Is there anything I can do now...

The lactation cookie recipe works because the oatmeal and brewer's yeast increase your supply. I did not use these with my first daughter but have with my second now and I can tell you-there is a HUGE difference in my supply.  I can also tell a difference when I have not had the cookies for a couple days (supply decreases).  I highly recommend putting a whole bag of chocolate chips in rather than just a cup though. I also highly recommend storing them in the freezer and eating them right from the freezer-much better tasting! The brewer's yeast tastes a little weird at first but the freezing seems to help cut the beer taste a bit...Also, flatten them out slightly when you put them on the cookie sheet.

Keya,
thanks for the extra tips on the cookies.  I never made them but if I do, I will make sure I follow your info as well!

Bambi

wow - thanks! No need to twist my arm to add extra chips! lol

Is there any benefit to starting something like this a few days before you think baby is going to arrive?

Liz,
I would make the guess that eating the cookies beforehand would not help because all you're getting is the colostrum those first couple days...however, I made them ahead of time and kept them in the freezer so that as soon as we got home from the hospital I could start eating them...

Thanks! I was thinking about that. I might make them like a "slice and bake" so I can just pop them in the oven when we get home (or have someone else do it for me! lol)

Maybe I'll make a baggie of them to take to the hospital.

Thanks again!

I'm taking Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle together. Not sure how much the Fenugreek works for me but the BT helps. Today is my third day using them without missing a dose in a while (it'd been about 3 weeks before then) and I can notice a difference again. HTH

ETA: I can't swallow all those capsules in a small amount of time. So I open them and mix with enough juice to make a small shot and bottoms up! with more juice behind it. lol It tastes absolutely horrible but if I don't let it linger in my mouth then after a few seconds I'm good to go...

http://www.recipezaar.com/Oatmeal-Chocolate-Chip-Lactation-C ookies-by-Noel-Trujillo-192346


I also did the fenugreek pills, tea, and did also find a brewer's yeast tablet at a health food store. This is the ingredient in the cookies that helps in the increase of supply. I also would sometimes just cut to the chase and mix the powder in peanut butter, and eat a spoonful, it is pretty ick tasting by itself but I did not have time to make the cookies all the time. LOL
I did not do anything until after I had Emad though. I know lots of the stuff is not recommended during pregnancy. You can find fenugreek in lots of forms now. In Moroccan culture within a day of having the baby they actually make a chicken dish that is made with fenugreek and it is for this reason and to help the milk supply come in. It is popular in Indian cooking as well so you can find it at Indian stores as well. Beware though, you will start to smell like a syrup factory after a while..lol

One site I looked on said that if you don't smell like maple syrup then you aren't taking enough of it! lol

LOL that is so true! I drink three cups of Mothers Milk tea a day, and my husband often tells me that I make him crave waffles! I don't really smell it anymore because I am used to it, but I bet the people at the gym wonder about me LOL

With the breastfeeding, read all the FAQ's on the La Leche League website, it will give you a very good idea of what is and isn't myth about breastfeeding.

You SHOULD NOT try any of the lactation teas or herbs while you are pregnant, as some have ingredients that are harmful during pregnancy. Afterwards, Mother's Milk Tea (you can find this in most Stop N Shop's or Food Lion's) is good, as is Abundent Milk Tea. The lactation cookies really do work, but you have to make sure you use BREWERS YEAST when cooking them, regular yeast is not going to cut it.

Some of the books I liked where anything by Dr. Sears, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (very strightforward about nursing), and my fave breastfeeding book is So That's What They're For: Breastfeeding Basics.

Another thing I always reccomend is for women to start using a nipple cream (like Lanosh) well before they give birth to start conditioning the nipples to avoid dryness.