How to Increase your Breast Milk Supply - ebook content sample

How to Increase your Breast Milk Supply

CONTENTS:

Introduction

1.  Role of Water in Breastfeeding
2. More Milk Plus Vegetarian Capsules
3. Fenugreek
4. Oatmeal
5. Relaxation
6. Sleep
7. Mother’s Milk Tea
8. Brewer’s Yeast and Blessed Thistle.
9. Frequent Breastfeeding and Pumping
10. Prescription drugs

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Mothers breastfeed their infants for the sound health of their babies.  Breast milk can be fed or pumped by a machine.  A new born baby needs breast milk for the first 6 months.  Then it is continued for 12 months and in addition, the baby is given solid food.  Both the mother and the child get the benefit. 

The importance of breastfeeding for the mother is helping the uterus return to its original shape before pregnancy quickly. A  mother loses weight easily after baby’s birth.  The risk of ovarian cancer and premenopausal breast cancer gets reduced.  The mother has less chances of suffering from osteoporosis.  The risk of gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes, are very much reduced.

The importance of breastfeeding for the baby is the reduced rate of illness.  The baby has a lower risk of gastrointestinal illness, allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity, childhood cancers, respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection and, cot death. 

Breastfeeding your baby is always a great option.  The ingredients of mother’s milk are not found in any formula.  The baby’s need is best served through this milk and very good growth and development is observed in the baby.  The baby can absorb this milk more easily than the formula food.  Constipation is very rare and diarrhea is also seen rarely.  Breast milk is environment friendly and it has no waste products.  So the doctors highly recommend mothers to  breastfeed their babies.

A mother can increase her breast milk in various ways.  A number of methods can be adopted and they will be discussed in the subsequent chapters.

CHAPTER  1:  IMPORTANCE OF WATER INTAKE IN BREASTFEEDING

You need to drink plenty of water at the time of breastfeeding.  It is also important that you use a breast pump.  Your breast milk supply increases when you are drinking lots of water.   A reputed healthcare organization named Mayo Clinic tells us a breastfeeding woman must drink 3.1 liters of water, which is equal to 13 cups of fluid.

A mother must drink water till her thirst gets quenched.  She should never forget to drink water even when they are busy.  Fluid intake must be regular.  Reduced intake may lead to constipation, dark urine, dizziness, and  headaches.  Breastfeeding mothers should have a water bottle with them always. 

Normal water intake just like any other women is recommended to the nursing mother.  This has no relation with milk supply as per a research study.  The report shows no relation between milk supply and the water intake by the mother.  There are many techniques of increasing milk production.

A mother is advised to drink plenty of water.  This will help the production of the milk.  At least 10 to 12 glasses of water is very good.  Along with water, you can also take lassi, buttermilk, coconut water, etc. 

It is important to remember taking water during breastfeeding.  Many mothers forget that in their busy schedule and that creates a problem of dehydration.  Some techniques of remembering may be alarm setting in the mobile phone that will ring after a fixed time period.  Another way is telling someone to bring water at regular intervals. 

Certain things should be kept in mind by the mothers while drinking water.  If the mother is drinking more than 25% of their actual thirst, then it reduces their milk production.  As per Lactation Consultant Linda Wieser, if a mother drinks more than 80 ounces of water, it can reduce her potassium level.  The extra fluid is thrown out as urine at a level beyond your thirst.  This excretory mechanism maintains the electrolyte balance.  The milk volume is low.  The water is turned away from the breast area.  The milk volume gets reduced.  So there should always be a balance and she should understand the exact proportion.

CHAPTER  2:  MORE MILK PLUS VEGETARIAN CAPSULES

The breast milk supply is increased quickly by taking in capsules.  The breastfeeding mother can take vegetarian capsules like More Milk Plus.  The herbs component in the capsule stimulates the production of milk.  These capsules have herbs like blessed thistle, nettle leaf, fennel seed and fenugreek seed.  Nettle leaf is a great source of iron, calcium and folic acid.  The kidney and adrenal glands are healed with this herb.  The blessed thistle improves our digestion and relieves us from liver congestion.  Fennel seed is an aromatic herb.  This seed can provide us relief from heartburn, gas, colic and similar digestive problems.  It can also heal the soreness of breasts.  Fenugreek seed helps us in the digestion.  It is taken as tea.  This is also used for healing of wounds and sores.

