Would like to avoid supply prob this time around . . . suggestions?

[gracie3]

Baby #3 is due in less than two weeks ( ) and I would like to bf as long as possible w/o the supply probs I had with #2.  With #1, I bf until I weaned at 7 mos, but we never went to a four hour schedule- he wanted to nurse ALL the time (big 9lb 9oz at birth- always stayed large).  The constant nursing- and the spiritedness- was how I found BW (thank Goodness!).  I never had any other probs with #1.  #2 came and was/is the most angel baby ever. (lucky me).  No probs bf, and she slept through the night at about 9 weeks (i know, lucky me!!)  At about 13 weeks, she started getting fussy more often, I thought it was a growth spurt.  Then she didn't poop for a week.  Doc said it was constipation, so I gave her prune juice.  However, while at the doctors I gave her a bottle of formula, she was happy, and 3 hours later out came a normal poop. (not what you'd expect from a week long hiatus, iykwim.)  Doc said if she wasn't getting enough to eat, she would be screaming and really agitated, but she never was.  A few days go by, no poop, fussy episodes but no screaming/upset, then she got another bottle of formula from gma, and, wham! 3 hours later normal poop.  I've never been successful at pumping, but I tried during what would be her normal feeding time that day, and i could not pump ANY. Nada. zip.  I know I wasn't completely dried up b/c she was nursing at her usual times and would be satisfied right after, but fussy within an hour or two.  I immediately gave her formula for that feeding, and she was happy as could be.  The only suggestion my doc gave me was to bf, then pump and supplement with formula, but with a 2.5 yo sibling, and my lack of success previously with pumping, we went to formula.
I of course felt guilty about starving her for that week, but she was happy to be on formula, so I know that was the rigth decision.  This time around, however, I would like to keep bf as long as we both want- not because I dried up.
Any suggestions on how to ensure a good supply, while taking care of a 4.5 yo, a 2 yo, and infant and a dh?    Any supplements that were helpful? Or particular drinks or foods?  If I have a supply prob in the first few weeks I will pump, but after that I'm not sure i'd be able to keep it up.
Sorry this is so long- would really appreciate any suggestions you have!
TIA

[Carter'sMama]

Hi there!

   Congrats on baby #3!  You will definitely have your hands full!  I was never a very good pumper either.  I used to pump every day and would only get 2-4oz and I hated every minute of it!  My electric pump died so I had to use a hand pump which was a major pain.

The only thing I can suggest that you could try to keep your milk supply up is a herbal supplement called Fenugreek.  I think the bottle I have says to take up to 2-3 pills 3 times a day.  I never needed more than 1 pill twice a day to make a difference in my supply.  I think I bought it form a nutrition store in the mall.  The only side effect I experienced was that I smelled like maple syrup!!!!  Very weird!! 

You just have to make sure that you get just fenugreek.  It can come mixed with another herb (I can't remember which one) but it will actually dry up your milk supply. 

Oh I just remembered that the nurse I saw from our local Maternal Newborn clinic told me to drink a beer to increase my milk supply!!!  I personally don't like beer so I never tried it but she promised me that it would work (due to the yeast content)!  She said to just drink it at night after baby was in bed!! I suppose it is worth a try!

HTH

[JacobMarksMummy]

Make sure you drink plenty, I mean loads! Also a nap can work wonders to boost supply esp. if you take it in the afternoon. I know, its probally impossible with three kids but at the very least try and rest as much as you can. If you use up all your calories you supply will dry up as your body's first priority is you, second priority is making milk.

 I always struggled to pump but found the best time for me was at DS first morning nurse, it really helped my let down to have nursing on the other side, still I only ever managed around 3oz at the most if I was lucky.

 I also wouldn't recommend supplementing with formula as if your not using the milk in your breasts then your brain will get the message that the milk isn't needed anymore and will stop producing as much. A whole vicious circle starts of you not thinking you've got enough, supplementing with formula again etc. I have suspicions this is prob. what happened with you DC#2. Doctors and midwifes do constantly recommend formula at the drop of a hat as an easy solution but I'd think really long and hard before using it because I've heard of so many cases when using formula wasn't the answer or just mad the problem worse.

