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breast pump

Breastfeeding Tips for Increasing Milk Supply

August 14, 2018 by Rachel 24 Comments

My breastfeeding journey is complicated. And before I get started I need to disclose that fed is best. Period. But for me, it was absolutely important personal decision that my children be breastfed. That does not, by any means, mean that this has been an easy journey.

When my first child was born nearly 6 years ago, he had issues latching in the hospital. A couple of months later he was diagnosed with a pretty severe tongue tie, but at that point, I had already been exclusively pumping every 3 hours. Yes, I would even wake up in the middle of the night to pump and make sure that I kept my milk supply up for my baby. It was exhausting.

So when my daughter was born a couple of years later, I was determined that she would latch. I had several visits from the lactation consultant while in the hospital and they confirmed no tongue tie and her latch was great. My milk even came in while I was only 24 hours postpartum! It was crazy. In fact, I had an oversupply (thanks to my body being in overdrive from exclusively pumping with baby number 1). I needed to use a nipple shield to prevent my oversupply from choking my poor baby! But we worked through it.

Fast forward to the present day. I’m 7 weeks postpartum with my final exclusively breastfed baby. My milk came in even faster than with baby number 2. The lactation consultants actually came to visit me in the hospital because I was an anomaly with an oversupply and they wanted to talk to me about it. Obviously, I realize this is a great problem to have; but my supply has evened itself out already and we’re just trucking along.

So my body has literally been all over the place when it comes to breastfeeding — exclusively pumping, oversupply, undersupply, and everywhere in between.

Here’s what I can share with you to help

increase your milk supply while breastfeeding.

Eat and Drink. 

It can be difficult to make sure you’re eating enough when you’re stuck underneath a needy newborn, but the most important thing you can do for your milk supply is to keep a constant supply of water on hand and plenty of snacks. Our bodies use a lot of energy to create the milk for our babies. If we aren’t keeping up with our own caloric and water intake, our bodies won’t be able to produce food for our babies.

Empty your breasts after each feeding.

After you finish nursing your little one the last thing you want to do is be tied down even more. I know. But set that little lovebug down and bust out your breast pump and fully finish emptying your breasts. It will seem tedious at first and you likely won’t get much milk expressed, but if you keep up this practice it will help keep up with the demands of feeding.

Every new mom can check to see if they qualify through insurance for a new breast pump. The Aeroflow Breastpumps website makes it super easy to find out! All you do is complete the Aeroflow qualification form and then Aeroflow contacts your insurance provider and submits the paperwork to your doctor — and you get to choose your brand new breast pump!

If you’re serious about building your supply I suggest using a double-pump. My personal favorite (and go-to since baby number 1) is the Medela Pump In Style. The backpack design makes it super convenient for busy moms and the double-pump design maximizes your time by letting down both sides at once.

If you’re looking for a manual pump, Aeroflow Breastpumps also offers an array of those. Whatever your style is, just make sure you have a breast pump on hand to help with your supply. Even if you’re not getting much milk from expression, it is helping your body to know to produce more for your baby.

Make cookies!

Does it sound too good to be true? It isn’t! Eating the right kind of oatmeal or oatmeal cookies have been shown to increase a mothers milk supply.)* The combination of oats, brewers yeast, and flaxseed seems to do the trick! I’ve found a couple of great make-at-home recipes here and here.

If you’re not a baker and prefer to purchase cookies premade, I’ve had both Milk Bliss cookies and MilkMakers lactation cookies. Both are good, but as someone who doesn’t like chocolate, I prefer to make my own.

Have a beer. 

Again, this is not too good to be true! Hops, fennel, and barley are all known for increasing milk supply — and those are all found in beer! Now, I’m not saying have 5 beers, but an occasional beer before bed has helped myself and other mamas I know to increase our supply.

A bonus? It can help you to relax, which in turn will help you to produce more milk.

Pop a fenugreek pill.

Fenugreek, an herb, can be found in many lactation tea blends, but it doesn’t taste very good. With my first child, I bought fenugreek supplements at my local pharmacy (most big box retailers will have them near the prenatal vitamins). These, along with the methods above were honestly the key to my success with exclusively pumping for one whole year with baby number one.

Here’s the deal with breastfeeding — it’s hard. It’s really, really, hard. But never once was it not worth it. It was always worth it for me. And if you find yourself reading this, and looking for tips to help you on your breastfeeding journey, it’s obviously important for you, too.

So I will leave you with this advice: Seek out support and know that your body is capable of amazing things. And if at any time you need advice or a listening ear or just to vent, please email me. My first breastfeeding adventure was rough and I still decided to have two more babies and breastfeed them both!

*Parenting.com article

Disclaimer: I am not a physician, nutritionist, or lactation consultant. These are just my personal experiences and experiences of those close to me. Always consult with your physician and lactation consultant. And, as always, FED is best.

