Low milk supply....

Hi, I am breast feeding but I think I have a low milk supply. My baby is 3 weeks now and she is drinking a lot. By the time the evening rolls around I am out of milk until later that night. I have been prescribed Metoclopramide (10 MG tablets) by my OB but it makes me very irritable and somewhat depressed. I am suppose to take it 3X a day but I just couldn't deal with the side effects (but it works). Does anyone know others ways to improve a low milk supply, please help:(.

[tiredbuthappy]

how do you know your supply is low?
It is very normal for a woman to have less milk in the evening. There is a natural cycle that seems to occur, and we have different amounts at different points in the day.

Please consider that at this age, babies are going through frequent growth spurts. They also suckle for comfort, and also naturally know to suckle often to boost mom's supply. I had a great supply, but even with my good supply, we spent A LOT of time nursing in those early weeks. And babies are known to cluster feed in the evenings especially. This is all very normal and will actually help. The very best way to boost your supply right now is the let the baby nurse as much as possible, as much as she is willing. Unless a doctor tells you that the baby is not gaining sufficiently, you should try to avoid supplementing with formula.

There are some other things you can try. First of all, make sure you drink plenty of fluids and are eating well. In addition, you can try certain foods like oatmeal or non alcoholic beer which are known to boost supply a bit. There are herbal supplements like blessed thistle or fenugreek that are considered safe and available in healthfood stores. You can also try pumping after nursing sessions. You may not get much, but that extra stimulation will help signal your body to produce more milk.

Congrats on the arrival of your little one! These first few weeks are very hard and exhausting. Have confidence in yourself and your body. You may also want to contact your local LLL (La Leche League). I have heard wonderful things about them, and they help for free.

[tiredbuthappy]

how do you know your supply is low?
It is very normal for a woman to have less milk in the evening. There is a natural cycle that seems to occur, and we have different amounts at different points in the day.

Please consider that at this age, babies are going through frequent growth spurts. They also suckle for comfort, and also naturally know to suckle often to boost mom's supply. I had a great supply, but even with my good supply, we spent A LOT of time nursing in those early weeks. And babies are known to cluster feed in the evenings especially. This is all very normal and will actually help. The very best way to boost your supply right now is the let the baby nurse as much as possible, as much as she is willing. Unless a doctor tells you that the baby is not gaining sufficiently, you should try to avoid supplementing with formula.

There are some other things you can try. First of all, make sure you drink plenty of fluids and are eating well. In addition, you can try certain foods like oatmeal or non alcoholic beer which are known to boost supply a bit. There are herbal supplements like blessed thistle or fenugreek that are considered safe and available in healthfood stores. You can also try pumping after nursing sessions. You may not get much, but that extra stimulation will help signal your body to produce more milk.

Congrats on the arrival of your little one! These first few weeks are very hard and exhausting. Have confidence in yourself and your body. You may also want to contact your local LLL (La Leche League). I have heard wonderful things about them, and they help for free.

[Mybabypooh]

Thank you so much for all your valuable information! I will try everything you said.

[bigmommylove]

It's good that you are breastfeeding. It really is the best way to give the best milk supply. I would just breastfeed as often as possible. I have had pretty good results with herbs, especially Breastea. It's worked well enough for me that I'm able to freeze breastmilk back now. Hang in there.

[chinesebones]

I also had a problem with low milk supply in the evenings.  I would try to nurse, but dd would just fuss and switch from side to side... it was awful.  I rented a hospital-grade pump and would pump after each nursing session during the day (and between 2-4 AM too.)  Even if nothing came out, I'd still pump for 10-15 minutes.  I'd only get 2-4 oz total for the whole day, but the stimulation increased my production.  In the evenings when she got fussy, dh would give her that 2-4 oz in a bottle while I pumped- that way she was happy, and I still was boosting my supply.  We never had a problem with her preferring the bottle to the breast- she'd eat any way she could, but you can feed with a dropper or a cup if you're concerned about that.
I ate oatmeal, some protein with every meal, drank non-alcoholic beer, took fenugreek and blessed thistle supplements, and rested whenever I could.  Soon the evening nursing wasn't an issue anymore, but the few weeks it lasted were really hard, so I feel for you!  
BTW 3 weeks is a prime growth spurt time, so it could be shortlived- hang in there!

