How to increase milk supply?

Drink lots of coconut water.

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How to increase milk supply? - Mamas Uncut

I had this issue with my oldest daughter. I just attributed it to a different suck power and my obgyn and her pediatrician said the same thing. She was satisfied and that’s all that mattered. Don’t get down in yourself. If baby is happy and milk wasted all is well in the world.

Breastfeeding is all about supply and demand the more the baby is at the brest the more your body will make…also pumps are not a good indicator of how much milk you’re actually producing as your baby can remove more milk then a pump can… please also skip on the lactation items they are a gimmick and don’t really help just keep yourself hydrated :slightly_smiling_face:

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Your supply is probably fine! A lot of women’s bodies don’t respond to a pump. My sister in law tried at least 4 different pumps but couldn’t get any milk out unless she hand expressed.
As long as baby is having wet/dirty diapers and not loosing weight then it’s not your supply that’s a problem. It’s either the pump or your body just doesn’t respond to it.
Talk to your OB or a LC before taking any supplements because some of the things that people suggest could very well cause your milk to dry up❤️
I speak from experience! Someone told me fenugreek would do wonders. I took it for 3 days and could barely get an ounce between my two breasts and I was pumping 3-4 ounces before I started taking it.

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If your nursing full time, 3-4 oz is great! A baby is much better at emptying the breast than pumping. Get haaka to catch your let down from the other side as you nurse. If you’re still worried about your supply, stay hydrated, eat plenty of healthy snacks, and have oatmeal for breakfast. The drink LMNT has really helped me too, it’s an electrolyte drink without the sugar and is cheaper than buying bodyarmor which some people suggest. It’s more pricy upfront but it equals out to like 1.50 a drink. The watermelon salt is my favorite :fire::fire::fire:

water water and more water! body armor drinks also help!
i’ve noticed lately that if i don’t look at the amount i’m pumping i tend to pump more, you can put a baby sock on the bottle!
oatmeal, flaxseed, and brewers yeast :slightly_smiling_face: good luck mama​:smiling_face_with_three_hearts::smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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BrendenandSusan Doucet this might help

What you pump is not a reflection of what baby gets from breastfeeding. It sounds like you have a great supply. If you just want to increase pump output though l would suggest “power pumping” . However, if you are nursing baby frequently and just need a bottle once in a while l don’t think you really need to pumping a whole lot. Sounds like baby is getting plenty of liquid gold!

Try lactation cookie :cookie: lol maybe that’ll help

Pumps never liked me. I could never get barely any but when my kids bf I knew they were getting it bc they would spit up or leak out their mouth. As long as they r growing u r good. <3

Oatmeal, soups, body armor drinks and water

Pump on one side wile nursing on the other. Let baby latch onto one side and feed a little. Then switch to the other and pump the first one. Babies saliva saoks into the nipple and tells brest to produce.
Also some don’t respond well to a pump.

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Pumping and a baby feeding are two totally different stimulus on your breast that’s why you get more when she nurses …instead of using the pump try to hand express as soon as she is done eating and see if you get more

A lot of women don’t respond as well to the pump. Check your flange sizes and keep super hydrated.

I would get more with a hand held pump. I tried different electric pumps but never got the good results. The lactation nurses told me to pump after baby eat every time. You could try massaging them before you pump, warm packs before you pump too.

I was never able to pump successfully, but I did successfully nurse all 4 of my babies (including a set of twins) until their first birthdays.

Body armor drinks. They’re coconut water based hydrate you very well.

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Best thing I used was mothers milk tea I drank it hot right before and during pumping I sweetened it with honey. Also fenugreek pills only thing about them is when u take them right everything smells like maple syrup.

unless you need to build up milk to store for when you go back to work there is no need to pump–your baby nursing produces much more milk. If you need to then pump on the one side while baby nurse on other–you will get more that way.

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Check your flange size. There is a nipple ruler for pumps online you can print to make sure you have the right size.
Lots of water, body armor drinks, oatmeal cream pies and brewer’s yeast tablets helped me tons! I exclusively pumped for almost 15 months and all of those things helped me the most.
Fenugreek can help some women with supply and hurt others. So if you are taking anything with that be careful.

