Page 34 - What to Expect

During your stay

important in maintaining and increasing your supply. Little and often
should increase supply. If you are concerned about your milk supply speak
to your midwife, lactation consultant or baby’s nurse.
More ways to release and increase your breast milk include:
Placing hot face cloths on your breasts for a few minutes before
you express can help to stimulate the release of milk. Expressing
after a shower or bath has a similar effect to the hot face cloths
Drinking a herbal tea called Lactagogue tea may help increase
breast milk. It is available from health food shops and chemists
NaturoPharm Milk Flow tablets can also help, as can Blessed Thistle
or Fenugreek
There is a sheet available with various booster drink recipes in the
milk room within the Unit
Yeast pills or brewer’s yeast drinks are good if you aren’t allergic to
yeast. Avoid all urges to diet excessively after you have had your
baby
Eat well and drink plenty of fluids like water
Try to rest as rushing around doing non-essential things can
reduce the amount of milk you make
When you take your breast milk to the Unit tell the nurse caring for
your baby that you have breast milk for your baby, as it is best to
use fresh expressed breast milk (EBM) before frozen.

How do I store my expressed breast milk?

If your baby is able to feed, he will be able to use the milk as you make it
and a little bit can be reserved for freezing. If your baby has decided not to
eat for a little while (some babies are born too sick or their stomachs are
too immature to digest milk straight away), you can store your expressed
milk for later use. Please name and date the containers provided for your
milk to be stored in.

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