has anyone used fenugreak to help increase breast milk supply?

Question

my friend suggested it,. I am taking domeradome, but since the baby had difficulty latching for the first couple of weeks my supply is a little low. Has anyone tried fenugreak?? how well did it work for you? Ive also had a breast reduction as well so i may need to take something to help with the supply for the entire time i am nursing.

thanks

Answer 1

Hello there. I don't have any personal experience with fennugreek but I have heard that it is a wonderful stimulant for your milk supply.
I did want to offer you some advice from what I know about breastfeeding. I did successfully nurse all 4 of my babies until they were over 1 year old. I did not add solid food to their diets until they were at least 6 months old and they were all plump and very healthy.
I was always told that a breast reduction does not interfer with your ability to nurse your baby. Maybe I have been given poor information and I do have to say that I have never worked with a mother who has had one. So, my advice in that particular area would not be helpful.
I can tell you some things that are important when it comes to successful breastfeeding tho.
First of all, as I always tell mothers, do not take that free sample of formula home from the hospital with you! Leave it there. It is an insidious plan to get you to give it to your baby at a moment when you are doubting yourself.
Also I feel that it is a bad idea to give your baby anything out of a bottle. Bottles have no place in a breastfed babies life. Babies can get used to a bottle and it will make them confused and they will sometimes refuse the breast. Liquid flows instantly out of a bottle and requires almost no sucking. Nursing requires more conscious effort on the part of the baby. If they get used to the way water or formula ( or even your own breastmilk!) just runs right out of the nipple they may start to refuse the breast. That is a bad thing to have happen.
The other things that I cannot emphasize enough is that you need to get lots of rest and eat well. Everytime that the baby eats you need to eat also. Even if it is just something small like a yogurt or an apple, a half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, whatever sounds good, you should eat when the baby eats. The other thing that is just as important is that you need to be well hydrated to make milk. There should be a full glass of your favorite beverage right by your hand all the time. Keep it there and when the baby is nursing you should be drinking. Making milk is thirsty work! Drink, eat and rest!
I think that it is natures plan that we have to sit down and feed our babies when they are hungry. We can not ask someone to feed the baby for us while we straighten up the house or while we run and do a load of laudry! WE have to sit down, put our feet up and feed our baby. Even better, if you can lie down and take a short nap with your precious little one. Those were the sweetest times of my life.
Remember, breastfeeding is a perfect example of supply and demand! The more you let your baby nurse, the more milk your body will make! So, let the baby nurse whenever he wants to! Even if it is every hour or so. In the early weeks especially, let them nurse as often as they will. Do not let them nurse for as long as they might want to, you do not want to get sore nipples. If you let them nurse for ten minutes on each side, even if they do this every hour or so, it wil not hurt anything. The more they nurse the more milk you will make! That is a hard and fast rule. There are not alot of rules about breastfeeding but that is one of them! After you get past the point of worrying about sore nipples it is fine to let them nurse for longer periods of time.
If you can cuddle with them at night and just let them nurse as often as they will. That serves two purposes, it makes for a happy, quiet , content baby and it is wonderful for your milk supply as a baby under those conditions will just eat a little bit but more often. Happy baby and a mommy who gets plenty of sleep!
Feel free to write to me if there is anything that I can do to help you.
Good luck and many blessings
Lady Trinity~

Answer 2

Hi, I wanted to tell you about my experience with the CurvyBust cream. I'm 24 years old and I've spent pretty much my whole life wishing I had slightly larger breasts. I'm normally a size A, I'd love to be a size B, especially when I wear certain kinds of low cut tops. I have a good figure, and I like what I have, but every now and then I would like a little bit more. Even if I had the money, (which I don't because I am a college student with loans to pay off), I would never consider going under the knife just to go up 1 cup size. So that's been my dilemma. I found out about curvybust cream when I was flipping through (Yahoo Answers). To be honest with you, I'm not the type of girl who would consider spending money on a cream that promises to increase breast size. It just seems like an impossible thing to claim. But there were three reasons that I decided to go for it: 1) I contacted them via their website because I had a question about the cream being OK for sensitive skin (which it is, because it is made of natural botanical ingredients.) 2) I was really impressed by their customer service and willingness to explain everything to me. 3) They offered me a free 12 day supply with no obligation, (I just had to pay the shipping costs- I wasn't too thrilled with that but it was still worth it to get the free product). Well, it's actually working! There is a noticeable difference in the size of my breasts! It's only been 10 days, and they say that the true final results won't appear until about the 4-6 month time frame, but based on what I can see, (and what my boyfriend can feel�) there's definitely a difference. My breasts are standing out more, and they are fuller and rounder. Sometimes I am able to go out without a bra, now I can't. And I have a feeling that I might have to actually buy new bras if the growth continues. I'm looking forward to seeing how the next month goes. There might actually be a size B in my future! Woohoo!

Answer 3

I took it when I was breast feeding and it was great. If you have access to a breast pump and if it wouldn't be a huge hassle... I would really recommend using it. The more you pump/feed, the more your body will produce. After you feed your baby just pump for 10-15 minutes on each breast afterwards and that'll cause your milk supply to go up with each feeding. Also, if your baby is taking big breaks between eating, pump to break that time up and you'll slowly but surely start to make some more. Good luck! I know it can be frustrating!

Answer 4

You should check out these two sites:

BreastFeeding after reduction and Nipple surgeries
http://bfar.org/

What is a galactagogue? Do I need one?
http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal_galactagogue.html

Herbal Remedies for Increasing Milk Supply
http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/herbal-rem_a.html

Answer 5

I did and it works wonderfully. You should take 8-12 a day and you will be producing with little trouble. My doctor's office agreed that this is exactly the right thing to do.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

yes, it works great. Take 3 caps 3-4 times a day and drink lots of water. You will know you are taking enough when your pee and sweat smells like maple syrup.

Answer 8

I tried it after a bout with mastitis, and it worked very well.

However, it won't have a chance to work unless you a) drink plenty of water and b) nurse frequently.