need more breast milk

susan1 · 07-07-2006, 05:40 PM

Their's a mom I know who went back to work. She pumps but says she don't have enough Breast milk to give the baby so she gives the baby formula...which I think upsetting the baby tummy. IS there anything she can do to help her make more milk.

fearlessbirth · 07-07-2006, 05:45 PM

I think Fenugreek is a good herb that produces more milk...there are also combo teas (Mother's Milk by Traditional Medicinals)..of course she should research on her own or check with care provider

She could also contact an LLL leader or lact consult.

jesscardona · 07-07-2006, 07:05 PM

I was going to ask the same thing b/c I had that same problem, I just didn't have enough milk either, and I pumped and pumped and I only had milk for like almost 3 months..

sacredma · 07-07-2006, 07:37 PM

mothers milk tea works pretty good, if that doesnt work, fenugreek, take a few times a day until milk supply is up. a local lactation consultant recommended massaging the breast with good quality geranium and fennel essential oils.
mavis

Jilian · 07-07-2006, 09:36 PM

What kind of pump is she using? For regular pumping a hospital-grade electric pump works best. The only real way to increase your supply is to nurse (or pump) more often. Breastmilk production works on a supply and demand basis. Is the mom on any meds? Lots of meds decrease your breastmilk supply. Mother's milk tea helps, beer supposedly helps, and staying well hydrated helps. Tell her not to give up and to meet with a good LC to get some help if she needs it.

Babies_Bellies_Boobies · 07-13-2006, 03:25 PM

eating oatmeal also seems to help many moms.

i had good luck with just the fenugreek when i was ep.

she'll know she is taking enough if she smells like maple syrup (sounds funny, but it is true)

doulamomma · 07-13-2006, 03:39 PM

big ditto on the pump. I had a hospital grade one and an ameda and well I noticed a huge difference once I started using the hospital grade, it literally quadrupled my milk output. I ended up losing my supply w/my first when i used the ameda after a few months at work but with the hospital grade one w/my 2nd baby I maintained it for a year and i was exclusively pumping also. I also ate lots of oatmeal, barley, and took fenegruek and made sure i had lots of water.

fearlessbirth · 07-13-2006, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fearlessbirth

I think Fenugreek is a good herb that produces more milk...there are also combo teas (Mother's Milk by Traditional Medicinals)..of course she should research on her own or check with care provider

She could also contact an LLL leader or lact consult.

I just wanted to add to this...I asked a LLL leader how the Fenugreek works and she said it doesn't actually produce more milk...it sweetens the taste, thus making the baby drink more/suck harder, etc. which produces more milk.

Same difference, I guess...you get the same result. Lol I just thought this was interesting and good to know.

erad76 · 07-13-2006, 09:02 PM

My husband really loves fenugreek. If I start eating more, will I get pregnant faster?

motherstouchdoula · 07-13-2006, 10:12 PM

www.askdrsears.com He has lots of great info on pumping

heathenmamaof5 · 07-16-2006, 03:07 PM

My first question would be what kind of pump is she using? How often? How often does baby go to breast? The age of the baby, how much it weighs?

It seems that everything with bf support is - more info needed

Is she taking any meds? Could she be pg?

according to those answers you can move on to galactagogues - the common ones are fenugreek and blessed thistle. Fennel, barley, and hops hence the beer theory.

A mom could also make her own herbal tea combo. With medicinal teas you want to brew it as strong as possible. What I did was to bring a large pot of water to boil first thing in the morning. When it came to a rolling boil I would drop in a large tea ball, turn off the heat, then cover and leave it to steap all day. Another words I drank the tea throughout the day. The tea was much stronger toward evening.

A basic recipe could contain any of these herbs which are good for pg and bf. Some are used for taste. These first three are used in equal portions for a base tea.

red rasberry leaf
nettles
alfalfa

add in's
marshmallow root (good for plugged ducts/mastitis)
blessed thistle
lemon grass (calming)
chamomile
plantain (nursing)
fenugreek
goats rue
fennel

peppermint to taste No Licorice!!!

Please keep in mind that this is right off the top of my head. My bf support skills are pretty rusty. Things have sure changes over the years. No milk sinuses? What?!

Babies_Bellies_Boobies · 07-25-2006, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fearlessbirth

I just wanted to add to this...I asked a LLL leader how the Fenugreek works and she said it doesn't actually produce more milk...it sweetens the taste, thus making the baby drink more/suck harder, etc. which produces more milk.

Same difference, I guess...you get the same result. Lol I just thought this was interesting and good to know.

that is interesting- i wonder why it worked for me then, since i was exclusively pumping at the time...

maybe it is a twofold thing then... maybe it actually helps production as well as sweetening the milk on top of that. or heck,maybe it was all in my head (you know, placebo type deal)

MothertheMother · 07-25-2006, 07:35 PM

does she understand that pumping often doesn't produce as much milk as baby would get at the breast so she may have to pump more often than baby would typically eat. I have also heard that looking at a picture of the baby and having something of baby's to smell can help with relaxation (and we all know you need to relax to pump effectively). I would be interested to try the hypnosis for breastfeeding if I were trying to pump again...has anyone listened to that? With my first I could only successfuly pump if I was actually looking at my baby! Kind of defeats the purpose, huh? lol

fearlessbirth · 07-26-2006, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babies_Bellies_Boobies

that is interesting- i wonder why it worked for me then, since i was exclusively pumping at the time...

maybe it is a twofold thing then... maybe it actually helps production as well as sweetening the milk on top of that. or heck,maybe it was all in my head (you know, placebo type deal)

Hmmm...Honestly, until the LLL leader told me that I thought (and had always heard) it produces more milk on it's own. Who knows?

I'm glad it helped you

Christy~I didn't know that pumping does not = baby at breast! This is very good to know as I have a couple of mamas who are pumping and getting discouraged and I've referred them to LLL for help. I mean, that totally makes sense but I didn't know it was a FACT.

That is exciting. Maybe these mamas will feel better if they just nursed that baby!

MothertheMother · 07-26-2006, 03:57 PM

Well dont quote me as FACT but I have experienced and heard and been told (and it just makes sense) the nothing is the same as a baby suckling. They are equipped to do it most effeciently! If you notice most pumps try to advertise that it more closely mimics the baby's sucking motions etc. Just like with everything else...natures way works best lol