Input requested--especially from nursing moms
This is one of those "for females only" types of posts, so if you're one of my three male readers, consider yourself warned. Ahem.
For the rest of you ladies--especially those of you who have been or are nursing moms--I could use some help and input:
Have you ever experienced a dramatic decrease in milk supply as the result of sickness/high fever?
I'm sure I don't really need to explain why I'm asking this question, but yes, being miserably sick this weekend (I was more sick than I can remember being in years!) seems to have severely affected my milk supply. I'm guessing the high fever depleted my body and I also probably didn't drink enough--even though I tried to remember to drink as much as possible.
I could really use some suggestions, encouragement, or ideas as I've never had this happen before and I admit that I'm somewhat stressing over this. Or maybe more than somewhat. And I'm not normally a person to get easily stressed out about things.
So, help me out here, please: Has this happened to you before? Is this normal? What can I do to restore my milk supply?
Thanks for helping out this young mama who still needs to learn more than a thing or two about resting in the Lord!
For the rest of you ladies--especially those of you who have been or are nursing moms--I could use some help and input:
Have you ever experienced a dramatic decrease in milk supply as the result of sickness/high fever?
I'm sure I don't really need to explain why I'm asking this question, but yes, being miserably sick this weekend (I was more sick than I can remember being in years!) seems to have severely affected my milk supply. I'm guessing the high fever depleted my body and I also probably didn't drink enough--even though I tried to remember to drink as much as possible.
I could really use some suggestions, encouragement, or ideas as I've never had this happen before and I admit that I'm somewhat stressing over this. Or maybe more than somewhat. And I'm not normally a person to get easily stressed out about things.
So, help me out here, please: Has this happened to you before? Is this normal? What can I do to restore my milk supply?
Thanks for helping out this young mama who still needs to learn more than a thing or two about resting in the Lord!
Labels: Mothering
posted by Crystal Paine at 3:25 PM
77 Comments:
Yes, this has happened to me, a few times. (I have nursed 5 babies!) Rest, even though you are feeling better make sure you rest and let your baby nurse a lot. YOur milk will come back, your body is just tired and needs a little time (a day maybe) to catch up. If I was you, I would spend a quiet day resting and nursing. Let a few things go and let your body get better.
Crystal, I know the stress that this can cause! I am nursing my fourth little girl right now..we've had our ups and downs in nursing but have made it to 11 months...and will hopefully make it to a full year. :) The only way I've found to restore milk supply is to throw out the schedule and add a few more feedings to the day. I know this is hard to do, because you may think you'll never get back on the four hour schedule (but you will)! Nursing is all "supply and demand"...the more you nurse, the more milk you will make. You may want to try pumping as well for more stimulation. I pray this works out for you...I'm sure it will! Blessings, Becky
Are you sure it's just the flu and not just the age? My milk dramatically decreased when my kids began eating lots of solids or maybe it was the other way around; they started eating more chunk foods from the table and thus my milk went down! At any rate, perhaps it is both of these things (her age and your sickness). I have had heard varying advice on whether or not drinking lots of liquids truly increases milk supply. Some people have some success with herbs, but I think that just frequent nursing, lots of rest, and good nutrition is best for keeping milk up. It's very likely your milk will come back after you completely recover. But if your milk goes, it goes! I had to supplement my kids with some formula for the last month or two before a year because I just didn't have enough for them and that was fine. Just keep nursing as much as you can and if she's truly frustrated, you can supplement a little.
Try not to stress about it--stress can affect your supply too. I agree with rest, fluids and more frequent nursing. I don't know how long she's sleeping at night, but if she normally goes to bed before you you might get her up to nurse again before you go to bed. You don't have to wake her--she'll probably nurse in her sleep, and it will help your supply.
Don't worry. God is sovereign over your milk supply too. :-)
I agree with aimee and mom2camo. I wouldn't expect a marked decrease at that age (closer to 18 months perhaps) I would also throw the schedule out, stay in bed for a day, and you should see a quick increase.
If you are using any antihistamines, that could be a culpit also... though most moms typically know to avoid those.