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How to increase milk supply? - Mamas Uncut

Put a warm flannel on your breast when pumping it does help

In my opinion, pumping will help with milk supply if tandem with feeding. Try pumping the other breast whilst you nurse. Then if baby is happy to, switch sides. And pump the other side.
If you are 4 weeks in and able to get 3-4 Oz out of the breasts whilst also feeding that’s really good.
People think we’re able to produce mountains but bodies are used to producing how much babies need. So your body will product 3-4oz as that’s how much baby is drinking when they’re having a full feed from both breasts.
It’s supply and demand :slight_smile:

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How to increase milk supply? - Mamas Uncut

Hydrate! And eat alot of oat meal.

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If you’re super concerned about it, they make things for lactation supplements. Google upspring. They sell it at Walmart.

Mrsmilk.com I liked everything I ever got from there. Kept it in the freezer for when I noticed it dwindling. (Usually from slacking off a bit) but the bars and teas would help bring it right up while working on it

Body armor drinks. I’ve seen tons of videos of women’s supply being crazy because of drinking the body armor drinks daily.

You need to contact a lactation consultant. Your pediatrician should be able to refer you and typically health insurance will pay for it. My daughter is a lactation consultant and so I know first hand how big of a deal this is for a lot of new moms and there may be reasons no one has yet advised you on until you see a professional.

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Water water water! And patience! It takes a while to build up but drinking water is key!

There’s a great group on fb called Exclusively pumping and it helped me through my pumping and was full of resources!

There’s actually a hormone that’s released when actually breastfeeding the baby that releases more milk. There’s some foods that’ll increase supply I think one is called the Luna bar, it’s like a granola bar. Or, it may sound weird, but watch a video of your baby while you’re pumping.

3-4 ounces is a high pump output! A normal output is .5-2 ounces for in between feeds, 2-4 for replacing feeds. This is both breasts combined not each. You’re on the high end already!

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A baby will always be able to get more out then a pump will. It doesn’t mean you have a low supply! But things that will help increase supply would be oatmeal/oat milk, make sure you’re hydrated, lactation cookies/snacks/supplements, and power pumping❤️

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Do not over hydrate as this will not help. Try a small amount of beer or fenugreek which is the main ingredient in curry

3-4 ounces is a perfect amount for a four week old baby. Trust me.

I was so stressed about it as well and accidentally created an oversupply issue. I would have six ounces on one breast and 8-9 on the other in one pumping session. I was still nursing 24/7 and had no plans to return to work. It was miserable and painful to try and regulate back to a normal amount. Unfortunately for me no matter what I did my supply stayed the same ( 6 ounces /8 ounces) since I stopped pumping hoping it would help regulate the supply issues ( it didn’t :confounded:) I was constantly leaking, and my breasts would get rock hard and painful. I was lucky I never got an infection. My baby wouldn’t drink breast milk after it was frozen.

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This is very normal.
A baby will be able to get out alot more then a pump, they have the right technique, saliva to tell your boob what they need etc
The pump is artificial and can’t get out as much.
Some woman can exclusively breastfeed with no issue but can pump hardly anything. It is not an indication of your supply at all

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One thing that helped me when I was a working, breastfeeding mom was I made a video of my baby nursing. Exactly the way I see the baby from my angle (you might need help holding your phone), and the exact length of time my baby nursed. I also only pumped on one side, just like my baby nursed on only one side. Putting in my earbuds and listening to the sounds of my baby helped me to not think about pumping, and more of feed my baby. If you need to, bring a blanket or shirt that has your baby’s smell on it. You’d be surprised how much your body responds to smell!

I also made my own lactation cookies. I just made oatmeal cookies, added chocolate chips (my preference, you don’t have to), 2 tablespoons of brewers yeast, and 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal (I mix two TBS of the flaxseed with 2 TBS of water before adding to the cookie dough). It’s helped me, and they taste amazing! And you can add brewers yeast and flaxseed meal to nearly anything! I also drink the Body Armour juices when/if I’m able too. You’ve probably heard it a million times, but water is essential. When I do pump, I try to drink 20 oz while pumping.

