Alright, BFers, what's the secret?

Calypso312 · April 2010

To building a good milk supply, that is? I want to EBF for at least a year. I may not put her to breast for a year, but I want to build up a good supply and a good stash so that I can make it last a year. Tips?

anna7602 · April 2010

Feed on demand and if you're trying to build a stash, keep pumping at times of dropped feedings as the months go by. For example, when DD started sleeping for longer stretches of time around 3 months or so, I would still pump at the 3-hour intervals she used to feed. This helped me build a great stash when I went back to work.

Also, when I experienced supply dips after pumping for months & months, I would take nursing tea, eat lactation cookies and follow whatever other advice I saw on the bump and kellymom.com to get my supply back up. Around 9 or 10 months, I had to add another pumping session in the day to keep up with DD's demand (she was still drinking a TON of bm even after she was eating lots of solids throughout the day).

nataliegrace06 · April 2010

Let your little one nurse whenever she's hungry.

See a lactation consultant while you're still in the hospital to make sure you have a good latch. A bad latch won't stimulate your milk supply as well.

If you have to skip a feeding, pump to make up for it.

Drink lots of water & make sure you eat enough calories. You need 500 extra calories per day.

Get lots of support!

Good luck!

chloephoebecali · April 2010

Pump in the morning and night. I used to pumped 2x a day and got a good stash. Now I am lazy and only pump once a day. Also, lots of my stash has dairy/soy and LO is allergic.

Nurse often.

Lots of water.

Don't get sick. Don't get sick. Don't get sick. Most common illnesses can dehydrate you or make need/want meds that decongest. Stay healthy by eating well and use good judgement. If you get sick and lose some supply, it is hard to get it back to normal. Just work at it and it can come back.

Totally agree with the support part, too! Get DH to help bag milk and wash parts. It can be frustrating to be the only one "in charge" of that stuff. You are the "lucky" one that gets to be chained at a pump a twice a day. It is the least they can do!

GL!

JLS0320 · April 2010

Everything everyone else said, I also think my success was I never bottle fed when I was available. DH never did night feedings I always nursed around the clock. Be dedicated to nursing if that is your goal, its hard at first but just becomes easy!

eeclem · April 2010

Nurse, nurse, nurse & water, water, water.

Also, when DS started going down for the night relatively early, I would pump right before I went to bed and used that to start my stash. I still do and it's really handy to have that extra when I haven't pumped quite enough during the workday. There was a post yesterday about whether or not you really need a stash and it seemed split pretty 50/50. I love having a stash though.