Fenugreek users

[MidnightCommando]

I have a few questrions if you please

I guess first and foremost - did it work? Did you develop the 'maple syrup' effect? How did your baby react, if at all.

I started taking it yesterday and DD slept HORIBBLY last night. I don't know if it was related but she tossed and turned and seemed uncomfortable all night. Today she seems fine.

My supply has been dwindling for a few weeks now. DD seems satisfied at the breast but when I go to pump, regardless if she has just nursed or not, I am producing 1/4-1/2 oz. I usually would get 2-5 oz. between both.

This is a problem since her supply for the daycare is gone and she seems to be taking more and more milk during the day when I am gone. I have had to leave work early all week b/c she is out of milk.

I also have a stupid question. If you did develop the maple syrup effect, did you notice more bees/wasps were attracted to you? I figure if I or DD smell like syrup they might, which worried me since I am severely allergic and she might be since all the women in our family are.

TIA!

[metted]

From what I read, most babies tolerate fenugreek just fine. My DS didn't, however. He, too, slept horribly while I was on it. I think it made him gassy. He also had really runny, green BMs and he spat up more than usual. Unfortunately, it took me a while to make the connection. It did work great for my supply, but of course I had to stop using it.
You could stay on it for a few days and see what happens. Like I said, I haven't read many accounts of babies that didn't tolerate it, but mine didn't.

[prettypixels]

If the fenugreek is not well tolerated, maybe try domperidone. Domperidone is basically the pharma equivalent of fenugreek, without the smell and taste! I have read that fenugreek can make your milk taste different, but I never noticed a big difference personally... to me it just always tastes sweet!

You could also try doing some power pumping if you aren't interested in trying dom. So maybe after baby is asleep you could sit down, pump for ten minutes (or until there is no milk and a few minutes beyond that), then stop for ten minutes, then do it again, for an hour or as long as you can deal. It can be helpful in boosting supply.

Good luck mama!

[hmg]

I had to not only use Fenugreek but also Blessed Thistle. My supply practically shut down after a bad illness a few months ago. I pumped every few hours even after breasfeeding plus took the herbs. It does work but I only seem to produce if I take both the Blessed Thistle AND the Fenugreek. I haven't noticed any problems with my daughter with taking the herbs.

I can't smell the maple syrup smell but my husband claims he can.

[Artymisia]

I took fenugreek for almost two months straight 6 a day and I did not notice a "maple syrup" effect. Baby didn't notice at all. For a while I was taking fenugreek and blessed thistle and still she was fine with it. I didn't notice much of a change in my milk supply though.

[Swirly]

It takes a lot more than 6 pills a day to get the effect usually. I quit taking them, even though they did help my supply a bit, because I get sick of popping 16 pills a day (12 fenugreek, 4 blessed thistle). It gets costly too.

Fenugreek makes me feel very hot and sweaty and I do think it irritates my baby. It especially upset her when she was a newborn.

[Khourtniey]

I did develop the maple syrup effect.. but fenugreek did not help my supply any.. It actually made it worse.. So I quit taking it... I tried again at a later time but got sick of all of the pills and I was not noticing any effect on my supply.. but I was not taking it long enough... I am starting to get desperate again and will once again try the fenugreek.

Never noticed any bees around me.. but I try to stay far away from them

[katheek77]

I did three capsules, three times a day starting around 8 days PP for a few weeks.

It had no discernible effect on my supply.

I smelled like the IHOP for weeks

It had no discernible effect on my DD except she also smelled like IHOP for a while, but that might have been b/c she was always pretty much hung off of some area of my body.

I didn't notice any bees/wasps

[unlegal]

Yep. I took 3 caps 3 x a day. Got good results - I think it went up by 3 oz per session. I did that two separate times. Then at 1 year I needed help again, and the Fenugreek didn't cut it, so I added in Blessed Thistle, as well - 4 caps 3 x a day. Got FABULOUS results with both. I was pumping about 9 oz 3 times a day then. I had tons of milk!

[Turkish Kate]

I've only been taking Fenugreek for a little over a week & I think it takes longer than that for it to really kick in. However, I made a batch of granola on Saturday and ate most of it by this morning (Monday). I *had* to pump yesterday afternoon and this morning, I was so full. Even now, after DS has nursed, I still feel full. I'm thinking oatmeal may be worth a try for you.

[ellymay]

It took about a day after taking enough 11 capsuls a day and I produced enough to pump which is crazy bc I haven't been able to pump in months and months.
BUT I haven't taken it in a couple days and all the sudden her poop is slimy green and she is really gassy but this to me doesn't make any sense bc she was fine while I was taking it but now she isnt' so who knows LOL

[WannabeaFarmer]

I took it in conjunction with blessed thistle two of each capsule three times a day for a few months. I never got that maple syrup effect, might have been the brand I was taking? I dunno. It worked wonders for me. I was producing a lot more. The only reason I started taking it was cause I was ep'ing and noticed that I was losing my supply. I used those two herbs with two to three cups of Mothers Milk tea. It took about a week or so to see a drastic difference, but it worked. Then after noticing a supply change my lactation consultant told me to drop the intake down to 1 pill of each three times a day, then after a few more weeks I could drop it down to 1 of each 2 times a day and that is what I stayed on for about 5 months. Then I didnt need to pump anymore and so I stopped taking them. So that is what worked for me.. that and lots of oatmeal, which I am really tired of now LOL

[NewMama2007]

I started taking Fenugreek and Blesses Thistle because I'm trying to build my supply in preparation for returning to work. It took about 2 days to work, but it does work! I started to notice the maple syrup smell, but to me it's more of a sweet smell, not off-putting at all. DH loves pancakes, so maybe it will have an attracting effect on him...

[mykidsteacher]

According to Dr. Newman, if you don't smell like syrup, you aren't taking enough. And he also says that fenugreek and blessed thistle work best taken together. He recommends 3 capsules, 3 times a day of each.

I take 3 capsules, 3 x a day, and yes, I smell like syrup. But when I used the
"NOW" brand, I didn't notice the smell, and I didn't feel like it worked very well. The vitacost.com house brand seems to work well for me. (I don't take the blessed thistle anymore, but did earlier).

I also feel like it works better for a short term. It seems to lose some effectiveness after using it for a long time.

I think it also bothered my baby as a newborn, but seems ok now. I stopped taking it for a time, but had to restart when my supply dropped after starting an elimination diet.