How to INCREASE MILK SUPPLY??

[Wdpitts22]

Hey everyone!!! I am breastfeeding my 13 week old son and my milk supply has decreased since I returned to work, I began supplementing with formula to make up for the decrease in my breast milk but I really want to get my milk supply back up!! Two nights ago I went and got fenugreek capsules and began taking those but haven't seen a difference yet...hopefully I will!!! But I just wanted to see if anyone has any advice!!

[SewingMamaLele]

How much are you pumping and how much is he taking while you're gone?

[stepconfused182]

 HI! Let us know how much you were previously pumping, how much you are pumping now and how many oz you're feeding him while you're away. A lot of moms aren't aware that a bottle should never be more than 3 oz and you should be feeding 1-1.25oz per hour of separation. So first, we will see if you really need to increase your supply!

[Wdpitts22]

He drinks 6oz per feeding and right now when I pump I'm getting like 2oz per breast.

[Wdpitts22]

I used to get like 5 oz per breast when I pumped.

Quoting stepconfused182:

 HI! Let us know how much you were previously pumping, how much you are pumping now and how many oz you're feeding him while you're away. A lot of moms aren't aware that a bottle should never be more than 3 oz and you should be feeding 1-1.25oz per hour of separation. So first, we will see if you really need to increase your supply!

[Wdpitts22]

He's a big boy, he was 8lbs 7oz at birth and now 15 lbs at 13 weeks so if I give him anything under 6oz he acts like he is starving lol

[MommyO2-6631]

A breastfed baby only needs one ounce per hour of separation from mom. That's the problem. Not supply.

[Wdpitts22]

I leave home for work at 7 and return home at 6:30 by the way ....

[Wdpitts22]

Okay so how many ounces should I make his bottles for each day?

[stepconfused182]

 The problem with this is that a mom cannot keep up with pumping that much. By sticking to 1-1.25oz/hr, you are ensuring that you will be able to meet those demands and won't have to supplement with formula. You encourage unlimited nursing when you are present, and limit bottle size when away so a flow preference isn't developed and the stomach isn't stretched. \

There is a method for how to bottle feed a breastfed baby on kellymom.com that includes holding bottle parallel to the floor (to limit amount of milk that flows into the nipple which makes baby work harder to suck milk, just as he would at the breast) and burping after each ounce. It doesn't matter if he's 8lbs or 20lbs, he will not require more than 3oz at a time. Your milk changes in composition as baby gets older so that the volume doesn't ever need increased. Formula obviously does not do that, so the volume needs increased in increments as baby grows.

 Decrease what you're giving him by an oz every few days until you are down to 3oz bottles. You don't have a problem with supply, so taking galactagogues like fenugreek are not going to have any effect.

Quoting Wdpitts22:

He's a big boy, he was 8lbs 7oz at birth and now 15 lbs at 13 weeks so if I give him anything under 6oz he acts like he is starving lol

 

[MommyO2-6631]

Ideally 3 ounces every 2.5-3 hours. My son was also 8-7 at birth and this is how we've always done it. It would take time to get him down to that though without making him think he's starving.

Quoting Wdpitts22:

Okay so how many ounces should I make his bottles for each day?