Crystal, I have just been through this exact problem with nursing our 4th daughter and I was so stressed about it. She seemed to be weaning herself but after pumping one side after a feed I only managed to get 40mls and realised that my milk had really diminished due to stress and so she wasn't interested in feeding much and therefore I was in a vicious cycle of supply and demand dropping quickly. For 2 days I offered a lot more feeds but she would always refuse so instead I got up and fed her a few times overnight in her sleep and she eagerly latched on while she was dreaming. That combined with fenugreek 3 times a day has boosted my milk almost to normal in only 48hrs and at this moment I'm typing this at 6am in my nightie debating on whether to get her up early as my milk is leaking everywhere! Blessed Thistle does a simlilar thing, but I have found more success with Fenugreek. Hope this helps.
Rebekah
I agree with what others have already said and I would emphasize again to take it easy and drink lots of fluids. Some may say it doesn't matter, but I had to drink lots of water while nursing or I'd have issues. If you patiently nurse your way through it, it should eventually return. I don't remember how old she is, but if she isn't as interested in nursing as often as you try, it may be a good time to take advantage of cutting back some (if you're both ready to, of course). Don't panic! Just hang in there. :)
Make sure you eat some hefty/healthy meals too. My milk supply would decrease if I skipped a decent supper!
The same thing happened to me, and I was also "more than somewhat" stressing over it. My son was about 10 months old, and I was concerned about being able to build my supply back up at his age. LLL recommended an herbal supplement called More Milk Plus by Motherlove, which contains fenugreek, thistle leaf and fennel seed. I got it at an herb store for $33.95. I freaked about the price, but I figured it was cheaper than formula for another two months. It certainly seemed to help as I was even able to continue pumping. I did not increase his feedings, as we were down to four a day at that point, and didn't see where to try and add any back without him looking at me like I was crazy! We were both frustrated for a day or two, but then things definitely improved, and we're still nursing (at bedtime) at 15 months.
Pray, recuperate from your illness, and continue to trust in the Lord - he will provide (even in this very personal matter!)
Oh yes, definitely happened before. I'm sure you're just a bit dehydrated, and it will almost certainly go back to normal. I ditto Aimee, above. Try to spend a day off your feet, resting, drinking fluids and nursing (or pumping, if baby won't cooperate). Things will be back to normal in no time.
I have not had sickness decrease my milk supply but one thing that has helped to boost it is fenugreek. Its an herbal supplement you cad find at GNC or the equivalent. Also, oatmeal and yeast are great increasers. I like to make oatmeal cookies and add a couple of tablespoons of yeast to the recipe. As other people have said rest, fluids, and nursing frequently help too.
Okay....first, don't stress. I had a cold a few weeks ago, and the same thing happened to me. And I'm an overproducer too! At first I was like "yay! no more engorgement!", but I quickly realized what was going on.
Stay away from antihistamines/decongestants in the future, if you don't already.
Rest, like the other ladies said. Have soup for dinner, drink your mother's milk tea, stay away from anything mint, and if you have a pump, start pumping. Liam isn't a huge solids guy, so switching him back to just BM for a day or two didn't bug him any. Crank up your fluid intake - juice, water, stay away from caffiene (yes, even chocolate). Have you tried fenugreek? And just as an FYI, www.babycenter.com has a nursing board that is WONDERFUL, in case you are interested.
AND DO NOT STRESS! :) As a PP said, God's sovereign even over our milk supplies. ;)
Oh...and oatmeal really did help me this last time too! I was skeptical...but it worked. And think of how good it is for your heart! Make a pan of that baked oatmeal for the next few days, and go relax. Some of us do don't use schedules, and we are just fine. ;)
All your commentors are right. Once upon a time I used to work as a post partum nurse and one of the wonderful midwives I learned under (also a lactation consultant...and a momma) always taught us to teach our patients to rest, drink lots of fluids and keep nursing. It's a supply and demand cycle, your body will kick in. Rest is often overlooked, but much needed and the fluids just helps your body's system to produce the milk.
The Lord bless you as you rest in Him. He does gently lead those with young (Isaiah 40:11) be sure to LET His gentleness lead you!
Sheila
I have had this issue many times and I have extended breastfed my children.