Most importantly, do your very best to relax. Try to not think about pumping, try to think of it no differently than nursing. You got this momma!

The doctor told my daughther to drink a beer a day it helps wit breast milk

A lot of women can’t pump. Doesn’t mean anything for their supply. Nothing is as efficient as a babies mouth…I could barely pump a drop. I did find a pump better than others but as a whole, it was rubbish. Your supply is likely fine, regardless of pump output xx…

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Power pumping. It tricks your milk ducts to make more, 20 minutes on, 15 minutes off, 15 minutes on, 10 off. Every day, once a day.

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Try drinking milk & water. I was the same way. Baby was gulping milk but when i pumped it was barely anything. Just pump as much as u can, refrigerate and add to it the next pump.

A child’s mouth is much more efficient than a pump. I’ve breastfed two children for over 1.5 years each and have never been able to get more than 0.5-2oz total when trying to pump.

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Having bub skin to skin during pumping can help with the let down. Also gently massage your breast while pumping. Another way I was able to collect more was pumping one breast while bub fed from the other.

Blue Gatorade…guzzle it down!

My Dr prescribed me something to encourage milk flow. Or you can use foods that increase milk flow like barley porridge, fresh coconut water etc

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Fenugreek…normally can buy it at any drug store or at walmart…it does wonders

Hydration and breastfeeding on demand. Pumping is not an indication of how much milk you produce. The same with if your breasts feel full or not. Your body regulate its milk supply by the need of the baby.

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Take the vitamin Blessed Thistle. I had more breast milk to feed my baby and so much more. I had so many bags frozen I could have people give my baby a bottle so I could leave home for awhile.

My letdown at work pumping was always better if I didn’t think about the fact that I’m pumping and looked at pictures and videos of my daughter :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Baby is made for your breast… the pump is not. That is why baby is much better at emptying you… Drink as much water as you can… force it if you have too! I had to sit in my room in the dark/quiet or with baby beside me to get relaxed enough to release my milk.

Body Armor drinks!!! Every nursing momma around me is all positive!! I wish I had it for my firstborn

Honestly, when I hit a hard patch pumping, I had read a tip to record your baby crying when they’re hungry and watch it while you’re pumping.
Did :clap: wonders :clap:
Also, wear headphones/ at least one ear bud when listening lol

I could never pump enough when my daughter was in between nursing sessions. She nursed great though. It happens. Nothing to worry about.

I’ve heard pumping while you Masterbate can be helpful. Pumping every 3-4 hours and right after baby nurses. Stay hydrated.

Pumps needs the right size flange in order to get more milk. But a baby will get more then a machine. Water, veggies and brewers yeast help

Some women don’t respond to a pump, don’t get discouraged.

I had the same trouble. My MIL (an absolute darling, my mom was dead) suggested that I hold my sleeping baby and concentrate on him while I was pumping. It worked!

Lots of fluids and oats help to , like oatmeal cookies or oat milk

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Body armors are awesome

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Fenugreek is supposed to help

Pump the other breast while she feeds to increase suppy

I just stopped my 2 1/2 yr old … body armor :raised_hands::raised_hands: drink like two day and I swear they helped me

Water and protein uptake

Water oatmeal stimulation

My doctor said to have a glass of wine so you can relax

Body armor is one of the best things

Body Armor drinks BY FAR

Oats, be super hydrated

I exclusively pumped for a year… it’s hard to keep supply up pumping only… but my son is gtube fed… pumping or Feeding from both sides equal will help supply. Cluster pump…But oatmeal. Have a bowl.of oatmeal in the morning. I was so sick of oatmeal and started making no bake oatmeal cookies… I produced milk like crazy but also gained 20 pounds…so pick your poison. :joy:

Pumping isnt a show of supply some breast feeding people just cannot get it out with a pump even though their child is fat and happy!

