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Q.Ive been exclusively breast feeding my seven week old daughter and have been pumping and storing small amounts of milk for when I am away, but ive been having a hard time producing enough milk to feed her and pump, so im starting to take fenugreek. my question is does the fenugreek really help produce more milk, cause ive been drinking like five cups a day of mothers milk tea and i havn't seen any results from that which is why Im gonna try just the fenugreek. Ive also been takeing fish oil pills for postpartum and brain development for the baby, is it safe to take those two together, and whats the highest dose of each that is safe to take while breastfeeding.
- michelle; moses lake, WA ( 5/12/2009 )
Answer #1

Good Morning, Fenugreek is an effective galactogue and is the most familiar here in the US. It is best to take the fenugreek as a tincture as tinctures are most readily absorbed by the mucous membranes. One needs to drink a lot of fenugreek tea to observe an increase in milk production. I suggest going to your local natural grocer/pharmacy and purchase Motherlove's "More Milk Plus". Generally a nursing mother will observe an increase in her supply within 48 hours, as long as the tincture is taken per instructions on the bottle. If you do not observe an increase, you may want to consider Motherlove's "More Milk Special Blend". The MMSB also contains Goat's Rue which is an effective galactogue for nursing mothers who have had alteration to their mammary tissue. Please learn more about these tinctures at http://motherlove.com/products_extracts.php. Another piece to the "building supply" puzzle is the frequency by which you empty your breasts. Not knowing the age of your infant, the breasts should be emptied (nursing and/or pumping) 10-12 times/24 hours if you are wanting to build supply for an infant less than 3 months old. Please consult with a natural pharmacist/naturopath in your community about the recommended doses of fish oil. I do not know of any contraindications for taking fish oil and fenugreek, however, it is best to discuss this with a naturopath or pharmacist. Kind Regards, Stephanie Moore, RN, BSN, IBCLC International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Owner of Becoming Mothers Boulder, CO www.becomingmothers.com

- Stephanie  Moore; Boulder, CO ( 6/1/2009 )
Answer #2

First of all, good for you for doing your research. The only problem is that you aren't getting enough of the Fenugreek. To really get the full benefits, buy just straight Fenugreek and take 4 pills, 3 times per day. If this causes you to have too much, back down to 3 pills, 3 times per day. And yes, totally safe to take the 2 supplements together. Dr. Winkelbauer

- Lindy  Winkelbauer; Boulder, CO ( 6/2/2009 )
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