increasing milk supply

[charlotte_]

zach has started sleeping through the night, and in the day he's started going 4-5 hours between feeds, and when he does feed he goes for ages, probably between half an hour and an hour, emptying both boobs. i try to express but i get nothing, i just did both boobs i got just under 1/2 an oz and it's been 2 and a half hours since he had a feed!

i know that he's obviously satisified, but i've been expressing daily for quite a while - i build up a frozen supply for date nights with OH & if i eveer need to pop out, i really don't want to have to give up that little bit of freedom - what can i do to increase my supply?

 

[MissThing]

Try oat porridge in the morning anf fenugreek (you can get it in health food shops)

 

[keli]

Yep oats all the way.. my supply goes mad if i have too much

 

[keelie_b]

eat LOADS and rest that help too xx

 

[Charlie:-)]

I find that drinking lots of water increases my supply, try and drink about 2 litres a day not including any tea and coffee you may be drinking.

 

[charlotte_]

^ coffee, pah! i wish, if i drink coffee he stays up allll night, haha.
i do drink a lot of water & cordial, probably about 3-4 pints a day, breastfeeding makes me really thirsty as it is.

i think i've got some porridge in the cupboard, that's just oats isn't it?

 

[sally12]

Do all of the above suggestions and try to have a couple of "nursing days"...cancel all plans and lie in bed with LO with as much skin to skin as possible and nurse him as often and as much as you can. This will send a message to your body that you need more milk. If Zach isnt interested in feeding more than usual, then express a little as often as you can

Hope you get some more mummy milk soon!

 

[charlotte_]

it's honestly hard enough to get him to feed when he's actually hungry... it's such a stressful process at the moment, he fusses loads and sort of shakes his head around. he'll suck twice, come off, cry, fuss, suck a couple more times, more crying. i don't think i could get him to feed anymore than he does!

 

[keli]

Fuss fuss fuss it's a nightmare when they are like this, but be reassured its just a phase and it will pass. This whole new world is opening up to them and mummies boobies are not that interesting! lol. The only advice is quiet dark room and just ride it out .. and yep porridge is oats

 

[charlotte_]

i've bought some porridge and some fenugreek - the health shop said it helps increase supply?

 

[keli]

Both should do. I'd try the oats first, you don't want your supply to go to mad!

 

[charlotte_]

neither are working
been doing both since monday - no difference. porridge in the mornings and oat cereal bars!

 

[kalia]

Remember that if you are trying to increase your supply you won't get 6oz or anything like that in one go - because what you are getting is on top of what your body thinks it should be supplying.

You got half an oz and that sounds fine. If you want to build supply quickly then express 3 or 4 times a day. Otherwise build up to expressing a full feed slowly by expressing as much as you can at the same time each day. It will take at least a week I would have thought to get a full extra feed. Just like when babies start to want more so for a week or so they seem to be feeding all the time as that builds your supply, you are mimicking that by expressing to tell your body you want more milk and it will take a fair bit of time to achieve this.

Good luck.

 

[charlotte_]

that's what i was doing! i used to express a bottle at 2pm everyday, i used to get anywhere between 3-5oz, and then all of a sudden nothing! well, half an oz.

 

[Petra]

Hi Charlotte, I could write your post myself. I have tried everything ( rest, expressing, more feeding) but nothing seems to work. Miran sleeps through the night and then empties both of my breasts with every feed... every 3-4 hours during the day. I got myself so worked up about it that the milk supply seemed to go even lower. In the end I bought Cow and Gate 2 and my DH gives him a bottle of 150 ml at 10 pm while I go to bed. I usually express at about 9 pm and there is a very little milk. I keep it in the fridge and give it to Miran the next day if I need to. I seem to be more relaxed this way and my milk supply is getting a bit better. I would say give it a go and see. I didn't notice any bottle / breast confusion.
Good luck

 

[charlotte_]

i really do not want to give him formula, and won't do unless i see a drop in weight, which i haven't. plus, doesn't giving them formula just tell your body you need even less milk?

 

[Petra]

He gets formula only once a day at 9 pm when I am tired and don't have enough milk for him to last through the night. My DH gives it to him while I express so my body gets the signal to create milk.

 

[charlotte_]

ahh, oh right, sorry i misread!

 

[charlotte_]

i think i've sussed it! i feed zach out of one boob only for 2 days, and i express from the other once a day (when i get up, usually) and then i swap. just got 7oz from one booby!

 

[keli]

Personnally i think your playing a dangerous job here with your supply The boob that he's feeding off will make loads more and the one your not will make less milk if only being emptied once a day. Plus he'll have to keep building the supply back on the boob he's feeding from meaning he won't be getting enough.