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11 Ways to Boost Breast Milk Supply Fast
Do you find your breastmilk not flowing to meet your baby’s demand and you need a breast milk increase? Here are some proven ways you can get it flowing as you’d want.
When I had my daughter I was relieved and happy for so many reasons:
- I had a somewhat difficult pregnancy where I was very sick for the best of my pregnancy – over eight months and it was bliss to finally be free from all of that stress.
- I would get to see the precious bundle I had formed a strong bond with for the past nine months.
- I would also get to experience motherhood.
So I set off to the hospital when labour kicked in, expecting to get there, huff and puff for some minutes, and my baby would come screaming out. Sadly, it wasn’t so as I spent the next 21 hours screaming my head off (and silently cussing my sister who’d told me labour was a walk in the park as well as my husband who’d ‘done’ this to me).
Luckily, the ordeal finally ended and she was placed in my arms after a while. Next, I thought to breastfeed her and put her on my breast but this is where I got my second shock- my breastmilk wasn’t flowing!
Nothing prepared me for two empty breasts and my baby was right beside me screaming her lings out. Needless to say, I had to resort to emergency formula while I searched for a solution to my breastmilk problem.
Related: 30 Reasons Why Breastfeeding a Baby is important
How I got my breastmilk flowing.
It didn’t happen overnight – it actually took a minimum of two weeks, but I finally got my breasting flowing so well, I could preserve some for later.
Here’s how I did it:
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1) Drink Lots of Water
And I mean a lot. This should be easy if you’d have already developed the habit of drinking enough quantity of water during your pregnancy days.
Breastmilk production uses water and this extra water you take in will get things along.
You need up to 16 cups of water when breastfeeding and you can get this not just from the water you drink, but from some foods and beverages. You want to avoid too many sugary drinks though as this will affect your little one and make her stool when she does start nursing.
2) Fenugreek Seed
Yet another method for increasing your breastmilk production is fenugreek seeds. Women who choose to use fenugreek seed powder swear by it as they saw a tremendous increase in their breastmilk after just 24-72 hours.
Fenugreek is a herb; an Ayurvedic medicine that has been in use for hundreds of years. It has various medicinal benefits and besides being a herb for boosting milk production, it also increases libido in men, helps to increase appetite, and reduces inflammation in the body.
About a half or one teaspoon of fenugreek, taken three times daily, works to boost breast milk supply.
3) Lactation Cookies
Lactation cookies contain galactagogues which boosts lactation and you can get them easily from your local store or on Amazon.
Alternatively, you could opt for this Organic Milkmaid Tea by Earth Mama to see your breast milk production shooting through the roof!
4) Take Lots of Tea
Tea is also promoted as being a breastmilk inducer. A cup of rich tea should be taken first thing in the morning and just before you go to bed to get your breastmilk flowing.
5) Take Garlic
If you can stand the smell, then you want to try out this method as well. Garlic is rich and medicinal and will solve your low breastmilk supply.
To use, chop three cloves of garlic and boil in a cup of water until it reduces to half. Drink this once a day until you notice an increase in your milk production.
I find taking garlic at night works best for me since I’ll hardly be meeting anyone in the middle of the night. However, if the smell still is a huge turnoff to you then this NatureWise Garlic Odorless Supplement should do the trick.
6) Put Baby to Suck Often
This is by far the most important and effective method to increase your breastmilk production. Breast milk supply works on demand and supply; which means the more your baby sucks, the more milk will be produced.
Overtime (usually after six weeks), your breasts would have sufficiently registered your baby’s food supply and would produce just enough breastmilk to meet your baby’s needs.
7) Include Other Herbs in Your Diet
Herbs like fennel, ginger, Brewer’s yeast, and alfalfa have also been known to boost and you can include these in your diet to speed things up.
8) Breastfeed from Both Sides Each Time
Offer both breasts when breastfeeding each time. This is an age-long trick to boost breast milk supply.
You want to empty one breast first before offering the other, though and if your baby appears uninterested or full after one breast, try emptying the other still by pumping.
9) Include Certain Foods in Your Diet
Certain foods like barley, barley malt, oats, papaya, chastebery, sage, and peppermint are renowned breastmilk makers and will solve this issue.
10) Make Use of a Breast Pump
Breast pumps come in manual and electric and can be attached to your breasts to get the breastmilk out.
They are handy and can be used to school your brain into believing your baby’s demand has increased, which in turn signals it to increase production.
When using, ensure you empty one breast completely before moving to the other.
Related: 5 Reasons a Breast Pump is Worth The Money
Breastmilk Storage Devices and Time Duration
Did you know breastmilk extracted either manually or otherwise doesn’t have to be used up immediately?
That’s right. You can store breastmilk at room temperature for three hours, in a fridge for up to six weeks, or in a freezer for up to six months.
The beauty with breastmilk storing is that you need only bring out a little quantity at a time allow thaw on your kitchen tabletop before using.
11) Lactation Consultant
A Lactation consultant will generally solve the breastfeeding problem. They will ascertain the main problem why tour breastmilk isn’t flowing as it should and typically offer other breastfeeding tips and advice.
Tags: Need a breast milk increase, tips to boost breast milk supply, foods to boost breast milk supply and production
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