any way to increase milk supply

Hello everyone.  I feel like I haven't talked to you girls in ages.  I've been so busy trying to figure Ayden out while dealing with my 5 year old too.  
Anyway, I was on vacation last week and I barely nursed because of being dragged from place to place.  Most of his milk came from me pumping and bringing it with me.  It seems like my milk supply has decreased a little bit.  I am scared I messed it up by being so off scedual.  Is there anything that is safe that I can take to keep it up?   I go back to work on Friday and I will be there for 6 hours a shift without being able to pump.    I'm really nervous that I will have to give up nursing.  

[tmv]

Drinking a lot of water and putting him to the breast more often may help. If you can add in some pumping inbetween, it could help too.This will also help with a supply to feed him while you are away from him. You can get it back, don't worry. I do worry about going 6 hours without pumping. Your body does get used to it(supply/demand) but it will weaken it. You should be allowed a break, even if it is 15 minutes to pump. You don't have to give up nursing.Best wishes.

[pixijal]

The more you feed him, the more you'll make.  
I would try not to nurse during the 6 hour daypart that you will be working.  Feed him expressed bmilk.  If you stop nursing at that daypart, your body will actually make less at that exact time.  If you feed heavily after that time, your body will make the amount needed to accomodate those feedings as well.  To bring your supply up, keep him on the breast even when it seems to be empty.  Let him fall asleep while continuing to suck.  This will stimulate production, and after a couple of days, you'll notice more milk.  Again, I would try to abstain from feedings during that six hour daypart....it will work out if you do it right.  Good luck, and a 6 hour a day job shouldn't keep you from breastfeeding!  You'll be fine!!!

[anxiousmomtobe?]

Nurse, nurse, nurse.  It will come back, no worries.

My ds went on strike and wouldn't nurse for an entire week while we were on vacation.  I tried to pump but my supply dwindled.  Once he was off the picket line the milk supply was back to normal within about a week.

[lynne1276]

Thanks girls!!  

[jjerzeegirl]

This worked for me....have a beer! (or two) ...
There is something in the beer that helps bring it on...

[lynne1276]

I heard that too.  I actually had one at lunch today.  I feel guilty doing it though.  I think I'm just an overly nervous new mom

[peekawho]

Do you have to go back Friday?  Its unfortunate you had to go on vacation and disrupt your nursing pattern.  You do need to nurse, nurse, nurse to get it back up, and I'm wondering if it will be back by Friday.

Insist on a pumping break until you get your supply established again, Then, as Pixijal said, you can probably skip the 6 hours.  But I wouldn't until you get your supply WELL established again, or it could go down furthur.  

[tiredbuthappy]

how old is he? i have been pumping exclusively and obsessively for 8 weeks. my lactation consultant was concerned about my sanity and recommended i spread out the pumping sessions. i was concerned about my supply, but figured i'd give it a try. she said if the supply is affected, we can always work to get it back up. for the past week, i have been allowing myself to go 4-5 hrs between pumping (as opposed to the 2-3 hours i did before). so far, my supply is strong. i know this because i have been keeping track of how many ounces i pump all along. she said that at this point my supply should be well enough established to not be affected. i hope she's right and it continues, because i am a bit more sane.
how do you know it decreased? is the amount you are pumping less? is he not as satisfied when nursing? if your breasts are drained regularly, hopefully the 6 hr stretch won't be a problem.

[ImmortalOne]

The beer actually worked for me... I pump and dump after the beer initially, then nurse her normal the rest of the time.  I was surprised that this helped as well.  I used to get out only 4oz after feeding the baby, now I will get out 5-7oz after she eats.  I know some ladies will think this is wrong, and before I had Lilith I didn't drink at all.  I now have one dark beer a night, only when the husband is home.  I also pump after every nursing session.

I also have some tea that I'm going to try, its called "Mothers Milk" and its from the health food store my family owns, it would be nice to be able to count on my supply to be strong when I return to work.

[AnnieBrooke]

Non-alcoholic beer works as well as alcoholic beer, and apparently along with the issue of not passing along alcohol, babies don't care for the flavor of milk from a mom who has been drinking alcoholic beer.  I have heard it is the malt in the beer that is so good for milk production, but have also heard it is the B-12.

My son started out on formula plus breastfeeding (due to jaundice and dehydration), so I was always concerned that my milk supply wouldn't be stimulated enough.  As a result I've tried almost everything recommended for bringing up breast milk.  I've used fenugreek, Reglan, goats rue, and Mother's Milk tea, and although I still take most of these to keep my milk supply up, it is certainly possible by now (he's 8 months old) that if I just spent a couple of days and let him suck, suck, suck, my supply would increase.  I will say, of all of them I think Mother's Milk tea works the most noticeably.  It's probably not just what is in the tea, but the fact that when you drink it you are hydrating yourself.  (They always say, drink a lot of water.)

Finally, the More Milk Plus capsules I got had a flyer in the package, and one of its suggestions is to eat protein at EVERY meal.  I have been doing that recently, and it does seems that my milk supply is up maybe a bit better than before.  I'm trying for a year of nursing if I can get it.  :)

[lynne1276]

He will be 6 weeks old on Thursday.  My doctors office only allows for 6 weeks off.  I actually am leaving my full time job but I haven't told them yet.  I am going back to bartending on Friday so I will be gone anywhere from 6 to 8 pm till about 3 am.  I only wanted to go back 1 or 2 days a week but they gave me 5 shifts right off the bat.  I don't want to complain because then they won't give me anything.  
I have noticed that I'm not pumping as much as I used to.  It doesn't seem like he's getting enough from me either.  The biggest problem I'm having right now is that he doesn't want to nurse at all.  He has reflux pretty bad and he's really fussy.  I put him to breast and he latches for a few minutes then starts to scream and pushes me away.  I think he just discovered he likes the bottle better.  I wanted to nurse for at least 6 months and I've only made it a month and half.  I need to figure out how to get him to nurse again.   My mom said I should give him an ounce or two first and then try to nurse.  Maybe he'll be calmer and will latch.  

Peek-  It was sort of a vacation.  My grandmother is 89 and this is her first great grand child.  I wanted her to meet him and see him get baptized so I brought him up to Massachusetts.  She was so happy

[ImmortalOne]

Lynne, try something like a dab of jelly or cream cheese icing on the breast.  With Lilith we had to put the gas medicine on my nipple for her to latch, the bottle was so much easier she didn't want to work for it.  Also maybe some breastfeeding friendly bottle nipples so it isn't so easy for him.

[rubyolivia]

Hey! IO just mentioned breastfeeding freindly nipples and I thought I'd mention that we use the playtex drop ins and Max goes back and forth between those and the breast with NO problems or confusion at all. I don' t know if that's the majority's experience with that brand...but the work for us! :)