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Breast feeding! Oh, the wonderful world of breastfeeding! Are you on the low milk train? Wondering how to increase milk supply fast?
How To Increase Milk Supply Breast Pumping
You are in the right place mom. You see, I struggled a lot with low supply when I was nursing my first child (more on that below).
Increasing Breast Milk Supply
I’ve tried so many things to get my milk supply going and I’m happy to share each one I’ve tried with you.
Because if you’re on the low supply train like I was, I know you’re willing to do what you can to help.
Some of the things I’ve used have worked, some not so much, some have worked briefly, some have been flat out.
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Breastfeeding is definitely on the rise in today’s society, which is great. The CDC’s most recent report, published in 2016, states that currently 81.1 percent of all babies born that year were either breastfed or formula fed at some point. That’s crazy high.
Helpful over formula usage. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding up to 6 months of age.
After 6 months, solid food should be introduced and breastfeeding should be continued in combination until the child’s first year. After this important moment, mother and baby can continue to breastfeed for as long as they both want.
Breastfeeding provides a protective effect against respiratory diseases (including bronchitis, viral diseases and pneumonia), ear infections, gastrointestinal diseases and allergies, including eczema, atopic dermatitis and asthma.
Low Milk Supply? 10 Proven Ways To Increase Your Milk Production
It has been shown to reduce SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) by approximately 15-30 percent and also reduce the chance of lifelong obesity.
You can see how strong breast milk is for our babies. So what’s wrong with this picture? This is hard!
Pssst… guys. While you read…if you’re really on the anti-pump/breastfeeding bus (like I was for longer than I should have), check out this online breastfeeding course from Milkology.
It’s super cheap (only $29) and packed with everything you’ve ever wanted to know about breastfeeding/expressing. You can read my full review of the class here 🙂
How To Pump More Breast Milk
Breastfeeding my first child was quite a journey. I struggled with low milk supply the entire time I was breastfeeding and needless to say, I was stressed from the start. I’m just obsessed with it all the time.
You see, as a midwife and nurse I have cared for many nursing mothers in their first hours of breastfeeding.
And while I knew breastfeeding was hard, I had no idea how much it took over your life until I went through it myself. It’s basically a full-time job and it takes a lot out of you physically, mentally and emotionally.
Has my son received formula? You’re damn right about it, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. From the beginning I had problems with lack of milk. He has lost a little more weight and according to his pediatrician I need to put him on formula to help him regain some of the weight he lost.
Power Pumping To Increase Milk Supply
After introducing formula for the first few days of his life, I ended up adding 1-2 4 oz bottles of formula a day for most of his life until we started whole milk on his first birthday.
And even though I say I’m not ashamed to admit it, I resent myself for it. I was angry with myself for not exclusively breastfeeding him in the beginning because maybe my breast milk would have been better.
I felt guilty. Maybe I should have tried harder? Maybe I should have pulled more. I envy other moms who have oversupply issues, I wish I knew what it felt like to be super committed and pull 6-8oz at once every time.
Okay, let’s get to the list. I rated all techniques 0-10. Zero is a complete waste of my time, ten is the best thing I’ve tried. ?
Proven Tips To Boost Your Breast Milk Supply — Beyond Birth Collective
However, I want to give this assessment with a big reservation. What works for me may not work for you, and what doesn’t work for me may work very well for you.
Increasing your milk supply will take some trial and error. And that will require persistence and dedication.
I can’t tell you how much water I’ve drank over the past year trying to get my supplies. The truth is, if you are dehydrated, you will not produce an abundance of milk. I definitely saw an increase on the days I ran to the bathroom more.
So the theory behind Gatorade is that in order for your body to produce milk, your electrolytes need to be in check. Someone whose electrolyte balance is disturbed (such as someone who is dehydrated) will not have a large amount of milk.
Surefire Pumping Tips To Increase Your Breast Milk Supply
By pumping extra electrolytes and water into your system, your body can return to normal and start producing lots of milk again.
Well, if you really don’t have an electrolyte imbalance to begin with, just chugging Gatorade isn’t going to do your milk ducts any good.
The score is slightly lower than water, only because I felt that water did the same thing, and frankly, Gatorade is full of sugar.
This is another one that won’t help you much if you’re not eating enough protein. At least it wasn’t for me. There’s a bit of confusion, but from what I’ve gathered, breastfeeding moms actually need about 65-75 grams of protein per day (Read all about breastfeeding here).
The Secret Behind Power Pumping To Increase Milk Supply: An Ultimate Guide For Working Moms [free Printable] • Professional Momma
Breastfeeding mothers use much more energy to produce milk. Protein is the building block of your entire body, along with adequate carbohydrate intake.
So the theory is that maybe moms with low supply issues don’t get enough protein, which is why they need more burgers and steaks. Or the protein shakes I made. I felt a little more energetic, but did that help my breast milk? No, not quite.
Okay, I admit I totally had that idea. If I have to make more milk, why don’t I drink more milk, right? Well, it doesn’t really work.
I’m going to give this one a fighting chance because I think my milk supply increased right after eating a ton of brewer’s yeast. You can bake lactation cookies, make smoothies or mix it with other food.
How To Increase Breastmilk Supply
I will say it has a pretty strong flavor so cover it up well. These cookies are definitely my favorite. However, this did not affect milk supply in the long run. As soon as I stopped consuming, I saw a drop.
? Brewer’s yeast is somewhat difficult to find. I got mine from a health food store, but you can also order from Amazon.
And Mommy Knows Best Nursing Cookies contains brewer’s yeast (along with a bunch of other things that increase supply). More below or check them out here (LIESEL10 gives you 10% off).
This is so popular. Oatmeal is a lactagogue and is recommended by lactation consultants worldwide as one of the best ways to increase milk supply.
Power Pumping To Boost Milk Supply (& 3 Secret Tips)
Eat a lot, they say. I think it helped increase my milk supply a bit, but the amount I had to take was crazy. It didn’t turn out to be very useful for me, so it doesn’t get a high rating.
But I have heard miracles and it might work for you. The truth is, I’ve eaten so many oats over the past year, I’ve gotten pretty sick of them, and I think my relationship with oats has been permanently damaged. #ripquakers
Coconut oil has a lot of fat soluble and guess what breast milk is made of. Too much fat. That’s the idea behind it.
Don’t worry, I didn’t eat it right out of the tub. I’ve been using it more as a substitute for butter or other oils I cook/bake with.
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List what it has to do with parenting, motherhood, or children without mentioning coconut oil. ?
It really touched me. Whether it’s in smoothies, crackers, or baking bread, chia seeds have become popular over the past decade. They have a bulking effect, so dieters like them because they help you feel fuller for longer. They are also believed to increase breast milk as they are an excellent source of nutrients. I personally liked them.
I tried a few different recipes and this was my favorite. Nursing Cookies are basically a combination of several foods I’ve already described (mainly oats and brewer’s yeast).
They are also very tasty and let’s be honest, you need a few cookies for breakfast after being up all night
Power Pumping: Fast Track Your Way To Increased Milk Supply
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