I recently had triplets and I am trying to increase my milk production. I am already taking Reglan. Any other suggestions?

Pumping, eating a healthy diet, drinking lots of fluids, and just sticking to it. It is really hard to increase it but just work at it. Triplets. Wow. That must be alot of work!! Congrats. Don't give up. It gets easier after about a month and a half or two months. Just know that no matter how hard it gets, you are giving your babies the best Also Always feed them alot at night. That is when you milk production is producing the most

1- Breastfeed your baby on demand, remember you are going to have to be really patient and consistent, specially within the first few weeks. Milk supply is dynamic. It follows the law of supply and demand. The more frequently and effectively a baby breastfeed, the more milk the mother's breasts produce. Sometimes for new moms, not understanding their baby's behavior can lead mothers to think they don't have enough milk even though they actually do.



2- Make sure the baby is latching on correctly and vigorously. If your baby gets sleepy on the breast, try to gently pinch her cheeks, or tickle her feet. if she get sleepy, remove her from the breast and put her to latch again, making sure she have the entire nipple on her mouth and her lips covers most of your aureole. Remember her jaw needs to be doing the work, not her checks. Place your finger on her throat to make sure she is swallowing.



3- Remember to drink plenty of water! at least 1.5 liters of water a day. Buy yourself a plastic cup with straw have it close to you and drink ships of it all the time. Dirking plenty of water is very important.



4- Nutrition is very important as well, remember this. Try to have a diet rich in whole foods. Eat whole grains, as is wild rice, brown rice, quinoa (very important grain) oats, amaranth. Eat fish especially salmon and if you can lots of avocados, very rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Eat roasted chicken and make sure to eat the skin as this have rich nutrients that can help you to increment the milk supply. Try to have snacks during your meals. Eat seeds, nuts, hummus with crackers, energy bars and fresh fruit.



5- Try to control your stress levels and remember that stress is the worst enemy of a breastfeeding woman. Stress can actually be a factor in decreasing the production of milk supply.



6- Forget about schedules for the first few weeks/moths and try to get some rest. Sleep when the baby sleep and get as many naps as you can. Sleep deprivation ca be another factor altogether with stress that can influence your ability to produce more or less milk supply.



7- Drink Sacred Tea for Nursing Mothers if you need to increase your milk supply. This herbal formula is made with 100% certified organic ingredients, is very concentrated and can increase your milk supply within hours of use.



What about "natural remedies" versus prescription drugs?



Reglan and domperidone, are prescription drugs that can help women increase their milk supply. Reglan is an older medication that is known to increase milk production, but it has frequent side effects which have made its use for many nursing mothers unacceptable (fatigue, irritability, depression). Another drug is domperidone, which has many fewer side effects because it does not enter the brain tissue in significant amounts (does not pass the blood-brain barrier).



I personally don't like these or any other drug to be prescribed to a breastfeeding woman, knowing that there are some other more natural and healthier alternatives. Unfortunately, conventional medicine is much against natural remedies and preventive health care.



The problem with reglan , donperidome and others alike,"as many women claim to have" besides the side effects described above, is that the same way that may help you to increase breast milk supply initially while taking it, it will as well decrease, even stop your milk supply once you stop taking it. It is like Prozac and other depression drugs they (work?) While taking them. However, studies have revealed of people commiting suicide once they stop taking the drug.



Sad but true, conventional medicine and it's approach to "healing" is quite invasive and with a large list hidden side effects. If you need to increase your milk supply, I'll highly recommend you to try any natural product, before using prescription drugs.

My friend has triplets too and her kids also had to spend some time in the NICU in the early weeks. She pumped on a schedule and switched sides often to help stimulate supply. I think her schedule started at around 7am everyday, and she pumped every two hours. At night she got up every 3 hrs to pump. By the end of the first week she was pumping 10 minute-sessions almost every hour during the day, I can't remember her night routine. By the time the triplets returned home there wasn't much of a problem, unless you count lack of sleep :P



Your babies will be able to remove milk more effeciently, but trust me, you won't have a problem once you start, even if a week has gone by. I had an oversupply problem in my second and third month (I could pump 10oz easily AFTER giving my baby a full feed) and I started off being almost dry in the first 5 days due to my c-section and erratic blood pressure. I almost gave up. But I kept pumping. During the oversupply months, I went to see a lactation consultant and she said I had enough to feed triplets. All I did was pump a couple of times in between feeds and that's it. If you pump on schedule while your triplets are away, it will stimulate your breasts to produce a lot of milk. Whether what you have is in excess or less will be corrected once the kids come home and start breastfeeding. I do wish you the best of luck, it isn't easy in the early days, but it WILL get a whole lot easier as the weeks go by.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/preemie/index... Specifically http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/mainta...



"How often should mom pump?



* 8-10 times per day: Until supply is well established, it is important to get at least eight good nursing and/or pumping sessions per 24 hours. Ten sessions per day is better, particularly if you have twins or higher order multiples.

* These sessions don't need to be evenly spaced, but you should be nursing/pumping at least once during the night in the first few months or anytime you notice a decrease in supply. Avoid going longer than 5-6 hours without pumping during the first few months.

* When pumping during the night, milk yield tends to be better if you pump when you naturally wake (to go to the bathroom or because your breasts are uncomfortably full) than if you set an alarm to wake for pumping.

* If you are having a hard time getting in enough pumping sessions, adding even a short pumping session (increasing frequency even if milk is not removed thoroughly) is helpful.



How long should mom pump at each pumping session?



* If baby does not nurse at all:

o The first few days, before mom's milk comes in, hand expression is often the most effective way to express colostrum. Double pump for 10-15 minutes per session for additional stimulation.

o Once mom's milk is in, pump for 30 minutes per session, or for 2-5 minutes after the last drops of milk.



Additional tips



* Rest & relax as much as possible.

* Skin-to-skin (Kangaroo care) can make a significant difference in pumping output.

* If double pumping is difficult to coordinate in the beginning, then single pump, alternating sides. Move to double pumping as soon as you can.

* Avoid any medications that might interfere with milk supply (hormonal birth control, pseudoephedrine, ethanol/alcoholic beverages, bromocriptine, ergotamine, cabergoline)

* If supply is not increasing as expected by 7-10 days after birth, consider the use of galactagogues. Fenugreek, metoclopramide (Reglan) or domperidone (Motilium) can be helpful for increasing milk supply."

Oh my!! Congratulations on your triplets!! And a big GO YOU for feeding them breast milk! So many would never even attempt it. Great job!!



Reglan, pumping, fenugreek, Mother's Milk Tea are all good. But the very best is to get them onto your breast at any chance you can. Have you been able to latch any of your babes on? Getting them to create the demand is the best way to up the supply (since you already have some). The more demand (via baby or pump), the more the supply.

These are the practical steps to follow..............

1.drink plenty of fluids(water,,juice etc).

2.Try eating snacks and food that are high in calcium

3 Get plenty of rest.

4 Try breast feeding your baby frequently

5. take adequate calories

6. Consult your lactation consultant.

you can try fenugreek, a herbal pill. I heard eating oatmeal, keep yourself hydrated but don't over do it and lots of rest. I pump only once at work and get anywhere between 9-12 oz. If I pump 4 times I will get couple oz each time and end up with 9-12 oz so I just pump once. I heard the more you pump the more you'll produce though.

i use an herbal tea called mother's milk that you can get at any health food store or you can make your own. I saw a significant increase in my milk production after i started drinking it. also drink lots and lots of water...

Pump every two hours, using the pump on both sides at the same time, this stimulates the breast which causes more to drop. I was getting 14 oz at a time when my daughter was 2 mo.