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Size: 180
Fenugreek is an annual Mediterranean and Asiatic herb with aromatic seeds. Fenugreek is also used around the world as a culinary spice and food that is soothing to the stomach.
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404 of 441 people found the following review helpful
Size Name:180
I had to get medical therapy to increase my milk supply for twins. Fenugreek was prescribed and it made a huge difference. Based on what the doctor told me you can try the following if you have twins or simply need to increase your milk supply:
* Fenugreek is very helpful, 2 capsules three times a day with meals, eventually working your way up to 4 capsules per meal. The body gets used to it after a while so the doctor suggested going off it for a couple of days and restarting.
* Nurse 8-12x a day, putting each baby to breast until they empty it (do not time it) - the baby is much more effective than the pump at drawing the milk out than even a hospital pump, and will help increase your supply. In effect, interrupting the feeding could be counterproductive.
* You can decrease the # of sessions if the amount pumped is more than 1000 ml/ 24 hrs (try pumping instead of nursing for one day to measure). You can also try weighing the baby to calculate intake, using a baby scale in grams (same as mls for calculating). Note - this will be a rough estimate as the baby may be getting more milk than the pump - and some women are unable to pump much even if they can nurse well.
* Alternate sides for the babies, as one may have a stronger suck. It's possible one side will have a lot more milk than another. How you hold the baby also affects supply - if you're right handed that side will hold the baby more firmly and they may nurse longer and increase supply more on that side. All normal.
* After breastfeeding the baby, pump but only for 5 minutes or so to increase demand on your body and thus milk production. Frequency is much more important than duration. Pumping for 20 min has little effect according to the doctor (I know, "now I find out?!" that's what I said)
* If you have twins, read the book Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More! (La Leche League International Book) by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada. I wish I had read this early on. It provides solid advice on breastfeeding multiples plus a whole lot more up to 2 yrs of age.
* Try to eat well and sleep at least 6 hrs. Your milk production is directly related to your health and stress levels.
* If you're able to breastfeed exclusively great but if you can't don't beat yourself up over it it's Ok to supplement (we used Enfacare as my babies were low weight, then Enfamil Premium for one and Alimentum for our other). You have a lot on your hands to worry about.
* Don't try to do all feedings alone, you'll go crazy. Have your hubby do the last feeding of the night 10 or 11 pm and the early morning one (6 or 7 am) - you do the ones in between. This way, you'll each get a solid chunk of sleep. The one who's not "on shift" stays in the quiet bedroom without a monitor but with a cell phone. We had an extra bed in the nursery so it would be easier to nurse the babies - if I needed help (two babies crying at the same time or you're too tired) I'd call my hubby on the cell phone, but this rarely happens if you stage feedings (always feed twin A first for example). My hubby comes in at 6 am or whenever and quietly feeds the babies before they wake up so I can sleep until 8 or so.
* I kept my energy and supply up with Ensure Plus - Vanilla and oatmeal.
* Google "manual expression Stanford University", the video shows how to increase your milk supply significantly using manual expression. It works better than any other method even if it feels unusual.
* If you do supplement and trying to increase breastfeeding, don't stop bottle feeding cold turkey (you may not have enough milk supply as supplementing may lower supply). Continue to supplement and give 1 oz or so BEFORE starting to nurse. The reason for this is that bottlefed babies are used to a faster flow and ready supply, with nursing it takes longer for the milk to let down. Giving the bottle-fed baby some formula before nursing will take the edge off his hunger and keep him from "chomping away at the bit" if you will - in other words it will calm him down and make the nursing experience more relaxing for mom & baby and allow baby to nurse longer.
* Try a brief warm shower or use warm compresses (try putting warm water in a diaper) before nursing to stimulate milk let down.
* Keep your eyes off the clock. Another reason to not interrupt or time breast feeding - the hind milk that lets down after the baby has been nursing a while is richer and higher in fat, more satisfying for the baby. If you stop after "X" minutes you may not get the hind milk.
* Continue nursing 8-12x a day - don't wait too long before feedings (4+ hrs), any sign of engorgement is letting your body know there's less demand and will reduce milk production. Nursing every 2-3 hours is better, allow a stretch of 4 hours early in your sleeping cycle to feel better rested (have your hubby feed baby late at night).