More Milk Plus Vegetarian capsules is a very safe method and the milk production is natural too.  These herbs have certified organic value.  A single capsule is taken 4 times a day by the mother.  But women having a weight over 175 lbs are recommended to take  2 capsules 3 times a day.

It is a best-selling product.  Fenugreek is an important ingredient in it.  The decline in breast milk production may be due to illness, stress and growth spurt.  This drug is available in the medicine outlet as grain alcohol or glycerin base. 

CHAPTER  3:  FENUGREEK

Fenugreek helps in the increase of milk production of mothers within a short period of 1 to 2 days.  Milk production increases within 24-72 hours.  Sometimes it takes 2 weeks for the rise in milk.  This herb capsule is taken in dosages like 580 to 610 mg.  Two to four capsules are taken three to four times a day.  Sometimes 6 to 12 capsules are taken.  The mother takes 500 mg capsules 7 to 14 capsules per day in total.  Fenugreek powder or seeds are taken half to one teaspoon three times a day.  One cup of tea containing fenugreek is taken two to three times a day.  Fenugreek is listed in the GRAS list i.e. Generally Recognized As Safe list under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

The capsules of Fenugreek are available in healthcare food stores.  They are Mother’s Market, GNC, Henry’s Market Place, Trader Joes.  The cost of 100 capsules is $7 to $8.

The most important thing is to make the breasts clear of milk.  This can be done at an interval of 2 to 3 hours with the help of breastfeeding or pumping.  In this way, the hormone responsible for the production of milk works well. 

It is a herb for multipurpose use.  There is no side effect.  It helps in the milk supply of the breast and the doctors recommend it most of the times.

CHAPTER 4:  OATMEAL

Oatmeal helps to increase the production of milk in women.  If you take a bowl of oatmeal, it will increase the supply of milk in the breasts.  If the woman takes oatmeal in the breakfast, they can have more milk. 

Iron is present in oatmeal.  If a mother has low milk supply, it means her iron level is low.  It is a comfortable food and increases her relaxation level.  This helps to increase the milk supply.  The cholesterol level is decreased and the milk production rises.  Some herbs used for this purpose is fenugreek and alfalfa.  The cholesterol level is lowered due to the presence of oat bran.  This is a part of oatmeal.  The pod and steel cut oats are recommended.  The amount of protein and minerals depends on whether they are whole or part.  Oxytocin is the principle hormone for milk production in the mother.  Oatmeals help create this lactating hormone, which is very important for her.  Oatmeal is a great source of calorie.  It has fiber that is important for the mother’s diet.  The farmers increases milk in the cows’ breast using fibers. 

CHAPTER  5:   RELAXATION

If the mother relaxes during the breastfeeding process or while pumping, the production of milk rises.  It should be remembered, the mother must not watch her milk in the process of pumping.  Relaxation is very important for the breastfeeding mother.  She is woken up by her naughty kid in the middle of the night.  The baby may be hungry and the mother has to feed her milk.

The researchers have found milk production increases by 63%.  Always allow the mothers to listen to some relaxation music.  Milk supply is stopped by the stress hormones.  The mother may have anxiety and feels tired.  Her milk production gets reduced.   The relaxation training helps the mother produce more milk. 

If a mother suffers from stress, her breast milk production gets reduced.  Self-hypnosis is another effective technique.  This self-hypnosis technique will help the mother to bond with her baby.  The mother can find peace.  This music helps her to relax and finally her blood pressure and respiratory rate gets decreased.  The baby also feels relaxed as her mother is relaxed.  The hypnosis helps mother to be attuned to nature.  The self-hypnosis recordings bring relaxation to her mind.  A 15-25 minutes guided imagery technique is followed. 

CHAPTER 6:  SLEEP

Sleep is very important for the mother.  Some babies sleep in the bed.  This helps the mother to breastfeed it from time to time.  You can let the baby sleep in the crib.  You can also choose a bassinet, play yard of the room.  You can let your baby sleep in a separate bed beside you.  The nursing of the baby in bed can be done; it consists of a pillow in the shape of a donut.  It can be on the bed or nearby it.  Back pillow can also be used. 

