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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Ways to increase my breast milk - please help me save my breastfeeding!

79 replies

lisalisa · 04/12/2005 10:25

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PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo · 04/12/2005 15:49

Lisalisa - hi!

I took fenugreek with great success.

fenugreek
domperidone

I don't recall the dosage, but they were standard capsules from a healthfood shop, probably a make called BioCare, or alternatively Solgar. I took 1 capsule on the first day, 2 on the second, and so on, increasign to 6 capsules per day. When I felt comfortable with my milk supply I reduced the dosage very slowly. If it felt necessary I adjusted up or down. I never took more than 6 per day. Unfortunately I can't recall why I chose that dosage - I must have done some research. I do remember that it is important to increase and decrease slowly - the slow increase is so that you don't get a sudden engorgement, and the slow decrease is because fenugreek is very rich in soluble fibre and bulks out your poos, so suddenly stoppng it when your body is used to it might make you a little constipated.

I don't think I ever felt the need to take it for more than a month at a time, but did use it several times, the last time being when dd was 9m and had a bout of gastroenteritis and was feeding constantly.

One of the ways I could tell that the fenugreek was working was that I could feel it in my armpits, which is the only place I have ever been engorged (not while taking fenugreek though).

Also, the sling really does work. I used a borrowed Huggababy for about 9m, and bought a Coorie 6 or8 months later. I could feed easily in the Huggababy while doing other things, as long as the other jobs didn't involve too much bending over. The sling took the weight, one hand lightly cradled the baby and kept her close to the boob, the other hand was free to be used. The advantage of the H over the C is that the H is more adjustable, but the C was more comfortable. I fed dd in the C as well, but she was over a year and I don't think I could have done it on the move - standing still was OK, but not if I had had to be moving around and doing other things as well.

Are you bedsharing? Normally I wouldn't say to increase nighttime feeds if daytime feeds aren't working, but perhaps in this case, if you can feed without waking and being too badly disturbed, it might help.

Have confidence in yourself. You're a good mum and an experienced one. You know that however things work out you'll do well by your child. And it's not too late to reverse the pattern. I did that, starting at 6w, with ds, when I was in exactly the same situation as you. The difference3 was that he was my first! But then, I also did it without fenugreek.

popsycalindisguise · 04/12/2005 16:13

you can feed in a sling..it saved my sanity around 6 weeks.....

beartime · 04/12/2005 16:15

I know lots of people will frown at this, and I'm a first-timer, but why don't you try feeding him strictly every 3 hrs 25-40 mins, from 6 or 7am until your supply builds up, even if you have to wake him. Might help u know where you are with all the other stuff going on in your house too, so you can plan around it.

hercules · 04/12/2005 16:17

Babies tummies are tiny and need to be fed more often than that if they want to be fed.

PrettyCandlesAndTinselToo · 04/12/2005 16:19

Actually, beartime has a good point. Certainly feed the baby he wants to be fed, but also don't let him go beyond 3-3.5h if he hasn't asked. Even if that means waking him. That was one of the strategies that helped me increase my milk with ds, and reduce the numober of bottles he had.

lisalisa · 04/12/2005 18:49

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pupucelovesruDOuLaph · 04/12/2005 19:15

Lisa : "while feeding and sit down and have peace and quiet" You are absolutely right
Daytime, try feeding her more often just for 10 mins - just to increase the breast stimulation. If she is happy at the breast than she will oblige.
You can certainly increase the amount of breastmilk you produce and you can aim to reduce the quantity in the top ups.
The example I gave you was quite hard work but if you have small goals like reducing from 4 to 3 oz for the next 5 days and then possibly see at reducing the amount of top ups, aiming to have breastfeeds without top ups some of the time.... small goals will be achievable. It may be that you continue mix-feeding. However at 4 weeks there is still time to improve.
I think you are catching this just in time to be honest...
Good luck - do keep us posted.... what ever happens

lisalisa · 04/12/2005 19:19

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pupucelovesruDOuLaph · 04/12/2005 19:26

Sorry it is DS!
When top ups are 1 oz than they aren't top ups... well done for reducing those already

popsycalindisguise · 04/12/2005 20:07

lisalisa - just thining of you when I was expressing earlier
I work 4 days a week and still fully breast feed and thought I would give you some tips for expressing mummies but you could apply them to just feeding baby....