* Pump for a few minutes each time you nurse to simulate increased demand and boost milk production. Manual milk expression and fenugreek will also help and over time you'll need to supplement less as your milk production increases.
* Don't do marathon pumping. As soon as you start feeling stressed or find yourself wondering how many ounces you've pumping, etc. you're overthinking things and this will affect your milk supply. Stop for a few minutes and go do something else. Then pump a little more. You can leave it out at room temperature while you do this - mark the time you started & date on tape w/ a Sharpie pen to be safe. If you wait 15-30 min or so, it counts as an additional pumping session (if you're trying to fit more in).
* Pumping is not always a good indicator of your real milk supply (some women may not be able to pump much but nurse well) - a baby scale is the most accurate measurement if you really want to know (don't stress this too much, just nurse until baby seems full).
* Feed on demand and expect cluster feeding (every 1-2 hrs) at the witching hour and just before a growth spurt.
* For me at least I always had to supplement with twins because I never had enough milk for two. I did see a huge increase in my milk supply from very little to being able to nurse one baby full time for a while. Fenugreek was a HUGE help.
Lastly, this tip from a sleep doctor - to handle sleep deprivation log how many hours total you slept at night (even if interrupted), find the midway point and add 12 hours. Try to take a 30-60 minute nap then, this is your natural down-time according to your inner clock and will be much better than trying to catch up on sleep on the weekends (example - slept 12am -6 am, midway point is 3 am add 12 hrs - try to nap @ 3 pm.) Keep a log of how long you sleep each time - always try to get at least 6 hrs.
With Fenugreek, enough sleep, a good diet and the tips above, your milk supply should increase.
*** UPDATE 12/27/12 - another reviewer has found that Fenugreek can trigger an allergic reaction in anyone allergic to peanuts, as they are in the same family. Please see comments section for links to study. (Thank you G. Jager for this important info). This is not commonly known and was never mentioned to me by any doctor.
* Fenugreek is very helpful, 2 capsules three times a day with meals, eventually working your way up to 4 capsules per meal. The body gets used to it after a while so the doctor suggested going off it for a couple of days and restarting.
* Nurse 8-12x a day, putting each baby to breast until they empty it (do not time it) - the baby is much more effective than the pump at drawing the milk out than even a hospital pump, and will help increase your supply. In effect, interrupting the feeding could be counterproductive.
* You can decrease the # of sessions if the amount pumped is more than 1000 ml/ 24 hrs (try pumping instead of nursing for one day to measure). You can also try weighing the baby to calculate intake, using a baby scale in grams (same as mls for calculating). Note - this will be a rough estimate as the baby may be getting more milk than the pump - and some women are unable to pump much even if they can nurse well.
* Alternate sides for the babies, as one may have a stronger suck. It's possible one side will have a lot more milk than another. How you hold the baby also affects supply - if you're right handed that side will hold the baby more firmly and they may nurse longer and increase supply more on that side. All normal.
* After breastfeeding the baby, pump but only for 5 minutes or so to increase demand on your body and thus milk production. Frequency is much more important than duration. Pumping for 20 min has little effect according to the doctor (I know, "now I find out?!" that's what I said)
* If you have twins, read the book Mothering Multiples: Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins or More! (La Leche League International Book) by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada. I wish I had read this early on. It provides solid advice on breastfeeding multiples plus a whole lot more up to 2 yrs of age.
* Try to eat well and sleep at least 6 hrs. Your milk production is directly related to your health and stress levels.
* If you're able to breastfeed exclusively great but if you can't don't beat yourself up over it it's Ok to supplement (we used Enfacare as my babies were low weight, then Enfamil Premium for one and Alimentum for our other). You have a lot on your hands to worry about.
* Don't try to do all feedings alone, you'll go crazy. Have your hubby do the last feeding of the night 10 or 11 pm and the early morning one (6 or 7 am) - you do the ones in between. This way, you'll each get a solid chunk of sleep. The one who's not "on shift" stays in the quiet bedroom without a monitor but with a cell phone. We had an extra bed in the nursery so it would be easier to nurse the babies - if I needed help (two babies crying at the same time or you're too tired) I'd call my hubby on the cell phone, but this rarely happens if you stage feedings (always feed twin A first for example). My hubby comes in at 6 am or whenever and quietly feeds the babies before they wake up so I can sleep until 8 or so.