You can create a wonderful atmosphere at night with a dim light.  The noise level must be minimum.  The baby will understand the night is the best time to sleep.  Your kid will come to sleep very soon in that charming atmosphere.  The baby should not be slept in a room where smoking is practiced. 

Sometimes the baby might wake up at night to feed.  They also want to get cuddled.  The mother can breastfeed it and it will again fall into sleep.  Some babies have a sound sleep at night while others wake up now and then. 

Now there are some ways to wake up a sleepy baby during the breastfeeding session.  The mother should put some milk in the mouth of the baby using a dropper. You will notice the baby is again sucking.  The mother needs to change her breasts if she observes her baby is getting asleep.  Tickling the baby in the arms and legs will wake it up.  The mother can also take a bath along with her baby.  This will wake him up.  The mother can talk with the lactation consultant. 

CHAPTER 7:  MOTHER’S MILK TEA

The breast milk supply gets increased by drinking Mother’s Milk Tea.  The gas and colic get reduced after drinking this tea.  The mother can buy Milkmaid Tea and this will help in increasing her breast milk.  You can add milk and honey to it.  You need to drink a lot of Mother’s Milk Tea.  It is found tea is better than fenugreek.  Many mothers do not like taking 10 to 12 capsules per day.  You need to breastfeed your baby frequently and this will also increase the milk supply in the breasts.  A diet rich in soups, oatmeal and potatoes help to increase milk production too.

The herbs present in the Mother’s Milk Tea are fennel, anise, coriander and fenugreek.   This drink tastes slightly bitter, spicy with a taste like licorice.  This is a galactogogue.  You can drink by brewing a few cups of tea and cooling it down.  You can add ice or mixing it with apple juice.

The Mother’s Milk tea is free from caffeine.  You will find a good variety of herbs like anise, fennel, coriander, fenugreek, blessed thistle, spearmint leaf, lemon verbena leaf and marshmallow root.

The Mother’s Milk Tea is prepared with half cup of dried nettle leaf, half cup of dried red raspberry leaf, one-fourth cup of dried alfa-alfa leaf, one-fourth cup of dandelion leaf, one-fourth cup of fennel seed, a quarter cup of dried blessed thistle.  The dry herbs are covered with a lid.  It is stored in a dark cupboard.  Pick up one tablespoon of herbs for one cup of water in boiling condition.  Keep it covered for 15 minutes.  You can drink three to five cups per day.  The best herbs for this tea are nettle, alfalfa, blessed thistle and raspberry leaf.  You can add cinnamon for flavor.  Honey can be added to this tea.

The herbs used in Mother’s Milk Tea helps strengthening the overall body.  Mountain Rose Herbs produce the wonderful herbs used in the tea.  These herbs are really wonderful and help us in all ways.

CHAPTER 8:  BREWER’S YEAST AND BLESSED THISTLE

The Blessed Thistle capsule is taken in  as 3 capsules.  It is taken three times a day.  The tincture gives 20 drops of blessed thistle 3 times in a day.  You will notice some change within 12 to 24 hours.  You can stop blessed thistle within a week.  Brewer’s yeast is another way of treating the milk supply of the mother.   

Brewer’s yeast is a great supplement for mothers.  The breastfeeding mother can get  vitamin B that includes niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin and biotin.  Trace minerals such as selenium and chromium is also found. 

Brewer’s yeast has no side effect in the baby.  Only large doses of it might make the smell of the bowel a kind of yeasty or fermented.  Gas may be formed in the sensitive babies whose mothers take the brewer’s yeast.

There are no side effects of digestion in the babies.  Only their mothers experience indigestion problem.  Bowel, flatulence, belching are its common side- effects..  If you are having postpartum pain and taking Demerol for its cure, never take Brewer’s Yeast. 

Blessed thistle is taken to increase the production of the milk.  The mother can take it with fenugreek, fennel, alfalfa, stinging nettle and goat’s rue.  You can consult a doctor before using it.  You can use it as a tea or as a capsule.  You can add dried blessed thistle in one to two teaspoons per cup of water in boiling state.  One cup of water is equal to 8 oz.  You can drink 3 cups per day.  The taste of blessed thistle is bitter.  It is taken with other dry herbs for good taste.  In capsule form, blessed thistle is taken 3 capsules three times a day. 