A way to increase your supply while pumping is to power pump.......so over about a week, you pump either a) for 30 mins at the same time every night even if you are;'t getting anything and you can after that time effectively make your body think that you are giving an extra feed........
b) cant remember the name of this,.....but! pump every half hour for 10 mins over a period of say three hours......
Now I realise that you dont have the time or inclination to do this, but perhaps if you have a quiter time in the day (say when your biggest children are at school and 2 year old is taking a nap) then let baby suck for 10 mins or so then again say half an hour later...etc etc.

It stimulates your supply ....

Another thing is breast compression.....expressing mummies use this to get more milk out during an expressing session....don;t see why this couldn't work for feeding.....let me find you a link

popsycalindisguise · 04/12/2005 20:08

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popsycalindisguise · 04/12/2005 20:28

Just copying and pasting something which a fellow expressing mum posted on the expressing thread which may help.....(well the principle of what I was trying to say anyway):

As promised last night my expressing bible (Exclusively Expressing Breast Milk by Stephanie Casemore) suggests power pumping and cluster pumping. Power pumping means frequent pumping throughout the day - pump every 2 hrs around the clock (ahhh!) for at least 2 days. It is trying to mimic a growth spurt. Apparently some women will spend a weekend power pumping and will get family etc to care for the baby so that they can focus on pumping frequently.
Cluster pumping is pumping frequently but for shorter periods - eg pump every half and hr for ten mins. Do this for several hrs.
The book also suggests a few reasons why your supply can appear to be decreasing but there are too many to mention here.
To prove to you that it works I increased my pumping sessions from 5 to 6 over a week so that I would have enough milk to feed my daugher whilst I went on a hen weekend in Belfast. It was tough going fitting in another session but it worked.

mrsdarcy · 04/12/2005 20:53

Hi Lisalisa, congratulations on your new baby!

I'm sure there is a homeopathic remedy - I had mastitis and spoke to a lcoal homeopath, and one of the questions he asked was about the quantity of milk I was producing. I think they have remedies that increase and that decrease your milk supply. The man I spoke to was very helpful and advised me over the phone.

Hope it works out

lisalisa · 05/12/2005 18:03

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moondog · 05/12/2005 18:06

Whatever it is,feel pleased!

lisalisa · 06/12/2005 11:04

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popsycalindisguise · 06/12/2005 11:07

oh lisa - you are doing so well so far....
have you tried breast compression at the end of a feed.....I can get an extra ounce or so when expressing from doing this when I think I cant get anymore....it may give baby more milk towards the end of a feed?
Worth a try!

Keep talking!

lisalisa · 06/12/2005 11:20

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popsycalindisguise · 06/12/2005 11:22

it is not at all...let me find you a link

popsycalindisguise · 06/12/2005 11:24

breast compression

basically you grab your boob at the 'base' ie just before it meets your rib cage and apply constant pressure.....not so it hurts but you need to be quite firm.....
it simulates let down and gets baby sucking for more

I also believe it releases more hind milk....

thecattleareALOHing · 06/12/2005 11:33

Not being funny but what do you mean about not getting through the night on breastmilk alone?
My dd has had a vomiting bug, is refusing food and living off breastmilk atm - 10 months. So I have been feeding her quite a bit at night, and I just lie there and let her suck and suck and suck. I don't actually have any formula so I just don't have the choice so I just have to let her have as long as she needs - she's also got a horrible cold so am sure she is sucking for comfort as well, poor thing.

popsycalindisguise · 06/12/2005 11:37

aloha - we just had the same with ds2 - 3 weeks of croup followed by vomitting bug, chest infection and eczema....
now he is picking up, my boobs are like water melons
sorry if tmi!

thecattleareALOHing · 06/12/2005 11:38

I know the feeling. Certainly picks up the old supply! No fun though. Sorry your ds has been so ill.

popsycalindisguise · 06/12/2005 11:39

he is on the mend now!

hope your dd starts to pick up soon

lunaturkey · 06/12/2005 12:10

dont know if anyone has mentioned this already
fennel tea
boobie massages
and some homeopathic medicines will do it (ask a homeopath)!

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