Fenugreek & motilium

[austi05]

I've think I have a low supply as my baby is not gaining weight as she should (according to the ECCN). She recommended taking a herb called Fenugreek and a drug called Motilium which increases prolactin levels. I'm stressing about it now :( and trying to increase number of feeds and expressing, but I'm scared about taking the drugs. Has anyone had success with them?

[Foxymoron]

Both Fenugreek and Motilium work to increase supply. I briefly tried both with my first child to help supply, and got a reasonable result. The Motilium I only took for a week. The fenugreek tabs I'd take when I felt I needed a boost.

But has she given you some simple tips like drinking LOTS of water? Not tea, not coffee, just plain water?

What kind of weight gain is she expecting? Is your baby way under or just a little? Remember that the charts are based on bottlefed babies.

Do you find that she has plenty of wet and dirty nappies? It takes a couple of months for YOUR supply to establish and your milk to mature. Does she spend long enough at each breast to be getting hind milk? These are the things I'd look at first, and I'm assuming your health practioner is taking into account.

You don't need to take anything you aren't comfortable with, I'd try the fenugreek first before the drugs. It's up to you, not the health nurse :)

[1stbaby]

I have just been through the same as you. My baby wasn't putting on enough weight. I took blessed thistle (herbal tablet from health shop) and did a lot of expressing to boost my supply. I also made sure I was feeding regularly like every 3 hours, sometimes every two. It was successful because Bubs seems much more content and is putting on weight now.
All the best.

[occbee]

Have a look at these charts

http://www.promom.org/bf_info/growth.html

Also you could try talkting to a lactation consultant or giving the ABA a call about boosting your supply or determining if there really is a problem. Or if there is a lactation consultant at the hospital where you gave birth give them a call. LCs and ABA counsellors tend to have a bit better idea about BF then some ECHNs, since they specialise in BF. BF babies put on weight very differently to FF babies and their pattern tends to fluctuate quite alot. They may not put on much weight for a while and then put on heaps all at once.

I found my DS tended to fall asleep very easily and so I had to constantly wake him to make sure he had enough. I would keep waking him until he wouldn't wake anymore.

[jonesso]

i took fenugreek and it worked but gave me foul headaches - really dibilitating (sp?). the main use for the herb is to cure sinusitis, and a side effect is increased milk production in lactating women. The down side is that if you don't happen to HAVE blocked sinus then you get these headaches as they drain everything out of the sinus area!! Yucky. But hey, I had a lot more milk happening while I was taking them.

What the others say is true, it takes time for milk supply to really establish. I never had heaps of milk but I had enough for bub. Lots of wet nappies is the key, and feeding every 2-3 hours. I also expressed after my morning feeds as I had the most milk then and could usually express enough for another feed then which I would use to "top up" bub during the day or as a night feed.

Hope this helps.

x Sonia

[Mother Duck]

I had a fair bit of trouble when I was bf'ing M - blessed thistle really helped me - while I ended up giving her a bottle too I was able to keep bf from three months (when my milk 'stopped') to 6 months (when I was 3mths preg and thought I better stop due to limited supplies!)

I loved breatfeeding and wish I could have given M 12 months! - Maybe this time

Good luck and stay patient, but most importantly don't let yourself get stressed about what is happening or not happening with your boobies!

[austi05]

Thanks for your advice. I have noticed an increase in supply after taking Fenugreek tas and increasing frequency of feeds, expressing (when I can). I've heard about Blessed Thistle. Can you take this with the Fenugreek as well??

[jarrahsmumma]

Fenugreek worked well when I was relactating as well as Maxolon (not sure of spelling..does have depression side effects)

but i must stress TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA,TALK TO ABA

did i stress that enough:p

remember not all bubs are the same, some weigh more some weigh less. My CHN was full of poo, some are good some aren't. This particular CHN recomended riccotta for 4 month olds and supplementing with formula for low weight bubs ergh:banghead:

[chillifly]

I've been on both to 'boost' my supply as well.

My bub refused to feed (nose tube for a while), wouldn't BF and had to be taught to bottle-feed. I was expressing BM, but apparently it wasn't enough. Bub was supposed to have 45ml of formula, but if I could express 20ml of BM, then she would be topped up with 25ml of formula. Mind you the MW told me that 1ml of BM = 30ml of formula, so why a top up is necessary................

Had bub gone to the breast straight away they would not have known the quantity of BM she was getting until she had been weighed for a few weeks. Anyway, by day 3 it was determined my milk supply was insufficient and I was prescribed the motilium which I took 3 times a day for one week, 2 times a day for the next week and once a day for the final week. I also started taking fenugreek on the advice of a CHN, but it gave me shocking headaches and I constantly had a runny nose and was sneezing all the time so I wouldn't recommend it.

My milk supply is fine apparently now as bub has put on 900g in 4 weeks and the pedeatrician said the min gain needed is 100g a week. However, my milk supply is constantly on my mind now - has she drained them enough (how do you tell????!!!!), is there enough there, etc etc. I've even resorted to asking my husband a couple of times to 'feel' my boobs to see if he can see the difference in their weight/shape before and after a feed.

I guess the thing to keep in mind is that some weeks will be good weight gains, and others there may not be any. Kids and adults are the same. I suppose the key is to not get too stressed over it.....because this affects milk supply too!!! Aaaarrrggghhhh :banghead:

Cheers