Never take blessed thistle in large quantity.  It can cause diarrhea, vomiting and stomach problem. Ulcer and gastric problems may develop if you take blessed thistle.  If you have allergy to plants like daisies and sunflowers belonging to family Asteraceae, then the breastfeeding mothers should avoid blessed thistle.

The flowering tops, leaves and upper stems of blessed thistle are used for making a medicine.  This is used for increasing the milk in the mother’s breast.  The blessed thistle is used in combination with fenugreek and alfalfa. 

The blessed thistle is also known as St. Benedict Thistle, Holy Thistle, spotted thistle, cardin.  Three to four capsules of blessed thistle are taken 3 times per day.  Ten to twenty drops of tincture are given two to four times a day. 

CHAPTER 9:  FREQUENT BREASTFEEDING AND PUMPING

The frequency of the breastfeeding needs to be increased.  The pumping can be increased if the mother wants to increase her breast milk.  As a result, the total production of milk rises.    The breast milk is very important for the intellectual development of the baby.  It is important to get pumped up mentally.  Breast massage can be done along with a few glasses of water. 

You can inhale the smell of the baby’s cloth.  You can keep pictures of your baby nearby.  If you are working somewhere, you can call and listen to your baby cooing and babbling.  Start visualizing your milk flowing.  A relaxed state of mind is very important.  You can listen to a soothing music.

You can talk to the lactation specialist.  You can do double pumping i.e. pumping milk out of both breasts.  It takes less time to take out the total milk.  Playtex Embrace is used for the pumping of milk.  Double pumping is comfortable than pumping the individual breast of the mother.

Many companies have private spaces for mothers to pump their milk.  The rate of absenteeism gets reduced if there is a nursing station in a company.  The milk supply is low at the end of the week.  But it is found sucking of the mother’s breast stimulates her milk production.  You can always give breast milk to the baby who has started eating solid foods as there is hardly any substitute of breast milk. 

Lifestyle can be changed for increasing the production of breast milk.  You can take some time off from the daily chores and convince your spouse to allow you to rest.  This will prevent your energy from draining away and help you feel relaxed.  This hampers the ability of pumping milk.  So a mother who is relaxing all day will pump more milk than a mother burdened with household chores.

CHAPTER 10:   PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

A mother’s milk supply can be increased with the help of a doctor.  He prescribes medicines that help increase the milk production.  But there are side effects too.  Some drugs for increasing mother’s breast milk are Metoclopramide (Reglan), Domperidone (Motilium), sulpiride (Eglonyl, Dolmatil, Sulpitil, Sulparex, Equemote) etc. 

Dopamine is blocked by the prescription drugs.  As a result, the prolactin level increases.  The drugs are not fit for all women.  A woman with high prolactin level is unresponsive to the above drugs. 

The prescribed drugs can increase milk production but there are some side effects too.  Reglan is used in the United States.  The side effect of this drug is severe depression.  It causes depression  without any past record.  The depression lasts for 3 to 4 weeks.  As soon as the mother discontinues, it vanishes.    The other side effects are diarrhea, gastric problems, nausea, seizure and twitching. 

The drug named Domperidone has been successfully used in Canada.  The side effects are less harmful compared to Reglan.  The people of Zimbabwe, South Africa and Chile use sulpiride.  It is used for treating schizophrenia.  It reduces depression.  The serum prolactin level of the mother is increased after taking this drug.  The mothers of a pre-term baby can use it.  The mother of very sick newborns and adoptive mothers can also use it. 

There are some side effects of Domperidone.  They are abdominal pain, dry mouth, rash and sleeping problems.  Muscle spasm and restlessness are also observed.  This drug should be taken following the advice of the doctor. 

Reglan is the best drug for increasing breast milk of the mother.  The effective dose is 10 milligrams.  It is taken 3 to 4 times a day.  This drug is continued for 4 to 14 days.  The effect varies from one mother to the other.  Some mothers see their breast milk doubling while others find no effect.  Metoclopramide is found to be safe for the baby.  This drug is given to those suffering from gastroesophageal reflux.  The side effect is seizure.  So always consult a physician before taking any drug.  If you lower the dosage, the side effect also gets reduced.

