supply question

P0upette

LO is 2 weeks old and not gaining weight- i started pumping and realized that although i am BF 8/10 times a day for 30-45 mn each time....i probably don't have enough milk... we are now addindgsome formula to the mix but i really hate doing that...

what can i do to increase my milk supply?  i tried pumping more but so little comes out after a feeding I feel I am just wasting time...

 

thanks ladies 

Cheerbuddyloves her hubby

Life cereal, Oatmeal, Pumping after every feed, fenugreek AND blessed thistle herbs taken together, adding an extra pump wherever you can.  I have also tried Mother's Love (didn't work for me) and Domperidone.  Neither worked for me, but give it a go.  You could also eat lactation cookies as well.  Drink plenty of water and plenty of good calories.  Avoid allergy medicine, regular birth control pills, caffeine, and stress.  All are bad for the milk production.  Get good sleep.  ( I know that's a tough one.)

apina1086

I know its fustrating when you cant satisfy your baby's hunger needs. My lo is almost 7 weeks now. I had the same issue he was under his birth weight at 3 weeks and the doc said to supplement. Instead i did my own research to build up supply. The down side is I had to give him a bottle to monitor  his intake. good thing is that he is fine going to breast and bottle fine. Dont get discouraged when you dont get much at first I was only getting about 1-1 1/2oz every 2-3 hrs total. That changed after making a few adjustments. Heres's what helped me:

Increased water intake to at least a gallon yes it seems like a lot but if you drink a bottle every time you pump or feed then you can  do.

 Instead of pumping every 2 or 3 hours pump every 60-90 mins when you can starting from the time you start not the time you end. empty both breast (double pumps rock) pumping for at least 20 mins each. Doing this tells your body to make more milk. Although your lo is eating for up to 45 mins if its not active sucking and swallowing your breast arent being empited your supply will not increase. I pumped around the clock sometimes 12-14 a day. Try to get in more sessions at night and early mornin when you make the most milk (I'm pumping now at 3am). It can be a pain because it seems all you do is pump or feed but it gets better.

I also tried the herb Fenugreek 610mg 3 capsules 3 times a day got it at Walmart fr $5. Its used at lactation clinics to help build supply. I noticed an increase in less then 24 hours. The only side effect is your sweat smells like maple syrup onces you have enough in your system. After you finish bottle you can stop taking them it shouldnt decrease your supply like other herb do. 

Be patient most of us dont fill up bottles when first starting. I average 3-6 oz a session depending how long between pumps. I am pumping a total of 30-34oz a day when i first started i pumped 12-14oz. Remember no on is the same as long as lo seems satisfied and is gaining weight and putting out enough wet and dirty diapers youre doing great. Hats off to you for sticking with it and looking for answers BELIEVE me its a learning process and takes time and lots of patience. Hope this helps. Good luck!

harvest-wed

try to keep pumping.  One thing that made it easier when I needed to pump a lot was to be hands free, I cut slits in a nursing tank and I have a pumping bustier or whatever its called, if I was gonna be home all day the tank was great cuz I could nurse or pump i the same thing. 

 what you pump may not seem like much - thats ok, the point is more to tell the girls to make more milk, not just to extract it.  I liked pumping into the Medela bulk freezer bottles that go up to 2.5 oz because there is also ml and it was easier to see a small increase in output. 

 Good luck, I second all the advice on fenugreek, oatmeal, and motherlove more milk plus, I also sometimes make iced tea from the milk tea and have heard that malt can help, which you can find in chocolate malt ovaltine or a malt powder you can add to your milk.  

 

azuremama

Let your LO suck on the breast as long as he wants to, even if s/he's not getting anything.  My LC recommended for 48 hours pumping for 10 minutes after every feed (even at night).  It was a total PITA, but really helped.  Pump even if you're not getting anything--the stimulation helps increase your supply.

You can also try supplements.  My LC recommended something called More Milk Plus.  You can also talk to your doctor about prescription drugs to increase supply.

Don't measure your supply by how much you pump, either.  The baby is more efficient than the pump.

Kered6799

I have not tried the supplements but did the real oatmeal and I think it helped. Will make another batch this week sometime. Pumping and lots of water does help too. I should have started pumping more often earlier than what I did but slowly building up my stash. Been back to work for almost 6 weeks now and seem to be keeping up so far.

Good luck!