Increasing Milk Production??? HELP PLEASE

[cluelessNsc]

Hi. I'm a new mom of 5 weeks, today. I have been breastfeeding, and now it is time for me to go back to work. I didn't plan ahead and store milk, so now I am panicing a bit. My left breast does not produce as much as my right breast. Is there any way to increase my milk production so I can feed my babygirl AND pump enough milk for her while I'm away? Are there any foods that help increase production? Please give me any advice you have!

[SilverFish]

first, you need a high quality pump. if you are going to work full time, a double electric pump is pretty essential (others can give you more info on that, but i liked my rented medela just fine).

you should start pumping one side whenever you go to feed your daughter, and continue pumping on her side after she's finished eating. if you're home for a couple more weeks, this should be sufficient to build up a bit of a freezer stash. if you only have a few days, you might want to add a couple extra pumping sessions. how much you need to pump depends on how long your day is, how far ahead you want to stay, whether you respond fairly well to the pump or not.

there are lots of foods that increase production, but i don't have any experience with them, so i'll let others speak to that. however, unless you've had it confirmed by a LC, i highly doubt your left breast makes less milk, it just might not be as responsive to the pump. your baby is much more efficient at stimulating milk production than a pump, so feed her on the left side while you pump on the right. the absolute best way to increase production is to nurse nurse nurse... offer frequently now, and whenever you are home after starting work. you won't run out of milk unless you have a medical reason for doing so... the more you stimulate your breasts, the more milk they produce.

[flavorfull1]

it is pretty common to have one breast be a "better" producer than the other. My right one is always more full than the left one. Doesn't really impact anything supply wise, I can just always get a lot more milk out of the right and he eats a lot longer on the left/sometimes gets more fussy. Kellymom.com has a lot of help about storing up milk for going to work and how to stagger pumping and feeding etc. I agree that a quality pump is also very key!

[jillmamma]

Some things that have helped me:
~ make sure you are well hydrated (lots of water and not too much caffeine)
~ oatmeal! seriously, if I ate oatmeal for breakfast, sometimes I could pump an extra oz or two
~ dark beer can help a bit too (obviously don't overdo that one)
~ mother's milk tea which contains fenugreek is known to help with supply
~ relax as much as possible while pumping and think about how a letdown feels, and about your little sweet baby, and that helps the milk flow
~ sometimes giving it about 5 extra minutes after you think you are done can make an extra letdown happen
Good luck, and you are doing a great thing for your baby by giving her your milk!