any other ways to boost breast milk?

[mediocrewitch]

At the beginning of my baby"s life, I was gushing like Old Faithful, but when my pump breaks at work got cut off at a year, my pumped amount started dropping. It was no big deal at the time because he'd started eating, plus I had back up in the freezer....but with me pumping so little that got used up fast. Now, if we're slow at work and I can sneak a 2nd pumping in I might bring home 3oz. but usually barely 2! My son is begging for more milk during the day and there is none!

The weird thing is that a few months ago he'd backed off on his nursing (I have always assumed we'd nurse til he didn't want to) and I was a little sad but figured it was time & natural, etc., since he was 20 months old, then suddenly he's nursing like a bandit again....but my production is not responding to the increased nursing like it should. Sometimes while he's nursing his little face gets all crumpled up and sad & he bats at my face like he's mad. I figure he's sucked it dry and thinks I'm being mean and holding out on him & it breaks my heart!!

I am 42- but my periods have been totally normal & I'm having no other menopausal symptoms. Every day I make myself an infusion of fennel, fenugreek, marshmallow root , blessed thistle & nettle. I eat a lot of oats, too- what more can I do? Why is my milk not increasing with the increased nursing? It always ebbs when you have your period- I'm afraid at my next period I won't be able to bring him home any at all for while I'm at work.

What can I do? I'd like to get him interested in some other beverage for when I'm gone, but I'm against giving him cow's milk. He's tried almond milk and isn't thrilled....I'd consider goat milk of all the mammal milks out there but don't have a source for fresh.

Ideas? He's my only child and I'm in no hurry to wean at all let alone have to force it because I dried up when he still wants it so much. Please help!!

[pek64]

Oats and drinking filtered or bottled water before pumping at work. It helped me with feedings, but I never was able to let down for pumping, so I'm not sure if it will help you. Good luck.

[darwinNJ]

Great book about low milk supply with lots of possible solutions- "Making More Milk". Definitely recommended. You will find oodles of galactagouges (sp?) to increase your supply, recommended dosages, etc.

[Quinalla]

Can you pump more at work? It sounds like probably not, but that will help a lot, maybe just temporarily? I know when my pumping supply started getting tight, I would take 2-3 days and do "power pumping" where I would pump as much as possible and do a regular pumping session followed by several times of 5 minutes pumping, 5 minutes rest to simulate a baby asking for more. I too can recommend Making More Milk, it's a great book that I used when pumping FT for DD as my body always wanted to be very efficient and sometimes I needed a boost and it gives good recommendations on the doses as with some things (like fenugreek) you need to take quite a bit or there isn't much noticeable effect.

[mediocrewitch]

Thanks!! I'll check out the book. When we're dead slow at work I can pump whenever, on busy days I'm down to once. Already doing fenugreek/fennel/marshmallow/anise infusion every day plus eating oatmeal almost every morning...

I really appreciate the input!