Thread: Pumping Exclusively - Supply Boosters!

There are so many different ways to boost your supply while pumping. Unforunately not all things work for everyone.

I found success with several "supply boosers" :

• Increased Water Intake
  Warm Compresses (placed on breasts before pumping)
  Increased Number of Pumping Sessions (routinely 8-10x per day, increased to 12x)
  Increased Time of Pumping (routinely 10-15, increased to 15-20 minutes)
  Fenugreek
  Blessed Thistle
  More Milk Plus
  Reglan

Here are several excellent links that talk about herbs and other things that you can take to help increase supply.

*I'm not pumping enough milk. What can I do?

*What is a galactagogue? Do I need one?...Herbal remedies for increasing milk supply
This page includes an alphabetized listing of herbs and remedies used for increasing milk supply. GREAT!

*Herbal safety for nursing moms
This link is extremely important. With anything that you ingest, you and/or your baby may have an adverse reaction to it. A must read!

*Fenugreek Seed for Increasing Milk Supply
Great information about Fenugreek and it's usage to increase milk supply.

*Oatmeal for increasing milk supply
Great information about Oatmeal and it's usage to increase milk supply.

*Prescription drugs used for increasing milk supply
Information about prescription drugs Reglan and Domperidone and their uses to increase milk supply.

If you have any other links and/or ideas that helped you, PLEASE add them to this thread!

Updated Links 1/28

Some of these are repeats from the list above but here goes my list:

*Fenugreek - 3 capsules 3 times a day
*Blessed Thistle - 3 caps 3 times a day
*Lecithin - 1 cap 3 times a day
*More Milk Plus - dose based on body weight, taken four times a day
*Mother's Milk Tea - 4-6 glasses a day
*Alfalfa
*Lactate Support - 1 cap 3 times a day
*Root beer
*Beer - I drink Bud Select one a night
*Oatmeal
*Honey nut Cheerios
*Any whole grain
*Rice, especially brown
*RX Reglan - but beware of depression and anxiety which are possible side effects associated with long term use
*RX Domperidone - not available in the U.S. due to not being FDA approved but you can get it via the internet
*Lots of skin to skin contact with your baby

~edited to add Lactate Support and Alfalfa 11-18-05

Ok- three of my favourite things on this list...Honey Nut Cheerios, Bud beer and Root Beer. How much should I consume to get an affect from these?

I called the lactation consultant I had seen when kiddo was in NICU. She vouched for and gave me a dosage schedule for the fenugreek and blessed thistle (have to gradually up the dosage to make sure it doesn't interfere with my asthma, which is moderate and controlled anyway).

I used to drink one Bud Select a night. I found that at night, my supply was the lowest so if I drank a beer it relaxed me enough that I would pump more. Also, the barley and hops would amp my supply enough I'd notice a difference in the morning.

I used to drink root beer all the time, but I started to worry about my weight so I quit that.

I've also heard of people making batches of oatmeal cookies. Eating those all day long would help with your supply but make sure that they are not instant oats.

I don't think I could eat Cheerios all day long so I would just eat a bowl or two.

I hope it gets better, which it will! There's a sort of eb and flow to it all.

Shana

Host EP board

Looks like rest is helping. I slept from about 3:30am to 5:45am when kiddo woke up, wrapped him up, gave him binky and held him for a while and we both fell asleep for about another hour. I fed him and pumped and it was well enough for two feedings! My husband thinks maybe lack of rest is the culprit for low milk supply-- when I'm up late (I have to be to pump and feed) or when I'm doing housework all day without any breaks. Looks like he was right.

rest is a biggie.

I was able to put a jar of milk (90cc/3oz.) in the freezer today! The Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle (and rest) must really be paying off!!

Good for you! That's awesome Momma!

The LC was right. I really AM starting to smell like maple syrup. A trivial, yet weird side effect to these herbs (but of course well worth it).