What you eat and breast milk

[CarrieCo]

Do you notice if certain things you eat directly effect your milk production? I've heard oatmeal and beer....but I eat oatmeal everyday and I don't notice any extra supply. Maybe a couple of times I noticed something when I ate rye chips? I'm drinking the Mothers Milk Tea, and still don't notice anything extra.

I have twins. Nursing one and bottle feeding the other. I wish I could pump for the bottle fed baby, but I just can't pump often enough for an extra supply. Ugh! I really wish breast milk wasn't something that has to be maintained!! I wish it was just there when you need it!

[MissRubyandKen]

Is there a reason the second baby can't nurse? Because if he can then that would be the best way in most cases to boost your supply. I have never been able to pump much at all. I had more luck hand expressing the opposite breast while baby was nursing. Because the baby helps with let down the milk was more willing to come out. In most cases the more milk that comes out, the more milk will be made.

[CarrieCo]

Yes, the other baby has a minor tongue tie that I can't find a doctor to fix. So, do you find that any foods you eat effect your milk supply?

[MissRubyandKen]

Originally Posted by CarrieCo

Yes, the other baby has a minor tongue tie that I can't find a doctor to fix. So, do you find that any foods you eat effect your milk supply?

Sorry! I should have mentioned no, I haven't noticed a boost from foods, even oatmeal. I mentioned the increased nursing because that is the only thing I've noticed boosting my supply. I mentioned the hand expressing (probably could work for pumping if you could wrangle it, awkward though) while nursing because that is the only way I can get out more than a tiny bit when expressing. I have no experience with tongue tie, I wish I could give some helpful advice. Have you tried posting about the tongue tie or asking someone from LLL maybe?

[CherryBombMama]

oatmeal only slightly increased my milk.

every once in a while i will CRAVE (cow) milk, and drink a whole gallon in 2 days ... im guessing its the liquid intake, not just the milk, that makes makes it happen, but my supply would signficantly be higher than when not drinking so much.

also, coffee or hot chocolate at night (they calm me) would make me wake up so engorged!

and yes, beer (Coronas for this girl!) def would help for one pumping session lol

[ExuberantDaffodil]

for me, a dark beer helps me let down -- it doesn't seem to actually increase what I produce. Fenugreek helped my supply when I was nursing my son, but this time around battling low supply with my daughter, I don't notice any increase taking fenugreek. However, I have noticed an increase when I pop lots of alfalfa capsules. When I was frantically trying to increase my supply so that I could breastfeed exclusively, I would pump after every nursing (and get very little but at least stimulate supply) and sip a dark beer in the evening while hooking myself to the pump. I took 2 alfalfa caps three times a day, drank a shot of lactation tonic twice a day (I use this brand because it's available at my health food store) and took homeopathic ignatia amara three times a day. Honestly what I saw helping the most was the alfalfa, so I think the combination I was working with helped my supply.

Now that I can breastfeed exclusively, I just take two alfalfa caps every evening with my prenatal vitamin and fish oil caps. If I know I need to pump because I have to leave the baby for a couple hours (I work 2.5 hours, twice a week), I take extra alfalfa, a couple fenugreek, and drink a beer while I pump (for the evening pumping session, not the morning ).

I still can't pump extra or have a back up supply in the freezer because I seem to make exactly what she needs, when she needs it and not a drop more, but I at least got my supply up to what she needs.

Hope this helps!

[MissRubyandKen]

CarrieCo-

I do find, like some of the other posters, making sure to drink lots of liquids (mostly water for me) does impact my supply noticeably.

Also wanted to mention I just saw there is another thread started where a mom is having a hard time finding a doc to help with tongue tie. There are lots of suggestions maybe you'll find something useful. Please let us know if you see any improvement, I'll be thinking positively for you and your little ones. Having twins must be challenging enough without experiencing nursing problems.