Trying to Breastfeed and Formula Feed

What about pumping for ten minutes extra after you run dry on each side. That should help more than pumping more often. There are also herbs like fenugreek.

i used a supplement called more milk plus which is supposed to help milk production. i am pretty sure it did. i am sure a lactation specialist could advise you as whether it could help you. my OB also put me on a medication to help up my milk supply aswell. hope that helps a bit.

I have an 8 month old as well, and have had issues with milk supply for a while now. I am currently drinking Mother's Milk Tea 3-5 times a day and it seems to be working. It takes a while to get used to the taste of the tea, but it does work. With fenugreek (another herb I have tried) you need to take as many capsules you can until you start smelling like maple syrup, and then keep it at that dose for a few weeks. But to really get it to work well you need to mix several herbs together, thus the tea works well as it is made up of several herbs.

After 3 months of nursing my milk supply began to diminish. My doctor prescribed me reglan to incease my milk supply Which really helped. I also went and bought fenugreek (a natural supplement to increase milk supply) The kind of pump that you are using can also greatly increase of decrease your milk supply. Some pumps are specifically designed to help increase your production. Most hospitals also have lactation consultants that can help you as well. They will weigh your baby before you nurse him and then after to see how much milk you are truly producing. Pumping (with the right pump) or letting your baby nurse more (even if you are empty you can still let him suck because that can help increase production) can really help as well. Hope things work for you!

If you can I would definately nurse from the breast as often as you can. It will produce more milk in the long run. I have been pumping since week 6 and I know that I never fully deflate my breast with just the pump to trigger more milk production. Also to really get it going (pumping and stock) I try to pump one breast while I nurse my son on the other. You'll yield more pumped milk. Football hold is really helpful for a hand held and cradle hold works for an electric.

I almost lost on the bf'ing front when I got my first period and I was sooo stressed out about it... so my number one piece of advice is to stay calm relax and visualize the win. Visualize your milk production and release.

When I went thru my ordeal I tried everything anyone could recommend. In the long run the teas and herbal mixes would help for a day or two and then almost seemed counter active. I would stay away from the teas.

Fenugreek was great. It was recommended by a la leche league leader to take 4500 mg a day or 3 capsules 3 times a day. I really like the Wild Harvest brand.

Then on another mommy board someone recommended oatmeal. I was overwhelmed and just sure our bf'ing days would over that I dismissed it thinking something as simple as oatmeal could never help in my huge issue. Wanting a warm cereal for break feast I had some oatmeal. Only bc I had the taste for it. Well low and be hold I pumped 4 oz out of each breast and still felt plump. OATMEAL OATMEAL OATMEAL!!!! The best part is....oatmeal cookies count!!

So the kind of pump you are using really matters. If you're using hand held I highly recommend spending the money on an electric pump. I love my Medela pump in style. This is real important for a working mom!!

So moving from 20 hours to 40 hours my stock has run really low. A friend read about this: Start pumping on 1 breast when you feel the let down move the pump to the opposite breast. This triggers more milk production. I tried this for the first time tonight. Maybe tmi but I have my "friend" again and when ever she comes my supply goes down. So this worked as just the xtra boost I needed. I had to put my finger over the nipple I started the let down with to stop it from overflowing. I pumped a good quick oz and saw it slowing down so I chngd breast. I got another quick oz and it slowed so I switched breast again. I wound up with a solid total 4 oz in about a half hour. It took longer but I got more. Every time I went back to the other breast the flow was strong. I normally would get just 2 1/2 oz in one and then maybe one and a half on the other dual pumping. I like the technique and will do it at home to not go over so much on my breaks at work.. which brings me to my next point.

Pretty sure all employers these days are required to provide women with a private room (not the bathroom!) for pumping and extended breaks. The time extended on breaks or extra breaks are to be made up by the employee.

Solely pumping will decrease your milk supply. If you try to nurse at least once twice a day you milk supply should increase at least a bit. When I returned to work full time at 6 months pumping & nursing kept my milk supply up great. However when my sone self weened at 10 months pumping alone only worked for 4 months. After that time I just could not get more that 1/2 oz at each pumping. No pump can stimulate milk flow as well as a child can.

There is also tea made by Traditional Medicinals called Organic Mother's Milk that helps.

Hi M.
You Have done well nursing your little boy 6 months. Many mothers don't make it that long. I was one of them. I beat myself up thinking I was a bad mom becuase I couldn't get enough milk for my baby boy. He was 9 lbs 14 oz at birth and one hungry boy. I couldn't possibly nursed him 6 months. My doctor reassured me that since He had had my first milk the first month of birth, he would do just fine on a bottle. so my advice to you is don't beat yourself up over this. You have done great things with two other children and you will do great things with this one. Possibly you feel guilty because you have to go back to work???
don't! You have to do what you have to do and God Loves you for the love you give your little ones and the dedication you give to them in quality time.
hugs to a conscientious mom.
j

Pumps do not stimulate milk production like the natural suckling of your baby. If your baby is still wants to you should keep up nursing during the times that you are home, like morning, bedtime, during the night maybe, to keep your supply up and then just pump during the times that you are away, while at work, etc. Most employers around here are pretty flexible with allowing you to take an extra pumping break duing the day in addition to your lunch break.
I would also recommend the Mother's Milk tea made by Traditional Medicinals (they have it at Smiths) and also the book Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susan Weed (they have it at the Herb Store). The book gives great advice on using herbs and tinctures to increase milk supply. Good Luck.

I have two children 10 and 6 and both I nursed until after a year old and did this with a full time job with no formula suppliment. I guess it seems as if you are on the right track, the thing to remember is you supply what they are eating. The more formula you give the less you will supply. I don't know if you nursed your 3 year old too but I had a big difference in the amount of milk I had between my two. My first one I could pump 16 ounces in a sitting and would throw milk away. He also did not sleep through the night until about nine months. So I fed more often. My second one slept from about 8:00 at night until 8:00 the next morning from day one. So I would go a lot longer in between and towards the end before she was a year I had a hard time I would be up during the night (while she slept away) pumping to get enough for the next day. Maily I was determined and had to pump more often and there were times on the weekends I would have to pass things up because I needed to be there because I needed that milk for while I was at work. But it is so woth it and I know what your going through. Is there a way to go with out the formula? That might help you. Good luck and keep going, C.

You may want to consult a lactation specialist in your area. I'm not sure it's true but I've heard it's harder to keep the milk supply up while just pumping. Maybe you could let him nurse just a night and in the morning to see if that helps.