Fenugreek to Increase Milk Supply

During pregnancy one of the most frequently asked questions is are you going to breast feed? Many women have chosen that they are going to breast feed their babies. Finally, after nine months of waiting, your little bundle of joy has arrived and you realize that this whole breastfeeding thing is not nearly as easy as everyone makes it out to be. So what's the big deal anyway? Breastfeeding is the best feeding for babies and defends against infection, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies should be breast fed exclusively for the first six months of life. Breast fed babies are at lower risk of ear infection, diarrhea, respiratory infections, allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity and SIDS due to the antibodies passed from mother to baby. Other great factors about breast milk is that it is FREE! always readily available and just the right temperature.

Breast milk is produced on a supply and demand schedule. In the hospital, your baby eats the colostrum that your breasts produce. The first few days of life, that colostrum is enough to satisfy your new love, and in about three days after your little one arrives you will get a free set of breast implants. Your little one is going to need to nurse every 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and will only need about 1/2 to 1 oz of milk. These frequent nursing sessions are what is going to trigger your breasts to make more milk.

I started breast feeding in the hospital and my daughter had some trouble latching on. What would be a 10 minute feeding with a bottle would turn into an hour or more at the breast. If this were my first child that would be a great bonding experience and perfectly ok. What about those of us who have other children, jobs, or just don't have the patience to feed for over an hour every two hours? This is where your milk starts to diminish. I also noticed that my appetite was zero to none in the first few weeks after giving birth, which is the time that is most important for breastfeeding mothers because this is when your milk supply is becoming established. Long story short, I was no longer able to keep up with my babies demand for milk and had to start supplementing formula. I always wanted to breast feed and was unable to breast feed my first daughter because she would not latch at all and it was too frustrating for her and me. I asked my daughters pediatrician what I could do to increase my milk supply, and she said if I didn't have the time to breast feed every two hours to increase it, she recommended an herb called Fenugreek. She informed me that I could purchase fenugreek at my local health food store or buy it online and that it came in capsule or liquid form. I was told to take two capsules three times a day, or three capsules two times a day, which ever was more convenient. I had to do some research on the pricing as I was on a limited budget. I found some at my local health food store on sale for $5.99 and jumped right on it.

I began taking the capsules as soon as I got home, I started with the two pills three times a day. By the ending of the second day I noticed my breasts felt fuller and my daughter was taking an ounce less of the formula. By the fourth day, I was no longer supplementing with formula! My daughter was able to get full off of my milk at each feeding. My daughter is 8 weeks old now and I have been successfully breastfeeding with the help of fenugreek for 4 weeks now. During the second week of using fenugreek, I did go off of it for a few days and the difference in the milk was noticeable. I believe the fenugreek does the opposite of the natural supply and demand of the breasts, but that it produces milk as you take the herb.

One thing about fenugreek, a side effect I suppose is that it causes you to sweat a bit more than normal. Your body odor then has a maple syrup smell to it, so you may want to use a heavier deodorant or shower twice daily, but who doesn't want to smell like a big pancake?

If you are a breastfeeding mother who is experiencing trouble producing milk, your chances of breastfeeding are not over yet, fenugreek may be what you need, and I recommend it.