* I kept my energy and supply up with Ensure Plus - Vanilla and oatmeal.
* Google "manual expression Stanford University", the video shows how to increase your milk supply significantly using manual expression. It works better than any other method even if it feels unusual.
* If you do supplement and trying to increase breastfeeding, don't stop bottle feeding cold turkey (you may not have enough milk supply as supplementing may lower supply). Continue to supplement and give 1 oz or so BEFORE starting to nurse. The reason for this is that bottlefed babies are used to a faster flow and ready supply, with nursing it takes longer for the milk to let down. Giving the bottle-fed baby some formula before nursing will take the edge off his hunger and keep him from "chomping away at the bit" if you will - in other words it will calm him down and make the nursing experience more relaxing for mom & baby and allow baby to nurse longer.
* Try a brief warm shower or use warm compresses (try putting warm water in a diaper) before nursing to stimulate milk let down.
* Keep your eyes off the clock. Another reason to not interrupt or time breast feeding - the hind milk that lets down after the baby has been nursing a while is richer and higher in fat, more satisfying for the baby. If you stop after "X" minutes you may not get the hind milk.
* Continue nursing 8-12x a day - don't wait too long before feedings (4+ hrs), any sign of engorgement is letting your body know there's less demand and will reduce milk production. Nursing every 2-3 hours is better, allow a stretch of 4 hours early in your sleeping cycle to feel better rested (have your hubby feed baby late at night).
* Pump for a few minutes each time you nurse to simulate increased demand and boost milk production. Manual milk expression and fenugreek will also help and over time you'll need to supplement less as your milk production increases.
* Don't do marathon pumping. As soon as you start feeling stressed or find yourself wondering how many ounces you've pumping, etc. you're overthinking things and this will affect your milk supply. Stop for a few minutes and go do something else. Then pump a little more. You can leave it out at room temperature while you do this - mark the time you started & date on tape w/ a Sharpie pen to be safe. If you wait 15-30 min or so, it counts as an additional pumping session (if you're trying to fit more in).
* Pumping is not always a good indicator of your real milk supply (some women may not be able to pump much but nurse well) - a baby scale is the most accurate measurement if you really want to know (don't stress this too much, just nurse until baby seems full).
* Feed on demand and expect cluster feeding (every 1-2 hrs) at the witching hour and just before a growth spurt.
* For me at least I always had to supplement with twins because I never had enough milk for two. I did see a huge increase in my milk supply from very little to being able to nurse one baby full time for a while. Fenugreek was a HUGE help.
Lastly, this tip from a sleep doctor - to handle sleep deprivation log how many hours total you slept at night (even if interrupted), find the midway point and add 12 hours. Try to take a 30-60 minute nap then, this is your natural down-time according to your inner clock and will be much better than trying to catch up on sleep on the weekends (example - slept 12am -6 am, midway point is 3 am add 12 hrs - try to nap @ 3 pm.) Keep a log of how long you sleep each time - always try to get at least 6 hrs.
With Fenugreek, enough sleep, a good diet and the tips above, your milk supply should increase.
*** UPDATE 12/27/12 - another reviewer has found that Fenugreek can trigger an allergic reaction in anyone allergic to peanuts, as they are in the same family. Please see comments section for links to study. (Thank you G. Jager for this important info). This is not commonly known and was never mentioned to me by any doctor.
37 of 41 people found the following review helpful
By Jessie H
Size Name:180
I turned to Fenugreek as a last ditch effort after feeling I wouldn't be able to breastfeed my newborn. I had a very low production rate for milk and knew with my impending return to the daily routine of work after maternity leave was up, I would be even less likely to have success. I researched fenugreek extensively to make sure I felt comfortable using it. The recurring concerns I found were not to use if suffering from asthma, not to use if your child was born prematurely, and that a doctor must be consulted prior to starting fenugreek for those suffering from diabetes. Fortuantely I don't suffer from any of those concerns so I chose to try the fenugreek. I had success in using the fenugreek- I produced far more milk using the supplement than I had without it. I felt my child was getting enough nutrition. My only complaint was the fenugreek gave my urine a very strong smelling odor.
