how to increase breast milk production?

Hi,

Congrats first!!! Dont worry.. As a mom of 2 month old boy I can tell you what I did when I had the same problem..

I see that you are in USA. Here we get 'Fenugreek seeds' in capsules. Take 2 of them thrice a day...All lactation consultants suggest these too. You can get this in 'Vitamin World, Vitamin Shoppe or GNC stores.. Comes around 5$ a bottle. Main thing is this works only if you nurse frequently. Every 4-5 hours if you pump/feed you will see much difference within a week. Once you start having good supply of milk you can stop taking the capsules.

of course, every woman's body is different.. So keep trying..Go through baby center.com's bulletin boards, search for fenugreek.. you will get lot of info..

Also consult with your gynaecologist or lactation consultant regarding this..

It gets better... Happy Parenting!!

 

cumin seeds

Hi Sree,

First of all congratulations to you.
In my family we use cumin seeds for producing more breast milk.
use it in each of your dish like in pumpkin,white ash guord ,rice etc.
you can use it in other dishes also which you eat.
use it in more quantity not like usual quantity of one spoon.
It worked for me and other fsmily members.So,hope it will for you.

best of luck.
sonia

 

Don't panic

Dear Sree,
congratulations. First thing is to be relaxed. Do not worry that you have less milk. Think that you will get enough milk to feed your child, that makes all the difference. And as the baby feeds well, the production of milk will be enough for the baby. Also follow the tips given by other members. All the best.
With warm wishes,
varloo

 

Sree,

Hang in there. Like most things in the world, milk supply is based on the fabulously simple theory of supply and demand. As your baby's needs increase, your supply will increase too. Based on your supply output from pumping, I'll say that you are doing very well for 6 weeks. Also, remember that your baby is more effective at getting the milk than any pump ever. It is too early for you to be worried about supply issues.

It may seem that your supply is not enough, but nurse your baby on demand. Put him/her at your breast whenever he/she starts crying. This way your production will start increasing. Congratulations on your decision to persist with breast feeding. Supplementing with formula will make your baby satisfied with the bottle and if the baby does not demand milk from you, you won't produce any either.

Try drinking "Organic Mother's Milk Tea" by traditional medicinals. It helps with milk production. Keep yourself hydrated - water is your friend as is good nutrition. Stressing about milk supply will only drive your supply low.

Hope to see you post again about your success with breast feeding.

 

Take lots of peanuts, horlicks

Hi Sree,

First of all - CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 6 WEEKS OLD.

Me too going through experiences with my newborn and I am sure you will agree it is both enjoyable and exasperating many times. Let us keep hoping for the best for our baby.

Many of our friends have already given you valuable suggestions to get more breast milk. I just want to add what I have heard from my friends and relatives hoping it might work for you.

Take lots of peanuts - as it is boiled, fried or added in your food in the form you would prefer - like chutney, added in kuzhambu, etc.

Also, drink lots of horlicks added to thick milk. I would recommend you to drink it warm before you feed. You can see the difference.
Chitvish posted the suggestion to drink something warm before each feeding in one of my messages in this section. I tried it with horlicks and I feel it makes a difference.

If I get to know anything else I will let you know more.

Good luck with breastfeeding and more breast milk supply. :thumbsup

 

Clarify please.

Hai,
I see many of you living abroad saying that you extract breastmilk by pump. I had to do like that 15 years back here in India as my child was preterm and did not know how to suckle and was too weak to try. So milk was extracted and fed by spoon and syringe. Mostly a vaccum pump was used and some times manually done. My breast lost its shape due to this.
But mostly mothers let the baby feed on, only in special cases it was advised.
So I was wondering, how you all go about such things there.
With warm wishes,
varloo

 

Pumping

Varloo,

Here in the US, most mothers pump for a variety of reasons:

• Like your case, when the baby is preterm
• To prevent mastitis when the baby is not feeding frequently
• When supply needs to be increased. The more efficiently milk is removed, the more efficiently production is increased.
• To store milk to feed the baby when the mother has to say, go to work

There are both electric vaccum pumps and manual ones like you described. Pumps are commercially available for purchase and the good grade hospital ones may even be rented.

Breastfeeding does a number on the shape of your breasts. Your baby's sucking action is more powerful than any vaccum the pump could create, so even mothers who have never pumped lose their breast shape due to nursing the baby. Toning your pecs and chest muscles after you are done with breast feeding greatly helps to better your breast shape, but for some women it is never quite the same as it used to be. A small price to pay for the welfare of your baby, right?

You can do simple exercises to tone your breasts and that will help you to some extent. Support is also a key factor in this matter.

Hope that helps.