Charlie had jaundice shortly after he was born, so we had to supplement with formula during the first couple days of his life. Because I also had a lot of problems breastfeeding, I had a lot of concerns about my supply. I met with a lactation consultant (who was very helpful), pumped like a maniac, and worked relentlessly to increase my milk supply. I tried most of these techniques below, but what was most effective for me was to take More Milk Plus (the alchol-free version because the alcohol version tastes like crap). I eventually went from pumping 2-3oz/ session to 5-12 oz/session depending on the time of day and when I last nursed. Now I recommend More Milk Plus to all my friends who struggle with supply, or see a dip in their supply once they return to work or get their period.
It’s very important to protect your milk supply in those early weeks when your supply is being established, so if you’re trying to conceive or are pregnant now, I hope you keep this filed in the back of your mind. 
Did you do anything to increase your milk supply?
Pumping & Increasing Milk Supply part 1 of 11
1. Increasing Your Milk Supply by Checklists2. Pumping Up the Volume by Mrs. Bee
3. My Pumping System by mrs. wagon
4. Don't Pay for a Breast Pump Until You Read This by Mrs. Tricycle
5. More milk, more milk, more milk! by Mrs. Hopscotch
6. Building up a Breastmilk Freezer Stash by mrs. wagon
7. Exclusive Pumping vs. Breastfeeding by Mrs. Bee
8. How To Clean a Medela Pump by Mrs. Bee
9. My Pumping, Freezing, and Defrosting Strategy by Mrs. Bee
10. Project Milk by Mrs. Bee
11. Feeding and Storing Expressed Breastmilk by Checklists
kiwi / 729 posts
I was not at all educated on milk supply when I first had my baby so I let others feed him formula and I was not diligent in pumping. When his appetite increased in the first and second months, he started to unlatch and become fussy because my supply was not there.
I eventually called a lactation consultant who told me to nurse for 10 good minutes on each side, (wake baby up if he has fallen asleep), (followed by 10-15 minutes of pumping) and then feed the baby a 1.5 to 2 oz supplement (depending on the age of the baby).
I still have what I consider to be a low supply but it has definitely increased from 2 oz of pumping to around an average of 3.5-4.5 oz per pumping session.
I have tried More Milk Plus (alcohol version), fenugreek, lactation cookies, drinking tons of water, Mother’s milk tea, and eating oatmeal in the mornings. While I think these all helped, I have never gotten more than 5.5 oz per session. I may try More Milk Plus special blend next.
Just wanted to thank you Bee, for documenting this all. It has helped me tremendously in not feeling so guilty that my body can’t exactly do what my baby needs. It’s been a struggle and I have 6 more months to go to reach 1 year.. I’m crossing my fingers.
GOLD / pomelo / 5167 posts
Hmmm this is really interesting and honestly, I wasnt educated on the subject. I had one boob that didn’t produce as much milk and maybe if I attempted a few of these tricks I would of been able to feed Mavi with both boobs. Instead I was a 1 boob breasfeeding mama which resulted in a HUGE boob size difference
persimmon / 1255 posts
Make sure also to check side effects of the meds you’re taking.
At about 8 weeks, I took benedryl to combat a case of the hives and it severely diminished my milk supply. When I realized what was happening, I stopped taking the benedryl and pumped like a mad woman every hour to increase my supply. I also made a conscious effort to relax while pumping (which is difficult when you’re worried about the actual pumping). Looking at pictures and videos of my baby helped immensely since it always brought a smile to face. Luckily, the increased pumping worked.
honeydew / 7917 posts
I have been an exclusive pumper since day 2, and I wish I had been better informed. I didn’t even know that exclusive pumping was even possible until my husband asked our pediatrician. Currently I pump enough milk for my 5 month old son, and I am extremely fortunate to have a decent supply. There is a great support community on ivillage for exclusive pumpers, and I learned a great deal of information on their boards. Those are all great tips on increasing your supply.
apple seed / 1 posts
I don’t know if it’s coincidental, but Mother’s Milk Tea really works for me! My baby’s almost 4.5 months and I noticed she was getting really fidgety when nursing, so for some odd reason I assumed it’s because I was producing less milk. I recently started drinking Mother’s again, and I do hear her gulping much louder now, lol
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
I didn’t know about oatmeal – why would that boost supply? I know drinking TONS and TONS of water helped my supply a lot and making sure I was eating enough. I also use the More Milk Plus and it really works! I didn’t know there was an alcohol free version – the one with alcohol tastes horrible and I actually hold my breath when I have to take it.
cherry / 207 posts
I used more milk plus capsules, pumped for 45mins to an hour with constant massaging, drank a ton of water and yet I was a low volume pumper – despite starting off pumping 7x a day (15-30mins each time) in the beginning. I produced just enough to supplement with formula for my DD for a year. Now I have permanent tendonitis on my fingers which can only be fixed with surgery …. No regrets :). Next time around, I will start on more milk plus, drink a ton of water and massage massage massage from day 1.
guest
I was pumping about 1 fl. oz the first two weeks and my mother in law came and brought me some fermented glutinous rice for me to eat. My milk production started to increase afterwards to around a steady 6 fl. oz after 1 month. I’ll try some of the tricks and I hope to get more milk production out.
guest
Thats very helpful! I’ll try to implement some of these tips. A question though… I eat granola as a source of oats. I noticed here you saying non instant. Will granola do or not?
guest
Hi! Are these the More Milk Plus pills or liquid that you recommend ?