Need milk supply to increase!

tqsbride · April 2012

Hi ladies,

I'm breast feeding my DD who has latching challenges, so I've also started pumping every 2-3 hours for 15 min on each breast in order to get my nipples a break from breast feeding and give them time to heal. They're cracked, bleeding and just painful to look at. I'm only able to produce 2 oz when I pump, so I have to cover an additional oz with formula. My lactation consultant recommended Fenugreek (I take it 3 times a day) and I drink 2 liters of water, and tons of oatmeal. Are there any other things that I can do to increase my supply? Should I be pumping more? Thanks!

Kattank12 · April 2012

You can also add 3 capsules of milk thistle 3 times a day along with the fenugreek to help increase supply too. You can also try pumping after feeding your DD to completely drain your breasts to help with increasing your supply. Good luck!

AkashaBLCSPC · April 2012

I had a similar issue with my second son. Some little tricks I found helpful may just help you too. First thing I found was don't stick to a schedule. If the baby acts hungry, nurse. You may feel like a human pacifier, but it will help stimulate milk production. Another trick is to have a lot of skin to skin contact with your newborn. Let the baby nuzzle your breast, and even keep it bare while bottle feeding your newborn. I know with my son, once he started with a pacifier, just the motion/sound of him sucking his pacifier against my breast would cause my milk to let down. Stay very well hydrated, and try to stay relaxed. Stress can inhibit milk production. I know it's not very easy to relax with a new baby in the house, but try to get some mommy time to relax.

Good luck to you hun. I know it can be very nerve wracking, but have faith.

tqsbride · April 2012

Thanks!! I will definitely try the milk thistle too. I also need to relax--I find that I get stressed out when my DD wants to nurse again and it's been 90 minutes and I KNOW that my breasts are just empty.

AkashaBLCSPC · April 2012

Oh, that does get frustrating! Especially when you have stuff to do. I promise though, it will help to feed her on demand. Even if your breasts feel empty, she will stimulate them to release milk. My husband's family was teasing me for about a month. They told me I always had that darn baby hooked to my boob. I just smiled and said, "He's a growing boy." Now, at almost five months, he's going for up to 6 hours in between feedings, and I have plenty of milk. It took a while, and was frustrating, but if you really want to breast feed (which it sounds like you do), it is so well worth it. Eventually, you will have plenty. For relaxation, try setting up a bedtime routine for both of you. Put on some relaxing music, light some nicely scented candles, and just let the milk flow. If you're worried about nodding off while doing it, you can use a boppy to help support the baby. Letting someone else take her right after a feeding might be a good idea also. Then you can get a little bit of mommy alone time.

Need milk supply to increase!

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