i want to increase my milk supply . plz help?

Question

i barely fed my newborn baby for about 3 weeks. now i want to go back to exclusive breast feeding. but my milk supply is very low. my baby drinks for more than an hour and still seems hungry and drinks about 2 to 3 ounces of formula afterwards. plz help me and tell me how can I increase my milk supply so my baby doesnt stay hungry afterwards.

Answer 1

The first thing to do is to eliminate all artificial nipples (bottles and pacifiers). This will encourage baby to nurse more often and longer. Until you have enough milk, give the formula by syringe *at* the breast. To syringe feed a young baby, you need to buy a syringe (any size, but the larger it is, the less often you'll have to refill--and *no* needle!!) at a pharmacy.

Before each nursing, fill the syringe with formula. Hold it near the corner of your baby's mouth. Slowly drip it into her/his mouth to encourage baby to continue to actively nurse. When you first start this, give just a *bit* (about 1/2 ounce) less formula at every feeding. As baby starts nursing better, you can reduce the amount again--most women can drop about 1/2 to 1 ounce per feeding every 3-4 days. If baby seems a little hungry, don't worry about it; she/he will want to nurse sooner. But if baby is ever *really* hungry, offer more formula. The most important thing is to feed the baby!!

You can just keep going like that until baby is fully breastfed. It will probably take 3-4 weeks from start to finish. I would also suggest, however, that you make contact with La Leche League (see sources section below); they will help you (for free!!) throughout the process.

You do *not* need to pump. A baby is more effective than *any* pump. Just nurse as frequently as possible.

You do not need to eat or drink anything special or any specific amounts. A beer (alcoholic or not) may help a bit, but it's not going to do much in your case. It is good for a woman who has a slight drop in her supply, not for someone who hasn't nursed for weeks. And wine won't help *at all*. (You *can* drink a bit of wine if you want--but don't expect it to help your milk supply in any way!)

Eat if you are hungry and eat mostly healthy food. A piece of cake or a chocolate bar won't hurt you or baby in any way, but if you are eating candy for *3 meals a day*, you won't be feeling well!! (It still probably won't harm your baby, though.)

Drink when you are thirsty. Do not force liquids; it will definitely *not* help increase your supply, and one research study showed that actually *decreased* milk production. (That study was never able to be replicated, but it certainly won't help anyway...)

Do *not* under any circumstances, try Mother's Milk Tea or any other herbal blend. They all contain fennel. Fennel has the ironic property of increasing milk production for some women and decreasing it for others. It is risky to even try it. If you absolutely want to try an herbal galactagogue (substance that increases milk production), use fenugreek. Fenugreek is safe unless you have diabetes or asthma. Take 1 capsule 3 times a day for 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 between 2 and 4 capsules per dose). You will recognize this when your sweat and urine have a maple syrup smell. Continue taking it until your milk supply has returned fully. (Note: if you didn't nurse completely for at least the first 2-3 weeks, you may *never* be able to develop a full milk supply; the only way to know is to try.) If either you or baby has an allergic reaction, stop taking the fenugreek. This is rare.

Answer 2

I'm not sure why you want to increase the supply, unless you're supplementing or he's not gaining weight. Most women can produce plenty if they don't supplement. If you are, here are some things you can do to improve your supply: 1. Feed on demand, which can be as much as every hour sometimes. However, try not to go more than 4 hours in between. Wake him up if you have to. 2. Make sure you finish each breast before you stop. You can help this by squeezing the breast when he stops drinking to start the flow again. Some babies take a half hour or more to finish, so be patient. 3. Let him suckle for a while after the milk is done. This added stimulation will tell the breast that more milk is needed, and it will start making more next time. Sometimes, you can even get a second letdown. 4. No matter what the doctor says, don't supplement. It only starts a myriad of problems, such as nipple confusion and often leads to prematurely weaning off the breast, which is not what you want. If you want to make more milk, you need to let your baby tell your breasts to make more milk. Topping him off with formula doesn't do that. 5. Find someone who can help you. I suggest looking for a La Leche League meeting in your area, or even paying for a consultant. It's worth it. Also, find a good breastfeeding book. They can be a lifesaver when you have a question at 3am. You can tell if you're producing enough milk if your son is gaining weight, and has plenty of wet diapers, with a few substantial poos a day. If he does, you have nothing to worry about. One last thing: when you're building your supply, such as during a growth spurt, you may have one or two bad days where he feeds constantly and doesn't seem satisfied. This is normal, and after a few days, your body will catch up, but only if you do NOT supplement. It's just nature's way of ramping up the supply, and it won't work if you interfere. I wish you the best of luck, and don't give up. You are giving your son a great gift by breastfeeding him.

