What helped you increase breastmilk supply?

[Cheery145]

I’d be extremely grateful for advice from anyone who has successfully increased their breastmilk supply so I can try your suggestions. I had an emergency c section and DS who is now 3 weeks old spent a week in neonatal care with blood sugar level issues so they couldn’t wait for my milk to come in and although I’ve been expressing, not enough milk is forthcoming yet.

Has anyone managed to get a much better supply going? It’s my dream to be someone who can stockpile milk and avoid giving him as much formula as I currently have to!

I’m sure you know this but having been through it with great difficulty I can’t stress it enough: the more milk you remove the more you will make. You have to keep emptying the breasts to signal to them to make more. Express at least 8 times a day (yes overnight too) and your breasts will respond over 2-3 days. I could never decide whether taking fenugreek (until your body fluids stink of it) helped but I did it every time anyway. Use all the nhs resources available to you, most staff are super helpful. Good luck!

I drank fenugreek tea. Put a teaspoon in a mug, add sugar to taste and boiling water. Stir, drink. My production would increase within a couple of hours. Weird but it did work for me!

Drinking a litre of coconut water a day helped me, eating loads and religiously expressing 3 hourly. My baby was also in special care (low blood sugar being one of the issues) and I found when we were there I had a lot of time to dedicate to expressing. When we got home and DH went back to work I had to reside myself to DD having more formula as I just couldn't keep up and her feeds kept getting bigger. In the end I realised that I really had tried to give her the best start that I possibly could but that I wasn't going to be able to commit to expressing quite as much.

One of my friends had her son 2 months early because of an emergency so her milk hadn't come in yet and she said 70% or more dark chocolate was recommended by the midwife and it worked.

Plenty to drink
Fenugreek

An amazing herb called Goats Rue. Works like a dream.

Contact the Mational Insritite of Medical Herbalists in your are for advice. Mine talked me through dosage etc without a consultation.
I have a severe response to dairy and really really wanted to avoid formula, but that was looking unlikely till I was about goats rue,

I used to make a breastfeeding "station" and surround myself with fizzy pop (no caffeine), hot soup/hot chocolate, a smoothie or juice, a big bottle of water, lanolin, lip balm, my mobile and landline, a book or magazine, the TV remote, various snacks, a breastfeeding pillow and various other pillows and breast pads etc. Then I'd sit there for a few hours with baby on and off each boob and napping in between getting as much done as possible done from the sofa.

I also used to baby wear during the housework and hand express or pump when I got the chance.

I think this is why breastfeeding didn't work with DC2 I was unable to just sit and chill with DC1 running around causing havoc.

I think the most important thing was feeling relaxed and being (very well) hydrated. I took a post natal vitamin and drank lots of homemade juices and smoothies but never made lactation cookies or used fenugreek.

Cake! Well, not just cake but basically upping my calories on the advice of my GP.

Agree with loads of the advice here. But also just wanted to add that if you have a partner, it’s important that they provide you with lots of support so that you can just focus on feeding your baby and getting rest yourself when you can and nothing else (ie partner making dinner, bringing snacks, making sure you’re hydrated, doing laundry/housework, etc. etc., as well as emotional support of course)
Love the idea of the “bf station” a previous poster mentioned!
Just remember you’re doing great - 1st few weeks are TOUGH. Be kind to yourself x

I had 3 c-sections and struggled to get enough milk on all 3 babies. My first was 13 weeks prem and I was critically ill, so I had zero milk supply. I battled to breastfeed for 7 weeks with DS2 until he had to go on to formula as my supply had stopped. With DS3 I was prescribed Domperidone which really helped with my supply and allowed me to BF for 16 weeks.
I hope that you manage to BF for as long as you wish OP.

Hi ladies

Thank you so much for your generous advice and suggestions. I’ve been upping the liquid, expressing and fenugreek supplements and no luck yet but am hopeful. Will also call the HV team tomorrow to see what help they can refer me to.

Really appreciate your help, many thanks again xx

Boobix cookies and bars! Bit pricey but if you get a pack or two for now tune you can look online to make your own, theyre lactation cookies basically. Main ingredients that help you are brewers yeast, fenugreek and flaxseed I think. They worked in a day or two. Saw a similar recipe in holly willoughbys baby book so am going to try that next!

Fenugreek seeds. kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/fenugreek/

I had an emergency c section and did not get the milk in for around eight days. Then I started on fenugreek seeds. Got them from a nearby Asian grocery store and swallowed them with water 1tbsp 3 times a day. The next day my breasts were swollen and painful and I had an oversupply.

I didn't read all the replies so sorry if this has already been mentioned. I was the same with c-section.

Your milk won't be fully up until 6 weeks. Let baby feed as much as it wants

Drink Ovaltine malty drink. Eat healthy big dinners to replace your calorie levels. When baby is sleeping try to sleep too (milk gets produced better when your body is sleeping)

Drink water/milk every time baby feeds to replace your liquids. Hot baths and showers also help.

Oh skin to skin in the bath together and feed baby in the bath. The warm water reminds baby of being in the womb xx