OK ladies, we've all worried about our supply at some point or another. Whether it's "I'm making so much, I can't leave my baby/pump" or "I'm not making enough to feed my baby."
So what do you do?
At first, I was making milk FOR DAYS. I'm talking about pumping five ounces from each breast AND feeding my son. I didn't realize how lucky I was then, and I certainly didn't take advantage of it.
Now there are times when I'm barely making enough to pump a bottle.
It's hard. I have taken Fenugreek (sp?) vitamins and they really helped me, but once my supply was built back up, I stopped taking them. The hardest thing for me is that since my son thinks that sleep is for the weak, I take in a lot of caffeine. I'm also ridiculously addicted to chocolate.
The lot of caffeine and little water makes for a bad combination when breastfeeding. But how do I stay awake otherwise? I know, it's a million-dollar question.
Even though I haven't been on top of my A-game when it comes to amount produced, I have been mindful of everything I do or don't do. If I am completely sleep deprived and know I'm going to need a lot of coffee, I try to make sure that, even when I don't want to, I down a lot of water. As you know, this can be hard.
Something I've found useful is flavored water, especially flavored sparkling water. It tastes almost like a soda, but it's since it's water, I'm getting a good taste and better milk production. Another thing I like is the add-in flavors. I prefer the liquid kind that can be squeezed into water more than the powder stuff. It gives the water flavor, which helps to down it faster and drink more.
These are just a couple of things that have helped me, so please feel free to share what's helped you!
As always, don't give up. Breastfeeding is demanding and can be a pain in the ass, but it's SO worth it.
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