Breastfeeding help....

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snowshoermom
snowshoermom Posts: 63 Member
in Food and Nutrition
for breastfeeding moms.... how much extra do you eat to make sure your little one has enough milk or what do you eat to make more milk.. it seems lately that my little guy is really hungry.. not sure if its a growing spurt? any advice would be appreciated?

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  • corneredbycorn
    corneredbycorn Posts: 267 Member
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    If he's acting extra hungry, it's probably a growth spurt.

    You should be eating at least 500 extra calories per day to sustain milk production.
  • Darmanin
    Darmanin Posts: 75 Member
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    I breastfed my youngest until 21 months and didn't really notice anything different when eating particular foods. You do need 400 to 500 extra a day. Drinking extra water also.

    Herbal supliments like fenugreek helped me. But i ended up taking the perscription drug motilium. This works a treat.
  • nsondy
    nsondy Posts: 17 Member
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    If he's nursing contstantly he might just be trying to increase your supply. Most little babies know instintually when they need more milk, so they do that to get your body to create more for their spurts. And I agree with the other ladies and caloric needs. :) At 5'4 and slightly overweight I took in between 2000-2200 calories minimum and my supply stayed strong and I never gained a pound.
  • Pridgenization
    Pridgenization Posts: 65 Member
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    I will bet it is a growth spurt. I agree with everyone else about the water. It is very important to help with supply. As my first got closer to one year, I used fenugreek to help improve production. During that time, I did WW. I got an extra 10 points every day plus was supposed to have four servings of calcium. I don't know what that meant calorie-wise, but it looks like you have some other pretty good estimates.
  • Mamato3cubs
    Mamato3cubs Posts: 65
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    I agree with what others have mentioned. You can always pump inbetween feedings to increase your supply. Depending on how old your little one is you can also supplement with food, etc.
  • wildechild74
    wildechild74 Posts: 64 Member
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    i agree with the other responses, however will add that baby eats what you eat. lets just say you are limiting your fat grams substantially, then your milk will not be as fatty. when my youngest was very little, we found out he had numerous food allergies- baby eats what you eat. so, i wanted to continue to breast feed, cut out all of his allergans, and i was essentially producing skim milk. i increased my proteins, but just because of everything he was allergic to it was difficult for me get properly nourished. (one plus is that i was dropping lbs fast!). ultimately it was not healthy for either of us, so i had to switch him to special formula- he was constantly hungry and not gaining weight/growing. my situation is rare, most kids dont have the number of food allergans that mine does. needless to say, once he went to special formula and i resumed a normal diet, we both packed on the pounds.
  • inside_lap
    inside_lap Posts: 738 Member
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    You can actually add breastfeeding to your "exercise" and it will credit you the extra calories you need for breastfeeding. How many calories depends on the age of the child and the number of children you are breastfeeding. :). And of course, if you notice that the calories set are causing a decrease in milk production, eat more!! I found mother's milk tea to be extremely helpful too when I was breastfeeding :).
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
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    My daughter read that brewers yeast at night can help increase your supply :)
  • harmonyh10
    harmonyh10 Posts: 58 Member
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    There is some great information at this blog about breastfeeding and weight loss, how to tell if your baby is getting enough and a great forum.

    kellymom.com
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
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    There's a breastfeeding group here that I've found very helpful for support.

    Remember to consume 300-800 extra calories per day.

    How old is your little one? My one year old cluster-feeds mainly at night but sometimes I find that withholding for a while (supplement whole milk or juice if she's thirsty rather than hungry) helps her to get a better feed the next time around.
  • mtabh
    mtabh Posts: 128 Member
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    A wheat beer will help, fenugreek - an herbal supplement, oatmeal, pumping or cluster feeding naturally - causing a higher demand ups the supply, mothers milk tea, blessed thistle, staying well hydrated...

    Hang in there. Hope it works out for you! Don't give up!
  • mtabh
    mtabh Posts: 128 Member
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    Also if he is really hungry and nursing constantly he is probably just training your body to make more milk. It happens naturally, baby gets hungry, they nurse more frequently, body sees the demand and increases supply. Just let him nurse as often as he needs and your body will play catchup.
  • for2day
    for2day Posts: 209 Member
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    I agree with everyone. As your baby gets older, they know when to nurse more to keep your supply up. Just make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids yourself and as long as your baby is growing and happy, you are doing great. I have 7 and nursed them all and everyone of them was different in needs.....and yes, I gained weight :)), but that's one of the reason I am here :)!
  • LisaR517
    LisaR517 Posts: 80
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    Your body will adjust. When he's eating more, you'll make more. But I did notice that having oatmeal in the mornings really helped to boost my milk. HTH! :)
  • jporte
    jporte Posts: 164 Member
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    Have a beer (even non alcoholic is supposed to help I think)....I had a lot of milk with my third kid but did drink a beer with my other 2 and it helped.....there is some tea out there that is supposed to help but I found it gross....good luck!
  • snowshoermom
    snowshoermom Posts: 63 Member
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    Thank you everyone. I heard about the oatmeal from our public health nurse so I will try that. My little man is 3 months. I breastfed my other son but ate whatever I wanted and when I wanted so my milk was ok. Hence why I am here.....

    Will try more water. Drinking 5 to 6 glasses right now. Will try to boost it.
  • eandrsmom
    eandrsmom Posts: 119
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    My doc told me to drink a beer (seriously) and I had to drink water until I floated away. Still had a little problem with milk supply until I started eating like a horse. Which works great, until your kids weans overnight and you continue to eat like a horse. And thus, my presence here. :-)
  • peilover010202
    peilover010202 Posts: 32 Member
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    I talked with my dr extensively about this because I have a 3mo and I'm trying to loose about 30lb. Anyway, he said that there is no evidence to support the need for extra calorie consumption while breastfeeding unless you are underweight. But, he did say that it was imperative to increase water intake (well above the recommended 8 cups per day.) My dr went on to explain that milk supply is directly correlated with hydration of the mother.

    I've been at a calorie deficit for over a month, I'm drinking about 90-100oz of water a day and I've noticed no ill effects on my supply.

    With all that said, babies do go through growth spurts and nurse more frequently to increase your supply. That generally occurs over a 2-3 day span. (that's about how long it takes to increase supply.)

    Oh, I see your only drinking 5-6 glasses per day. Try to double that! =)
  • goodarzi
    goodarzi Posts: 15 Member
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    It probably is a growth spurt for the baby. Make sure you are staying hydrated. I personally took Fenugreek when I felt my supply was low and also pumped in between feedings since breastfeeding is based on supply & demand. It helped me a lot.

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