Increasing milk supply

[chelseyylynn44]

Hey y’all. I just wanted to make a quick post about my experience trying to increase my milk supply. Mostly I was struggling to pump enough for our sitter on the days I work.

First i bought a couple different kinds of nursing time tea, which was a pretty easy change since I normally drink a few mugs of tea a day anyway. Around the same time I started eating oatmeal (1/2 cup when uncooked) for breakfast pretty much every morning.

In a week or so I was about doubling how much I was able to pump. From 1-3 oz per session to 2-5 oz. Woooo!

I ran out of the tea and my new order hasn’t arrived yet. I didn’t notice a huge difference when I stopped. However, I kinda got out of my oatmeal breakfast habit as well, and my supply literally went back to what it has been.

Started eating oatmeal for breakfast again and my supply is almost back up to what it was. I honestly did NOT expect such a difference.

I just wanted to make a PSA for other breastfeeding parents that you may not need to buy expensive supplements or teas. Oatmeal, which I buy from the bulk section, literally costs me $5 for like 2-3 weeks.

My recipe is:
- 1/2 c regular rolled oats
- 1/2 c milk (I used plant based)
- 1/4 c water
- Salt to taste
- microwave 5m 30s at 50% power (spills over less)

• I add honey and frozen blueberries

Take care friends!

 

[katrina2017]

@chelseyylynn44 None of the nursing teas or supplements worked for me but actually decreased supply.

If this is before your period calcium and magnesium supplementation has proven to help as your blood calcium levels drop prior.

Anemia can cause low supply. So can hypothyroid.

B vitamin complexes have helped some.

I am TOTALLY with you on oatmeal being the magic bullet and I really think that’s because of the nerve tonic effect it has. Oats have a “soothing” effect. Coupled with the iron source they’re amazing for increasing supply.
If people don’t like oatmeal than can try a milky oat top tincture.

 

[danmillward]

@katrina2017 I wonder if oat milk helps? I recently switched to oatmilk from soy, just to see if it would help. Also, I am from Latin America and here people believe "dulce de rapadura" or "panela" helps a lot, and it really did when I was taking it. Dulce de rapadura is a block of sugar produced in sugar mills by crushing the sugar cane, boiling it and then forming the blocks in molds as the reduction cools. Its brown and tastes of molasses. (You guys have that in the States?). It might as well have been a placebo effect, but it helped me produce an extra ounce per session, plus it's nice! I drink it with warm milk or over my oats.

 

[hangnon2jesus]

@katrina2017 They decreased mine too

 

[chelseyylynn44]

@katrina2017 So interesting! Like I said I was honestly astounded at how much of a difference it made for me.

 

[danmillward]

@katrina2017 I wonder if oat milk helps? I recently switched to oatmilk from soy, just to see if it would help. Also, I am from Latin America and here people believe "dulce de rapadura" or "panela" helps a lot, and it really did when I was taking it. Dulce de rapadura is a block of sugar produced in sugar mills by crushing the sugar cane, boiling it and then forming the blocks in molds as the reduction cools. Its brown and tastes of molasses. (You guys have that in the States?). It might as well have been a placebo effect, but it helped me produce an extra ounce per session, plus it's nice! I drink it with warm milk or over my oats.

 

[pwl]

@chelseyylynn44 I'm happy that this worked for you and so many others, I just want to make a shoutout for the moms who tried/will try everything under the sun to increase their milk supply (teas, supplements, oatmeal, dom, power pumping, etc.) and got little or no results this is not your fault! As three different lacs told me, there is no magic pill to increase breastmilk supply. Some moms have an oversupply and some moms a low supply. However you feed your baby is wonderful!

Again, nothing against OP or anyone that this worked for, I am so happy that you were able to increase supply this way! I wasn't and reading a posts like this when I was 2 weeks PP and struggling to feed my baby was traumatic. I couldn't look at pictures of pumped milk in bottles without bursting into tears. If you are struggling like this, please know that you aren't alone!

 

[avatar29]

@pwl Yeah I want to echo this. For me I eventually increased supply, but it took months and was just due to more feeding and pumping. Nothing else made a difference.

I wish there was more research about this, because my suspicion is that many of these magical substances do very little, but people are often combining with increasing demand.

 

[sandi217]

@avatar29 It's amazing how little research there is on this topic!!

 

[chelseyylynn44]

@pwl Totally! And I appreciate you making this comment. I was just honestly blown away at my own personal results and it felt worth sharing. Fed is best

 

[dwhite081705]

@pwl This is a really good point. I feel like I notice a difference when I eat these foods, which might help if you need a boost because you’re pumping more often (and pumps don’t work as well as the baby). But I don’t think if someone struggles with supply in general that they’re just not eating enough oatmeal.

 

[mom23]

@pwl Absolutely to all of this!! It’s crazy how little education/support there is around this. I was devastated when I couldn’t produce enough for my firstborn, even when I tried everything because I didn’t know low supply was even a thing. With my second, it was still a hard reality to face, but I was much more prepared because I’d learned the difference between primary low supply and secondary low supply. If you’re a mom with low supply and needing resources, lowsupplymom on instagram has been an incredible one for me. I honestly think the information she shares, and the way she shares it saved my life.

 

[pwl]

@mom23 Yes!! I had no idea about low supply either and I told my midwife I wished they had provided some education on it so I wouldn't have felt so blindsided by it. I love lowsupplymom and I learned so much from and got so much comfort from her account when I was really struggling with my low supply!

 

[mom23]

@pwl Yes! Such a gut punch when it happens. Breastfeeding is such a beautiful thing and I’m so glad so many women can exclusively breastfeed, but the lack of education around low supply adds to the judgment and shame those of us who aren’t able to produce a full supply feel when it happens.

 

[dwhite081705]

@chelseyylynn44 Oatmeal and Gatorade have always increased my supply.

My fave oatmeal is with raspberries, brown sugar, a splash of milk, and cream cheese.

 

[awefactory]

@dwhite081705 Why have I never thought of putting cream cheese in my oatmeal! That sounds amazing. Trying it to tomorrow! Thank you!!

 

[dwhite081705]

@awefactory It was a game changer for me! I’m like Hmm how can I make this more fatty…

 

[danmillward]

@awefactory This is gonna be my recipe for tomorrow!!!!

 

[danmillward]

@dwhite081705 If we're sharing recipes:
I add butter, mashed banana, brown sugar (I actually use panela), and ground cinnamon and stir and let cook then I add the oats and half water, half milk, bring to a boil. Serve with crushed nuts on top (pistachios or cashews for me, my hubby likes a dollop of peanut butter on his).

Recipe 2: almost the same but with green apples and all spice.

 

[vetpharmtech]

@chelseyylynn44 I like mine with banana and walnuts!