Staying hydrated,and nourishing your tummy with eating as much as you can. Oatmeal was a food item I could tolerate.The old fashioned oatmeal that is.
Resting, and relaxing is very important. Stress can greatly affect milk production. Taking a warm bath, and then nursing in bed or on the couch with comfy blankets and pillows where you are relaxed and comfy.
Booting your schedule sounds wise like the others said as your body needs to re-group during sickness and is fighting the nasties along with having to nourish a little one too is a lot on one person's body.
Homemade chicken noodle soup sounds good too!
Before you know it you will be back to normal.
Hope you feel better soon!
:)Renee
I was sick with the flu when my firstborn son was 7 months old. I could barely hold up my head and still had to continue nursing (had nothing pumped because we were out of town). I was completely dry and he cried so much because he was so hungry. It was quite awful! But the good news is, after I became rehydrated and felt better, the nursing got better and my milk supply increased. I went on to nurse him for 16 months.
Rest, drink lots of water, and keep nursing!
Great question! I'm a lactation consultant and have seen this thing happen many times to mom's whose bodies have undergone stress of some kind.
Do not fear! You're milk has not disappeared. You've experienced a temporary delay in production due to your illness.
Here are some things you can do-
Pray and be at peace.
If you are taking any medications other than a fever reducer stop now. Anything that dries up mucous effects your milk supply, too.
Eat oatmeal- 2 servings a day has proven to increase milk supply. I used to eat a small bowl before bed which worked wonders when combined with sleep.
Take a day off from everything and lay around with your baby. Let her nurse whenever she is hungry and let her suckle even when she's done eating if she will. Go for many short feedings verses a few large ones. Nipple stimulation is what will increase the hormone levels that tell your body to produce more milk. This will not "ruin" her feeding schedule. It is likely that she will need the extra milk, too, and you'll be giving her the antibodies that you've gained from your recent illness. She'll be back on track when your milk supply is.
Keep drinking, but fluid intake actually has little to do with milk production they've found. This is why mothers in third world countries have a good supply. God thought of that:)
If your baby is at the age that she will not nurse for extended periods pump 10 minutes each side after feeding for a 24 hour period.
Please email me if you have any other questions or concerns. I'd be glad to help.
Hope you are feeling better.
It is very common. I would rest a whole bunch, drink lots of fluids and nurse as much as she will, forget schedules, times etc. the more you nurse the more milk there will be and once it comes back up you can slow down. Maybe she won't get sick too as it will boost her immunity levels!
This is one reason I would be careful never to let my temp go up too high, even though i don't like taking a pain reliever. Also antihistimines are not good for you either......
Don't worry about it also. Also, you probably did not eat much and that can dramatically affect the milk I found
You will need to google this, but I know there are some safe herbs that are for encouraging milk production--I had to get them from my local health food store once--hope this helps!
It's just temporary, but Mother's Milk tea with fenugreek and fennel seed has worked wonders for me during growth spurts, travel, and other stressful times when my supply was low. Hope this helps!
-Audrey
yes you are probably dehydrated and out of balance with electrolites, water is wonderful but too much atcs as a diuretic,juice and smoothies with banannas and rest is what you need, relax, if you worry it will get worse, lay around today
blessings dear girl, Penny Raine
http://www.pennyraine.com/blog
Crystal,
As a fellow mommy who loves to drink tea, something that was SO helpful to me was drinking Traditional Medicinals' Organic Mother's Milk Tea. It really helped me out a lot! I was in the hospital with severe dehydration when my oldest was a baby, and this helped tremendously. You can find it lots of places, I would think any Whole Foods or store like that. Here's a link:
http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/?id=30&pid=79
Hope this helps, and hope you feel 100% very soon!
Blessings to you ~
Wow, good advice from everyone! Having nursed 5 babies (two at once!), I would agree with aimee and say rest and time will probably solve your problems. And, Monica seems to have some great ideas, being a lactation consultant and all!
Take care of yourself, and don't stress!
I'll be praying for you.
Blessings,
Joy
YES!!!
My doctor recommended the herbal pill Fenugreek at the local drug store. It works!
