OMG! Beer works!

[Pod4One]

WOW! My supply has been dwindling over the past week or two and I've become increasingly frustrated over it. I used to pump 8oz in the morning then another 4-ish in the afternoon which was good (enough, atleast). Then it slipped to 4oz in the morning and 2-3 in the afternoon. I tried to drink more water, pump longer, take domperidone - nothing was helping a whole heck of a lot. I discovered Blue Moon (beer) topped off with Chambord is very yummy so I started having one a night.

I noticed yesterday that I felt like I had more milk, and I woke up this morning SURE that I had more milk. My right breast actually hurt! I just pumped a solid 10oz! Woo-Hoo! I feel so uplifted now; my supply is back!

I think it's the beer!

Now, my cycle hasn't returned (to my knowledge) but I do have Mirena so I guess it could have : I haven't noticed any changes in my body to indicate ovulation.

I can't believe it worked - anyone else use beer to up their supply?

[KLM99]

With my first, my midwife and lactation consultant told me rich, hearty beer and oatmeal were great milk producers. She suggested a glass of really good beer every day (like not that light beer crap, I mean really good thick beer). It really did seem to help for me too. I'd notice that my supply would dip if I hadn't drank it in a week or so, and I would make sure to have some after I got sick or something and my supply would come back up. Who knows if it was really the beer, but it sure is delicious

[EMS]

This is very interesting. I'd always heard this but didn't know if it was really true. I'll have to try, although unfortunately there's no dark beer here. I wonder if light will work?

[KLM99]

Originally Posted by EMS

This is very interesting. I'd always heard this but didn't know if it was really true. I'll have to try, although unfortunately there's no dark beer here. I wonder if light will work?

I don't think it's necessarily just dark beer, but I'd say go with something other than your typical (typical to me since I'm in the US that is!) Miller Light, Bud Light, etc.

[GoestoShow]

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Edited by GoestoShow - 12/13/10 at 9:59am

[KLM99]

Originally Posted by GoestoShow

Not for all of us it doesn't.

Eh, just like anything else, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. And as mentioned, it might not be the beer, but just coincidence - but who am I to say someone shouldn't enjoy a beer if it seems to be doing the job?

[_betsy_]

I got a little grief from my BIL yesterday for having a beer at DD1's birthday party because I'm "still" nursing DD2 (8 months). I told him it was good for supply and he shut up about it.

A few minutes later he said he was stunned to hear beer could increase supply, and what else worked? I told him I eat oatmeal almost every morning and notice a huge difference when pumping at work on the days I don't eat oatmeal. Like 2-3 ounces, which isn't a huge amount to everyone, but it's the difference between having to break into the dwindling freezer stash or not most nights.

I don't notice any difference with beer, but I do with oatmeal. Some women respond to both, one or neither.

[SophieAnn]

My goodness my Guinness!

[Drummer's Wife]

That is great! My mom is a MW and would tell me to drink a good, dark beer. I think part of it is the relaxation effect, which allows let down to happen easier and the millk to flow.

[leaveit2beeker]

Originally Posted by SophieAnn

My goodness my Guinness!

amen

[KLM99]

mmmmm....now I'm really excited about nursing. My number one pregnancy craving has been beer

[Masel]

I'm having happy thoughts about a locally produced oatmeal stout. Just a few more weeks!

I've looked up the studies on this before and apparently the non-alcoholic beers such as O'Douls work as well if one is concerned about that.

[Pod4One]

Originally Posted by KLM99

Eh, just like anything else, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. And as mentioned, it might not be the beer, but just coincidence - but who am I to say someone shouldn't enjoy a beer if it seems to be doing the job?

That's where I'm at. I don't care why my suuply surged - just glad it did! And being happy about it will help me relax and make it that much better. Not everything works for everyone. Oatmeal doesn't do it for me and the Mother's Milk Plus didn't seem to help (although fenugreek did last time). I've tried domperidone with limited success.

Is it the beer?
I dunno.
Do I care if it was or wasn't?
Not really

Jennifer

[JessieBird]

My MW said the key is that the beer be "yeasty" - could be dark or light. I'm no connoisseur so have no idea what a yeasty beer is but she recommended Hoegarten (pale) and mmmm.... When DS was born, my milk came in at a trickle and wasn't at full flow until day 6. I was prescribed one beer a day. I'm a super slow drinker so never felt worried or guilty about it. I'm not sure that the beer helped at all but it was a wonderful treat!

My British cousins say that the only alcohol served in their hospitals is beer for nursing moms of newborns. Mind you they're rate of alcohol consumption is scary high compared to ours here in Canada...but let's not go there!