Mothers have been breastfeeding their young since the beginning of time. Generally speaking, breastfeeding goes well. Sometimes though, breastfeeding mom run into issues. One of the most common problems is low breast milk supply.
With all the pressures that moms have on them in this day and age, it's not surprising that they don't have all day to devote to strictly breastfeeding. At the same time, this can hurt their milk supply. To make breast milk, you have to breastfeed or pump often.
Present day moms have all types of resources available to them including modern day medicines and breast pumps. In the past though, breastfeeding moms didn't have these things. Yet they managed to breastfeed successfully. I'm sure that they had many of the same issues we did. Somehow though they were able to make enough breastmilk without using modern day medicine.
Fenugreek seeds is one of the most well-known products to use when experiencing low breast milk supply. And our ancestors knew just how well herbs such as these worked. Fenugreek seeds have been used traditionally to increase breast milk supply, and they are still recomended and used to this day because of how well it works. Even wet nurses in the past were known to use these herbs to increase milk supply due to having to breastfeed more than one baby.
Fenugreek seeds is generally the first product breastfeeding mothers try when experiencing low milk supply. It's also the most recommended by lactation consultants. For some moms though, they don't give the increase in milk supply that they need. At this point, it's time to try a combination of herbs. A great product to try is Breastea.
When breastfeeding moms use a combination of herbs, they work off each other. This gives the breastfeeding mom with low milk supply their best shot at increasing it. This is assuming that mom is breastfeeding or breast pumping often. Without breastfeeding or breast pumping often, mom will find that her milk supply keeps dropping until there is nothing left. To make milk you have to breastfeed or pump every 2 to 3 hours.
If you are breast pumping, make sure to use an electric breast pump. The best possible one is a hospital grade breast pump. You can rent these at your local medical supply store for about $40 a month. Many times your insurance company will cover these. If you plan on pumping, you need to use a breast pump that will effectively pump the breastmilk out. Otherwise, you are just wasting your time and money.
Steps to increasing breast milk supply;
1. Breastfeed (or pump) often. Don't go over 3 hours during the day or 4 hours overnight without breastfeeding or pumping. Skipping even one time will hurt your milk supply. For best milk supply possible, simply breastfeed as often and as long as baby wants.
2. If you are experiencing issues with milk supply, make sure to talk to a lactation consultant. They are trained to help breastfeeding moms. If you are experiencing low milk supply due to bad latch, etc, they can help you to get baby latched on right.
3. Make sure to continue taking your prenatal vitamin. Get plenty of fluids, food, and rest.
4. If experiencing low milk supply, consider taking fenugreek seeds. Even better, use a product like Breastea that contains several herbs recommended for increasing milk supply. If you try the Fenugreek Seeds and don't see an increase in milk production within a week, move on to a product that contains several herbs. Many moms have increased breast milk supply by using a combination product. Most moms don't realize that when you are using an herbal product, you have to use it often. Don't skip!
5. Be dedicated to increasing your milk production. Give your body time to increase breastmilk supply.
All kinds of circumstances and situations can cause low breast milk supply. If you are experiencing it though, don't automatically give up breastfeeding. If your low milk supply is due to simply not breastfeeding enough, then start breastfeeding more. During this time, you might start using herbs like Fenugreek Seeds or Breastea until you get your milk supply back up.
By: Amy Smith - About the Author :
Amy is a lactation professional who has worked with many breastfeeding moms.
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