uFenugreek And Breastfeeding

I took it while I was BF. I didn't notice any side effects other than I smelled like a pancake! It did work though!

I had decent results with fenugreek, but much better results with Lactate Support capsules by Gaia Herbs. They're available at Whole Foods or other health food stores, or you can go to their website and find stores near you that stock their products. It has pretty much the same things in it as More Milk Plus, and a couple more, but it's in capsule form so it doesn't taste bad. Hooray! They also didn't give me the maple syrup smell that fenugreek did.

I went to Whole Foods and got an herbal supplement called More Milk Plus. It contains fenugreek, blessed thistle and other lactation aides. It definitely helped but never got me back to my earlier levels. Do you pump? If so I would had a session or two to help. Good luck!

I took it when my milk supply started to dry up when my first was 6 mos. It didn't really help that much and I smelled like maple syrup all day. I ultimately ended up drying up and switching to formula :( Is it possible to decrease your pumping? There is nothing better than actual breastfeeding to keep your supply up- my midwife told me to avoid pumping if possible to help with supply. Good luck!

My sis-in-law is a nurse and gave me some fenugreek when my milk supply dwindled around when dd was 10 mos. It did help, but I hated that stuff!!! It made me smell like maple syrup. I'm serious. Really. Lol. I hate maple syrup!!

It is not too late to get your supply up! I started the supplement at 1 week with my twins and around 3 weeks with my son. I'm not sure that it really helped...

How is her latch now? Make sure you are using the slowest flow nipple for supplement and that bottles are given after a feed. You can improve supply by pumping with a hospital grade pump for 10-15 minutes after each feeding. Then you can use expressed milk for supplementing.

If you can spend a day or two in bed skin to skin nursing on demand it may help your supply.

Good luck! Also, I had to supplement all of my kids but if you keep nursing they are still getting the benefit even if they need some more calories from formula.

You will probably get some 'don't supplement with formula' advice but IMHO the moms that say that did not have true supply issues. Some women just don't produce enough so don't feel bad. (I held out until it was medically necessary to supplement due to weight loss - nursed twins with supplement to 5.5 months and my son until 8 months) Do what you can and feel good about it!

my son is now almost 6 but here is my old list i made when i was bfing..the last item on the list will really increase your breast milk..i didn't take it til my son was 9 months..hope this helps you..

1. rent a hospital grade pump..Medela Classic is what i'm using..it's
$3 a day and totally worth it! OR better yet buy one off ebay and
when you're done you can re-sell it on ebay and get your money back.
i bought one and it works great..the medela classic is supposed to be
the best pump out there.
2. get the Easy Expression bra www.easyexpressionproducts.com it
holds both cups over you bb's and it's better to pump 2 at a time
3. eat oatmeal ....get the healthy kind i add bananas also i would
think pasta would be good b/c it retains water
4. Take "Lactation Supplement" by Gaia Herbs you can find it at the
health food store
5. try to pump at the same time every day...also try power pumping..
10 minutes pumping..then stop for 10 then 10 again and then stop and
so on. even pump if you aren't getting anything.
6. Make sure the white membrane thingies that attach onto the cups
are fairly new ..over used ones affect how much milk you get
7. Drink lots of fluids including Nursing Mom's tea or Mother's Milk
tea or the tea i prefer is www.breastea.com ..also drinks with
electrolytes like Recharge...Smart Water...Gatorade i notice on days
i drink a lot of fluids i have more milk
8. Eat barley..Barley Grass supplements are great. also..they have
barley bread at Trader Joe's if you have a Trader Joe's where you
live..or just buy barley. I buy a delicious barley tea at the
japanese market and i drink a couple of cups a day..it's decaf and
yummy.
i also drink Healthy Mom's drinks by Ensure
9.A warm wash cloth helps too ..apply to breasts before pumping or
try the breast heating pads that you heat up in the microwave.
10. Keep taking your prenatal vitamin..not getting a lot of milk
could mean a vitamin deficiency
even if you pump just a little ..save what you get and start adding
them together and then supplement with the milk that you pump..that's
why it's also good to pump after they've gone to sleep..then you help
build your supply and you also have more bb milk for baby..
11. nurse nurse nurse..triple up on nursing..you're going to have to
dedicate a week to it
the more you pump the more milk you'll begin to make.
12. LOTS OF REST..nap if you can ..milk builds when you rest
13. DHA supplements also are great for lactation..also found at the
health food store*
14. Alfalfa supplements are also great.
i think that's it..
15. Try a whey protein powder drink.. i use "Whey to Go" by
Solgar..you mix it with milk add some berries and a banana. it says
to check with your doc before using if you're bfing..so ask your
doc..i only drink one a day and i add a some Motherlove's "More Milk
Plus" to it.
16. Again you should double pump when you're pumping so make sure you
get the bra to make it easier on you!
17. Goat's Rue herb is also supposed to help boost
honestly drink LOTS of liquids
keep yourself moist ...don't take any birth control pills.
18. there is also this stuff called Motilium aka DOM a lot of mom's
use this ..it's for reflux but it builds up your supply.. you can
read about it on Kellymom.com http://www.kellymom.com/newman/19a-
domperidone1.html
and you can buy it here... http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/general/
motilium.html

