How do you boost breastmilk supply?
HELP! I feel like I’m running low on breastmilk and need your advice. How did you increase (or maintain) your supply of breastmilk? I’ve been doing fine with my supply the past almost-four months now, but have noticed that my supply is slowly dwindling. Noooooooo. Not yet please.
To boost milk supply in the past, I’ve tried:
- Eating oatmeal. I’ve read that this helps with increasing milk production.
- Eating clams (tulya). I tried this for a few weeks only though because they gave me stomach aches, so I’m not sure if it really helped.
- Drinking Mother’s Milk Tea from Healthy Options. This one I drink a couple of times a week. It’s a bit pricey, but I like how it tastes. I also use the teabag several times (maybe around 3 cups) to make the most out of each serving. This is a herbal tea that contains fenugreek, an herb said to boost milk supply.
- Taking malunggay capsules. This really helped me in the early months, when I was new to breastfeeding and didn’t know whether I was giving my son enough milk. I took two capsules instead of one a day and woohoo, did the milk flow or what!
- Frequently feeding or pumping if I’m away from baby. I try to simulate Timmy’s feeding when I’m away from him, so that’s a breastpumping session every two hours.
What causes decreasing milk supply? There are many reasons, but I know what caused mine — stress. I missed out on several pumping sessions at work because of a long meeting I couldn’t excuse myself from. After the meeting, my breasts hurt so bad. It kinda went downhill from there.
Could you share tips on how to boost breastmilk supply? I’ve stopped taking malunggay capsules but am definitely going to take them again. I’m still taking the Mother’s Milk Tea and maybe should drink more of it. And I’ll definitely keep the pumping sessions up at work. Would you know where I can get malunggay juice? What other tips can you share?
Let’s learn from each other here. If you have questions about breastmilk supply as well, feel free to post it in the comments section.
December 16th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
toni, don’t give up! the more you breastfeed, the more your breasts will produce milk. and if you’re not around timmy, keep on pumping!
December 16th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
every time your breasts hurt because they’re overfilled, that sends a signal to your brain to decrease milk production because nobody’s using it. so you need to the compensate for that time that you missed. try also to direct latch as often as possible. a friend of mine asks her helper to bring the baby to her during lunch break so baby could latch directly at least once during the day. would that work for you?
aside from malunggay, some moms also respond well to fenugreek supplements (available at GNC). it’s also works similarly to malunggay.
good luck, toni!
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December 16th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
If you don’t like the capsules too much, Cravings has malunggay pate. You can spread them on crackers and munch away!
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December 16th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Toni, I’ve been giving the breast and bottle ever since Lila was born (low milk supply). If I still have milk, and on some days I breastfeed only once a day, then you certainly still have lots in store for Timmy! I agree with Ruth, you should try to let Timmy have the breast more often, probably the best way to get your milk supply going. Good luck and don’t give up!
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December 16th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
I know malunggay capsules work, but try some veggies soup with the malunggay leaves. Sip when hot, it worked for me.
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December 16th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Pump milk as often as you can. When the breast is empty that triggers the brain to tell the body to produce more milk. After your little one drinks from you, pump ka uli so that your body thinks it needs more than it produced.
Drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated.
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December 16th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Hey Toni,
Since the holidays are coming up, maybe you can switch to exclusive direct feeding on the days you won’t be working. The baby is still better than the pump at stimulating supply, so the holidays will be a perfect time to build up your supply again.
And it’s a great excuse to bring Timmy with you wherever you go this holiday season (not that we really need an excuse, haha!). 
rowie´s last blog ..Breastfeeding stress, and how to deal with it.
December 16th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Our hilot recommended massaging the breast area, shoulder and back, something to do with the blood flow. I wasn’t really paying attention then because the first time she massaged me after giving birth, it was so painful I can’t comprehend what she was saying but remembered something about helping with the milk supply and I think it worked. My daughter’s pedia mentioned taking Anmum Lacta, but haven’t find a way to try it.
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December 16th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Massages definitely worked wonders for me..
December 16th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
and oh by the way, people say drinking fish soup helps too..
