What worked to increase your milk supply?
My supply doesn't seem like it's enough for DD. It's driving me crazy! It feels like my supply has actually decreased from what it was at first and its so frustrating. DD will nurse for awhile and then it seems like she stops getting anything and she gets upset and fussy and I feel awful. It stresses me out, which I know doesn't help, but I can't force myself to relax about it. We've been supplementing with formula to make sure she gets enough and I don't exactly feel guilty about it, but it doesn't feel right. I want to give her just breast milk but I even if I pump between feedings and give her what I pumped she still seems hungry afterwards...like me pumping means she gets a lot less.
Ugh. Its stressing me out and causing a serious headache right now because I thought that by now my supply would've increased at least a little but it feels like its decreasing. Help!!
Re: What worked to increase your milk supply?
To increase your supply you can nurse more often or pump right after feeding lo.
good luck
Try going to motherlove.com and getting More Milk Plus supplements. I take these coupled with Goat's Rue (its an herb, not something from a goat) and it should help increase your supply.
Are you also drinking lots of water? Try drinking at least a pint whenever you BF or pump.
next time she pulls off squeeze your boob a little near the nipple and see if milk comes out. If there is some coming out then you aren't out! Is she just a little fussy and maybe want's the comfort of sucking but not milk?
If she pulls off and you still have milk coming out when you squeeze maybe try a pacifier to comfort her.
Drink lots of water, also mothers milk organic tea always works for me. i buy it at krogers in the organic section.
Nursing often (every 2 hours) and drinking Mother's Milk tea helped out a lot. ?Fenugreek is also known to help out, you can get in tea form or pills, I personally recommend the tea. ?Whatever you do don't stress out, and keep at it. ?
Giving your little one bottles and formula, will unfortunately work against you. ?A newborn doesn't have to suck nearly as hard on a bottle as on your breast, and while you are trying to make sure your baby is eating enough, you might inadvertently be conditioning your baby to prefer the bottle. ?As for the formula, I understand your dilemma, but you want your baby to learn to get filled up on you and not "expect" the bottle with formula in it. ?A GREAT resource so help out first time moms with BF issues is to contact your local La Leche League and see if you can attend a meeting. ?It's an invaluable resource. ?Their book, "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" is wonderful help as well.
Oatmeal for breakfast.
Lots of water. Lots.
Let LO suck as often as you can.
they suck all the time at first just because they are trying to increase your supply. it doesn't mean they aren't getting enough. It is frustrating, though, because it makes you feel like you are starving them when they fuss like that.
My LO wants to suck ALL evening and even though my doula and LC have assured me that he is getting enough and it is normal for them to do this at first, I still end up breaking down and giving him 2 oz of formula in the evening. He will eat and eat until he pukes.
Sometimes they will also eat and fuss because they are actually just gassy so they suck thinking they are hungry, but it doesn't help, so they fuss.
Your supply starts to regulate after a few weeks, so you may FEEL like you don't have enough milk but you probably do. Ditto the suggestion to try and express milk when LO is fussing. See if you can get it to squirt out.
I am still learning, too, but there is a lot of great bfing info at kellymom.com about cluster feeding and fussiness.
--Fengreek, Blessed Thistle & Mother's Milk Tea
-Oatmeal every morning & I dump a TB or 2 of Brewers Yeast in it.
-Lactation cookies 4 a day (google it)--it has Brewers Yeast, Oatmeal & Flax seed meal in them
-Drink a beer a night
-Drink a big glass of water every time you nurse & nurse frequently.
That should more than do it, seriously!
THIS TOTALLY...and be sure you are taking prenatal vitamins still...you need iron to make milk and a good supply of it. I'm anemic and I supplement with an iron pill too.