Only coming in because DS had a tongue tie. If your DS had a tongue-tie, that can really screw up your supply, regardless of supplements, etc. When was it diagnosed? Do you know if you had any other issues? Does the hospital where you will deliver have LCs on staff?
My supply isn't low, but it's not great either. I make barely enough to keep up.
I take Brewer's Yeast tablets, eat a ton of celiacmom's lactation bars, and drink water until my pee is practically clear. The best thing I did was upgrade to a Spectra S2 pump.
Fenugreek didn't help. More Milk Plus helped a tiny bit but wasn't worth the cost.
More Milk Plus(?) capsules. I only used one bottle's worth though, combined with an increase in water intake and oatmeal consumption. It didn't make a big enough difference to justify the ongoing cost.
I took More Milk Plus capsules which seemed to make a difference. Also, a ton of water (straw cups help me drink more). Straight fenugreek made DD so gassy so I discontinued taking that after like two weeks.
Post by teatimefor2 on Jun 30, 2015 13:47:10 GMT -5
Fenugreek.... Honestly I've never not took it when nursing. Ice cream--- that's what a midwife told me. I have a bowl when I think my supply has dipped. No idea if it works, but I think it helps.
Remember with each baby it can be different so be prepared but also try and relax. This time knowing you might need to supplement/switch to ff should make things a bit easier. I have lots if customers that have had a really hard time for their first child and are doing great breastfeeding the second time with our treats
Post by lurknomore on Jun 30, 2015 13:57:18 GMT -5
I took More Milk Plus Special Blend. Has goat's rue, which the more milk plus doesn't help. I had truly low supply. This did help, but wasn't a magic cure. And the special blend did help more than any of the other supplements. I tried them all
I have part of a bottle sitting here that I didn't take. If you want me to send it to you, I'm happy to. LMK!
Post by Ashley&Scott on Jun 30, 2015 14:01:39 GMT -5
I craved an insane amount of protein in those early weeks, from what I have read it was from BFing. It wouldn't hurt to add extra protein to your diet.
Make sure you get some nipple butter & apply it after ever feeding. When you pump apply it before pumping to reduce friction & nipple pain. Also apply it after & use the Lansinoh gel soothies.
I don't have a low supply, but I did have luck pumping to bring in my milk so i figured I'd mention in case you are open to it. I had lost a ton of blood and had a few transfusions which I guess can make it hard for your body to read signals, and neither Q or R would latch, but I pumped every 3 hours for weeks and had good success. Neither baby ended up latching and then things went crazy with R so I've just stuck with pumping. I did buy the S2 and find it very comparable to the Symphony.
I haven't taken supplements but I eat a shitton of calories each day. I notice a big difference in output if I skip breakfast, so I figured I'll just stick with lots of food for now Good luck!
Only coming in because DS had a tongue tie. If your DS had a tongue-tie, that can really screw up your supply, regardless of supplements, etc. When was it diagnosed? Do you know if you had any other issues? Does the hospital where you will deliver have LCs on staff?
It was the LC at the hospital and also 2 of the private LCs I hired to come to my house once we got home. Â I was too scared to put him through the procedure of clipping it. Â But aside from that, more importantly, was I had really low supply. Â I suspect, as did the LCs, that I had insufficient glandular tissue. Â I still made enough to give him 30-50% of his intake, but that was when I was pumping 6-8x a day and taking the max dose of domperidone, fenugreek etc.
Goats rue can help with glandular tissue issues. I thought that May have been my problem after my first and so my game plan was to see how it went and then start goats rue of things went poorly. This was at the advice of my midwife while I was pregnant. I didn't end up needing anything the second time around though.
I did start fenugreek and blessed thistle as soon as the baby was born though (but only took them for like 4 days because things were going so much better). I also pumped after a couple of convenient feedings a day to build supply (not to necessarily get out milk).
The first time I took domperidone, fenugreek and blessed thistle and used an SNS and did nurse/pump/bottle feed. And only made about 50%. The second time I donated 1000oz to the milk bank. .
I would talk to your midwife now and get a game plan so you know what you are going to do and when if things go x way or if things go y way.
Yeah I was going to say fenugreek helped me but I didn't have low supply. It just helped me pump extra when I was trying to build a freezer stash.
I want to second that if N had a tongue or lip tie that may have actually been the culprit for your low supply.
That said, Women on my breastfeeding twins and multiples fb groups rave about the folowing: Brewers yeast fenugreek more milk plus which I belive is fenugreek and blessed thistle and maybe goats rue? Spectra S2 pump power pumping celiacmom lactation cookies and bars oatmeal dark beer (which I think is due to the brewers yeast) Mothers milk tea
Breast compression. Seriously. I'm actually currently pumping and I thought I would be done (30 minutes in) but all I need to do is compress each breast and bam, I get milk shooting out. It's ridiculous actually. And it feels good - My LC did this the first time I saw her when nursing wasn't going well, and it felt so, so great. Like massaging a sore muscle. She taught DH how to do it for me too, and it felt great.
