Increasing supply after a break

[jodieandoscar]

Help! Baby is 9 weeks today. Have been breatfeeding him but for the last to weeks using formula to top up at first but then began using it more and more often until only about one bf a day. Now I want to get back to bf. Does anyone know if I can do it? How do I increase my supply?

Yes - you should be able to.
You could ask your GP about getting Domperidone to aid supply increase and also take Fenugreek.
At the same time, you need to feed on demand and don't forget that whilst your supply is getting back up, there will be a bit of a lag time until your milk increases to what it should.
I'd suggest replacing a couple of feeds at a time otherwise your baby may not be getting enough - unless your supply is still quite plentiful. In addition, you can express milk to increase you supply. To do this efficiently, don't leave it longer than 3/4 hours between feeds/pumps.
As it's only been a couple of weeks since you changed to formula, it should be fairly easy to go back.

Forgot to say, at each feed, feed from the breast first then just top up with formula. You can start to do this instead of doing a couple of feeds at a time I think as the drawing of the milk by the baby will stimulate more milk production. Eventually, you won't the formula top up.

Hi thank you thats really helpful thank you. May sound silly but what is Fenugreek? do I need to get that from the GP as well?
PS Changed my name! Thank you

Hi verybbee,

Fenugreek is a natural herbal remedy taken in capsule form to increase milk supply.
Domperidone is a tablet used predominently to ease digestive trouble and wind but the side effect is that it increases milk supply. Think you have to get it from the GP though, whereas fenugreek, you don't.

If you decide to take fenugreek please read this.

I have taken fg previously to up my supply (no/low supply after excl. ffing jaundiced newborn DD1 and low supply after an illness and exclusively feeding both my 2 w/o DD2 and my 22 m/o DD1). As soon as the problem was resolved I stopped taking the fenugreek. With DD1 I went from a 38DD to a 38F in 48hours due to fenugreek and I weaned down from 12 x 640mg fg a day till I was sure it was all good. It will make your sweat, urine and bmilk smell like maple syrup and so your baby will smell of it too. When you start to notice the smell, you should find the milk starting to increase.

Have you tried Biological nurturing? It could be a low pressure way for you and baby to start nursing again. Even if you just keep to the one nursing session a day that is still good for baby.

Good luck.

P.S. you can get fenugreek from Holland & Barrett health food shops but don't tell them what you are getting it for as apparently they aren't allowed to sell anything to pg or bfing mothers. As told to me by member of H&B staff whilst standing next to womens' health section full of things for pg/nursing mums.....