December 16th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
i replied to your earlier post on FB and twitter, so i just read that you took malunggay capsules pala. take the real deal nalang, and try to infuse them in all your dishes.
i understand how frustrating it is to dry up this soon. mine was even earlier, 1 month lang. only because 1 went back to work after 60 days and the half part of my leave, mia was confined in the hospital. so yeah, natural stimulation by the baby’s suckling really helps.
December 17th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Hey Toni, I know how you feel. I’ve gone through that decrease in milk supply. One thing that might help is taking fenugreek. There are other herbal supplements that you can take too but that’s one of the more popular ones. If you have one of those health stores there, they should have it. I noticed an increase in milk supply when I took it. Also, how much water are you drinking? Make sure you’re drinking plenty of fluids since breastmilk is made of mostly water.
When you’re at home, how often are you feeding Timmy? I think it’s good though that you’re pumping every 2 hours when you’re away from him. Also make sure that when you breastfeed him that he tries to empty out whatever side he’s eating on. It signals that breast to make more milk.
Hope these tips help!! Way to go for keeping up with the breastfeeding.
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December 17th, 2009 at 9:17 am
My breastfeeding friends say that taking in lots of soup and liquids helped a lot. Fenugreek capsules also increased their supply. And try to consult a lactation specialist if all else fails.
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December 18th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Tomorrow is my baby’s first birthday
It also means I’ve been breastfeeding/pumping for 1 year! 
I would notice too that when I’m extremely stressed or tired, my milk supply would significantly decrease. The best solution for me? Rest. I (try to!) catch up on sleep on weekends, and try to relax more. Easier said than done of course
Also, try having a massage. It doesn’t have to be a lactation massage. Just your good ol swedish or shiatsu. It relieves the tension on your shoulders/back, and it helps boost your supply. I notice that a day after I get a massage my supply always gets a small boost. A massage goes a looong way: it makes me feel pampered, it relaxes me and it helps my milk! Sulit! 
I stopped drinking malunggay capsules when I had oversupply. But when my milk dwindles, I make it a point to drink some soup. Fresh juices also help. Stay hydrated!
Good luck!
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December 19th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Hi Toni! I just finished attending a Maternal and Neonatal Child Health and Nutrition Training (MNCHN). Woah that’s a mouthful. Anyway, Baby nutrition experts say that it is not true that you will run out of milk. What could be happening is that your breasts may not be getting the proper stimulation for it to produce more milk. Please do not be dependent on the breastpump. Don’t you feel sore using it? DOH experts advise against using breastpumps (for medical, practical and economic reasons as well). You can manually express your milk using your hands (there’s a proper way to do it), and the massaging motion while doing it will also help stimulate milk production. Also check how timmy latches on to your breasts, he may not be doing it properly that’s why your breast is not properly stimulated. Not only proper latching help you produce sufficient milk supply, timmy will be more comfortable with his feeding. Of course good nutrition for you will always be a good thing.
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December 20th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Hey Toni, fenugreek worked wonders for me too, I buy from Healthy Options. I was on malunggay capsules during the first months, but it was fenugreek that significantly increased my milk supply which diminished after I got sick
I took it thrice a day until my milk supply was up again 
December 21st, 2009 at 7:07 am
Not really necessary to take supplement capsules according to my dutch european pediatrics and general doctor. drink a lot of anything fluid except tea! why? tea can create acid influx to the stomach of the baby i heard eating onions too. for milk production you may let your baby her feed every 2-3 hours stimulations so that the breastmilk factory will give signal to your brain that they will produce milk went it was empty.don’t worry you escape. important you latch him. if you have a breast sore try to put ice and massage it. if you experience a schapping nipple try to put vaseline.the option you can have less nipple pains tell to your partner to buy a silicon nipple.malungay is a myth story but perhaps it works. to make your body less stress, try to take a lukewarm shower in a tab you can feed also your baby while you take a shower in a tab.i understood what you feel i’m a young mom as you.
WHAT YOU DO RIGHT TO TIMMY is your best decision for him. god bless three of you!
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