Blessed Thistle & Fenugreek

Swoon

Swoon

Banned
I've been breastfeeding my 3 month old son since birth but started supplementing with S26 formula when I returned to work several weeks ago. He now gets formula when I'm at work and I breastfeed him when I'm at home. I will use the pump at the office. Nonetheless, it seems my milk supply is gradually dwindling and I've fallen into a downward spiral. Because my milk supply is so low, baby doesn't get enough when I feed him so then he needs to be compensated by increasing amounts of formula. I'm not sure what to do but a friend recommended Blessed Thistle or Fenugreek. She said it really increased her milk supply. I wonder if there's any side effects.

Does anyone have a good experience or a bad experience to share about these products? Where can I buy it?
 
Healthgate at 8/F, Hung Tak Building, 106-108 Des Voeux Road Central (tel: 2545 2286) sells Mother?s Milk, which has many ingredients including fennel and fenugreek.

The very best way to increase your milk supply, however, is to breastfeed more often. Try doubling the number of times you manage to breastfeeding during the day. Keep offering the breast even if your baby isn?t that hungry ? the more often he feeds the more milk you will get.

Try breast compression. This involves compressing the breast while the baby is at the breast ? a bit like expressing into the baby?s mouth while he is feeding. This usually encourages another milk let down.

Also try switch nursing. Watch the baby feed on the first breast. First he will gulp the milk and then go into a rhythmic suck, suck swallow. As he beings to tier he will do more sucking and less swallowing, e.g. suck, suck, suck, suck, suck, swallow. At this stage change breasts. Watch again until the baby again starts to get tiered and change breasts again. It is fine to change breasts eight, nine or ten times throughout the feed. Each time the baby will drink for less and less time on each side, maybe only a minute or two towards the end. This method increases the amount of active sucking the baby manages at the breast. Most of the milk is transferred while the baby is sucking actively. Thus more active sucking means baby getting more milk.

If these methods don?t help within a couple of days ? get more help. Try contacting a La Leche League Leader or a lactation consultant.

La Leche Leader numbers are:
Maggie 2817-7475
Sarah 2548-7636
Tanja 2259-3081
Maggie (Chinese) 2779-6955

Best wishes,
Barb
 
I'm taking Fenugreek tablets now. I had an excellent supply but recently went on a week long business trip. Although I was pumping, my supply had gone down by the end of the trip. I started taking the tablets but frankly, I don' t think it has helped me much. I also increased pumping. But I have been unable to get the supply that I had previously. Fenugreek has not helped out as much I thought it would. However, I hear for others that its excellent!
 
Some Chinese soup could increase milk supply, it worked for me and some others anyway.
Try coconut and chicken soup, you can get both coconut and chicken together when you buy chicken in market place (not supermarket though).
I've never try papaya and fish soup but heard that it can increase milk supply as well.
 
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