[Mybabypooh]

Thank you for the information....it is really hard in the evening when my milk supply is low and my baby just fussed. I feel so bab that I can't give her what she wants. I bought the fenugreek and some tea for nursing mothers, eat alot of oatmeal and use the electric pump. I hope this passes soon. It is so hard but I will hang in there. You all gave me hope, thank you!

[Ladybugbc]

Hi there..Try to make sure the baby is not fussing for any other reason. I also thought my baby was fussing due to low supply. But turned out he had reflux. I swear by whole grain oats and raspberry leaf tea to increase supply.
I start to leak by the time I finish the cup of reasperry tea.
Trust me it'll all get better as time go by.
Good luck!!!

[Mybabypooh]

thanks a lot, i wii try the tea....

[Mybabypooh]

Hi, I have a question...for all the ladies who use Fenugreek to increase milk sullpy, how many did you take per day? I was taking one per day until I read (on kellymon.com) that to see some results you will have to take 6-12 per day. Maybe that is why I did not see any results.

Suggested Fenugreek dosage
capsules
(580-610 mg)
•2-4 capsules, 3 times per day
•6-12 capsules (total) per day

•~1200-2400 mg,
3 times per day (3.5-7.3 grams/day)
•German Commission E recommends a daily intake of 6 grams

capsules
(500 mg) •7-14 capsules (total) per day

[chinesebones]

I read that the way to know you're taking enough is if you smell like maple syrup.  Also it seemed like taking it together with blessed thistle made more of a difference than taking it alone.

[Mybabypooh]

ok....thank you...I will try that too.

[allmymarbles]

Drink beer of Guinness stout. Old fashioned remedy and works like a charm.

[Ladybugbc]

I took Fenugreek caps along with Blessed Thistle caps.

3capsules of each kind 3times a day. So total of 18 caps per day.
Like Chinesebones mentioned they say when you start to smell the Fenugreek on your skin that is the "right" dosage.

Another good source is Dr. Jack Newman's web site. He's a breast feeding advocate and has tons of great info on his web site. Also, if you e mail him with a question, he will respond almost immediately even if you are not a patient of his.

Have you noticed a difference so far?

[Mybabypooh]

I've been taking 3 Fenugreek and 2 Blessed Thistle caps (started yesterday) and today I saw an awesome difference...I was able to nurse my baby all day, even in the evening hours I still had a good milk supply. I am sooo happy right now. thank you all!! I also drink the Mother's Milk Tea...I like tea anyway so I enjoy that at night.

[chinesebones]

Yay!  Great news!  Keep it up, mama!

[Mybabypooh]

Thank you!!

[Ladybugbc]

Great to hear things have improved!!! :) I was able to stop the capsules once the flow stabalized and my confidence improved. But I still eat oats for breakfast every day.

[Mybabypooh]

Yes, things have really improved for us. I still eat oats in the morning too. Should I also pump more? Sometimes I am scared to pump because I think I will not have enough milk after I pump to breast feed my baby in the middle of the night.

[aamyjackson84]

Low milk supply is sometimes a breastfeeding problem that many moms think they have when they don't. "assumed" low milk supply is a common breastfeeding problem. They are using the wrong signs to judge milk supply. Here are some tips on how to determine if you have low supply:  

Your baby's weight gain. If baby is gaining well then he/she is getting enough milk.
Your baby's diapers. If baby has at least 3 to 4 palm sized poops each 24 hours it shows a good intake of milk.

Babies will typically lose some weight in their first few days of life. On average, it's normal that your baby will lose about 7% of her/his birth weight by about day three to five of life and then start to gain. It's likely that your baby will regain her/his birth weight by about two weeks.

[squirtatious]

U can gage if ur babe is getting enough to eat by how many poopy and peepy diapers she/he has. Usually after most every feeding.