I need Help with increasing breast milk-any suggestions?

Question

I have tried breastfeeding regularly, hand pumping, electric pumping, raspberry leave vitamins and fenugreek, I never can get more than an ounce! My baby seems to be getting very bad constipation from her formula(Similac Advance with iron and Omega 6), I have tried 3 different brands and no luck. I am starting to get really frustrated, any suggestions would be great. Also, I am already drinking TONS of water and eating a lot of protien. Thank you.

Answer 1

First, let's talk about baby's constipation. You may want to try switching her formula, ask your pediatrician for suggestions. What is constipating her is probably the iron. Maybe a switch to soy or something with less iron in it will help. Now, if you're trying to increase your milk production, remember to relax. You will produce milk on a supply demand response. So, frequent breast feedings or pumpings will help. Try every 2 to 3 hours. Also, try to keep baby near you when you're pumping, while remembering to RELAX! And lastly, if you're still not having any luck, ask your doctor about some prescription methods such as reglan. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Answer 2

Contact your local LaLecheLeague. A leader can help you, they are a GREAT resource.

I would say the fact that you are feeding formula can be a big part of that. It is a vicious cycle. You don't produce enough milk, so you give a bottle, so your body responds by not producing enough milk, so you give another bottle......and then WALAH...you have weaned your baby.
You need to have the baby at the breast as much as possible!
Call your local hospital, talk to the Lactation Consultant. Ask for a "Supplemental nursing system". it is a bottle (filled with formula or pumped milk) you wear around your neck, with very thin tubing that you tape to your breast. The end of the tube goes into the baby's mouth at the breast...thereby stimulating milk production, and getting baby the formula until the milk supply is built up.
But the key is having the baby back at the breast as much as possible, as soon as possible. Nothing, not any kind of man-made pump can stimulate milk production like the baby suckling does.

Keep at it, Breastfeeding is the BEST! It is a natural laxative. No formula will ever be as complete, or as healthy for your baby.

Answer 3

You need to breastfeed *at least* 10-12 times in 24 hours to increase your milk supply. If you are nursing less than that, it usually won't help. If you are nursing 12 times a day and it's *still* not working, try 14 times. And be sure that at least 2 of these are overnight (when most women produce more milk).

Next, *stop* drinking tons of water. It won't help, and one research study showed that women who forced liquids produced *less* milk than those who drank to thirst. Drink if you are thirsty; don't if you're not.

Your diet makes little difference in the quality or *especially* the quantity of milk you produce. *You* will feel better if you eat well, but it won't make a difference to the milk or the baby.

The only common reasons a woman *can't* produce enough milk are hormone problems and previous breast/chest surgery. Are you using hormonal birth control? Are you pregnant? Do you have thyroid problems? Do you have PCOS? Did you give your daughter bottles during the first few days/weeks of life? If you can answer no to each of these, hormones are probably not the reason. If you never developed a full milk supply during the first few weeks after your daughter's birth, the chances are higher that you never will be able to, although many women still do. Have you ever had breast or chest surgery, even as a child? If not, then this isn't the cause.

If you are nursing at least 12 times a day for a full week or more and you haven't seen an increase in your milk supply, you may want to try a galactagogue (substance that increases your milk production). The only herbal galactagogue with any scientific research to back up its effectiveness is fenugreek. It will *only* work if you are also nursing at least 10-12 times a day, so try that first. (Maybe that's why it didn't help you earlier?) Take 1 capsule 3 times a day for the first 3-4 days, then increase to 2 capsules 3 times a day for several more days. Keep increasing this way until you are taking an effective dose for *you* (usually 2-4 capsules per dose); you will recognize this when your urine and sweat have a maple syrup smell. Continue with that dosage as long as necessary. Fenugreek is not recommended if you have diabetes or asthma. And if you see any allergic reaction in you or baby, stop immediately. Otherwise, it is considered safe and can be taken indefinitely.

Do *not* use an herbal blend, for 2 reasons. First of all, because it has more ingredients, it will be more likely to cause a nasty side effect and/or allergy. But more important, most of them include fennel. Fennel is an herb that often increases a mother's milk supply. But just as often, for other mothers, it *decreases* it. Why play roulette? In any event, in most of these blends, the fenugreek is the effective ingredient. You might as well use it and skip the others.