I also heard oats are good for milk supply but it might be an old wife's tale  HTH

[Samuel's mum]

It's great that you are getting prepared.
I agree with a lot of the previous advice - fenugreek, avoiding supplementing even when you feel your confidence slipping, trying to eat and drink well.
I would also say continue to get a support network in place including people you can talk to in person or preferably face to face. Find out what the hospital offers. In the hospital demand to speak to an expert and if you don't like something they say 'speak up' and ask questions (I know it's not easy being peppy when you've been through labor!). Ask them to come back again. Ask if someone can visit you at home to check your latch and ask about other resources. The hospital is a good place to lay a lot of ground work because there will be less distractions.
Contact your local LLL and say you'd like to contact a local peer mentor or leader and ask if someone be able to visit you in your home? (Either before or after labor just to check on you.)
Good Luck. Your determination will go a long way.

[LucyA]

Rather than beer (tempting though that is at times!!) you can get brewer's yeast tablets or powder. All the goodness without the alcohol. I've found it very effective. Apparently the best brand is Solgar.

[gracie3]

Thanks for the suggestions . . . . as for the formula- she hadn't had any until that doc. visit when we thought it was constipation.  I had already lost my supply. 
I will def. get the fenugreek- maybe at a Hi health store or something?  And I've already bought two cases of bottled water so I can always have one with me  .  Thanks for the help, and any other suggestions are appreciated!

[JacobMarksMummy]

Good luck, I hope it all goes well 

[caittune]

Hello!  This is my first post here, but I have been stuggling with my supply since my DD was about a week old.  I have found Dr Jack Newman's website to be very helpful.  http://www.drjacknewman.com Also kellymom.com has some good info on increasing your milk supply.  I'm finding today my supply seems to have become smaller again so out comes the pump again.    Good luck with this and congrats on #3

This is Dr Newman's writeup on herbs to increase milk supply. 

Herbs for increasing milk supply
It is quite possible that herbal remedies help increase milk supply. There are several drugs that obviously do increase milk supply, and of course it is reasonable to assume that some plants and herbs might contain similar pharmacological agents. Almost every culture has some sort of herb or plant or potion to increase milk supply. Some may work as placebos, which is fine; some may not work at all; some may have one or more active ingredients. Some will have active ingredients that will not increase the milk supply but have other effects, not necessarily desirable. Note that even herbs can have side effects, even serious ones. Natural source drugs are still drugs, and there is no such thing as a 100% safe drug. Luckily, as with most drugs, the baby will get only a tiny percentage of the mother’s dose. The baby is thus extremely unlikely to have any side effects at all from the herbs. Two herbal treatments that seem to increase the milk supply are fenugreek and blessed thistle, in the following dosages:
Fenugreek:   3 capsules 3 times a day
Blessed thistle:   3 capsules 3 times a day, or 20 drops of the tincture 3 times a day

The tincture container states that blessed thistle should not be taken by nursing mothers, presumably because of the tiny amount of alcohol the mother would get. There are some preparations of both herbs that are labelled “not for use by nursing mothers”. Don’t worry about this; these herbs are safe for the mother to take because so little gets into the milk. Teas also seem to work, but to take enough to make a difference,you will be drinking tea all day and night, since the amount of the herbs you get is much less.

Fenugreek and blessed thistle seem to work better if you take both, not just one or the other.

Fenugreek and blessed thistle work quickly. If they do work, you will usually notice a difference within 3 to 4 days of starting taking them. If not, they probably won’t work.

Fenugreek is often sold as a combination with thyme. Do not buy this combination, but try to get the capsules with fenugreek alone. Herbal remedies are not standardized, so though the bottle of fenugreek, for example, may say that it contains 405, 505, 605 or 705 mg/capsule, we do not really know how much of the active ingredient you are taking. Fenugreek has a distinct smell. If you cannot smell it on your skin, you are not taking enough, even if you are taking three capsules three times a day.

Fenugreek and blessed thistle seem also to work better in the first few weeks than later. In fact they tend to work best in the first week. Domperidone works better after the first few weeks. (See handouts 19a and 19b Domperidone 1 and Domperidone 2 for more information.)

You can take fenugreek and blessed thistle together with domperidone if you feel they are helping. If you take the herbs and domperidone, take domperidone at the same time, 3 tablets three times a day. If you are ready to stop fenugreek and blessed thistle, you can probably stop suddenly, or wean off over a week or so. Fenugreek does not cause low blood sugar. Where this rumour came from is unknown.

Other herbal treatments that have been used to increase milk supply are: raspberry leaf, fennel, goat’s rue, brewer’s yeast, alfalfa, nettle tea and many others. The effectiveness of none of these treatments, including blessed thistle and fenugreek, has been proved. Remember! Herbal treatments are only part of the solution to “not enough milk” (see protocol to increase breastmilk intake by the baby). See also the videos on how to latch a baby on, how to know the baby is getting milk, how to use compression, how to use a lactation aid, as well as information sheets on breastfeeding.