breastfededing help?

Question

my wife has been pumping since day one about 3 weeks ago,now she doesnt have alot of milk coming out what can she eat/drink to produce more milk...

Answer 1

Unfortunately, this is fairly common. Pumping is not as effective as nursing. A woman who is exclusively pumping usually has to pump more often than a mother who nurses for this very reason.

Why is she pumping? If the baby is hospitalized, there may be no alternative, but if it's because the baby refused to nurse earlier, it would be helpful to her milk supply if she nurses instead. Some babies do suddenly get it after a period of refusing to breastfeed, so she can just try and see if it works.

A baby this age would be nursing at least 10-12 times in 24 hours. So if she is pumping, she will probably only have enough milk if she is pumping once every 2 hours (timed from the *beginning* of one pumping session to the beginning of the next) around the clock, and maybe even more than that. If she's already pumping every 2 hours, she could try every hour and a half instead.

If your wife is pumping frequently and still not getting enough milk, the problem may not be the production but the pumping itself. If she is exclusively pumping, she needs to be using the most effective pump available--a hospital-grade rental pump that pumps both breasts simultaneously. Anything else will almost always pump smaller amounts of milk. In addition, be sure that you and she have read the instructions very carefully and understand them fully (sometimes they are written unclearly; call the manufacturer if you have any questions). And check to be sure there are no broken or worn parts. Even a hairline crack or slight wear on a rubber gasket can sometimes mean the difference between pumping successfully and not.

If you have tried all of the above for a full week, and it's not working, then a galactagogue may be in order. A galactagogue is a substance that increases milk production. The only herbal galactagogue with any scientific backing is fenugreek. She should take 1 capsule 3 times a day for 3-4 days, then increase to 2 capsules, 3 times a day...and continue to increase this way until she is taking an effective dose for her (usually 2-4 capsules per dose). Her sweat and urine will have a maple syrup smell when the dose is right (that's why the artificial maple syrup flavoring suggested above works--it's fenugreek). Fenugreek is not recommended if the mother has asthma or diabetes, and if mother or baby has an allergic reaction, then she should stop.

Many women also find that oatmeal (1 bowl of hot cereal a day) also helps the milk supply. There is no research confirming the effectiveness of this.

Avoid herbs that can dry up the milk supply, primarily sage, mint, and fennel.

There is *no* special foods she needs to eat in order to nurse. Drinking to thirstis important, but she shouldn't force liquids. It won't help, and one research study showed that women who drank more than they wanted (or aimed for a particular amount of liquid per day) produced *less* milk. Eating well will help the mother's health but does *not* affect the quality of the milk, and certainly not the quantity. Women who have lived their entire lives under famine conditions nurse their babies *more* successfully than women from western countries.

Do not use an herbal blend. With more herbs, there is a greater chance of problems (allergies or side effects). More importantly, most of them contain fennel. Fennel *can* increase the milk supply for some women, but it *decreases* it for others. It's risky to use it.

Beer is fine. It has been shown to increase milk supply--and an alcohol-free beer works as well as the kind with alcohol (although an occasional drink is *fine* while breastfeeding, and she doesn't need to skip a feeding or discard the milk). Wine or other alcoholic drinks (while safe from the perspective of the quality of the milk) can decrease milk production and should be avoided until breastfeeding is going smoothly.

Pumping will *not* dry up the milk, although (as stated above) it is not as effective as a nursing baby. Many women do successfully pump exclusively for their babies, but some women find that they cannot produce enough that way.

And every women does *not* produce enough milk for 5 babies!! Women who don't have a hormonal problem or prior breast or chest surgery can virtually always nurse 2 or 3 babies exclusively, but once you get to 4 or more babies, many women will *not* be able to produce enough.

Answer 2

Baby would be able to get the milk out much more effectively than any pump that's available. Is there a reason why she's pumping?? If it's because she's working than perhaps she should consider only pumping when baby is not around. The pump is probably not working well enough (again... babies are better able to empty the breasts) and is causing her supply to diminish.

As long as she is still taking her prenatal vitamins and staying hydrated and eating enough to keep her feeling well... then she shouldn't have to eat or drink anything specific. Mothers produce the amount of milk that their babies need. Baby should be nursing about every 2 hours round the clock on average (as breast milk is digested in about 90 minutes)... and her body will make what the baby needs.

The pump is probably more than likely causing the supply problem. How would her body know how much milk the baby needs if it isn't the baby that's determining how much is drained from the breasts?