Filed Under: #MomLife, babies, breast pump, breastfeeding, children, health, mommyhood, Oh baby!, parenthood, postpartum, sponsor, tips + tricks Tagged With: #MomLife, babies, breast pump, breastfeeding, children, health and beauty, mommyhood, oh baby, parenthood, postpartum, sponsor, tips + tricks

Our Breastfeeding Journey // Best Breastfeeding & Breast Pump Tips + A GIVEAWAY

December 2, 2016 by Rachel 45 Comments

It’s taken me nearly two years of combined breastfeeding and pumping (from two different children) to finally stop feeling like such a novice. For those who are unfamiliar with our story, know that it hasn’t been an easy road — with either child.

But from the second I found out I was pregnant with Ari, I knew that breastfeeding was an important part of my journey as a Mama. And, unfortunately, Ari never seemed to latch. Even after his tongue tie was clipped, the latch issues persisted. So day one in the hospital, I found myself utilizing the hand pump that was offered to me. Our first days at home were no different. I would deliriously pump along to that mechanical pump sound as my husband offered Ari a bottle. Thankfully, he took a bottle like a champ.

The next 12 months of my life were riddled with the sound of that pump — every 3 hours. Yes. You read that correctly. Every three hours for 12 months. That is a lot of pumping!

itsahero_breastpump
This second time around I felt really ready. Remy latched immediately after birth. My milk even came in at the hospital, just 12 hours postpartum! Unheard of, right?? Well, it turns out my body was 100% ready for it’s second shot at breastfeeding. Thanks to all of those endless hours with my breastpump, I quickly developed an oversupply. So I pumped just one time a day — after our first morning feeding. That one time a day would result in 8-10 ounces of liquid gold per sitting!

I started just packing it away in the freezer. And even though Remy has yet to take a bottle, this milk has not gone to waste. I have donated hundreds and hundreds of ounces to local mothers in need of breastmilk for their babies. And anything I have left will be donated to Akron Children’s Hospital next year!

In the past few months I’ve had to dish out a ton of advice to my sister (a new mom, herself), so I thought I’d pass along the wisdom to you, too!

  1. Don’t stress about pumping. Those first few weeks with your new baby are special… and? EXHAUSTING. Do yourself a favor: If pumping isn’t a necessity, just don’t do it yet. Get to know your baby, your body, and work on the latch. The pump will still be there in a few weeks.
  2. Do your research on what is the best breast pump for you. Market research is great, but testimonials on pump designs are even better! Know a Mama that pumps? Ask her what she uses! For me, the Medela Double Pump In Style was my BFF with Ari; but the second time around, I found I needed something I could just whip out — so I’ve been using a simple Medela Manual hand pump.
    itsahero_breast-pump-Medela
  3. Drink all of the water! You know those huge water jugs you get in the hospital (only to be outdone in size by the giant pads)? Well, you scoff at the amount of liquid they can hold. That is, until you find yourself stuck under a nursing infant for an hour and wonder, “Why the heck am I so thirsty??” You will be thirstier than you ever imagined possible.
  4. Get comfortable. By this point, all self-consciousness you’ve had over people seeing your body should be gone. So just be. Really! Don’t worry about covering for company — if they are in your home, they should be okay with seeing you in all your glory. I found that those first few weeks of breastfeeding, my chest was exposed so much — I ended up putting a bathing suit coverup on over my nursing bra because it had the easiest access!
  5. Ditch the underwire. Ladies. We’ve wasted countless hours trying to find the perfect underwire bra — uncomfortable as they may be — and now you have the freedom to ditch them! They are uncomfortable for engorged breasts. Do yourself a favor and find a comfortable, cotton, nursing bra. When you find one you like? Buy three.
    itsahero_nursingbra
  6. Don’t be afraid to keep your baby in the room with you. Having your baby sleep in the same room as you, at least temporarily, can be a tremendous help. That way you won’t have to go far for those 2am feedings! This seems silly, but I swear it is tremendously helpful when you’re completely sleep deprived.
  7. You will figure it all out. I promise. But in the meantime, don’t be afraid to ask for help — from friends; from family; heck, even from strangers! We’ve all done it. We’ve all asked for help.

Speaking of help — wouldn’t a $50 gift card help out right about now!? Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!

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And keep strong, Mamas! You’re doing a fantastic job!

*This giveaway is a partnership with Nakturnal. As usual all opinions herein are my own. I have been compensated for this post.*

Filed Under: #MomLife, breast pump, breastfeeding, giveaway, mommyhood, Oh baby!, parenthood, postpartum, sponsor Tagged With: #MomLife, being a mom, breast pump, breastfeeding, giveaway, mommyhood, motherhood, parenthood, postpartum, sponsor

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