How to increase milk supply

The best way to increase milk supply is to let baby latch on as baby's suckle is the strongest pump on Earth. However, if baby cannot latch for whatever reason (like my darling in the first month), express frequently. I used to pump for every feed in the first month, so that means that I pumped milk every 2 hours or so for 30 minutes each time (5 minutes per side, alternate till 30 minutes is up). Yes, that means that I had to wake up to pump milk instead of sleeping through the night... which explains the lack of sleep then - hardly a two-hour stretch at a time! Besides expressing frequently, I also made sure I drank enough fluids and ate enough nutritious food at regular intervals to maintain milk supply (note: do not diet while breastfeeding!).

I never had any lack of breast milk but here are some ways to increase milk supply through my own reading as well as what nursing mommies have shared with me via forums and casual chats. Not every suggestion works for everybody as I have learnt from these mommies so I guess it's just trial and error till you find the best method that works for you! :)

Fenugreek
Fenugreek is a herb and Malays and Indians commonly use it in their cooking.

There are a few ways to take fenugreek.

• The fenugreek seed itself. Go to those Indian spice shops to buy. Cook with water or your soup & drink.
• Fenugreek pills. Most convenient, some brands are more effective than others. Some find Nature's Way more effective than GNC but I'd say you have to try it out yourself to find out if it applies to you as well.
• Fenugreek extract. This apparently is potent! (Not suitable for Muslim mummies though as it has alcohol extracts)
• Organic Mother's Milk tea. It's a blend of herbs for breastfeeding mothers to increas breast milk. Best part is it is organic & natural, no need to worry that you are taking anything harmful.

Papaya Fish Soup
Some mommies say that this soup works wonders for them while it has no effect on others. Whatever it is, you can try out this soup because even if it doesn't increase your supply, at least it's a nutritious soup!

• Ingredients
• Fish bones
• Fenugreek seeds 1tsp
• Lemongrass 1 stalk
• Unripe papaya half a small papaya, cut into slices

Method

1. Boil fish bones with fenugreek seeds and lemongrass.
2. Add unripe papaya.
3. Simmer for 1-2 hours (use slow cooker also can).
4. Just before serving, add fresh sliced fish, boil for around 3-5min (to prevent overcooking the fish)

You can vary the ingredients to make it more exciting.
Instead of papaya fish soup, you can cook ABC fish soup (big onions, carrots, potato) or herbal fish soup (wolfberries, red dates).
Oatmeal
Some say that eating oatmeal helps to increase milk supply. I'd say eating a bowl of oatmeal, if nothing else, is healthy for mom. At best, it may be a simple way to increase milk supply. That said, I did eat quite a bit of oatmeal during my confinement month (not knowing that it may increase milk supply!)
If these methods do not work for you and frequent nursing doesn't seem to help, seek help from your doctor or a lactation consultant.
Disclaimer: I've not tried any of the above methods to increase my milk supply. These methods are what I have gathered from other nursing mommies. Do feel free to try them and ask me any questions if there's any and I'll try to answer them if I can. But I cannot be held responsible for any mishaps from following the above methods.