https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 04 Apr 2026 23:52:51 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767881 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 10:09:14 +0000 Clementine12 2767881@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jennlin821: Thanks! I do breastfeed on demand between 6 p.m. and when I leave in the morning at 7 a.m. (and will when I work from home and on the weekends - only pumping first thing in the morning. I usually get about 4 oz from that session). Right now she wakes to feed too often for me to plan a middle-of-the-night pumping session (we had once night where she slept 7 hours, but normally I feed her every 3ish hours overnight and one really long session between 5 and 7, where we both doze a bit).</p> <p>I'm making what she's eating during the day right now - but she's small and only 3.5 months old. I want to have a better freezer supply and be able to feed her more when her appetite grows! If I overproduce, I might look in to donating the surplus. It's a far-off dream for now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767877 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 10:03:09 +0000 jennlin821 2767877@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh also, when I eat hummus my supply increases!<br /> Definitely look up what food is milk producing (oatmeal, spinach etc.) Oatmeal and hummus works for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767876 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 10:01:11 +0000 jennlin821 2767876@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Fenugreek worked for me when I had a sudden dip on vacation. However it gave DD terrible smelly explosive diarrhea. I've had the most luck with the mother's milk tea - I needed to increase output while pumping at work. However I needed to drink 8-10 cups per day for about a week to up my supply and keep it consistent. </p> <p>Also, I'm not exactly clear about your current schedule, it does sound like you are pumping/feeding overnight? It totally completely sucks, but you milk supply is most plentiful in the very early morning. I built my supply by pumping at midnight or 3 am. I would typically get twice as much as a normal pump then. </p> <p>Good luck, you will figure it out. Working and pumping can be complicated, but it will just become part of the routine like everything else! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767870 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 09:47:02 +0000 Clementine12 2767870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skinnycow: Apparently the amt of the supplements in the tea is much lower, so you can drink it often and it doesn't do the same thing (unless you're really sensitive to it!). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767869 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 09:44:42 +0000 snowjewelz 2767869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Clementine12: Yeah! My milk isn't that fatty... But right now I just care more about quantity! I hope they help you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767868 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 09:42:30 +0000 skinnycow 2767868@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Clementine12: My sweat starting smelling like maple syrup too! Forgot to mention - I also tried mothers milk tea but that didn't do much for me either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767865 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 09:38:28 +0000 Clementine12 2767865@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: I think I'll also order the bundle - it's not crazy expensive (the dosing for Fenugreek is 3 pills 3 times a day, so it's all $$$). It's also really interesting that it can up the fat content of milk. People are getting fat plugs on bottles and taking pictures with the bottle turned upside down! I get maybe a centimeter of cream at the top sometimes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767863 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 09:35:12 +0000 snowjewelz 2767863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Clementine12: I first ordered the bundle so pump princess, liquid gold and something else. I'm currently doing pump princess and milkapalooza and also lactivist (she only makes limited batches that releases like once a month maybe). While I don't have amazing results like some people posts, I def believe they've helped be stay EBF longer this time around (and I only pump twice at work!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767861 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 09:29:31 +0000 Clementine12 2767861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: I hear these often go together. Did you ever have clogged duct issues? Do you know how much your supply increased?</p> <p>@skinnycow: I've heard that it's really hit or miss with these supplements. I keep reading that you'll know when it works when you/the milk start smelling like maple syrup. I guess there are worse things to smell like?</p> <p>@snowjewelz: It seems like a really cool brand! Which blends were you using?</p> <p>@kiddosc: I've tried a drink mix that had low levels of both and we both seems to tolerate it well (this was before I was pumping so much so I'm not sure if I had a big increase in supply). I also notice a big difference when I add compressions to the end of my pumping session (especially on the left side, which is consistently 0.5-1oz less than the right!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767852 Tue, 15 Aug 2017 08:50:22 +0000 kiddosc 2767852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Fenugreek or any supplements that contained fenugreek gave me and my babies horrible gastric upset and diarrhea :( Power pumping worked really well for me. I would do it for a week at a particular session and then would generally see a bump at that session. </p> <p>I pumped for a year for both of my kids and the only things that really worked for me to keep up were 1) Adding a pump session after they went to bed, even on the weekends. and 2) Breast compressions while pumping. This made a HUGE difference in the amount I could get each session. I was never one of those people that could sit back and relax while I pumped, it was a very hands on activity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767762 Mon, 14 Aug 2017 21:02:24 +0000 snowjewelz 2767762@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had recommended legendairy milk supplements to a few moms here. I had to start supplementing at 6 mo with my first and dried up by 9, and this time I'm so far almost 8 mo EBF and I do credit the supplements a lot. They aren't cheap, but to me cheaper than formula! Msg me if you have questions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767758 Mon, 14 Aug 2017 20:14:57 +0000 pachamama 2767758@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Neither. Fenugreek nor soy lecithin nor Mothers Milk tea helped my supply unfortunately. I was only pumping once at work and that killed my supply, I never got it back but had enough frozen to get through 12 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767751 Mon, 14 Aug 2017 19:09:15 +0000 skinnycow 2767751@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tried fenugreek and it didn't do anything. I never tried power pumping but adding an extra pump session at night seemed to do the trick for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767725 Mon, 14 Aug 2017 17:35:32 +0000 erinbaderin 2767725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did fenugreek and blessed thistle, on the advice of my lactation consultant. I can't remember the dosage of each pill but I started with 3 pills of each, 3 times a day. It was a LOT and I felt like all I did was take capsules, but it made a noticeable difference pretty quickly. My lactation consultant suggested doing that for a while (like, a month or so) and then trying to go down to 2 pills 3 times a day, and then 1. I got down to 2 but when I tried to cut back to 1 my supply dropped noticeably so I went back up to 2. I think I probably took it until 6 months, when he started solids, and then eased off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/another-thread-about-fenugreek-other-ways-to-increase-supply#post-2767711 Mon, 14 Aug 2017 16:20:17 +0000 Clementine12 2767711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Has anyone here taken Fenugreek? Did you take it alongside any other supplements (such as Blessed Thistle or...?) Did it work for you? Did you have any negative side effects? What dosage did you take? How much increase did you see, if any?</p> <p>Have you ever tried power pumping? How often did you do this, and did you see any results? How quickly? Do you have any other pumping tricks? I'm using a Spectra S1 and can usually get 3 let downs/ 20 min session.</p> <p>I'm pumping what my baby eats during the day, barely. Just back to work, just started making sure I'm drinking a ton of water (a gallon a day!) and I'm hoping my supply will naturally rise once I'm more used to this pumping schedule, but I'd like to help myself out if possible!</p> <p>I want to try Fenugreek and whatever else usually accompanies it. I have had clogged ducts a time or two, but they don't last long and I've never had issues with mastitis.</p> <p>I'm trying to power pump twice a day - once during my morning commute (right after I breastfeed my daughter - on the pump for 20 min, off 10, on 10, off 10, on 10) - and once around 1:00 p.m. (same schedule). Otherwise I'm pumping about 20 minutes once at 10 and once at 4. Home to feed my daughter by 6. I'm usually getting 12ish oz from the 4 pumping sessions, but again - I just started back at work so no idea if that pattern will hold.</p> <p>Do you have any other advice? I don't have an endless freezer supply and I worked so hard to make it for emergencies! I'd like to be producing more than she's eating for my piece of mind.</p> <p>Thanks ladies :happy: </p>