In Bloom Doula Services

I am not a lactation counselor or an IBCLC, but after a total of 20 months of breastfeeding, I would say I know a thing or two about it. I may not be an expert, but I have had a wide variety of experiences throughout my breastfeeding journey: minor latch issues, clogged ducts, dips in supply, over supply, pumping at work, donating expressed milk, breastfeeding while pregnant, and most recently an attempt at tandem feeding.

I’ve been blogging now for a year and a half, and am still quite a “small” blogger. Really small actually, but my small blog has opened a big door. Women often fill my inbox with questions about pregnancy and birth, and most often of all- breastfeeding. Women I haven’t talked to since high school suddenly feel safe enough to ask me personal questions, and complete strangers pour out their frustrations and concerns to me about a variety of things all because I have put it all out there, which makes me incredibly happy. I love the questions, comments and conversations and welcome them happily.

But the number one question I am asked is hands down- “how do you have such good supply?!”

Like I said, I am no expert, so I am not 100% sure why I have such good supply, or how to improve anyone else’s, but I have some theories and definitely some things that have worked for me. Some of it, I really believe, has a biological component. I do not pump as often as recommended, and I never have to nurse or pump for very long to empty the breast. I think that boils down to two things: one, I think I have large milk ducts, therefor, I hold more milk at a time. I have never seen my milk ducts, but I think this would explain why I can get sometimes 6+ ounces from one breast at a time. Two, I have a very strong let down. My milk just pours out, and responds very well to the pump. These two factors may not apply to everyone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t breastfeed successfully.

I have noticed dips in my supply, and dealt with frustrating over supply. Over supply to me is a blessing in disguise. It allowed me to donate, and now it allows me to give my toddler breastmilk regularly, but it can cause quite a few hiccups.

In order to address the question I get most often I thought it may be helpful for me to create a list of beneficial things to do to help boost your supply, or establish your supply if you’re at the beginning of your breastfeeding journey, or even anticipating on in months to come. I can’t promise that they will all work for you, but they are worth a shot!

POWER PUMP

I started power pumping in the morning before work about once a week after I returned to work with Waylon. I was worried about switching from exclusive breastfeeding to pumping/bottle feeding while at work. My first week back at work I noticed a slow, but steady decrease in my milk production. I was probably just regulating my supply because even with a decline in the amount I was getting, I was still producing quite a lot, but I like having more than enough to build a stash, share with Holden, and donate.

Basically the premise of power pumping is to trick your body into thinking more milk is needed since breastfeeding works on a supply and demand basis. It takes an hour, so it can be hard to schedule, but I reaped the benefits of one session for three days.

IF YOU SUPPLEMENT WITH FORMULA – PUMP

Women often message me saying they are supplementing with formula when they are not producing enough. If that is the case, your body is getting off without being told that more milk is needed. This creates a cycle of decreasing milk supply, and leads to more formula being needed. If you use formula, make sure you are pumping additionally. It is a pain and a ton of work, I know, but that is a feeding that your body is not accounting for when you supplement without producing more milk/pumping. If you pump you are signaling that more milk is needed, and it will hopefully boost your supply.

EAT LACTATION SUPER FOODS AND DON’T CUT CALORIES

In order to breastfeed, you cannot cut calories down too much. I notice days that I eat more calories, like when I indulge in 4-5 cookies, I see a higher milk production the following day. Pinterest is full of articles/ blogs promoting diets and losing weight while breastfeeding, but the truth is, if breastfeeding is important to you, losing weight may need to be put on the back burner temporarily. It is always wise to make good healthy choices: lots of veggies that are high in fiber, healthy lean protein, and obviously a lot of water, but you cannot cut out fats, calories and carbs completely.

A reliable list of food to help boost supply is: oatmeal, toss ground flaxseed in anything you bake (and then you have lactation cookies/brownies/etc.), smoothies with spinach and nutrient rich fruits and veggies.