ETA: I also put a heating pad on my breasts while I pump and that helps -- not sure if it would have the same effect nursing but it's worth a shot.
My LC told me to take fenugreek until I smelled like licorice. I think I took 4 at a time, 3 times per day. Lactaction cookies with oatmeal and brewer's yeast really helped too. Lots of water, that was my DH's job, to make sure I was drinking enough water. I would also suggest they look at any tongue or lip tie in the hospital and clip it then. I think it's genetic, so baby two might have it too. We waited until he was two weeks old and I wish they had done it in the hospital.
I think part of the reason people always recommend them is because with two nursing infants (and often older children) the last thing these women have time for is baking their own lactation cookies! Because I've seen a lot of people mention to bake them and people can't find the ingredients, don't have time etc. These are tasty easy solution!
Post by starburst604 on Jun 30, 2015 15:24:34 GMT -5
If tongue tie is an issue again, I just wanted to tell you I've assisted with many tongue tie clippings and it is really not bad. Takes just seconds, the baby will cry a bit, nurse and they're just fine. Often the mom can feel the difference right away. They never even need to come back for follow up. Easy, I promise. The younger the better.
I took More Milk Plus Special Blend. Has goat's rue, which the more milk plus doesn't help. I had truly low supply. This did help, but wasn't a magic cure. And the special blend did help more than any of the other supplements. I tried them all
I have part of a bottle sitting here that I didn't take. If you want me to send it to you, I'm happy to. LMK!
GL! Low supply sucks so much!
Ok, this is what I used, along with hospital pump and the other stuff I mentioned previously.
J2 got maybe 1-2oz a day for the first 6-8 weeks. Then my already low supply took a further dip and I stopped for the sake of my sanity.
Your milk supply may be drastically different this time, so this may not be something you even need to worry about.
The #1 thing that helped my supply was to eat enough calories. I ate like a teenage boy. Anytime I tried to eat a more respectable amount of food, my supply dropped immediately.
Lots of oatmeal also helped. I just made some bars yesterday that would be a quick & easy nursing snack: 1 c peanut butter 1/2-3/4c honey 3 c oatmeal (I added some flaxseed, too)
Melt the peanut butter and honey in a pan, add oatmeal & mix together. Press into a 9x9" pan (I only had 8x8). Let cool. Cut & enjoy.
Just want to echo others who say that supply can change with subsequent pregnancies. With my first, I was supplementing by 6w - he had a lazy suck and I was in the midst of family issues which made me question everything I was doing (long, painful story), but by the time #2 came around I was much more confident in my parenting abilities.
I started pumping after she nursed, to make sure that I was totally empty and to increase supply. Eventually I ended up EPing for her, and was producing plenty to both feed her and develop a huge freezer stash.
IF this is something that you want to do, try adding a pumping session and pumping after feeding. It will convince your body to produce more.
You know my story too, I suspect IGT may be part of my problem as well. I was able to combo feed for 13 weeks. The things I did to try to up my supply didn't work. I tried the more milk special blend, pumping with a hospital grade pump, lots of water, etc. I did not try dom or reglan. I quit the pump once she hit her due date and wish I'd done it sooner. I was never able to pump more than an ounce a day. It was a drain on my sanity and next time I will not pump at all.
Compressions did help get more milk from my boobs to the baby (when we could keep her awake!) but I don't know that it helped my supply. Dh helped with compressions after the LC taught him how to do it. Feeding her took 4 hands that first month or so, lol.
If your baby has a tongue tie I would absolutely get it clipped. It takes only a second and can make a drastic improvement. Make your husband hold him during the procedure if you don't feel like you can be in the room.
I had a sufficient supply, but on the lower end. We had DD's tongue and lip ties lasered at three weeks - she cried a tiny bit but didn't need any meds. I just bf right after. I was never a high producer. I pumped once a day, an hour after her first morning feed, during mat leave to build a little stash. I tried Fenugreek, oatmeal, tons of water, loads of calories, power pumping, More Milk Plus. Once I went back to work she started taking more than I was pumping at work. The thing that got me through was adding more pumping sessions. I contemplated getting a hospital grade pump like Symphony, but I couldn't justify the cost when I was 9-10 months into nursing already. I just kept doing the extra pumping and used the freezer stash to supplement at the end. I have the Spectra S2 that some of the girls here like, so I'll use that early on next time and get a Symphony if I don't see results with that.
Post by sparkythelawyer on Jun 30, 2015 20:22:01 GMT -5
No flames, I know it's hard to say no where breastfeeding is concerned these days. Just make sure to be kind to yourself during all of this. If it doesn't work it doesn't work and don't let anyone make you feel bad about that. You are a good person ?
Post by noodleskooze on Jun 30, 2015 21:25:02 GMT -5
The thing that helped me the "most" was power pumping. Diet and supplements didn't seem to make a difference. I suspect my stress level was what really hurt my supply the most, though. I didn't have a moment of feeling relaxed for the first three months. Don't be me!