increasing milk supply

[rachaelcagle]

Ladies, I know someone out there must know how to attempt to fix this. I have a 3month old who is breastmilk only fed. I work about 20 hours a week. He has just started sleeping through the night and when I try to pump so he can have milk when I go to work, I never seem to get enough. I used to pump 4-5 oz every time and now I'm lucky if I get 2. Should I start just waking myself up at night and pumping? My diet is great, I sleep well (for the most part), and I try and stay as unstressed as I can. What am I doing wrong?? I know formula isn't poisin but I can't bring myself to supplement with it. He's eating enough but I hate making my husband have to bring him to my work so I can feed him.

[mommies rule]

Ah, milk supply. Rest assured that your issue is probably not your supply, but getting your milk ejection reflex going. We went through our fair share of issues when I went back to work. (DD is now 16 months and still BF)

A couple of things I did that seemed to help:
- Drink a cup of herbal tea right before pumping
- Put a picture of the baby next to you when you're pumping or bring a blanket/piece of clothing that smells like him. The sensory stuff helps stimulate your letdown.
- Put a warm compress in the microwave for a few seconds, and then put the compress on your breasts. The heat helps with milk ejection too.
- Don't look at the bottles to see how much you are getting (that was always the surest way for me to get no milk!)
- Try soft music while you are pumping.
- Pump for 10 minutes, stop then massage your breasts, and then pump again. The skin-to-skin contact helped a lot - more like baby, less like a machine.

I wouldn't get up in the middle of the night to pump, but I would add another session right before you go to bed and perhaps another in the mornings you are at home with the baby. You tend to produce the most milk in the morning.

It took me a little while, but eventually I was able to pump enough for my dd. By the time she was 6 months, I was pumping 15 oz a day over 3 pumping sessions.

So, good luck!

[kenlea02]

I have a 6 month old and work 40 hours a week at a hospital. We have wonderful lactation nurses that I am able to talk to all the time. When I returned to work my milk supply started going down, but I refused to supplement formula. They suggested taking an herb called fenugreek. You can take 1 pill 3 times a day or if you really need to you can take 3 pills 3 times a day. I started out on 1 pill 3 times a day but now that she is sleeping through the night I have to take 3 pills 3 times a day. I work 12 hour shifts and normally pump 20 to 22 oz a day (3 pumping sessions). Also it's is important to take time at work to pump. This will help keep your milk supply. Hope this helps.

[chrsty_frst]

Hi! I hope this helps you. I got this recipe in my email. It really works. I swear my breast fill up almost immediately.

1 big handful of kale
1 banana cut into chunks
1/2 cup of soy, rice or whole milk---- I used soy DHA fortifed
1/2 cup of pineapple or coconut juice- I used pina colada by Dole
Freeze the kale and bananas place in blender with juice and blend until smooth. It is sooo tasty if you can get past the green color. It really does help and it is healthy for you and baby!!