Answer 3

this happened to me, first step: calm down. letdown can be severely inhibited by mood, if youre upset, it wont happen. second step: (this is what really did it for me.) go to your room with the baby, and dont leave for at least 3 days. feed her round the clock, as often as she wants, and only give her enough formula to calm her, if you give her a bottle too often, she might not take the breast because its easier to get the formula from the nipple. as soon as your done feeding her, use AN ELECTRIC breast pump for at least 10 mins on each breast. i know this is a pain in the butt, but it really works. use the breast milk you pump in the bottle mixed with the formula. have your man go to a natural foods store or GNC, to get you Fenugreek, this is a natural herb, used for a loooong time to increase milk supply, i used it because i almost completely dried up with my first child, it didnt hurt him a bit, and hes a happy healthy 2 year old. third: DONT GIVE UP! the beauty of breast milk is that you can establish feeding again up to a full year after stopping. no lie. it will take work for about a week, but you will get your milk back. i promise. (if you dilligently pump after every feeding, including during the night.) milk works on a supply and demand basis. since your baby has only been taking an ounce, youre only making an ounce. if you pump often, your body thinks, oh, growth spurt, id better make more milk. here is a site that goes over everything i listed here in detail and offers more suggestions. DONT GIVE UP! i know you can do this, if you need someone to talk to, or just yell at, e-mail me at [e-mail]

Answer 4

I definitely agree that you should make sure you eat well and healthy, and using a breast pump is your best bet. It's also a wonderful thing to use because when you pump your breasts, you can store your breastmilk so that when you're not there, or if you're too sore to feed or are still having problems getting your baby to feed, your baby can still get your breastmilk through bottles, which helps your baby adjust completely to breastmilk and not depend solely on formula.
However, I honestly don't see how beer helps. I've heard it so many times, but I highly doubt it. Besides, you probably don't want any alcohol in your system that could get into your breastmilk and affect your baby. It's the same thing as drinking when you're pregnant. Not smart.

Answer 5

A healthy diet is important. You can also try "Mother's Milk " tea from GNC. I have a 6 month old (my first), and on days where I feel that my milk supply is low, it really helps. Remember to find a place that is calm and relaxing for your baby and you to go during feedings. It doesn't always have to be done there, but until the pattern is established. Lots and lots of patience are required, but the reward is a happy nursing baby. It is incredible.

Answer 6

drink lots of fluids all day mostly water and milk.

start using a pump in between feedings to get the milk demand back up

remember milk production is a supply and demand process, if the demand is there, the supply will increase.

Answer 7

All babies, even Full to the Gill with breastmilk babies will drink formula! They think that they are hungry when it comes to that crap...

Go to MilkShare.com and click on Liquid Gold, and Low supply moms...there is LOTS of information here, along with a phone number for a wonderful woman who is very talented at helping women with low milk supplies....including myself!!

I was on Fenugreek for the last 8 months of my nursing career...my son self weaned at 16.5 months....

Please go to the above website, and get that baby off of formula!!

Answer 8

I skimmed through the answers and didn't see anyone mention "Mother's Milk" tea. You can get it in the health food section of your grocery store. Everyone's advice about nursing more often and drinking lots of fluids was right on. Just don't give up, your body will catch up to your baby's need.

Answer 9

drink a beer. Honestly. Beer has so many calories in it that it is the fastest thing to increase your milk. My doctor told me that and I was very concerned about the alcohol content, but she re-assured me that it would not affect the baby what-so-ever. So, I had one beer and bam, my milk was over doubled

Answer 10

Increase the number of times you breast feed - you'll produce more if there's more of a demand. Also, increase the amount of water/liquids you drink.