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Drink lots of water and eat eat eat extra and healthy. Make sure to know what NOT to eat/ drink that can dry you up.

Eat a few fenugreek seeds a day. You smell like maple but watch that milk flow. I went from the Sahara to nipples of Venus after each shower just pouring out everywhere

Just a few seeds though. A gulped a tablespoon full the 1st time and got sick as a dog. It was suggested to me by my kids dad mom who is from India.
You can also buy the leaves too an put it in your food.
Go to an Indian grocery it’s so cheap. It’s called Methi.

As far as a pump, the only one that got anything out of me was the hospital grade Medela Symphony. They’ll let you rent it from L and D.

Speak with your physician. Or La Leche League

Definitely suggest pumping before nursing nursing just because your pump only is going to take out about 70% it’s going to take out about 70% of your milk whereas baby will take out baby will take out all of your milk and drink completely incompletely milk production is all based off of supply and and is all based off of supply and demand so what you take out of your breast is what your body is going to your breast is what your body is going to remake. It’s going to take a few days so don’t think it’s going to work overnight

I have the same issue but mine is almost 2 weeks old

Pump after baby has eaten and then pump more

I’ve heard body Armour (the drink) helps tremendously

I drank two whole boxes and was good to go

I use body armor drinks, at 4 weeks pp I was pumping 12 oz (both breast combined) a day and feeding on demand. My son is 10 months now and I literally fill 2 10 oz bottles a day and feed on demand, which is less because of baby food and he loves pancakes and eggs now, but body armor really works for me, I’ve tried teas, the lactation cookies and brownies. The cookies worked but they can get costly because you have to continue to eat them all day everyday, with body armor I drink one when I wake up and one before bed

I had way more luck using a manual pump on one side while breastfeeding than I did any other way. Fuck the double electrics imo, I think they take three times as long with set up and cleaning as well. Medulas 30 buck manual pump was a godsend

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I recently heard drinking Body Armour has helped a lot!

In Australia we have boobie bikkies you can google it
Loads of people talk highly of it and you can make similar ones at home

When I was able to feed a little bit the 2 biggest ways I could get my milk to come was to do skin to skin with my baby and/or hold something that would smell like him.

Pumping will never equate to what your baby can express by nursing.

Drink more and pump more often

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Best way is have the baby feed directly

Blessed thistle and fenugreek.

Stop pumping…breastfeeding on demand. When baby latches, it sends signals for milk production to produce more. The more baby latches and sucks, the more milk you will get. Drink A LOT of water, healthy fatty foods, dark chocolate. A lot of fruit, vegs, rice, a lot of carbs. This is what made mine overflow all the time. I hope this helps

Milky mama emergency browines!

Yeast. Eat a roll, drink root beer, or even a regular one

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How to increase milk supply? - Mamas Uncut

Make sure you’re using the right size flanges. My flange size changed quite a bit, from a 27 mm down to a 21 mm after my supply regulated and when I was using the wrong size i wouldn’t get as much.

I had problems with milk drying up so fast. I was told by the Physician Assistant to drink some beer when nursing and it helped so much. It does not affect the milk as far as the alcohol. It does increase milk coming in. I was able to nurse for so much longer with this help. I would think it would help for pumping too.

Some people don’t respond well to a pump. Try a handheld manual pump. It gives a lot more control, especially if you’re needing more time for your letdown to start.

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If you are nursing full time, you aren’t going to also be able to randomly pump much extra. If you are trying to build a freezer stash for going back to work, create a faux feeding. Ie- early in the morning or late at night (I did 10pm) and consistently pump. 4 oz is great! That’s about what baby should be eating. A few days in a row of consistent pumping will do more for your supply than chasing supplements. In my humble and experienced opinion.

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Power pumping did it for me. I did this for about 2 weeks.

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Babies are more efficient than pumping so that may be why you’re not seeing as much when you pump. Make sure you’re pumping on the highest suction you can handle, make sure all connections are tight and change out your pump valves. Lactation nurses are an amazing resource for pumping and nursing.