CONCLUSION:

The increase of breast milk supply can be accomplished in various ways.  It can be water, More  Milk Plus, Fenugreek, Oatmeal, relaxation, sleep, Mother’s Milk Tea, Brewer’s Yeast and Blessed Thistle, frequent breastfeeding and pumping and prescription drugs. 

Always drink plenty of water while breastfeeding.  You can use a breast pump.  Mayo Clinic advises a woman to drink 3.1 liters of water.  She should never forget to drink water even when she is busy.  There should be a regular fluid intake.  The symptoms of constipation, dark urine, dizziness and headaches result if there is reduced water intake.  Breastfeeding mothers must carry a water bottle.

The breast milk supply can be increased quickly by using capsules.  The breastfeeding mother takes vegetarian capsules like More Milk Plus.  The herbs like blessed thistle, nettle leaf, fennel seed and fenugreek seed are the ingredients of this capsule. 

Fenugreek helps in the increasing milk within 1 to 2 days.  Milk production increases within 24-72 hours.  Sometimes it takes 2 weeks for the rise in milk.  This herb capsule is taken in dosages like 580 to 610 mg.  Two to four capsules are taken three to four times a day.  Fenugreek powder or seeds are taken half to one teaspoon three times a day.  Fenugreek is listed in the Generally Recognized As Safe list under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

Oatmeal helps to increase the production of milk in women.  If you take a bowl of oatmeal, it will increase the supply of milk in the breasts.  Iron is present in oatmeal.  If a mother has low milk supply, it means her iron level is low.  The cholesterol level is lowered due to the presence of oat bran.

 If a mother suffers from stress, her breast milk production gets reduced.  Self-hypnosis is another effective technique.  This self-hypnosis technique will help the mother to bond with her baby.  Music also helps her to relax and finally her blood pressure and respiratory rate gets decreased.  The self-hypnosis recordings bring relaxation to her mind.

Sleep is very important for the mother.  This helps the mother to breastfeed her baby from time to time.  You can let it sleep in the crib.  The nursing of the baby in bed can be done using a pillow.  For the baby’s sound sleep, you can create a wonderful atmosphere with a dim light.  It will understand the night is the best time to sleep.  The room for baby should be a ‘no smoking’ zone.

Mother’s Milk Tea increases the breast milk supply.  The gas and colic get reduced after drinking this tea.  You can add milk and honey to it.  You need to drink a lot of Mother’s Milk Tea.  Frequent breastfeeding is important.  A diet rich in soups, oatmeal and potatoes help to increase milk production too.

The herbs present in the Mother’s Milk Tea are fennel, anise, coriander and fenugreek.   This drink tastes slightly bitter and spicy.  You can drink by brewing a few cups of tea.  The Mother’s Milk tea is free from caffeine.

The Blessed Thistle capsule is taken as 3 capsules three times a day.  The tincture gives 20 drops of blessed thistle 3 times in a day.  Brewer’s yeast is an innovative way of treating the milk supply of the mother.   

Brewer’s yeast is a great supplement for mothers.  The breastfeeding mother gets vitamin B that includes niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin and biotin.  It has no side effect, but the smell of the bowel a kind of fermented.   There are no side effects of digestion in the babies but their mothers have indigestion problem.

Blessed thistle is taken to increase the production of the milk.  The mother can take it with fenugreek, fennel, alfalfa, stinging nettle and goat’s rue.  You can use it as a tea or as a capsule.  The taste of blessed thistle is bitter.  Blessed thistle as capsule is taken 3 capsules three times a day. 

The frequency of the breastfeeding needs to be increased.  You can talk to the lactation specialist and go for pumping milk out of both breasts.  Double pumping is comfortable than pumping a single breast of the mother.

Reglan is the best drug for increasing breast milk of the mother.  Dopamine is blocked by the prescription drugs.  As a result, the prolactin level increases. A few great ways to increase breast milk is fenugreek, sleep, and relaxation music and prescription drugs.