breastfeeding... need to increase milk production

[missmitz]

not for me... for a friend.

She has been nursing for 3 mos. just fine but her milk production is getting realllly low since she has gone back to work.

We know the typical things to do but wondering if anyone has any TRICKS to share.

TIA

[Mommyof2inFL]

she can try Fenu Greek (CVS near the vitamins) she will smell like maple syrup for a few days but I noticed an increase in about a day. I took 2 caps 3x a day.

Also, make sure she pumps at work every 3 hours if possible,
and eat lots of oatmeal. Anything oatmeal, bowl of oatmeal, oatmel cookies etc.

She can also pump at home after the baby is done nursing for about 10 minutes, this will tell her body to make more :Supply and Demand"

This helped me alot. I was able to nurse my daughter till 2years old and now my son, we are at 3months whoo hoo!! Good luck to her

[Mommyof2inFL]

oh and drink LOTS LOTS LOTS of water

[addysclosetandmore]

Nursing Mother tea helped me, Fenugreek did not.... the lots of water did help too. It also helped to massage before pumping & have something of my dd's with me (a onesie or something that smelled like her). If I was too stressed, or in a hurry, I did not have a good output.

[cecismom]

Ditto on fenugreek and oatmeal. Everything will smell like maple syrup, even when you use the rest room. (TMI maybe but it is the truth.) But is worked like a charm for me, along with oatmeal. I ate oatmeal for breakfast every day, and baked a lot of oatmeal cookies.

[MrsPinecone]

Water, water and more water.

Oatmeal-- the real stuff, not instant.

Fenugreek works, but so do the supplements that you can get at Whole Foods in the prenatal vitamin section.

Nurse, nurse, nurse. Take a nursing vacation. Go to bed topless and if the baby's awake, offer the boob. Spend the weekend doing nothing but nursing.

[cody82414]

Originally Posted by MrsPinecone Water, water and more water. Oatmeal-- the real stuff, not instant. Fenugreek works, but so do the supplements that you can get at Whole Foods in the prenatal vitamin section. Nurse, nurse, nurse. Take a nursing vacation. Go to bed topless and if the baby's awake, offer the boob. Spend the weekend doing nothing but nursing.

Ditto everything to MrsPinecone
you could even add pumping or expressing milk when and if the baby doesn't want it. Keep it flowing and th body will get the message that "this baby is hungry and needs more than I am making presently."

And hang in there. It does get easier and is SO worth while

[cecismom]

Definitely worthwhile. I will never be able to quantify how awesome it was nursing my dd for as long as I did. It was so special and I am so glad I did it.

[greenrays]

Originally Posted by MrsPinecone Nurse, nurse, nurse. Take a nursing vacation. Go to bed topless and if the baby's awake, offer the boob. Spend the weekend doing nothing but nursing.

That's probably the best advice but bring a book and magazines to bed also or you will get bored. It's really a wonderful way to get the milk flowing and to bond w/your lil' baby

[cecismom]

I did the nursing vacation too! Often nursing moms think they are not making enough milk when the baby wants to nurse constantly. In reality, the baby is growing and it is mother nature's way of telling mommy to increase milk production. So the best thing you can do it nurse nurse nurse. Then the milk catches up.