I agree....time and rest....and lots of liquids....and rumor has it that oatmeal increases milk supply. It couldn't hurt, since it's healthy anyway! This happened with my second baby and I was able to overcome it with success. The 2nd time it happened, it was only one week away from when I'd planned to wean her (8 mos), so it actually made the process easier!
Good luck!
Just want to comment than Mother's Milk tea is GREAT! I'd encourage you to get some of that, if possible -- it'll be soothing for you and great for helping to increase your supply. :) You can find it at WholeFoods and/or Wild Oats. I wouldn't be surprised if maybe even Hy-Vee has it?
I also want to encourage you to keep resting. I know after being sick for a few days, it's easy to want to get up and get going right away when you feel better, but your body may need a bit more time, even if you don't realize it. Give yourself grace! :)
This happened to me a couple months ago when I had the stomach flu and couldn't keep anything down. Once I was recovered it seemed like my milk supply was down, so after soliciting advice from others, took a whole to put my feet up (as much as possible) and nurse, nurse, nurse. :-) Your body will naturally respond to the baby sucking and will make more milk as a result. I was worried that perhaps the baby wouldn't want to nurse often enough to increase the supply, since she was about eight months old at the time. However, all it took was a couple good feedings and I was back in business. :) A small pump would help, too. Don't worry! As a side note, it may just be that you don't feel as full because Kaitlynn is getting older and not nursing as often. I remember worrying that I was losing my milk as the babies got older and I wasn't getting engorged between feedings. However, they continued to be interested in nursing and thrived.
Crystal, visit this blog post. My friend Kimi tells how she made her own Mother's milk tea, and it has worked very well on many of my friends. It must be more fresh and therefore more potent than buying the tea in the box. It's also a lot cheaper!! Hope that helps!
http://womanlypursuits.blogspot.com/2007/11/homemade-mothers-milk-tea.html
I was going to post and share similar advice to that which you have already received. Instead, I'll just let you know it happened to me once too and I did the things previous commentors suggested (except the herbs and especially the oatmeal) and it all turned out fine.
BTW, it took 3 hours for your feed to show up in Google Reader!
My youngest has pretty severe CHD (congenital heart disease) and these past 6 months have had lots of nursing ups and downs-- so I know exactly the stress you are feeling. Try not to stress as it doesn't help.
Every lactation consultant and every good breastfeeding book I read say the same thing: take a "vacation day" and spend it all breastfeeding. Every time your baby seems even remotely interested in nursing, oblige. Even initiate! The rest combined with frequent feedings will result in a milk supply increase within 48 hours max. One time I wasn't producing much milk at all after a particularly stressful week and so I began pumping (my baby had yet to learn how to breastfeed at that point because of weeks in the NICU-- though praise God she is solely nursing now!) every two hours for 15 minutes. I just kept at it, even when nothing was coming! Sure enough, a day later, my milk was already much increased. A baby's suckling is even more effective than a breastpump, so I've no doubt this method works even better with baby nursing.
Yes, time will most likely cure whatever ails you. But your little one might appreciate more proactive measures. I would suggest keeping a glass of water or diluted juice near you at all times to encourage you to drink. I also take Fenugreek as I never seem to have enough milk. And lastly, pump at least once a day to let your body know it needs to get more milk going. All of this worked for me. Hope all is better soon.
Oh, I understand! I've had this happen several times with my current little nursling, and it is stressful!
But, your milk will definitely come back. It's just that being sick is so draining, and most of what you ate and drank probably went towards healing your body, rather than making milk. As the other posters were saying, just make sure that you rest, even if you're feeling better.
Whenever my milk supply starts to get low, I find that if I eat extra (especially with good protein), drink more water (more than I think I need), nurse a bit more than usual and allow myself some down time to rest, lay on the couch, etc. it comes back.
Blessings on you and little Kaitlynn! I'm sure things will be looking up by tomorrow.
be careful what's in your teas. mints will lessen your supply. too much water can have a negative effect. you've gotten plenty of good advice.
I am thankful this did not happen to me when I had the flu recently, but I will tell you what always works to boost my supply (usually it's an unwanted boost)...pumping! Especially if you turn the pump up to pump "hard", it makes me produce too much milk. It's what I would do if I had a decrease in milk supply (with this baby, I have purposely pumped as little as possible so I don't overproduce). With the nice nursing covers that came into fashion since the last baby I had, I can nurse in public much more easily, so I don't pump in advance for public situations.