Updated

1. rent a hospital grade pump..Medela Classic is what i'm using..it's
$3 a day and totally worth it! OR better yet buy one off ebay and
when you're done you can re-sell it on ebay and get your money back.
i bought one and it works great..the medela classic is supposed to be
the best pump out there.
2. get the Easy Expression bra www.easyexpressionproducts.com it
holds both cups over you bb's and it's better to pump 2 at a time
3. eat oatmeal ....get the healthy kind i add bananas also i would
think pasta would be good b/c it retains water
4. Take "Lactation Supplement" by Gaia Herbs you can find it at the
health food store
5. try to pump at the same time every day...also try power pumping..
10 minutes pumping..then stop for 10 then 10 again and then stop and
so on. even pump if you aren't getting anything.
6. Make sure the white membrane thingies that attach onto the cups
are fairly new ..over used ones affect how much milk you get
7. Drink lots of fluids including Nursing Mom's tea or Mother's Milk
tea or the tea i prefer is www.breastea.com ..also drinks with
electrolytes like Recharge...Smart Water...Gatorade i notice on days
i drink a lot of fluids i have more milk
8. Eat barley..Barley Grass supplements are great. also..they have
barley bread at Trader Joe's if you have a Trader Joe's where you
live..or just buy barley. I buy a delicious barley tea at the
japanese market and i drink a couple of cups a day..it's decaf and
yummy.
i also drink Healthy Mom's drinks by Ensure
9.A warm wash cloth helps too ..apply to breasts before pumping or
try the breast heating pads that you heat up in the microwave.
10. Keep taking your prenatal vitamin..not getting a lot of milk
could mean a vitamin deficiency
even if you pump just a little ..save what you get and start adding
them together and then supplement with the milk that you pump..that's
why it's also good to pump after they've gone to sleep..then you help
build your supply and you also have more bb milk for baby..
11. nurse nurse nurse..triple up on nursing..you're going to have to
dedicate a week to it
the more you pump the more milk you'll begin to make.
12. LOTS OF REST..nap if you can ..milk builds when you rest
13. DHA supplements also are great for lactation..also found at the
health food store*
14. Alfalfa supplements are also great.
i think that's it..
15. Try a whey protein powder drink.. i use "Whey to Go" by
Solgar..you mix it with milk add some berries and a banana. it says
to check with your doc before using if you're bfing..so ask your
doc..i only drink one a day and i add a some Motherlove's "More Milk
Plus" to it.
16. Again you should double pump when you're pumping so make sure you
get the bra to make it easier on you!
17. Goat's Rue herb is also supposed to help boost
honestly drink LOTS of liquids
keep yourself moist ...don't take any birth control pills.
18. there is also this stuff called Motilium aka DOM a lot of mom's
use this ..it's for reflux but it builds up your supply.. you can
read about it on Kellymom.com http://www.kellymom.com/newman/19a-
domperidone1.html
and you can buy it here... http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/general/
motilium.html

How old is your baby? It definitely works better in the earlier months than in the later months. I used the More Milk Plus tincture at the recommendation of a lactation consultant. It tasted nasty but it worked. I'd recommend the fenugreek capsules if you can get them. The LC also recommended the mother's tea; I can't remember the name of it. I liked the tea, but I also like regular tea.

I never noticed a maple syrup smell. The only issue I noticed was that my daughter had green poop in the afternoons. The pediatrician thought it was a food allergy, but I think it was more that she was getting too much foremilk in the mornings since I was engorged.

My ob/gyn recommended trying fenugreek. It does work for some women and not for others so it may or may not work for you.

I wanted to offer some support in case you never get your milk levels up high enough. It's okay, really it is. I was never able to produce more than a trickle -- despite fenugreek; and a prescription drug that was supposed to help increase production; and pumping "to get your milk up"; and even having my baby "breastfeed" at my breast for many weeks when she actually was drinking formula through tiny tubes taped to my breast because my milk never "came in" beyond a tiny amount. Yes, that's how far we went to keep her on the breast, but my milk never, ever came in. The interventions do work for many women! But a few of us -- and this may or may not be the case for you -- cannot produce adequate milk. So I just gave thanks that we live in a time when there are healthy (not perfect, but healthy) alternatives to keep our children alive when we cannot feed them. The first person to hand me formula was our lactation consultant, who said, "The most important thing is that the baby be healthy and that you NOT be stressed or beating yourself up or feeling guilty over this. Feed your baby however you can and love her."

So yes, do keep trying, but if you physically cannot produce enough milk after making the effort, focus on your time with her, not on constant fears about milk production. It really is okay.