Answer 3

There are herbal supplements, check your local health food store. And what works for me ( i've never had a problem with milk production but...) is drinking a beer. Drink a high quality beer or ale and you'll probably make more milk, I always do. I'm a lactating mother of 2 and I'm always over full when I have a beer (only 1, 2 if need be) And why is she pumping instead of nursing the baby directly? Work? I have pumped before and my milk never let down like it did when I was actually nursing the baby. That could be part of the problem. Best of luck and keep at it. I commend you for nursing. Your doing a huge favor for that little person who you obviously want the very best for.

Answer 4

For some women it is hard to produce milk with a pump. Does she have the baby available to nurse, or is she separated for some reason? If she nurses the baby, her body will respond and produce according to what the baby drinks. When the baby has growth spurts and nurses more, she produces more. When baby drinks less, she produces less. There is a natural decrease in milk production about this time, as well, since her body is learning how much the baby will need after having been born, then engorged - now it is business time.

Answer 5

The way to produce more milk is to either nurse or pump more frequently. There are no foods that you have to eat - or must avoid - in order to make milk.

The most effective way to make enough milk is to nurse whenever the baby is hungry.
Your baby's tummy is about the same size as his fist- really small! He only has room for about 2 to 3 ounces of milk at a time. Because he is growing fast, he needs to eat frequently, about 8 to 12 times a day.

Is there any special reason why your wife is not actually nursing the baby?
If she cannot nurse, she should be using a rented, hospital grade pump. The little cheap ones just do not work very well.

Please have her contact a breastfeeding expert who can help her.

To find a local La Leche League Group or Leader, please go to:
http://www.lalecheleague.org/contact.html
If you don’t see a Group near you, call the nearest Leader, because not all Groups are listed. LLL Leaders do not charge for services.

If there is no LLL Leader in your neighbourhood, she might want to see a board certified (IBCLC) lactation consultant. LCs usually charge for services. To find a local LC go to http://www.ilca.org

Answer 6

She needs to drink lots of fluids, eat well, rest lots, and not stress too much. Sometimes switching to a different pump may help. I never had any luck with the little handheld ones, the hospital rented me one for very cheap that worked much better. If possible , let the baby nurse on one breast while pumping the other, it really helped me. Putting on some soft music and lowering the lights can help her relax and let down her milk. Alot of people recommend a beer or a glass of wine, it can help her relax as well.The alcohol from one glass of wine will not be noticeable in the breast milk. No one is recommending going on a bender though.

Answer 7

pumping is really hard at first...the best way to produce milk is to have the baby nurse often, if she NEEDS to pump, make sure she is relaxed and thinks about the baby. You really need to concentrate on the child maybe look at a picture of him/her. this is because her breasts don't "know" to produce for the pump yet they just naturally produce for the baby only. once they get used to the pump then it will be much easier. also make sure she does it often like every 2 hours, and tell her to stick with it. if you still feel that you need more help then try drinking a dark beer such as bass or guiness.

Answer 8

Drink lots of water and I've heard artificial maple flavoring, such as in most syrups, helps. The best thing to do though is pump even more. The more you pump the more your body will produce.

I had to do this with my twins. They were premature and couldn't latch on since their muscles and suck-swallow-breath reflex weren't fully developed.

If there isn't a medical necessity for solely pumping, having the baby latch on will stimulate more production than only pumping.

Also you will notice a decrease in production after the initial "coming in" that is normal as your body naturally adjusts to the amount needed (the amount that has been used before)

I also forgot, if you drain them completely it will signal to your body that it needs to produce more, just like when a baby goes through a growth spurt and suddenly requires more. Also make sure you have a good hospital grade pump (the others are more for use in combination with actual nursing) If you are on WIC they will provide you with one free of charge or you can contact La Leche League. The hospital should have provided you with a number for them. If not you can call the hospital and they will

Good luck and congrats!

Answer 9

She maybe pumping to often. Try taking a break from pumping and just let the baby nurse for a few days. If hes not getting enough he'll nurse more often and that will increase her milk supply. Some people just aren't very successful with breast pumps. I wasn't I had to hand express my milk.

Answer 10

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NO PUMPING, PUmping doesnt actually make milk, it stops the milk production, she has to put the baby at the breast and let the baby drink the milk then ur wife will make more milk by the baby suckin, the more he or she sucks on the breast the more milk ur wife will produce