Pregnant and Nursing Mom-Increasing Milk Supply-switching to formula

One of the first concerns I had when I began nursing Emma was that my body was making enough milk for her. I didn't have any problems until I became pregnant with our second child when she was six months old. Almost immediately I noticed my milk supply decreasing. She had never had anything except breastmilk and was just startind some soft foods, so she was not ready to stop nursing. Thankfully, she was accustomes to taking a bottle of pumped milk in the evenings so I didn't have to introduce her to a bottle, but giving her formula and being unable to nurse her broke my heart. She would cry because she didn't know why the milk in her bottle tasted funny, and I would cry because I did not have enough milk to pump and give her. Thankfully it only took about two days for her to adapt to formula.

Formula is very expensive and I really wanted to breastfeed Emma until she was one, so I began researching ways to increase my milk supply. A lot of herbs that will increase a mother's milk supply, unfortunatly can also cause contractions and are therefore unsafe to take-especiallay in the later stages of pregnancy. A lot of articles I read painted a fairly bleak picture for a mom's ability to keep nursing while preganant. However, I did find some resources that worked wonders and in two days of following this regiment, my milk suppply doubled.

How to increase milk supply:

Concoction:
1 T. Brewers Yeast ($15 a large can)
1 T. Wheat Germ ($.99 lb)
1 T. Black strap molasses (.99 lb)
Mix with warm water and drink 2-3 times a day

Eat oatmeal daily

Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day

Drink 1 cup of Mothers Tea 3 times a day ($5 a box) - ok to drink only the first trimester-ask Dr. first

Pump or nurse every 2 hours

Pump after nursing to completely empty any drop of milk so my body tells itself to make more

Avoid parsley, mint, and rosemary because they decrease milk supply

Gently Weaning
Weaning a baby is probably a more trying time for a mother than it is for the baby. Baby's are highly adaptable little creature's, mother's on the other hand have to adapt to the fact that their little one is growing up and can survive without mama's milk. It can be a very emotional time for a mother. I found it helpful to take joy in my baby's enjoyment of table food. I loved to watch her try and respond to new foods. I found comfort in the fact that she was still happy with eating-even if it wasn't from me.

Steps I took to weaning Emma: (a 2-3 month process)

Morning-breastbfeed upon baby's rising-gradually eliminate and start the day out with cereal-I found instant oatmeal mixed with fruit is perfect

Mid-morning-feed baby cereal and breasfeed after if she still seems needy-gradually decline in doing that and just switch to cereal or formula for a morning snack

Lunch-feed baby veggies and some form of protien(cereal or meat)-protein keeps a body from becoming hungry again quickly-for the first couple weeks-nurse after lunch-gradually switch that nursing to an ounce or two of formula AFTER the baby has already had lunch-milk is not supposed to be the main sustinance anymore

Mid-afternoon-nurse or introduce a bottle of formula-after a month rice cereal or a soft snack is a good substitute-I even found that warm water (after Emma was 9 months) worked well as a soother before naptimes, instead of milk or formula.

Evening-a dinner of veggies, meat or cereal-I usually mix everything together

I would not give milk or nurse Emma after dinner-she can eat Cherios now and can have those, but usually she is fine after dinner until bedtime which comes around 7-8. 

Bottle of formula-can mix with cereal or serve alongside cereal. I did not breastfeed. 

Night feedings-breastfeed, slowly switch to watered down formula if baby continues to wake up after 9 months.

Emma has adapted to formula wonderfully and doesn't seem to miss Mama. I breastfeed her once a day, but there is little to no milk left in me now that I am in the second trimester of pregnancy. In can case, she has adapted well, and eats and sleeps wonderfully.