ALL NONPRESCRIPTION REMEDIES LISTED HERE ARE AT YOUR LOCAL HEALTH FOOD STORE!!!!!
First and foremost, nurse! On demand, no matter how long, no matter how often. BABY is the best supply booster you can have.
Be sure you have a real suppply problem rather than a perceived one. Pumping only two ounces at a session is normal and isn't a supply problem. Changing fewer than six diapers per day DOES indicate a real supply problem.
If you're already nursing around the clock and pumping frequently and are still changing fewer than six diapers per day, then you can look at different techniques to increase your supply.
1. Water. 64 ounces daily.
2. Oatmeal. For some reason this can increase supply. Bowl a day.
If those two don't work, and you are not diabetic (gestational diabetes doesn't count), then you can add the following items from the health food store:
3. Fenugreek. Two capsules, three times a day. WARNING: Fenugreek is not recommended for people with diabetes, thyroid
problems, or people on blood thinners. It can cause internal bleeding
and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
4. Mother's Milk Tea. As directed on the box. WARNING: Contains fenugreek
5. More Milk Tincture. As directed.
6. Blessed Thistle (someone please add the dosage?)
If you're still not seeing improvement, then you can see about calling in the big guns. By prescription only:
7. Reglan
8. Domperidone.
Whatever you do, NURSING is the most important component of your plan. No galactagogue will be effective if you're not giving your body the stimulation it needs. So put baby to breast as much as possible.
Please feel free to add to this post!
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION PLEASE POST IT SEPARATELY SO IT DOESN"T GET MISSED!
Posted by
on Oct. 10, 2007 at 10:49 PM
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by
on Oct. 12, 2007 at 10:16 AM
Wow. Im so glad I came to this group today. I was going to ask about increasing supply, and there it was!!!
I bf my first daughter for 7months exclusively and had no real issues. Now with my second daughter, problems!! Which is so stressful to me, because she was so good at latching on right from the start! She ate like a pro! I had plenty of milk for her to eat and even a supply in the freezer.
Then came the vomiting! Long story short, she has really bad acid reflux. Poor baby spent 4 days in the hospital because of it. And now is on meds 3 x's a day! She is almost 3 months now, and we have been through a lot of trial and error with her. She also has problems with bad gas, more so when she nurses-so they think she is sucking in air when she eats. She was vomiting less when fed from a bottle, and not being as fussy.
SO..we tried bottle feeding for a while. But she still would vomit the breastmilk, formula when she had it seemed to stay down a little better. So then they had me give her formula w/ a little rice in it. (anti-gas formula) Worked so so. But then the vomiting and gas got really bad again- plus I was still nursing her occasionally.
Then they put her on this Enfamil AR its thickened with rice starch. They said one week nothing but that! Well. Happy for baby, not throwing up any longer. The extra weight in the formula seems to keep it down. But now the week is up, and I really dont want to give up trying to feed her. BUT with the stress of all this going on( especially that my milk was causing my baby pain and making her sick- not really true since it is due to the acid reflux, but its how I felt) my milk supply has dropped to practiculy nothing! I am trying to pump, but not doing it enough, becauase it is depressing to me. And I tried to nurse her this morning, and she just cried at my breast. :( This makes me so sad, but I think she has gotten used to getting her food so much faster than my little supply can get it out to her!
I think I will try the fenugreek, but does anyone have any other suggestions for me? Or should I face the facts and just give up????
Amber
I bf my first daughter for 7months exclusively and had no real issues. Now with my second daughter, problems!! Which is so stressful to me, because she was so good at latching on right from the start! She ate like a pro! I had plenty of milk for her to eat and even a supply in the freezer.
Then came the vomiting! Long story short, she has really bad acid reflux. Poor baby spent 4 days in the hospital because of it. And now is on meds 3 x's a day! She is almost 3 months now, and we have been through a lot of trial and error with her. She also has problems with bad gas, more so when she nurses-so they think she is sucking in air when she eats. She was vomiting less when fed from a bottle, and not being as fussy.
SO..we tried bottle feeding for a while. But she still would vomit the breastmilk, formula when she had it seemed to stay down a little better. So then they had me give her formula w/ a little rice in it. (anti-gas formula) Worked so so. But then the vomiting and gas got really bad again- plus I was still nursing her occasionally.
Then they put her on this Enfamil AR its thickened with rice starch. They said one week nothing but that! Well. Happy for baby, not throwing up any longer. The extra weight in the formula seems to keep it down. But now the week is up, and I really dont want to give up trying to feed her. BUT with the stress of all this going on( especially that my milk was causing my baby pain and making her sick- not really true since it is due to the acid reflux, but its how I felt) my milk supply has dropped to practiculy nothing! I am trying to pump, but not doing it enough, becauase it is depressing to me. And I tried to nurse her this morning, and she just cried at my breast. :( This makes me so sad, but I think she has gotten used to getting her food so much faster than my little supply can get it out to her!
I think I will try the fenugreek, but does anyone have any other suggestions for me? Or should I face the facts and just give up????
Amber
by
on Oct. 16, 2007 at 10:44 AM
Quoting Pammymommy:YES! How ever much formula you give your baby that much milk will not be produced because your body will not know that your baby needs it.
Thanks so much for the info....I have a two month old daughter and I was already getting sad because my supply is not keeping up with her....but I will try the techniques and see what happens.
