I was lucky enough to soar through cold and flu season without so much as a sniffle, and feel very grateful that baby boy, too, had just a few runny-nose days which thankfully receded without worsening. (Boy is it hard to resist clearing out his little nose for him! Does anyone else find themselves cleaning at their baby’s nose even though he hates it- it’s a total compulsion!)
My long commute back and forth to grad school has become less enjoyable since I’ve been more sleep-deprived than ever- I’m shocking myself by saying that, because I’m normally the queen of long, brooding car trips. But somehow now, I’ve even been getting all light-headed, and falling asleep every time I sit in the dark room with Tiny T for a nap or bedtime. So needless to say, milk supply has also taken a blow. I cannot even remember the last time I was this behind. Tiny T is only 9 months old, and although I know that’s a great accomplishment already, you can probably imagine I am desperate to get my supply back up! I have another post about supply here, which it’s a little more comprehensive. But here is what I’ve been doing and would recommend for trying to improve supply- I hope that it will be helpful for any of you who need it:
- Pump/Nurse as often as you can: When nursing, offer baby to nurse more often than usual even if it’s not a regular feeding time. You can also follow-up every nursing session with a few minutes of pumping afterwards. If you’re a regular pumper or an exclusive pumper, just get hooked up again, and again, and again. Do not even think about when the last time you pumped was- there is NO SUCH THING as a useless session! Even you just unhooked 10 minutes ago, you’ll still get some milk now. And more importantly, your body will know that you need to produce more milk. (I use the Spectra S2 and am SO happy with it)
- Drink yourself silly: Many women find that their supply is noticeably lesser when they are dehydrated, even just slightly.
- Oatmeal and lactation tea: These are galactagogues, or foods which encourage milk production. This tea is my favorite; it tastes wonderful, especially with a little splash of honey or heavy cream. Oatmeal is something I have not availed myself of in awhile since I’m usually strict paleo/lower carb. But supply now is such a struggle, that I am doing it! Great oatmeal recipe coming to the blog soon 🙂
- Sleep: This is the hardest one for me… Just kidding, the next one is.
- Stress: It ruins everything… Milk is no exception. Some of my favorite stress-relieving strategies I’d recommend are early-evening bedtimes, long hot showers, and cozy reading time. Let me know your favorites, too!
I know that so many mothers go through this. What have you tried that worked? Leave tips for each other in the comments below!
P.S. You can find my more in-depth guide to milk supply here.
