Increasing milk supply
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Honestly the baby nursing will increase your supply, they will cluster feed which feels like they constantly want boob but they are sending signals to make more next time :) Lactation cookies and smoothies that kind of thing is a bit of a gimmick really If your looking to have an oversupply then you can pump inbetween feeds but your baby will order as much as it needs, always offer other breast :) x
It takes 6 weeks roughly for your milk to regulate, in that time if you want to successful breastfeed put baby to boob and don't pump for at least 6 weeks. Your body will naturally make more and more the more your boobs are used. Pumping when you want to breastfeed can cause an over supply which then increases your risk of getting mastitis. When babies are first born their stomachs are tiny, like the size of a small marble or cherry, it then steadily increases to basically match the size of their hand. Which is why the rule in general is 1 to 1.5oz per hour going up to 3 hours if pumping (this is for when they're a bit older and not newborn as 1oz can do a week or two old 3 hours depending on how hungry your baby is). Pumps also aren't as efficient as a baby either. Once they've got the hang of it they can empty you easily within 10 minutes. Where a pump ypu may be sat there 30 minutes for something similar
Just feed the baby on demand, that tells your body how much milk to produce for your baby. Keeping well hydrated and eating well will make you feel better overall
Oh also you don't need lactation cookies. Just eat porridge or granola. It's the oats that can help. Also never take cold and flu or sudofed it will dry you up or reduce your supply If you're worried about baby gaining you can if you have time weigh before and after. I can't remember how much you'll see a difference but that's what my mum was taught to do in the 80s when they kept forcing formula on her and she refused (it wasn't because we were under fed, they would have worried about over feeding if we had been bottle fed as we were very, very chunky!)
Eat plenty of good food, like BIG portions, drink lots of water and spend the first few days in bed or on the sofa with baby attached to your boobs. And it will come x
Feed and or pump often. Every 2-3 hours and eat healthy enriched foods, healthy fats ie avocado, seeds and grains etc
With my first I nursed for 2.5years. Never used formula, never pumped, no dummies just nursed on demand and offered both boobs. There is no trick or way of increasing supply other than nursing as much as baby wants/needs- for feeding or for comfort. It’s a demanding job in the early days until you both get the hang of it. Just eat a well balanced diet with lots of fresh veg/ fruit, meat, eggs and fish. Stay hydrated and you’ll do great. Remember though, it’s a tough job to establish nursing so if it doesn’t turn out how you planned there is nothing wrong with changing your plan. I’m planning on nursing this time too. A healthy and happy mother and baby is what matters more than how you feed. Good luck ❤️
Feed baby on demand, get plenty of water (I was drinking around 3-4litres daily) and I found any oat bars helped, but I had to make sure I'd eaten lots of nutrient rich, fatty foods like fish, avocado, eggs etc. But the more you feed baby, the more the message goes ro your body to produce more
Some good advice on here. Pumping isn’t an indicator of supply so if you try pumping and find you don’t produce much it doesn’t mean baby isn’t getting enough. As long as baby is gaining weight and having enough wet and dirty nappies you know they are getting enough from you. Just feed on demand and read up about what to expect like cluster feeding during growth spurts etc. it’s normal for breastfed babies to feed often because breastmilk is digested quicker than formula and if they wake often to feed it’s not always because they are hungry, breastfeeding is a source of comfort as well and feeding to sleep is a superpower!
Thank you so much everyone for the advice xxxx
Oreos upped my supply just as much as lactation cookies, the cookies did taste nicer but much more expensive🙈 xx
Did anyone combi feed? Breast and formula? Xx
While the baby feeds in one side pump the other side, it’s a bit tricky but it’s possible, that’s going to sent your body the message to produce more.