How Long Until the Milk Supply Increases?

Hi Jennifer. I had really low milk supply. My doctor told me to take that, too. I tried and I guess it helped a little. I drink it like I'm drinking water. I felt at least it kept my milk supply going everyday. I hope it helps you. Good luck!

When I used mother's milk tea my milk supply increased the next day. I also noticed that regular, black tea increased my milk supply but coffee decreased it. My lactation nurse told me that mother's milk tea didn't work well for a lot of women, but I never had major issues with milk supply, so maybe that's why it worked for me. Just for what it's worth. I'm sure the internet has good information about increasing milk supply, too.

I have taken fenugreek by itself, and it was not very effective in increasing my milk, but when I took it with another herbal supplement called Blessed Thistle I got almost immediate results. I took 3 of each pill 3 times a day. The other big key is to drink a lot of water, especially when taking the pills, and nursing or pumping more often. Good luck!

Hi Jennifer -

Not sure if you know any of these things, but here are some tips I've learned along the way having nursed 4 babies:
1. Watch your level of activity/stress while nursing (can cause decrease in supply); sometimes over-doing it with exercise can reduce supply.
2. Minimize substitute feedings (bottles, etc.)
3. Drink plenty of water (even if you don't feel that thirsty)!
4. Don't schedule feedings - nurse frequently.
5. It's helpful to co-sleep while nursing because the baby can nurse during the night, which keeps up the supply around the clock.

Mother's milk tea is pretty good, but some moms have to drink A LOT of it in order to see improvement. Fenugreek capsules worked best for me - I took 3 capsules 3 times a day and saw increase in supply by the end of the second day.

Birth control pills (even the mini pill) can decrease supply. I had a severe reduction in milk supply within a week of being on the mini pill, and it was very traumatic for me and my baby because my baby was only 2 months old at the time. I had to pump and take fenugreek intensely for 3 days in order to get my supply back up. My OB at the time had no idea that the mini pill could cause this, so just be aware and be careful.

My favorite breastfeeding info site is www.kellymom.com.

Blessings to you and your baby!
J.

What worked best for me was Quinoa. It's a grain (sort of like rice or wheat) but it is really high in protein and amino acids. You cook it like rice or oatmeal. I bought it in the bulk section of my local grocery store in one of those bins. Not three hours after eating it, I was completely engorged! My lactation nurse recommended it to me and I was absolutely amazed by how fast it helped my milk supply. It worked so great for me, I wish you luck!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa
Also, I'm not sure why, but I think eating a cup of yogurt each morning helped me too. I wish you the best!

Hi Jennifer,

The Mother's Milk Tea worked OK for me but not the best. I did double doses of it, steeping two teabags together. It could take some time, though. I got a mastitis infection when my son was 4 months old, my milk supply dropped overnight, and I'm not even kidding. I went to the straight Fenugreek. Taking that, and nursing and pumping ALL THE TIME finally got my milk back up, but it took about three weeks. Rest is very important. Sometimes I would noticed more of an engorged feeling after a good nap, though I haven't been truly engorged for some time now. Also, stress is a biggie. I did finally get my milk back up (Though stil not totally to what it was before the mastitis) and earlier this month went thru a bout of alot of personal stress. I've noticed another decrease since then. I'm downing the fenugreek again, and may also try the Blessed Thistle another poster mentioned.
So just keep it up, it may take a bit. But it's worth it.

Best wishes,
A.

Just wondering how you know that your supply is low? If you can nurse as much as possible then it usually takes a few days to a week to increase supply.

visit www.lowmilksupply.org or call Nursing Mothers Counsel or Oregon. ###-###-####

It usually works within a couple days. I freaked out about my milk supply when I returned to work and started taking More Milk Plus, which includes Fenugreek. It actually didn't work for me. So, then I tried More Milk Special Blend and it works great. It was working within a couple days, and now, if I forget to take it for a day, I start to notice. Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive, but cheaper if you take the liquid instead of the pills. The cheapest place I found was Luckyvitamins.com. Good luck!