extended breastfeeding - increasing my milk supply

[kneedeepinthedirtylaundry]

Am breastfeeding a nearly-four-year old. I've been very tired and stressed recently, working too much and, due to some tedious problems, emotionally stressed too. I've noticed my milk supply has dropped dramatically and don't really know how to boost it.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Fenugreek is supposed to be good.
Poor you, hope the tiredness/stress passes!

Oatmeal is also supposed to help, a bowl of porridge every morning. I took fenugreek every day for ages, i'm not sure if it massively increased my supply, but I was too scared to stop as I had such a low supply.

This is a bit irritating, but night feeds also boost supply. Something to do with hormone levels being higher at night, so if you're feeding at night regularly it should up your supply/keep it going.

I also used to express every day to help increase supply. As milk is supply and demand led, the more you remove, the more your body makes, so I figured expressing every day was a good way to increase the amount I made. Worked pretty well for me, I had a very good hospital grade double pump I hired.

I might get flamed for this, but I found a glass of wine in the evening really made a difference. I've struggled with supply since ds was born, and I was chatting to my bf counsellor saying I went to a friend's wedding and the next morning I managed to express absolutely tons and the bf counsellor said it's because I was relaxed and not worrying about bfing. So after that, every evening after ds went to bed I'd have a glass of wine with dinner, that was enough to relax me a bit, then I'd do a 10.30pm dream feed and a night feed, and all that seemed to really help.

HTH x

Thanks BouncingTurtle and HeadFairy. I hate the fact that my stress is affecting my DS. I've never had much joy with expressing, but I did use a hand pump, so perhaps I should try and borrow an electric one.

Good idea about the wine! Sometimes it really is a shortcut to relaxing.

I'll try fegugreek. Curries it is! Porridge is not my favourite, but it's worth a try. I'll try anything.

Hello - Fenugreek is very good, you can buy it capsules and a glass of wine always helps It might be a bit of a vicious circle, your stressed so your letdown is not good, your son picks up on your stress so nursing's not so good, leading to lack of supply? Relax, glass of wine and a good snuggle together. Good luck xxx

Oh yeah, hand pumps weren't very good for me, double pumps all the way. I started off badly, it would take an hour to get an ounce or so. But eventually I'd do it a couple of times a day, after ds' morning feed, he'd sit in his bouncy chair and watch me with amusement, and I'd pump for about 20 mins and get 6oz out. Was really the best thing for keeping my milk supply up. I either froze the milk or used it as an extra top up for ds in the evening when he was a bit lazy about his evening feed.

the best way to boost supply is to keep feeding.
your supply won't just dry up if your child is still feeding, not after this long. so just go with it.
your nursling may want to feed more frequently if there is less milk, and that in turn will boost your supply.

how often are you feeding atm?

Morning and nighttime, and if he sleeps in the middle of the day (just growing out of it, but sometimes needs it) then to get him into his afternoon nap, too.

Recently, he feeds for a minute or two and says there is nothing left, then we try the other side and it's the same. He gets very frustrated, poor thing.

Thanks for tips about fenugreek tablets. I'll try that. Are double breast pumps expensive?

I hired a medela symphony it was £40 a month and I did it for a year, but they're over a £1000 to buy! Next time I'm going to buy a double one as it's probably cheaper in the end, I think Avent do one for about £90.

I've just re-read your op and I didn't realise your dc is almost 4, so I'm not sure if my advice was that brilliant as I only just managed to get to a year, I was feeding twice a day, depending on my shifts, either a morning or an evening feed, plus a dream feed at 10.30 but I don't suppose you want to do a dream feed with a nearly 4 year old.

He could be loosing his latch/sucking reflex too. My four yr old lost hers atjust before 4.

Hope you get it sorted out.

coolyourjets, I didnt think of that. thanks for your good wishes. Headairy, your right, don't want too much night time feeding. but a pump might help get the supply up. thanks for info.

HeadFairy - nothing wrong with a glass of wine but a friend (who had been reading up because she thought maybe she was drinking too much when BF) said that alchohol can make you feel fuller when you're actually not, giving the perception that you're producing more.

Don't know where she read it though.