Sunday, July 18, 2010

Breastfeeding help: supply & demand

So i've been curious as to what helps with milk production. Sometimes when I pump I can get 4 oz, but most times I only get 2 or less. Its been a little bit frustrating for me so I did some research. Besides "supply and demand" [the more your baby feeds/you pump, the more milk you produce because it tells your body you need more. Here are a few more helpful tips:

  1. Drink lots of fluids! -water
  2. Have a bowl of oatmeal in the morning [i've also heard breastfeeding early morning produces more].
  3. Have a little glass of beer. 
  4. Beer, but not ethanol, has been reported in a number of studies to stimulate prolactin levels and breastmilk production. Thus is it presumed that the polysaccharide from barley may be the prolactin-stimulating component of beer. Non-alcoholic beer is equally effective.
  5. Mothers milk tea
  6. Organic Mother’s Milk® promotes healthy lactation* and is traditionally used to increase breast milk production.* This traditional combination of anise, fennel and coriander has been used for centuries by European women, often recommended by lactation counselors and medical herbalists.
  7. Fenugreek seeds.
  8. Fenugreek seeds contain hormone precursors that increase milk supply. Scientists do not know for sure how this happens. Some believe it is possible because breasts are modified sweat glands, and fenugreek stimulates sweat production. It has been found that fenugreek can increase a nursing mother's milk supply within 24 to 72 hours after first taking the herb.


I will try all of these and let you know how it works ;]