Oh you poor thing! Don't worry, practically every nursing mother has been there and this will sort itself out in a couple of days!
I echo the recommendations of Mother's Milk, oatmeal, and lots of fruit and veggies. I also want to say with love - please, please rest! I know its so hard - one of the reasons I love your blog is that like you I'm a 'doer' and hate to be idle especially when there's jobs to be done!
BUT this is GOD'S way of telling you to take it easy! I know it's Monday and I LOVE to spend Mondays diving right into that housework: but your body - what a wonderous thing God's design is - is saying 'whoa!'
The beauty of being a homemaker is that we're not bound to the working world's Monday-Friday grind. If God wants you to rest, not only CAN you rest, you SHOULD rest! Cuddle your girls and play with them, ask a loving husband to get any vitamins you need from the store, and let your body repair itself! I am praying for you :)
I ditto the fenugreek. If you really want to jumpstart it, take about 8-12 tablets over the course of the day. The normal dosage is for diabetics, not nursing mommies. It will make your bodily fluids smell like maple syrup, which is a sure sign that it's gotten into your system. It takes 24-48 hours to increase supply, though. Anyhow, this is what my lactation consultant has me do (I have trouble getting my milk to come in and keeping it, etc.). More Milk Plus is great, but I have always considered it to be something for people like me with more severe problems. I would think fenugreek (plus all the great advice about hydrating, resting, nursing more often, etc.) would work fine for you.
Crystal,
You've already got all the good advice today:) I just wanted to add some good 'ole encouragement. I know how concerning milk supply issues can be, I have encountered many nursing challenges over the years. I suspect with the rest you need to get well, your milk supply will quickly return to normal.
I would nurse your little one more frequently. Don't stress over this, your milk supply will come back. God made our bodies to work beautifully!
I haven't read all the comments, so forgive me if this has already been said, but oatmeal is great for helping milk supply. If you don't like oatmeal (or even if you do), you can also try these cookies. (There are lots of variations on the internet, so you can also try googling "lactation cookies.")
I wish I would have had access to all this good advice over the last several months during the ups and downs of nursing! Most recently, earlier this month I got the stomach flu. It was the first time I'd been sick since I'd had my daughter, and she's 11 months old. Due to the effects of the stomach flu, I went an entire day of eating only about a dozen crackers, a cup of applesauce, and drinking about 16 oz of fluids (half of which was Sprite). My mom kept my daughter for me for the day so I could recover, and I pumped a couple of times to keep my milk going. Needless to say, you can't make much milk off that! The next day when I tried to go back to our regular nursing schedule, I didn't have enough milk. Since my daughter was about 11m, I decided to go ahead and drop to just two feedings a day instead of the four we were currently doing. I know that nursing is supply and demand, but my little girl will not nurse if the milk is not coming, and I mean COMING NOW! My body doesn't respond well enough to the pump, either, so I made the decision to cut back, and we have adjusted just fine. I plan to continue our current routine for as long as my body will allow. I know your little girl is a little younger than mine, so I can understand your fear in losing your feeding times. Just know that I can identify with you completely. Like others have suggested, take it easy and get your health back up. The herbal remedies are all good things to try, but I could never really tell if they were helping me. (I tried fenugreek capsules and mother's milk tea.)
Blessings to you!
Risha
Have you been able to tell a difference in yourself since you've been taking the supermom vitamins? I want to purchase them with hubby's approval but I would like to hear from someone I trust about whether or not they help.
I agree with the rest of the comments - take it easy, eat and drink lots of fluids. I would also try to get your daughter to nurse more, or use a pump if you have one to get your supply back up. Don't worry about it.
We had a similar situation when we all came down with bag stomach viruses, within a day or two, my milk was back to normal.
It's mostly supply and demand, so let her nurse as much as she will and that will help the most. Also lots of fluids. You can also try things like eating lots of oatmeal, drinking mother's milk tea, taking fenugreek, etc.
