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Breastfeeding three little boys, I’ve been through some ups and downs in my milk supply, and I’ve learned exactly what to do if milk supply drops, and you need to increase it back up fast. I nursed my last baby easily for 20 months, and I could’ve gone longer, but I felt like it was time to wean. In the years that I have breastfed, and even with my most recent breastfeeding stint of 20 months, I was able to keep my supply up and healthy, even if it dipped a bit. Here are the 5 steps I would take to increase my milk supply fast.
First, Nurse, Nurse, Nurse:
Get that baby on the boob. It is as simple as that. I recently took a course that taught me so much. There is a lot to know on breastfeeding including how to tell if your baby is getting enough milk, what your breast milk is made of and the fastest ways to increase your supply. I highly recommend this course for new moms because even as an experienced mom, I was stunned by the simple tips and tricks I never new. In the course, I learned the importance of output, among other gold nuggets of information. By keeping your baby nursing as much as possible, you can really get your milk going. The biggest struggle in the beginning is keeping baby awake while nursing. That was hard for me, but what I did was tickle their feet. I would take off booties or socks and tickle their feet to wake them back up. Then, as I switched sides I tried to get them awake too. This will help them increase the demand, thus your supply.
You can also work on a better pumping schedule if you are working and need help pumping. This breastfeeding and pumping schedule is a great start!
Second, drink some tea:
The Fenugreek drinks worked wonders for me. I found it would increase my supply the same day I drank it. This one and this one are both great and actually worked. Lots of mamas swear by the liquid gold tea too. It is super important to find a supplement that works for you, so if you are in a situation where you have to go back to work, and you can’t nurse as much, or you need to leave baby for a bit, you can keep that supply up with supplements during that time. You can also drink my Milk Dust protein powder, which also nourishes mama and baby with essential nutrients and helps curb sugar cravings. Use code: JOYFUL for 10% off your first order!
Get a milk-boosting protein powder:
Protein powders are now made with milk-boosting properties that really help boost milk supply. Start each day with an awesome lactation protein shake, jump on this free lactation protein shake challenge, and you will be amazed at how much this works! I highly recommend this protein powder for the specific lactation-boosting herbs, nutrients for postpartum healing and awesome taste! Just read the reviews, and you’ll see mamas are increasing their milk supply and even losing weight!
The 8 BEST Lactation Protein Shakes For Pumping Up Your Milk Supply While Losing The Baby Weight
Try co-sleeping:
Part of the reason my supply always increased quickly, or stayed super strong is because I nursed on demand. Co-sleeping is not for everyone, and this little sleeper is a great way to keep it safe, but you can definitely try it just a few nights to get your supply back up. By keeping baby close to you, you will keep the chemicals and pheromones strong, which communicate for supply, as well as allow baby to nurse more in the night, thus producing more milk.
Eat more nutrient-dense foods:
I can literally talk for hours how important eating nutrient-dense foods are. I even created a whole postpartum nourishing, healing and weight loss program to help mamas learn to eat the right foods to heal and keep their milk supply up, while also strengthening their core and pelvic floor. We also go over counting calories while breastfeeding, so you can safely lose the baby weight without losing your milk, and I have cardio and Pilates workouts to get you burning calories and fat. When you give your body enough nutrients, you are giving your body the building blocks it needs to create milk. You milk is also like a chameleon. It adapts to various needs of your baby, and without having enough nutrients, it makes it more difficult for your body to produce the milk your baby needs. Foods that will help your body are sweet potatoes, lean protein, broccoli, spinach, oatmeal, nuts…think of healthy carbs, protein and fat. Things that come from animals and the earth, not packages.
Talk to a lactation consultant:
Luckily, I never needed to do this, but I do have experience with lactation consultants in the hospital. With my first born, because he was my first, it did take some time to get a latch. I was in awe at how easily they helped me get my baby to latch, and I needed their help the first couple of hours or so. Lactation consultants really know their stuff, and I highly recommend reaching out to one nearby if you can. They can advise you on so many things!! The course I took is a lot cheaper than seeing a lactation consultant, and gives you a lot of the information they do, but there is definitely a value in having someone come over and work with you one on one.
2 Comments
I love all the tips mentioned and I agree with everything you’ve listed, especially co-sleeping. I am a big fan of co-sleeping for the infant and child’s healthy development and breast feeding. Since I’m Egyptian, I was given Moghat to drink to increase breast milk. Here’s all about it: http://www.thechic.us/increase-breastmilk-supply-fenugreek/
Good luck to all mamas reading this post, you’ll make it! 🙂
You are doing amazing work! Thanks for sharing your wonderful posts.! 👍 I think the combination of drinking more water and domperidone had the best effect. Until I started the domperidone my baby may well have fed on blood from a stone. We tried the skin-to-skin, the constant feeding, the teas, the massages, but basically my milk never came in in sufficient quantity. Just as I was about to quit, a friend suggested domperidone (So happy 😊 I googled “Getdom2bf” and got Dom). I was able to stop the domperidone after a while and supply held more or less steady.