Sharing Our Stories

I was just reading some of the stories of the week.  They are so powerful because they speak to the differences in all of our experiences. So many moms shared that they would do anything, including, “stand on their heads upside down” to make enough milk to breastfeed that it made me think of my some of patients, who also found that their reality and their expectations were radically different. 
 
I saw a mom the other day at the request of a local physician. She wanted to know which herbs she could take to increase her supply. A very dedicated mom, she was pumping every 3 hours around the clock and getting ½ ounce total from both breasts.  That’s a tablespoon!  She wasn’t ready to give up, and I understood that, having worked with countless moms in the same situation. She had already seen 3 lactation consultants. 
 
No one had mentioned Fenugreek, maybe they figured she was already trying it.  Anyway, I went over how to take it, 3 times/day and recommended that she devote herself to resting, pumping, drinking fluids and breastfeeding, with the big caveat, that there were no guarantees, and that the formula she was using was safe and she was doing everything she could for her baby.
 
Well, I saw her the following week, she was smiling broadly, when she happily related that the Fenugreek had worked.  She was now getting a full ounce at her morning pump sessions, and a bit less throughout the day!
 
She was happy because she was making 6-8 ounces a day, enough for 2 feedings. She also said that she liked knowing that the formula she’s using is safe and the best way to supplement her milk.