A few months later, having returned to work but still relying on the fenugreek, I began to hear a few more sad stories about negative effects and children developing allergies when their mothers were using the fenugreek for milk production. I consulted with my doctor who in turn suggested I try a different supplement which came in tea form in conjunction with blessed thistle- Organic Mother's Milk Tea + FREE Nature's Way Blessed Thistle (100 Capsules). I was pleased to see it be organic and asked about side effects. I was told that the concerns with the fenugreek did not apply with the mother's milk tea or blessed thistle. I still don't have asthma or diabetes so I wasn't concerned, but my family has a pretty solid history of diabetics so changing the supplement to one not known to have a negative reaction with that made me feel safer. I feel I can take the tea with less worry down the line when I have more children, and it has no cases of hurting premature babies should I ever encounter that situation. My milk supply is just as good and I don't have the strong smelling urine. The tea flavor takes some getting used to but if it means a safer supply for me and my baby, then I'm happy.
A few months later, having returned to work but still relying on the fenugreek, I began to hear a few more sad stories about negative effects and children developing allergies when their mothers were using the fenugreek for milk production. I consulted with my doctor who in turn suggested I try a different supplement which came in tea form in conjunction with blessed thistle- Organic Mother's Milk Tea + FREE Nature's Way Blessed Thistle (100 Capsules). I was pleased to see it be organic and asked about side effects. I was told that the concerns with the fenugreek did not apply with the mother's milk tea or blessed thistle. I still don't have asthma or diabetes so I wasn't concerned, but my family has a pretty solid history of diabetics so changing the supplement to one not known to have a negative reaction with that made me feel safer. I feel I can take the tea with less worry down the line when I have more children, and it has no cases of hurting premature babies should I ever encounter that situation. My milk supply is just as good and I don't have the strong smelling urine. The tea flavor takes some getting used to but if it means a safer supply for me and my baby, then I'm happy.
57 of 78 people found the following review helpful
Size Name:180|Amazon Verified Purchase
Fenugreek has been so typecast as a way to facilitate lactation that most guys would never dare to think of it for themselves--much less actually try it. The fact that it contains phyto-estrogens just complicates things further if you're concerned about testosterone levels. But sometimes things that look a bit crazy seem to work out well in unexpected ways.
I started using fenugreek a year ago, discontinued it because of the testosterone concerns, and recently restarted it to help moderate anxiety symptoms from a choline-related medication I had just started. Since fenugreek's action appears analogous in many ways to oxytocin (a hormone closely related to empathy and the mitigation of fear/anxiety responses), I thought it might help to defuse these reactions. It was at least worth a shot.
It does seem to have helped with the anxiety reactions (I combined it with l-glutamine for those who are really interested). What surprised me completely was the very strong boost in libido that I experienced inside of three days. And when I went back and doublechecked the research on fenugreek, I found that a mid-2011 report by Australian researchers showed a 25 percent increase in male libido for those using fenugreek. So objective research says this effect of fenugreek is real. Subjectively, I know that this supplement is way more effective for me than things like saw palmetto that are commonly marketed for libido boosts.
And I wasn't even looking for this effect. But it works, and this is one of those side-effects that's a keeper. Beyond this, fenugreek is commonly used around the world by both sexes to help with type 2 diabetes. It appears to help with blood-sugar levels, but I can't say definitively that it works. It's inexpensive enough to be worth trying.
My hoped-for long-term use for fenugreek is actually to help with what Buddhists call metta meditation, that is, focusing on lovingkindness. Research by the Center for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin suggests that expert meditators on lovingkindness modulate the functioning of the amygdala, a component of the brain that helps to establish empathic reactions and, once again, is closely associated with oxytocin. My experience so far is that fenugreek does in fact help with empathy. This makes eminent sense. Lactation and mother-child bonding pretty much go hand in hand.
If you're interested in the underlying neurophysiology, you can probably do a much better job than me in researching this. If you're just a guy who could use a shot in the arm for lovemaking, then this is a worthwhile supplement even if we can't figure out all the physiology involved. Even if none of the above effects interests you, fenugreek is used for and may help with many other things, such as digestion (see Wikipedia for more information on such uses).