PUMP OR BREASTFEED MORE OFTEN

If you notice your baby is not emptying the breast completely- pump it out. You can have that milk to store. If you let a half full breast sit, you could decrease your supply, or end up with a clogged duct or mastitis. If you notice your supply dipping you need to pump more often. If you pump every 4 hours, make it every three hours. Signal to your body that it is not making enough. Breastmilk is a produced on a supply/demand basis, and letting your body know demand is high will typically increase your supply.

I understand that this doesn’t always play out the same way for some women. I am not trying to insist that pumping more will solve everyone’s breastfeeding/pumping troubles because that is not the case, but in general supply in a response to the demand.

STAY HYDRATED

Drink water, and then drink some more. Maybe throw in some blue gatorade (I hear that has magical powers) and cut the caffeine to a minimum, but mostly drink that water. I’ve heard it helps some, and I’ve heard it actually doesn’t do much. I am perpetually dehydrated and I have great supply, but I would give it a try if your supply is decreasing.

BREASTFEED ON DEMAND

Some of the worst advice ever given to new moms is that baby needs to be fed on a schedule. Your baby will let you know when he/she is hungry and if you limit him/her to only eating every three hours you are telling your body to slow down production. Cluster feeding is NORMAL. Comfort nursing is NORMAL. Breastfeeding randomly for 5 mins is NORMAL. Breastfeeding every thirty minutes is NORMAL. If your pediatrician is encouraging you to breastfeed on a schedule they do not care about your breastfeeding success. The three hour rule is meant to let women know that is the longest you should typically go in between feedings, it is not meant to limit your baby or schedule them out. As long as your baby is gaining weight, and producing plenty of wet and dirty diapers then they are getting enough to eat. If you do not have a desire to breastfeed on demand then you may need to accept that your breastfeeding relationship may be short lived. That is ok, you do you. I firmly believe breastfeeding is a lifestyle, and it may not be one that works for you. But if you want to establish or boost your supply- breastfeed on demand.

BREAST-SLEEP

Put that baby in the bed next to you, lay on your side, pull out that boob and go to sleep. You will feel 100% better when you sleep. Baby will sleep for longer and will cry less, and your milk supply with thank you.

If you want to argue with me about bed-sharing, please refer to the blogs linked below, and then don’t. If breast-sleeping/bed-sharing is not for you thats cool. I do not judge how you get the sleep you need, or how you make sure your baby is fed. It is simply something I accredit my breastfeeding success to.

• Why I Stopped Hiding My Bed-Sharing Habit
• 4 Ways to Enhance Bonding With Your Newborn

SUPPLIMENTS

This is something I don’t do often, mainly because I forget to take my vitamins and supplements, but I do take them more often as I notice a dip. Take vitamins and any supplement you may be lacking in: iron, Vitamin D, fiber. I often take alfalfa capsules as well as Honest Co. lactation plus. The problem with Lactation Plus is that it disqualifies my milk from being donate to Mother’s Milk Bank. It was explained to me that NICU babies have such sensitive immune systems that they cannot handle anything like that or anything made with fenugreek. I do take it as needed, and I just make a note, so any of that expressed milk will stay with my healthy babies, and not be donated. That is just something to consider if you plan on donating.

EAT YOUR PLACENTA

Y’all know by now I ate my placenta. No, not cooked and ground up into the capsules. I had it cut up, frozen and blended into smoothies and I drank it. With Holden I did it over the course of three months. With Waylon I downed it in two weeks. Let me tell you, I barely noticed placenta in the shake/smoothie I drank, but I did notice a difference with my postpartum experiences. After I had Waylon I felt so good. I hardly felt like I had a baby at all. I didn’t even need ibuprofen. I bled postpartum exactly the same amount with both, and my milk came in full force with both. Obviously plenty of women do not eat their placentas and have great supply, however, I am too firm of a believer now to go back. I explain my “weirdness” more in my post, I Ate My Placenta, and You Should Too… If You Want To.

If there is anything not included on my list that works for you please comment below and let me know! I think it is important to remember that breastfeeding and milk supply is not a one size fits all situation. We all have varying supplies and different things that work or do not work for us. Nobody has the same pregnancy, length of pregnancy, labor or recovery. Why would we expect breastfeeding to be the same for each of us?