Battling low milk supply

A friend recently emailed me about ideas for increasing milk supply. I've struggled with low milk supply with all 4 of my babies. Right around the time they start crawling, they start drinking more milk and my body just has a hard time keeping up. Unfortunately, I finally figured out that for me, the best solution for me was to nurse at least twice during the night. I have a lactation consultant friend, and she told me that those middle of the night feedings make the most difference in milk supply. So I always feed the baby before I go to bed (she hardly wakes up but will happily nurse) and no longer try to get my babies to sleep through the night at all. I apparently just don't have enough milk during the day but they make up for it at night. My 3rd baby woke up every three hours every single night until she was a year old and decided she didn't want to nurse any more. Then she suddenly slept through the night perfectly. It was an exhausting year but she was my chunkiest baby so it was worth it to me. My first two slept through the night early on but were all underweight. I'm certain those night feedings made all the difference. I also fed more often during the daytime with my last two babies. I've thrown all my "scheduling" books out the window... none of my babies ever could make it 4 hours between feedings! A lot of times I feed as often as every 2 hours during the day even with older babies just because they seem to need it and it keeps my milk supply.

I've also found that I cannot exercise at all while breastfeeding because it drops my supply. I have a hard time eating enough for both of us, I guess, and if I burn many calories my milk suffers. I also try to drink as much whole milk as possible. I don't always have time to eat a lot during the day, but I can always drink so I try to up my calories with healthy fat in the milk instead of just drinking water. I always drink a large glass before bed as well.

When I first struggled with milk supply, my holistic doctor recommended fenugreek, alfalfa, and blessed thistle herbs. And she told me to eat at least a tablespoon of coconut oil every day. Oatmeal and quinoa are also supposed to be good for increasing milk production. And I do believe those helped. But what worked the most for me was more feedings and lots of milk.

Here is a fabulous website for breastfeeding advice and support: Nursing Nurture