Breastfeeding Moms-----PLEASE HELP!!!!

I need advice on how to increase my milk supply and getting my baby to nurse better.  I thought he was doing a good job as I've been feeding him pretty much every 2 hours and hear him get some great suck/swallows and he's been having wet and lots and lots of poopy diapers...however he's loosing weight.  Today he is 10 days old.  On the day he delivered (10/25) he weighed 7lbs 6oz and only lost 4.4oz at the hospital.  On 10/29 an at home service came and he weighed 6lbs 12.4oz.  Then on 10/31 he weighed 6lbs 12oz.  Today, the at home service came again and he was down to 6lbs 10.8oz.  She suggested I get out my pump and pump after I feed him to see how much more I get out......I'm sterilizing the stuff as I type, but dread pumping as I never had much success in the past (even with a rented professional grade pump).  I really, really, really want to exclusively breastfeed him and hate when I'm told I will probably have to supplement.  So I really need advice from you moms about how to increase my supply and how to get my baby to nurse longer so he receives more milk (as stated, I know when my let down happens and I hear really good suck/swallows....it's just after that happens that I'm wondering if his sucks are not as strong and he's not getting the hind milk).   Has anyone else experienced their baby loosing the weight, but was able to continue to solely breastfeed?  With all 3 of my other children, I had to supplement and I was hoping I wouldn't have to this time around!  I've heard of fungegreek (spelling?), but I've only seen that in capsules (the kind we don't absorb) and Mothers milk tea or something like that......do you know if there is another form of fungegreek other than capsules and do either of these really help much?  Any other products I can take to increase my supply?

yes, the product is called Fenugreek. It is most commonly found in capsules. You can also get it in seeds. There are also teas, but they are a much weaker form.

Another option, that I was also recommeded to try when I was breastfeeding was oatmeal. It is the malt, they say that works. Make yourself oatmeal, oatmeal muffins, anything with oats you can think of to eat. They even say to drink a "single" beer and that will help your milk production. Again, because of the malt in it.

I too, had horrible luck with pumping. When I asked the lactation specialist about--I told her how I had no problems 15 years ago, I was told, "honey-you were 15 years younger then!" I didn't want to be told that.

The best thing you can do is to keep the nursing up as often as possible, and I would try the fenugreek and the oatmeal/malt.

good luck--I know it sucks at the thought of supplementing.

Debbie

Well I've been eating quite a few of the no-bake cookies that have oatmeal in it.....LOL...does that count?  Woud you say the fenugreek itself is better than the Mothers Milk Tea?  Do you know if I can take both of these together and how much of each I can take?  I don't know how effective the fenugreek would be if I took it in capsules as we don't diagest them...

The funegreek worked well for me.  There is also tea you can drink, but the best way to increase your supply is to feed/pump often.  Supply and demand is what I was told.  My supply decreased when I returned to work and my lactation specialist told me to pump every 2-3 hours for a few days in addition to adding the tea or fenugreek and my supply should increase.  I did! 

The more you feed and/or pump the more milk your body will make.......

Not sure how you  feel about supplementing with formula, but when my Ryan was born he was only 5 lbs and his blood sugar was low so he had formula in addition to my breast milk.  I was lucky because he went from boob to bottle and back with no"nipple" confusion.

Good luck!

We went and bought some nursing tea at Meijer last night and then bought some mothers milk tea and fenugreek today.  I've also been pumping and supplementing an ounce of formula or breast milk after most feedings.  I've also been trying to stimulate my baby more while nursing and we've seen a better increase in wet diapers and his poopie diapers have more consistancy.....so I know he's doing much better now!  I hope to only supplement with formula for a short time!  Luckly he is taking both my breast and a bottle without problems so far!

I would definately say go with the Fenugreek. 

Here is just a little bit I got from another web site about Fenugreek. 

"It contains Flavonoids (phytoestrogens), whose action in regulating the hormonal production facilitates the development of the mammary glands which 'feed' on estrogens.  It has been known since ancient times for its galactogogue property, since it stimulates mammary glands to produce milk (as a consequence to the stimulation of the secretion of prolactin) in nursing mothers - in all other women the stimulating - or rather, balancing - action on hormones notably contributes to the development of the breast, the main receptor for estrogens in the female body."


 If you are worried about the digesting, you could take the capsule apart and mix it with food.  I know I had good luck with Fenugreek myself.  Milk Thistle only has a part of the fennel fruit in it, and isn't near as pure as Fenugreek.   As far as Fenugreek, if you want the stronger/purer--I would also stay away from the "teas".  They are much weaker.   


 

I bought some fenugeek today, along with some mothers milk tea.  I've put the powder in the tea and took it that way, which actually taste pretty good with a little bit of honey added.  I think I'm starting to see a small increase in my milk.  Baby's wet and dirty diapers have increased in quantity from nursing, pumping and supplementing an ounce here and there.

I agree that fenugreek does work. YOu can get it in powder, capsule, or tea form. It is a very common spice in Mediterranean and Indian cooking especially so you can probably find a powder or other variety of it at a specialty foods or spice aisle. In Moroccan cutlure they maye what is called rafissa, a bread and chicken type dish and it loaded with fenugreek seeds for this reason as the nursinng mother eats it within 3 days of giving birth. I also used Brewers Yeast, in two forms, one by baking in into the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation cookies (can google the recipe) and also in the capsule or powder form. To be totally honest the stuff does not taste good and I do not like it so I would take the powder and mix it into a big spoon of peanut butter, roll it in crushed nuts or cereal, and try to stomach it. The tea is a little better. I am in India right now for work for 3 months and fenugreek is everywhere...too bad cant send it to you :-)

Thanks for your advice!  I bought some fenugreek capsules today, along with some mothers milk tea and have been putting the powder in the tea, which taste good with a small amount of honey!  I also talked to a lactation consultant today that told me about a health food store that sells other varieties of fenugreek, along with blessed thistle.....so I think we will head to that store tomorrow and buy some more!  Question, do you taste the brewers yeast in the cookies?  Did the yeast work better than fenugreek?  Is the fenugreek and brewers yeast ingrediants in the cookies?  I will google the recipe!  Would you mind messaging me your recipe for the rafissa....it sounds interesting!  Thanks again!

The cookies only have the yeast in them, not the fenugreek. But I guess you could incorporate it, never tried. The brewer's yeast it the same thing that works in beer hence the benefit. as for the rafissa..below is a link, the lady who posted it has several online and she is actually an American, married to a Moroccan, but lives in Morocco for many years now. It is a tedious recipe because you have to make the flat bread and then shred it while you also do the chicken with lentils and fenugreeg, but so worth it. We usually only have it for births and other special occasions, but it is a must for after giving birth. You can leave out the fenugreek as I do sometimes, but at this time, you would want the benefit. Oh, also, do not freak out if you start smelling syrupy.sweet...that is the fenugreek...you can smell it in your skin/sweat and urine but it means it is working.

http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/Rfisa.htm