Does anybody knows if I alternate with formula does my supply decreases???
by
on Oct. 16, 2007 at 10:48 AM
Quoting southernbabies:
Wow. Im so glad I came to this group today. I was going to ask about increasing supply, and there it was!!!
I bf my first daughter for 7months exclusively and had no real issues. Now with my second daughter, problems!! Which is so stressful to me, because she was so good at latching on right from the start! She ate like a pro! I had plenty of milk for her to eat and even a supply in the freezer.
Then came the vomiting! Long story short, she has really bad acid reflux. Poor baby spent 4 days in the hospital because of it. And now is on meds 3 x's a day! She is almost 3 months now, and we have been through a lot of trial and error with her. She also has problems with bad gas, more so when she nurses-so they think she is sucking in air when she eats. She was vomiting less when fed from a bottle, and not being as fussy.
SO..we tried bottle feeding for a while. But she still would vomit the breastmilk, formula when she had it seemed to stay down a little better. So then they had me give her formula w/ a little rice in it. (anti-gas formula) Worked so so. But then the vomiting and gas got really bad again- plus I was still nursing her occasionally.
Then they put her on this Enfamil AR its thickened with rice starch. They said one week nothing but that! Well. Happy for baby, not throwing up any longer. The extra weight in the formula seems to keep it down. But now the week is up, and I really dont want to give up trying to feed her. BUT with the stress of all this going on( especially that my milk was causing my baby pain and making her sick- not really true since it is due to the acid reflux, but its how I felt) my milk supply has dropped to practiculy nothing! I am trying to pump, but not doing it enough, becauase it is depressing to me. And I tried to nurse her this morning, and she just cried at my breast. :( This makes me so sad, but I think she has gotten used to getting her food so much faster than my little supply can get it out to her!
I think I will try the fenugreek, but does anyone have any other suggestions for me? Or should I face the facts and just give up????
Amber
Just try that and keep doing what you are doing ..pump pump pump! Don't give up though it will be stressful for a while but you'll be glad you stuck it out!!
by
on Oct. 16, 2007 at 10:50 PM
I noticed a dramatic increase in my milk suppy the day following a dinner of not special teas, but cooked vegetables over rice. Even though I always ate well --breastfeeding made me HUNGRY-- only lots of greens made a noticeable difference.
Maybe the cows (also vegetarians) are on to something!
Maybe the cows (also vegetarians) are on to something!
by
on Oct. 18, 2007 at 12:45 AM
Has anyone read on the bottle of Fenugreek... "Not recomended for pregnant or nursing mothers". WTH???
I screwed up and didnt pump or bf for a while...now every two hours i get maybe 1/2 an oz. I REALLY want to get it up. I pump now every two hours just till my milk runs out.
Do I need to pump longer and more often?
I screwed up and didnt pump or bf for a while...now every two hours i get maybe 1/2 an oz. I REALLY want to get it up. I pump now every two hours just till my milk runs out.
Do I need to pump longer and more often?
by
on Oct. 18, 2007 at 2:00 PM
I lost alot of blood when my son was born and it delayed my milk coming in. (Obviously, the body must prioritize....and replacing lost blood came before making milk.)
He also had a serious latch problem due to a slightly tight frenulum (which has now righted itself! yay!). This has caused my supply to be low from the get go, and it's VERY slowly building up. VERY slowly.
I HAVE to supplement with formula. It's not an issue of "should" I. My baby has to eat, and we wound up in the ER once because he became dehydrated even though I was nursing almost nonstop. If the milk's not there, it's not there. It WILL come though!! Some of us are just slow producers. But with perseverance and prodding, it WILL come!!
What I do now is nurse him for as long as possible and then if he is still hungry afterwards, give him just enough formula to fill him up to ensure that he continues to gain weight, since that is our priority right now. Then I pump immediately afterward for at least ten minutes to continue to stimulate the breast even after he's off. I also pump in between feedings whenever I can. So as the milk supply increases, he needs less and less formula, and he still continues to gain weight.
Fenugreek has helped me, but I will definitely try oatmeal. Drink tons of water!! And no caffeine!! Your body can't put out if it's not taking in!!
And keep that baby on your boob! He's the best stimulant there is!
He also had a serious latch problem due to a slightly tight frenulum (which has now righted itself! yay!). This has caused my supply to be low from the get go, and it's VERY slowly building up. VERY slowly.
I HAVE to supplement with formula. It's not an issue of "should" I. My baby has to eat, and we wound up in the ER once because he became dehydrated even though I was nursing almost nonstop. If the milk's not there, it's not there. It WILL come though!! Some of us are just slow producers. But with perseverance and prodding, it WILL come!!
What I do now is nurse him for as long as possible and then if he is still hungry afterwards, give him just enough formula to fill him up to ensure that he continues to gain weight, since that is our priority right now. Then I pump immediately afterward for at least ten minutes to continue to stimulate the breast even after he's off. I also pump in between feedings whenever I can. So as the milk supply increases, he needs less and less formula, and he still continues to gain weight.
Fenugreek has helped me, but I will definitely try oatmeal. Drink tons of water!! And no caffeine!! Your body can't put out if it's not taking in!!
And keep that baby on your boob! He's the best stimulant there is!
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You know you have a bf baby when...
- gdiamante
on Oct. 10, 2007 at 10:49 PM