How Do I Increase My Milk Supply?

Dear Judy, I am looking for information on how one would increase their milk supply. My sister’s milk came in, but she has low supply. She has tried fenugreek, mother’s milk tea, and marathon pumping. She had her baby two weeks ago and the most she gets out is 20mls when she pumps. She can’t nurse him directly yet because he was premature and needs the warmth of the incubator….he is just 28 wks…2lbs…she is trying so hard! Any advice you can pass along would be appreciated.

Congratulations to your sister on her new baby. The first thing that you should tell her is that she is going a GREAT job! Her baby is very tiny and the 20 mls that she is pumping is probably a pretty normal amount for a baby of his size. Remember that a baby’s stomach is only as large as his/her little fist – so when they are first born, they won’t drink very much – and if they are premature, they will need even less in terms of volume. The great news is that the human body is AMAZING! Our bodies know when we are feeding a pre-mature baby and the milk that we produce for a premature baby is different than the milk that we would produce for a full-term baby. It is exactly what her baby needs!

Please tell your sister to pump consistently. Pumping at the same time every day will help her supply to develop and will give her body a schedule on which it will start to produce milk. She will also need to pump often. A baby of that size is probably going to need to eat every 1-2 hours. So she will want to pump as often as the baby eats. This will also help her supply.

For supplements, tell her to keep taking the fenugreek and to make sure that she is taking enough of it. Her skin will smell like maple syrup when she is taking enough.

Once she is able to, tell her to nurse the baby directly as often as possible. Her baby will be much more efficient than her pump at getting out her milk and the skin-to-skin contact will be good for both her baby’s development as well as your sister’s milk supply.

For additional pumping tips, please refer your sister to our “pumping tips” website where there are lots of tips and tricks for increasing your supply.

Did you have a premature baby? Please leave a comment on this post to offer additional tips for this new mom!

Help For Breastfeeding A Premature Baby

As a expecting mother one of our many fears we have is going into labor too soon. It’s on your mind, it’s something you are thinking about especially as those long ending months start showing the light at the end of the tunnel.

What do you do when you have your baby early? Of course you are going to want to feed your beautiful bundle of joy- but what if the stress, tubes, and total mental being prevents you from getting your milk flowing. Where are some places you can turn- who can you ask for help?

Request a Lactation Consultant – Yes, you do have the rights to request a visit from the hospital lactation consultant. Many have them on staff and ready to visit new moms on a daily basis. They will even show you how to use the monster of breastpump that they will provide you at the hospital. The breastpump is really not that hard to use- or scary- although hospitals tend to put them on big stands with lots of protective casing around it so it just seems so crazy and overwhelming to even look at.

Should the hospital not have a lactation consultant on staff, then have your hubby hit the net for a local La Leche League leader in your area. Better yet, find a LLL group in your area early in your pregnancy. It’s a great time for bonding, meeting other mom’s, and you’ll already be comfortable with the leaders.

Rent a Breastpump - As I stated earlier many hospitals will give you a pump to use while you are at the hospital. The hospital grade pumps are great as their suction and power is great for mimicking the natural actions of your baby and allow you to pump milk that can be feed to your baby. If you are leaving the hospital, ask about pump rentals. Should they not have a program within the hospital they will be able to connect you with a local company that offers rentals. A great place to check is your local WIC office or consignment shops.

Buy a Breastpump – Many premature babies do not have the strength needed to nurse enough to keep your milk flowing at a good level. While many others dow wonderfully at the breast, some mothers like to add in a few extra sessions with the pump. Not only is it great to keep yourself stimulated it’s also nice to have that extra milk on hand for when you may want to take a extra long bubble bath. Make sure that when you are looking at breastpumps you pick one out that is recommended for frequent use – no hand pumps please! Hand pumps are great for occasional use or for relieving engorgement but not for daily, frequent use.

Breastmilk Banks – Donation banks are a wonderful place to get breastmilk for your baby if for some reason you are not able to nurse. Even if your baby is not premature and you want to give her the best possible food you can contact a bank near you. To locate a bank near you try doing a GoodSearch.org search for “breastmilk bank, your city, your state” this is the best way to narrow down banks closest to you. One bank that has some wonderful information about donated breastmilk is Milkin’ Mamas

I would love to hear from my readers on this topic- Was your baby premature? Where you able to breastfeed your baby either at the breast or through pumping? This is such a wonderful topic to be talking about as hopefully we can take some fear away from mom’s and let them know there IS a place to turn!