Ways to Increase Milk Supply While Breastfeeding?

Try to relax, being stressed can inhibit your supply. Also, it took about 7 weeks for my supply to even out with my daughter, I had a dear friend encouraging me, "It will work itself out by around 6 weeks." I took longer ;) It's supply and demand, the more she sucks, the more your body will produce until it all evens out. Congratulations on your new daughter!

The more you feed the baby the more you will produce. If she is going through a growth spurt (which at 4 weeks is quite likely) she will nurse constantly, which will increase your supply. Hang in there.

It's ok that think your empty, or at least feel empty after the baby nurses. But allow your baby to keep nursing and sucking. This will stimulate more milk production within a couple of days.

Just speaking from my own experience with my two girls, I did a lot better at producing enough milk when I fed on a loose schedule (I mean, obviously if the baby was hungry, I fed her, but I tried to do it at more or less the same times of the day). With my first baby, I was advised to feed her whenever she cried (I swear, this is the kind of crackpot advice they give you at newborn parenting classes in San Francisco)... and that led to her "snacking" - she just wasn't interested in nursing for more than a few minutes at a time, and then would fall asleep (lather, rinse, repeat, every 45 minutes around the clock... UGH!). Well, evidently that wasn't enough for her to get any of the rich hind milk, so she didn't stay full for long, and also my body really wasn't producing very rich milk, because it wasn't called for.

Now, with baby #2, I implemented a loose schedule. Don't get me wrong, if baby was hungry, I fed her, but we tried to keep to the same type of eat/play/sleep cycle at the same time every day. As a result, she was actually hungry when I fed her, and she could drink a TON of milk. She was getting foremilk, hind milk, and all the milk in between. (She looked like Buddha, the fattest baby ever. ;) As a result of the high demand, I supplied a lot more. We kind of got into a routine, and it worked out really well. Usually, I fed her at 6am, 10am, 2pm, and 6pm. She slept from 6pm-6am starting at around 4 weeks, and then would nap from 9-10am, and 12-2pm. Like I said, she was very fat and happy, and my milk supply was much higher than it had been with my first child, where we just never got the demand/supply thing down very well.

Anyway, hopefully that helps! Congrats on your new baby!

Nurse on demand.
Not by a "schedule."
Use both breasts, per session.
That is what I was told, and that is what I did.

Also, make sure your baby is, latching on properly. A baby that does not latch on properly, will not be getting sufficient intake, and it will not make your boobs, produce more efficiently.
I have a friend who's baby was not latching on properly and it affected the baby's intake and her supply. She saw a lactation specialist, and the problem got solved.

Infants, do get "hungry" very often. Hence, that is the reason you need to nurse on demand. According to your baby. There is also "cluster feeding" and that means an infant will even need to nurse every single hour... and this is normal. It reflects, that baby's needs and development.
And they metabolize breastmilk, very quickly.

Nurse on demand, 24/7, day and night.

DO NOT pump, before feedings.
Pump, after. If you must.
Or don't pump at all and just nurse.
I never pumped when I was nursing.
I had ample milk.

And see a Lactation Specialist, if you must.

Its normal for her to cluster feed at this age, thats how she signals your body to start producing more milk. Just nurse on demand, even if it means switching her back and forth for 2 hours straight, in a few days your supply will be more and you will notice a decline in the cluster feeding and baby should seem more satisfied. Trust your baby :) she knows what to do. This will happen periodically, when she is having growth spurts.

Also, there is a group on Facebook called The Leaky B@@b, great for nursing questions and information.

http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/low-supply/

Also, count your baby's diapers. Baby should be making a good number of diapers in 24 hours, and at that age still nursing about every 2 hours. You may find it helpful to be distracted with a book or music if you find yourself watching the clock. I used to sing my DD lullabies in the middle of the night. And we watched the Olympics that year in real time.

My DD was also a very speedy nurser. Once she got the hang of it, 10 mins was done. Some babies take longer. Put a hair band or bracelet on your wrist to remember what side was used last and start on the other for the next feeding. My DD didn't typically nurse on both sides during one session but yours may want to do so.

It will level out. There is a growth spurt at 4 weeks.

You can try fenugreek supplements and eating a lot of oatmeal.
I struggled with milk supply for 5 months.
Especially when my maternity leave was over, it was difficult pumping at work in a bathroom and no matter how much I nursed my son the rest of the time or what supplements I took to try to keep it going - I just dried up.
So at 5 months my son was on formula and he stayed on it till just about his first birthday (he didn't take to solids for a long time).
There are growth spurts at 4, 6 an 8 weeks - so she might be hungrier but it should help stimulate more milk.
Just do the best you can and if all else fails - you'll still have a way to feed her - she won't starve.
As long as she's wetting plenty of diapers she's getting enough to stay hydrated.

This is it your body is continuously making milk doesn't stop when your not feeding your breasts are store it when baby latches on it flows doesnt ave to suck much. When flow goes down baby needs to suck harder to get more and the back milk. That milk is thick n filling.. Another thing is if you have small cone shaped breast may not happen. Talk to a breast feeding specialist. Eat n drink while feeding too.

I agree 100% with Momto1andahalf. She's cluster feeding, and milk supply is entirely supply/demand regulated. If you feed on demand as often as she asks, that is the BEST way to increase your supply. It may mean that you don't really leave the couch for a few days because you are almost constantly feeding her. But after those few days, you'll have lots of supply again.

Many women mistake this cluster feeding time as a sign that they are not producing enough and they supplement because they worry the baby isn't getting enough. This works against them, because then their body never gets that all-important signal that it's time to start making more.

So, get a tall glass of water, a book or a TV show, make your self comfortable and nurse nurse nurse.

If you really want 'something' to help you produce more, I have heard good things about the mother's milk tea, eating oatmeal, and lots of water. But at 4 weeks old, nursing as often as possible is the best way.

Fenugreek caplets and/or tea. Contact a lactation consultant - the hospital, or your ob/gyn should be able to recommend someone. Mine SAVED me and helped me recover from issues after getting shingles 3 days after giving birth.

Make an appointment with a lactation consultant, drink lots of water, and take the supplement More Milk Plus. I found it in Sprouts and Whole Foods. Any natural food store should have it.