I hope some of this proves helpful.
I started using fenugreek a year ago, discontinued it because of the testosterone concerns, and recently restarted it to help moderate anxiety symptoms from a choline-related medication I had just started. Since fenugreek's action appears analogous in many ways to oxytocin (a hormone closely related to empathy and the mitigation of fear/anxiety responses), I thought it might help to defuse these reactions. It was at least worth a shot.
It does seem to have helped with the anxiety reactions (I combined it with l-glutamine for those who are really interested). What surprised me completely was the very strong boost in libido that I experienced inside of three days. And when I went back and doublechecked the research on fenugreek, I found that a mid-2011 report by Australian researchers showed a 25 percent increase in male libido for those using fenugreek. So objective research says this effect of fenugreek is real. Subjectively, I know that this supplement is way more effective for me than things like saw palmetto that are commonly marketed for libido boosts.
And I wasn't even looking for this effect. But it works, and this is one of those side-effects that's a keeper. Beyond this, fenugreek is commonly used around the world by both sexes to help with type 2 diabetes. It appears to help with blood-sugar levels, but I can't say definitively that it works. It's inexpensive enough to be worth trying.
My hoped-for long-term use for fenugreek is actually to help with what Buddhists call metta meditation, that is, focusing on lovingkindness. Research by the Center for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin suggests that expert meditators on lovingkindness modulate the functioning of the amygdala, a component of the brain that helps to establish empathic reactions and, once again, is closely associated with oxytocin. My experience so far is that fenugreek does in fact help with empathy. This makes eminent sense. Lactation and mother-child bonding pretty much go hand in hand.
If you're interested in the underlying neurophysiology, you can probably do a much better job than me in researching this. If you're just a guy who could use a shot in the arm for lovemaking, then this is a worthwhile supplement even if we can't figure out all the physiology involved. Even if none of the above effects interests you, fenugreek is used for and may help with many other things, such as digestion (see Wikipedia for more information on such uses).
I hope some of this proves helpful.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Didn't Work as a milk supply booster.....
I really don't know how to rate this product. Nowhere on the bottle does it mention anything to do with lactation. I even called. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Terry Vugusu
2.0 out of 5 stars
Didn't really do anything for me.
I didn't notice any increase of milk supply, but my husband did like that I smelled like maple syrup while taking it.
Published 7 days ago by Jessica B.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Didnt work for me!
After a friend recommended this to me, I bought it here. It didn't work for me unfortunately. I used it as directed. We had to switch to formula.
Published 10 days ago by midland134
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for boosting milk supply.
I might have smelled like maple syrup but this is great at helping boost my supply during a growth spurt.
Published 16 days ago by Margaret Demars
5.0 out of 5 stars
works for me...
everyone responds differently to different circumstances. I was introduced to Fenugreek by a friend who is an army field medic. Read more
Published 17 days ago by J. Hunter
3.0 out of 5 stars
works but be careful
I work 12 hour night shifts so i was worried about pumping enough. I started with the mother's milk tea but didn't notice a difference. Read more
Published 18 days ago by SEH
5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT PRODUCT FOR WOMEN
After researching female must haves, i found this on Amazon and purchased it immediately. This actually works wonders. Solved a lot of problems i was having for years.
Published 20 days ago by Denessa Bardell
5.0 out of 5 stars
Work for me - along with the Blessed Thistle
I didn't think that this would actually work until I ran out of these and the blessed thistle. I only pump 1x per day (at night) so my supply was pretty consistant. Read more
Published 22 days ago by BYosh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Used for increasing Breast Milk supply. Worked, but caused baby to be...
It did what it was supposed to, but it caused my baby to be gassy so I discontinued it. I followed the recommended dose from kellymom. Read more
Published 24 days ago by J. Trescott
5.0 out of 5 stars
actually smells ok!
Was surprised by pleasant smell - not too herby!
Taking it to increase milk supply - will update in a few weeks about its effectiveness.
Taking it to increase milk supply - will update in a few weeks about its effectiveness.
Published 26 days ago by iberian
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