If the fenugreek *doesn't* help, you could try a prescription galactagogue. The one with the fewest side effects available today is domperidone (Motilium). Its legal status in the US is questionable, but you can probably get it from a compounding pharmacy. Please talk to your doctor.

Unless your baby is getting *very* little formula (an ounce per feeding or less), please do *not* just stop giving it. Your daughter could get dehydrated and even need to be hospitalized. You need to cut down on the formula gradually over time as you start to produce more milk.

However, eliminating all bottles may help. Instead of bottles, try syringe feeding, preferably *at* the breast while she is nursing. Buy a syringe (no needle!!) at a pharmacy. Fill it with formula. Hold the syringe near the corner of her mouth and drip the formula in while she is nursing, or when she stops to encourage her to start again. Do not give *any* artificial nipples--no bottles, and no pacifiers. This will encourage her to suck more at the breast to meet her sucking needs, which will, in turn, increase your milk supply.

Answer 4

Breast milk increases with demand.... I don't know how old your baby is, but depending on his/her age, but an older baby obviously demands more. A newborn can nurse every half hour or so...
Make sure that you are nursing long enough to get the "hind milk"...this is the milk that comes out after the letdown process occurs...you can feel when this happens. It is thicker, and resembles whole milk...this will also keep your baby fuller longer. Make sure that your milk ducts..(I know, isn't it sexy :) are not clogged..if you have any sensitivity or pain on either side of your breasts...try placing a warm washcloth on the sensitive spots. If you have serious pain..could be mastitis, which I believe requires an antibiotic.
Emotions can also have an effect...I know it can be frustrating...but keep at it. Most hospitals have lactation specialists, you can call the hospital where you had your baby, and someone from the floor you were on can probably help you out....good luck..

Answer 5

Sometimes moms aren't able to breastfeed no matter what they try. The supply is just not there. I have 4 sons and it happened with me each time. Formula is the only way to go in this case. As for the iron causing constipation I too have gone throught that with my last son. He is 7mths. There is only one kind of formula available that will help. It's called ENFALAC REGULAR. It has some iron but about half the amount of the iron-fortified ones. If you don't have that then the only other option is to continue with the Similac but give her diluted prune juice every couple of days. It will help with the constipation and is non habit forming. I would also make an appointment with your doctor to discuss these concerns.

Answer 6

Drinking fennel seed tea, and eating oatmeal are supposed to help naturally. The more stimulation the better. When your baby has finished gulping, let it suckle as long as it wants. This causes more letdowns to happen, therefore telling your body to make more. Never remove your baby, let them fall off themselves. My baby will nurse for up to 45min sometimes. Also stimulate your own nipples in between feedings. This triggers letdowns, and tricks your body into thinking you're feeding your baby. There is a drug called domperidone that may help if none of these suggestions do. Also, try not to give a bottle. You will make less and less the more formula you give.

Answer 7

What you can do is put warm compressions on your breast about 10-15min 3-4x a day also you can massage the breast to increase milk production after doing the warm compression. That's what the doctor I work for tells the patients. If you lean towards formula discuss your formula problems it with the pediatrician.

Answer 8

How long have you been breast feeding? It's normally a supply and demand thing. Usually the more the baby feeds the more you will produce. Sounds wrong, but maybe dad would help getting the flow going. He might enjoy it! Other than that you might try consulting an OB/GYN. Good Luck!

Answer 9

They say a beer will help, and it did with my daughter. I sucked one back while she sucked milk back. But too much has an opposite effect and will dry out your supply. But if you need more, get a pump, electrical works best, and the more you express, the more your body produces. Every hour if needed. I did with my daughter because she never breast feed. I expressed for three month, and to keep up my milk supply I expressed every hour, and had the odd beer.

Answer 10

is the problem only with the pumping? i cant pump either, but if you contact a lactation consultant they can hook you up with better pumps that work for anyone.
if the problem isnt just with pumping, but with nursing in general: there is some prescription the dr can write out to help increase milk supply. you just have to ask for it. also oatmeal is supposed to help.
get the number of a lactation consultant- a hosp. can give you a number...those people really can help.