Lots of fluids, lots of rest, and lots of time with baby. She is what will make your body really start producing again after it is healed. Hormones, don't you know.:)
I had this happen when my doughter was in the nicu.(pumping alone for 2 months cannot sustain milk) I took an herb called fenugreek. You can get it at most health food stores. It helped soooo much. That combined with good nutrition, rest, and mothers milk tea saved my milk supply.
I hope this helped.
Amanda L
Everyone has already given you all the suggestions I was going to offer - specifically nurse, nurse, and nurse some more. And eat good protein with good fat (like hard boiled eggs and salmon-salad sandwiches with lots of water).
I also wanted to recommend "Breastfeeding made Simple" by Nancy Mohrbacher and Kathleen Kendall-Tackett. It has been the most encouraging book on breastfeeding and has helped work me through some of the problems I've had in my nursing journey . . .
I'll keep you in our prayers!
Sarah
Crystal, if traditional remedies mentioned above do not work, domperidone is a good last ditch effort. It is a gastrointestinal drug that stimulates the release of prolactin from the brain. You can order it online from New Zealand (or Mexico, I believe?)without a prescription.
What a wonderful support network you have here online, Crystal! Everyone is genuinely concerned and offering great advice.
The only thing I would add is that you probably were not getting enough calories over the weekend. This has happened to me, I remember quite well how my milk dried up during the flu, when I could not eat. I went on to nurse DD for 20 months. So... my best advice: go pig out! Get lots of calories and that milk should come right back.
All the advice has been great. I have struggled with low milk supply with all three of my children, so be thankful that this is just a temporary lull for you! Rest is incredibly important... do it for your little girl!
--SarahMay
Did you take Sudafed? Sudafed can decrease your milk supply. I've not experience a dramatic decrease in milk, but I have always had supply issues- just keep nursing nursing nursing nursing and more nursing. Get in bed and sleep with your baby. Let her nurse as much as possible. It will protect her from getting sick and it will keep your supply where it needs to be.
HTH!!
I know this has been said but I just want to reiterate that you have to nurse as much as you can handle to get that supply back up. Sure there is supplements out there and tea but the best way is to just sit and nurse. Pray. God gave you the desire to nurse He will supply your needs. Have patience and give it to Him and it will all get back to normal. I have had it happen and freaked out. Freaking out was not a good solution!hehe I will pray for you
Shorty
I had a similar problem when my son was seven months old and I got mastitis. I never was able to pump as much at work as I did before, but lots of nursing sessions at home and fenugeek tea made a measurable difference and he always had enough to eat (just not lots extra piling up in the freezer as it had been).
It'll all come back. Just keep on nursing your little one!
Hi Crystal,
Yes, It has happened to me too. After the birth of my second child 2 years ago, I hemorrhaged and needed an emergency hysterectomy. I tried nursing my daughter in the ICU as I recovered, but the blood loss was so severe and I was getting so many transfusions, my milk just never came in due to the shock of blood loss. I had to start from scratch and use a nursing supplementer. The milk eventually came in, but it took time and much patience and lots of prayer for my sanity!
Nursing supplementers are available through Medela and are a wonderful invention in my opinion. I put formula in the supplementer so my newborn could get nourishment and her suckling helped my milk come in. Maybe it would work for you?
If you have a pump, you can also use that for more frequent stimulation.
I know this is an extreme example, but I wanted to encourage you in the Lord that if I was able to get my milk supply up, you can too! I'm sure you got much more practicle advice from other Mamas in relation to your specific situation.
All the best and God bless you!
I'm probably just repeating what lots of people have said...but, yes, this has definitely happened to me when I was sick. It quickly resolved by drinking lots of fluids, lots of rest, and nursing a lot (on demand w/ no schedule). My lactation consultant is also a fan of oatmeal and bananas for increasing supply. Be encouraged!
I have no advice, but I will be praying for you!!!!
Leigh
Crystal, there have been many good comments and I will agree that increasing the nursing, drinking lots of fluids and resting are all very important. I will only add that my midwife has advised me to take Brewer's Yeast and desiccated liver tablets. I've nursed five little ones and nursed while pregnant many times. This does help. Ultimately, the Lord will give you and your little one what you need.
