Fenugreek Capsules?

[Sali]

Hi, I am a long time lurker in the breastfeeding forum, but here's my first post. My ds is almost 4 months old and seems so hungry in the evening. I have read that supply drops in the evening, but his evening nursings (from 5-6 PM until 11 PM) are frequent, bothered and agitated, and my milk doesn't seem to really FLOW at all, so I'm a bit concerned. I don't want dh or myself to be temtped to rush solids because he seems so hungry

I have been eating Oatmeal, drinking a ton of water and bought some Fenugreek Capsules--a touch agressive, but this babe is nice and chunky and I want him to stay that way! Is there any harm in the Funugreek, and is there anything I'm missing?

[eirual]

NOpe fenugreek's all good...so is Blessed Thistle, but just the Fenugreek should suffice.

[MarcyC]

Fenugreek is great! Other herbs are blessed thistle, hops, nettle, red raspberry leaf, and shatavari.

[Sali]

Thanks for the all clear!!

[TurboClaudia]

and just so you know, cluster nursing like that in the evening is very normal and typical behavior.

~claudia

[smeep]

It sounds like fennel (or a combination of fennel and any of the others like fenugreek, blessed thistle, marshmallow root) would be a good thing to add. Fennel promotes the milk-ejection reflex (let-down). You can find lots of nursing teas, tinctures and capsules and almost all of them include fennel, fenugreek and at least one other galactalogue.

[Sali]

Originally Posted by TurboClaudia

and just so you know, cluster nursing like that in the evening is very normal and typical behavior.

~claudia

Thanks for this. My older son (now six--seems like a million years ago) was such a disinterested nurser; he preferred sleep over milk any day and had very slow weight gain--perhaps my expectations are off.

[muppet729]

I took Fenegreek with DD and just be aware that my LC told me that you may have to take a lot of it for it to be effective. I took so much that I started to smell like maple syrup to those around me. DH loved it but I got really tired of it. I think I took something like three pills/ 3 times a day but you should check with someone about how much to take.

[stellimamo]

You have to take alot of fenugreek to make it work. You'll know you are taking enough if you smell like maple syrup. I smelled like a pancake for months!

[Sali]

Maple syrup? Strange. We use Fenugreek in cooking--usually to spice vegetables, and I never considered it sweet smelling. But I guess Fenugreek + Milk= maple syrup. Live and learn. I'm taking two capsules twice a day...maybe I'll up it. How soon should this maple syrup smell start?

[mom2ken1cam2]

My LC said you can take up to 16 tablets a day (4tabs/4x a day). It can upset your stomach (and did mine) so gradually work your way up to 16 if you can tolerate it. I started smelling the syrup smell when I went to potty! You will also smell it when you sweat!!!

[kallieb]

Originally Posted by Sali

Maple syrup? Strange. We use Fenugreek in cooking--usually to spice vegetables, and I never considered it sweet smelling. But I guess Fenugreek + Milk= maple syrup. Live and learn. I'm taking two capsules twice a day...maybe I'll up it. How soon should this maple syrup smell start?

Hmm...mine smell like maple syrup while still in the bottle. And I smell like Waffle House

[MaryJaneLouise]

Originally Posted by kallieb

Hmm...mine smell like maple syrup while still in the bottle. And I smell like Waffle House

Yeh kind of a sickly fakey maple syrup though. Did you know they use Fenugreek to make that fake maple syrup? :