Do you have to pump? If not, stop. Pumping has never done anything good for my supply. Boobs like babies mouths-not suction cups. They simply do not work the same.
I took fenugreek and I felt it helped. I did not consult w/ a LC. Just a friend.
I believe I took 4 capsules, 3 times daily. No side effects other than the maple syrup smell.
I've taken some pretty nasty smelling vitamins/supplements in my day-they were a welcome change. :)
HTH! GL!

I had trouble with milk supply with my first, and was placed on fenugreek. It minimally increased my supply and made me smell like maple syrup, which was driving me crazy. I was also given a 10 day course with reglan, that is mostly for reflux, and it increased my milk supply for the time I took it, finally gave it up at almost 6 months. With my second, 3 years later, I worked longer with the LC. I was started in the hospital with a pump, and then at home More Milk Plus, I initially bought it at Whole Foods, but them found it cheaper on Amazon, and by signing to Amazon mom, got 3 months of Amazon Prime, that gets you free 2 day shipping for a lot of products sold by Amazon. Then my LC switched me to More Milk special Blend, which apart from fenugreek and a bunch of other things, has goats rue, which is really the only thing that really noticeably increased my milk supply. Some people complain of mild stomach upset, but other than that, no problem. I would take that over the fenugreek any day. Unfortunately, I developed 2 ulcers in my right eye (completely unrelated to the pills) and needed to be on really strong antibiotic eye drops for a month, tried pumping but it was a lot of work and never was able to get as much as when he was breastfeeding, so my milk supply tanked, and I had to give up breastfeeding , again at almost 6 months :(
So I would basically recommend pumping, pumping, pumping, if you can after each breastfeed, I know it is a lot of work!!!, and then taking the More Milk Special Blend 2-3 times/day, doses depend on your weight. Good luck!

You received wonderful advice particularly from Elkraiden so hope my experience can help. I started fenugreek, on my own, six months after my daughter's birth. I nursed, on average every three hours round the clock until I returned to full-time work when she was four months old, I then rented medical grade pump and pumped every two hours at work while nursing as much as possible during evenings and weekends. The only known side effect is that I smelled like celery. I routinely stay hydrated as this is also important.
As an aside, I had my breasts cut three times before my daughter's birth when I was forty-one; augmentation at age 21, removal with no replacement at age 36 then finally re-augmentation at age 38.

I took it when I hit the 6 month pumping slump. I just took it on my own. You have to take a LOT more than the bottle says-- I think it was 3 capsules 3 times a day I ended up with. You know the dosage is right when your sweat starts smelling like a mix of maple syrup and old gym socks!

You can try lactation cookies too http://www.food.com/recipe/peanut-butter-lactation-cookie...

And be sure she's using a SLOW FLOW nipple on her bottle-- do NOT make the bottle too easy for her.

Nurse and pump as often as possible. If you're using a Pump In Style, I HIGHLY reccomend going to Target or Baies R' Us and getting the SoftFit shields and/or the larger sized shields-- it really helps a lot, I switched back and forth. Also change up the pump settings every now and then......

And try going to a LLL meeting, those mom's will have tons of ideas.
You can find them at http://www.llli.org/webus.html

I took fenugreek, but it didn't really help me. Blessed thistle did help me produce some milk. Whatever you try, do it one at a time, so you can see what actually helps.

Also, like I saw another person say, try to get rid of the bottle and formula and stop pumping. If you nurse more, you will have more milk. Nurse on demand, when she wants it. I didn't breastfeed or pump from when my son was 2 weeks to 6 weeks, and successfully relacted after that and went on to nurse until he was 2. Nursing more really is the key to building and keeping up your supply.

Stop the formula and exclusively breast feed if you want more milk. You're only going to make as much as is needed. It's as simple as that really. Babies go through growth spurts and need much more milk at times-our bodies are designed to make enough at all times. As far as fenugreek, the only side effect I've heard of is that it can make you smell a little like maple syrup. You probably do not need it. Just nurse!

I just took it on my own...it was not the only thing I used to help increase my supply.

I drank Mother's Milk Tea, took the fenugreek and (GASP) drank one non alcoholic beer a day (this one only for about four weeks) but the MMT and Fenu pretty much until we stopped BFing!

My son was able to BF until 13 months when I decided I'd had enough!

ETA: no hate mail...

Remember - even if you can pump 8 oz per day, your baby can withdraw more from your breasts than any pump. My DD was on half bottle half breast after 2 weeks due to jaundice and poor weight gain...once she gained her weight back and we figured out nursing (she had a poor latch that was greatly improved due to position changes), we were able to slowly wean off the bottle and exclusively breastfeed. I used Fenugreek on my own 2 pills 3x a day and then as my supply regulated, I would decrease the fenugreek...but I used it for a long long time, probably after a year. My DD just turned 2 today and we are still nursing - it definitely helped.