as i mentioned before, i wasn't exclusively able to BF twins. so, i researched ways to increase my milk supply. i couldn't be the only one with this problem, right?
right.
it's a bigger problem than most people think. and, this is often where people give up. when i read things, i came across some surprising facts... adoptive mothers could BF?! if that was possible, then surely there was a way to increase my supply! :)
the starred items are really what helped me get my milk to increase... now, remember, before i was doing 4oz./feeding... mostly on my R boob (one boob usually gives off more milk than the other)...
increase BFing supply tips:
1. try fenugreek supplements ($7-8), mother's milk tea* ($2 on sale at sprout's), or more milk plus by motherlove($17.95), which are all featured below- many women swore fenugreek would work, but it did NOTHING for me. for others, it did wonders. the tea is what did it for me. i drank it 3-5x/day like it suggests until the box ran out... M-F. by the following M (i hadn't gone to the store that weekend), i noticed my letdown was coming down INCREDIBLY faster. then, i started to produce more... the MMP did okay, but not worth the price tag.
however, i would start from L to R in the picture...
2. pump AFTER BFing*- something they don't teach you in the hospital. you need to do it to relieve yourself of all the milk to build up an adequate supply to replenish. cannot replenish what's still there. :) pump until you feel like your milk has drained... it might take 5-15 minutes, give or take. you'll feel when you need to stop.
3. pump every three hours*- i don't remember them telling me this in the hospital. but, pump if they're sleeping. pump EVEN at night. pump every three hours whether they need milk or not. you will, unbelievably increase your supply in days if you keep this up... just this. again, pump for as long as you feel you need... at first, i watched the clock, and then i just stopped doing that. yet, it takes me now around 10-15 minutes, but there are times that it'll take less or longer, just depending.... they say that the general rule of thumb is to keep pumping for 3-5 minutes after your last letdown... but, that can lead you into your next letdown. try to prevent a huge wait time between pumping... such as 5-6 hours. too drastic of a time frame where you could get two pumpings/feedings. sometimes at night, i'm too tired to wake up and i press "snooze" too many times, and next time i wake, i realize that it's been about this time frame since i've last fed/pumped. that's okay once in awhile. i haven't seen it really affect my milk production. i just make sure i pump/feed three hours afterward. yet, if you continue to wait such a long period, then it definitely will not provide the right amount of milk that you need for your babies. plus, you'll feel unbelievably engorged, which is pain-ful! :)
4. when BFing, keep the twins on the same boob*- for the initial milk, keep both on the same boob... i forgot what type of milk it's called, but from what i recall (forgive me if i'm wrong), it's the best type of milk. the foremilk, i think. i'm probably wrong. lol. :)
5. when BFing, switch babies twice*- this is hard, especially when the babies are younger. so, i'd say wait until they're at least six weeks since their heads are so fragile. yet, switch the babies when they "seem" full/bored/start to communicate (where mine are at, lol).
6. feed upon demand*- my girls are almost four months, and i still feed them upon demand, yet there are times that i have to relieve my milk and i go ahead and pump if they're sleeping/already full. when they're much younger, you definitely feed upon demand... whenever they need that milk, you whip it out. lol
7. drink plenty of water, eat well and sleep well*- isn't that hilarious, especially the last one?! anyway, remember the expensive lactation consultant about whom i wrote? i asked her point blank if this really made a difference, and she said no. yet, you still need to make sure YOU are hydrated, well nourished and well rested because I BELIEVE that it affects your milk production. case in point: i've been on different antibiotics so far since my girls have been born, and that combined with stress prevented my body from taking care of myself first, which then affected my water intake, nourishment, and rest. that affects your BFing. it's this whole circular situation, unfortunately. lol. even i felt sick a few days ago, and throughout the day, my milk production was "off" because my body was taking care of MYSELF first before working overtime to produce milk. your body fights for you FIRST. everything comes afterward.
8. nursing vacation- i've done something similar to this, but not necessarily this. a nursing vacation is when the baby is in bed with you, exclusively BFing upon demand. sometimes, i'll have one of my babies with us and nurse in bed... to avoid having to "pump" and i'll take my other baby girl and do the other side when she wakes. generally, a NV is ideal if you have a singleton or a baby who constantly needs to be fed.
9. pump after a shower or use a warm compressor to stimulate*- you'll have great results after a shower, especially if you're due to feed or pump.
right.
it's a bigger problem than most people think. and, this is often where people give up. when i read things, i came across some surprising facts... adoptive mothers could BF?! if that was possible, then surely there was a way to increase my supply! :)
the starred items are really what helped me get my milk to increase... now, remember, before i was doing 4oz./feeding... mostly on my R boob (one boob usually gives off more milk than the other)...
increase BFing supply tips:
1. try fenugreek supplements ($7-8), mother's milk tea* ($2 on sale at sprout's), or more milk plus by motherlove($17.95), which are all featured below- many women swore fenugreek would work, but it did NOTHING for me. for others, it did wonders. the tea is what did it for me. i drank it 3-5x/day like it suggests until the box ran out... M-F. by the following M (i hadn't gone to the store that weekend), i noticed my letdown was coming down INCREDIBLY faster. then, i started to produce more... the MMP did okay, but not worth the price tag.