Dawne
I am in total agreement with the first comment (and I notice many more). I have nursed 4 babies and I had a hard time having enough milk with the 4th one and the pediatrician kept stressing that I get enough rest. Your body needs it in order to work and obviously 4 kids was causing me not to get much of it. I also agree with a lot of nursing since your body produces on a supply and demand basis. Then of course eat a well balanced diet and drink plenty of water.
Smiles!
Rest, rest, rest, rest, rest, rest. Your body does not have the energy to fight the virus, produce sufficent milk and do everything else. Prioritise, call on help, sort the house out next week.
Hope you feel better soon.
Crystal,
I second the suggestion for the domperidone. It will help tremendously. I have 5 kids and also have a historically low milk supply. I took it with my last baby and all I can say is "wow!" My mom's a lactation consultant and told me about it a few years ago. You can get it in the U.S., but you have to tell your doctor what you want and find a compounding pharmacy that can put it together for you. It's not as hard as it sounds. I took 30 mg 3x daily and it worked like a charm. Here's a link to Dr. Jack Newman's website explaining the whole thing in great detail. Take a look at these articles. I think you'll be pleased, and it's a fairly quick read. I have tried pumping till the cows come home, herbal remedies, (tons of fenugreek), extra sleep, extra liquids, brewer's yeast, non-alcoholic beer, etc...but nothing worked well enough until I tried the domperidone.
http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=115
http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=115
This happened to me with both of mine. What helped me was Mother's Milk Tea by Traditional Medicinals and taking fenugreek by capsule several times a day. AND drinking lots of water. Also while trying to give your depleted body some boost in nutrients try eating oatmeal prior to going to bed and then also for breakfast. I ready that eating oatmeal each morning really helps and for some reason it always helped me.
Take care of yourself and rest this week while your body gets back on track. Don't overdue it.
Many have encouraged and given you tips. I had great difficulty in nursing both of my kiddos and stressed greatly. Two things - stress can affect your supply and our Father is our El Shaddi (litterally the many brested one) so He is still your source in this area as well. Trust and don't fear - it helps tremendously! blessings to you!
I heard recently that kale was good for increasing milk, and the site included a smoothie recipe also. The rest is the copy of the recipe and directions:
Preparation:
1. The next time you're at the grocery store, stock up on bananas and kale. The kale should be dark green in color and not wilted. The riper the bananas, the better, and try to buy organic.
2. Wash the kale and tear the leaves from the stems. Toss the leaves into a seal-able freezer bag and push out any excess air before freezing.
3. Peel and chop the bananas in fourths, place into a seal-able freezer bag and push out any excess air before freezing.
This might sound time consuming, but it really doesn't take much time at all, and if you have a baby sling, your baby may enjoy helping you in the kitchen.
Recipe:
1/2 cup pineapple or pineapple-coconut juice
1/2 cup soy, rice, almond, coconut, or any variety of milk (or skip the milk and add more juice)
4 chunks (the equivalent of 1 whole) frozen banana
1 large handful frozen kale leaves
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Serves two. This shake is also great during pregnancy and for kids who won't eat their vegetables. It really does taste good!
I haven't been through this situation but with other nursing challenges I have found that sometimes I just have to surrender to the fact that nursing will be the only accomplishment of the day. Hopefully the rest for you and the extra sucking from the baby will help build up your supply again. Will be praying for you.
YES!!! I nearly lost all my milk and I had been donating too. Feed, Feed, Feed. Rest, Rest, Rest. Fenugreek is supposed to help although... the tea I drink to help with PostPartum Depression increases my milk more than Fenugreek did. The tea is very nice and very easy: equal parts lemon balm, chamomile, and lavender. Do NOT brew more than 3 minutes - it gets really bitter.
O yeah and DONT stress about it. That wont help.
Rest and Nurse! Everyone is right, your milk will come back if you rest and nurse. Maybe even try to pump if Kaitlyn gets too frustrated and gives up on nursing. May the Lord touch your body and restore your milk.
All of these comments are great!! I just wanted to also encourage you with the extra nursing and fluids, and make sure you are getting some nutrients down as well. At the end of January I had what has come to be known in our house as the "death flu" and ended up in the hospital on an IV overnight. Between the time when I was lying on the bathroom floor and on the IV, I couldn't nurse or pump for almost 24 hours (and my 10.5 month old was nursing 5 times a day at that point). My milk supply came back to normal within about 5 days and we didn't have to use any additional supplements. As my lactation consultant said, our bodies are incredibly resilient!!
