to make sure it is empty.
You can also talk to your doctor. There is a Rx that increases supply. I have heard that the side effects aren't ideal, but better than not being able to bf, so try the natural way first.
Check out The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk -
http://www.makingmoremilk.com/ - a comprehensive guide for increasing milk production.
Also, there is a Yahoo group called MOBI for women facing breastfeeding challenges. It's a very supportive environment if you want tips and support.
http://www.mobimotherhood.org (See the Where to get help page for info on subscribing to the group.)
Good luck!
Get the book "Mother Food: A Breastfeeding Diet Guide...," by Hilary Jacobson and Beverly Morgan. It will give info. on what to eat to increase your supply. You also want to drink lots of water and nurse often. Just get baby back on frequently. You might start out and let her nurse until she empties the supply, then top her off with a little formula. Pumping can help to increase supply, too.
Good luck and keep with it.
after she is done feeding pump your breasts even if theyre empty. it sends a sygnal saying your daughter is still hungery and you will produce more milk.
Nurse more often and longer and take fenugreek supplements (I got mine at GNC) and if she is sleeping through the night, I would even get a hospital grade pump and pump between feedings or once in the middle of the night at a minimum until it gets back up. Or pump after feedings too. Can you pinpoint why it dropped? Is her latch OK?
Good luck!
A.
From what I know, the only thing you can do is to feed often. This probably means that your baby will only get a little milk and be hungry soon after but it should slowly build up your milk supply.