2. pump AFTER BFing*- something they don't teach you in the hospital. you need to do it to relieve yourself of all the milk to build up an adequate supply to replenish. cannot replenish what's still there. :) pump until you feel like your milk has drained... it might take 5-15 minutes, give or take. you'll feel when you need to stop.
3. pump every three hours*- i don't remember them telling me this in the hospital. but, pump if they're sleeping. pump EVEN at night. pump every three hours whether they need milk or not. you will, unbelievably increase your supply in days if you keep this up... just this. again, pump for as long as you feel you need... at first, i watched the clock, and then i just stopped doing that. yet, it takes me now around 10-15 minutes, but there are times that it'll take less or longer, just depending.... they say that the general rule of thumb is to keep pumping for 3-5 minutes after your last letdown... but, that can lead you into your next letdown. try to prevent a huge wait time between pumping... such as 5-6 hours. too drastic of a time frame where you could get two pumpings/feedings. sometimes at night, i'm too tired to wake up and i press "snooze" too many times, and next time i wake, i realize that it's been about this time frame since i've last fed/pumped. that's okay once in awhile. i haven't seen it really affect my milk production. i just make sure i pump/feed three hours afterward. yet, if you continue to wait such a long period, then it definitely will not provide the right amount of milk that you need for your babies. plus, you'll feel unbelievably engorged, which is pain-ful! :)
4. when BFing, keep the twins on the same boob*- for the initial milk, keep both on the same boob... i forgot what type of milk it's called, but from what i recall (forgive me if i'm wrong), it's the best type of milk. the foremilk, i think. i'm probably wrong. lol. :)
5. when BFing, switch babies twice*- this is hard, especially when the babies are younger. so, i'd say wait until they're at least six weeks since their heads are so fragile. yet, switch the babies when they "seem" full/bored/start to communicate (where mine are at, lol).
6. feed upon demand*- my girls are almost four months, and i still feed them upon demand, yet there are times that i have to relieve my milk and i go ahead and pump if they're sleeping/already full. when they're much younger, you definitely feed upon demand... whenever they need that milk, you whip it out. lol
7. drink plenty of water, eat well and sleep well*- isn't that hilarious, especially the last one?! anyway, remember the expensive lactation consultant about whom i wrote? i asked her point blank if this really made a difference, and she said no. yet, you still need to make sure YOU are hydrated, well nourished and well rested because I BELIEVE that it affects your milk production. case in point: i've been on different antibiotics so far since my girls have been born, and that combined with stress prevented my body from taking care of myself first, which then affected my water intake, nourishment, and rest. that affects your BFing. it's this whole circular situation, unfortunately. lol. even i felt sick a few days ago, and throughout the day, my milk production was "off" because my body was taking care of MYSELF first before working overtime to produce milk. your body fights for you FIRST. everything comes afterward.
8. nursing vacation- i've done something similar to this, but not necessarily this. a nursing vacation is when the baby is in bed with you, exclusively BFing upon demand. sometimes, i'll have one of my babies with us and nurse in bed... to avoid having to "pump" and i'll take my other baby girl and do the other side when she wakes. generally, a NV is ideal if you have a singleton or a baby who constantly needs to be fed.
9. pump after a shower or use a warm compressor to stimulate*- you'll have great results after a shower, especially if you're due to feed or pump.
remember how i said that my amount was 3-4oz./feeding? well, NOW, it's anywhere from 4-12oz./feeding (generally 6-8oz.), AND my girls are eating MORE and they've grown older and BIGGER (at three months, more than doubled their birthweight by a bit). i'd say that we're now at 90/10 (BFing/formula), and there have been several days that we are 100% BFing/pumping! on those days, i'm ECSTATIC because i've obtained, what i thought once was, an untouchable goal... BFing/pumping exclusively with twins!
NOTE: most importantly, stick with it. results make take awhile... i gave the fenugreek one week. then, i moved onto the tea, and gave that one week. finally, with the MMP, i gave that less than a week. keep with it; one day will not suffice. also, MY results may not be the same as YOUR results, so find what works best for you. also, i didn't start this until they were about five, six weeks old, so don't go depriving yourself of any sleep by following these guidelines exactly. that will get you nowhere. you need to make sure that you REST so you're well-rested for your KIDS. :) please understand that it's NOT my intention to offend anyone in this post... i'm only writing about what worked for me/tips i researched/learned....
yet, honestly, the two things that REALLY worked for me were:
NOTE: most importantly, stick with it. results make take awhile... i gave the fenugreek one week. then, i moved onto the tea, and gave that one week. finally, with the MMP, i gave that less than a week. keep with it; one day will not suffice. also, MY results may not be the same as YOUR results, so find what works best for you. also, i didn't start this until they were about five, six weeks old, so don't go depriving yourself of any sleep by following these guidelines exactly. that will get you nowhere. you need to make sure that you REST so you're well-rested for your KIDS. :) please understand that it's NOT my intention to offend anyone in this post... i'm only writing about what worked for me/tips i researched/learned....
yet, honestly, the two things that REALLY worked for me were:
1. mother's milk tea
2. pumping every three hours (after BFing or just pumping), whether the girls were sleeping or not... even through the night. cannot forget that part!
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