You have gotten lots of good advice already...Most importantly, RELAX, rest, and drink lots of fluids. Mother's Milk Tea is great, and fenugreek is a good boost also. Kellymom.com has lots of good resources for nursing questions.
Hang in there, and feel better!!
I don't have time to look at all the other responses, but I would like to add that stressing over this can also hurt your milk supply. Try to rest in the Lord in this... and just relax... your body and your mind. Rest, feed, and don't stress over it. Your milk will come back! :)
I didn't real ALL 60 comments, so this may be redundant. I know someone already mentioned fenugreek. I say an emphatic YES to that one. (I'm nursing Baby #5 at 16 months and have been down this road before.)
Also, if you take flax seed oil, that will increase the fat content of your milk. SO, what you do make will be higher in calories.
God bless you! This, too, shall pass.
Just wanted to put in a little been there, done that advice too!
As mentioned, fenugreek and blessed thistle are herbs for milk supply. I've taken alfafa as well, and the next day I had milk galore.
One thing about herbs is your body has different needs at different times.
If you have a local herbal store, see if they can do a muscle test to see which one you need.
If you body has enough of what one particular herb offers, then the herb won't benefit you. This is where I LOVE our local herbalist.
A quick finger pull and I'm taking exactly what I need!
About the medicine mentioned for gastro issues, domperidone, I'd be leary of that.
When I had my first child, my milk was a roller coaster. 12 oz a feeding one day and maybe 2 the next.
When it would 'dry up' each month during that time, the dr. prescribed this for me. It caused excruiating stomach cramps for me and my baby!
It did help, but the physical pain it caused was NOT worth it.
Drink a lot of liquids and lots of rest. This happened to me a few weeks ago and my milk production has since been restored. Let the child nurse as often as it takes to. This helps the milk come back in faster I have been told. I also pumped in between (if you have time) to help increase the flow.
I'm sure you've already had lots of wise advice but let me encourage you by saying, yes, sickness, stress and/or fatigue can cause a decrease in milk supply. It's usually rather easy to solve by taking it easy, drinking lots of fluids and nursing more.
Hope you're feeling great again soon with lots of milk to spare!
Didn't read all the comments, but my milk supply tanked when I took a Cold & Flu or Sinus or any of those 'specialized' Tylenols. I don't know if that happened to you. I thawed some of my frozen milk for the babe and drank Traditional Medicinals Mother's Milk Tea and it came right back. Hope you find something that works.
I used Mother's milk tea that you can get at a healthfood store. I also would rest and nurse more often. Hope you feel better soon.
I'm sure you've already heard these, but my doctor recommended taking fenugreek pills and drinking Mother's Milk tea. I did both, and found that no matter what I did, I could NOT produce more than 1 ounce of milk per hour (pumping, even, so it was regularly timed). I think sleep and water more than anything else help with the supply. Try not to be discouraged. We can feel disappointed over things like that which we mostly cannot control. Just remember that you're doing very difficult and important work right now. Good luck!
Okay, i did not read all the comments so you may have already been given this advice. here it goes:
Rest, drinking an insane amount of fluids, more frequent nursing, mother's milk tea, taking garlic, fenugreek, blessed thistle. rest and fluids are the most crucial. there are so many factors: lack of rest, needing more fluids, growth spurt, teething, stress...
i think just implementing a few of these things and you will see real improvement. Happy Nursing!:) jen in al
I have to ask (if you even have time to answer :) ), what did you think of those oatmeal cookies that someone suggested you make - I'm assuming those were the cookies you talked about making . . . ? Did you use regular baking yeast? My 2nd babe quit nursing at 9 months and in hind sight I think my milk supply was lacking - I was so surprised that he quit nursing that I think I was grieving and didn't have the sense to determine there was a problem. I'm jotting down some of these ideas so hopefully I'll be better prepared for the next baby - due in August. :) Thank you! I just have to say that you look super cute in your aprons!
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