Hi gals,
I’m 5 months pregnant. I’d love to breastfeed my child and I’d like to know what do I have to eat (or drink) to have enough milk.
Coz I’ve heard that some women doesn’t have enough milk to breastfeed 
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
You'll have to drink plenty of fluids while breast feeding your baby. Also, the more your baby suckles the more milk it produces so avoid giving bottle to the baby in first 6 months.
I think a good healthy diet should do the trick...because you are feeding the baby the same nutrients you have through your diet...
Just another question ....How long for should breastfeeding be continued and get the most benefits for the baby? I know islamically it's 2 years but that's not feasible all the time..
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
Best=2 years
Less best=1 year
Better than nothing=6 months
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
Thanks hareem ...will keep that in mind! :)
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
Great advice here! And its true - the more baby nurses, the more milk the mom makes. Drink plenty of fluids and all will be fine. Its a good idea to have a breast pump on standby because you can increase your milk amount by pumping and you can freeze any extra for quite some time.
Something I didnt realize at first is how much mom's diet can effect the baby. After I delivered my first son, I had incredible urge to eat turnips, cauliflower, cabbage. I couldnt get enough of the stuff! And WHAT a case of gas my poor little man got! So try to keep gassy foods and really spicy foods to min and baby will thank you for that!!
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
so if there is enough milk there is no need for extra milk from bottle for the first 6 months ? and how often should we feed, after how many hours is it best?
I am confused as I didnt have enough the first time and I had to give bottle also, this time I am wondering if the same will happen?
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
Have a well balanced diet. Also don't stress too much. The production of milk is a natural process and the supply is usually based on demand. Once your baby is born, lactation nurses at the hospital will guide you on how to breastfeed your child in the most effective way.
Sometimes, like Saadia said, the mother just doesn't produce enough milk for various reasons. In such cases, you have to supplement with formula. I had to do that with my second daughter. I used to nurse her then 2 hours later, give her formula, then alternate with breast milk.
Saadia as you know breastmilk is so easily digestable so there's no rule of thumb here as to how often should you feed. It's usually whenever you feel full or when the baby demands it. You body will set the clock. But formula fed babies usually feed every 2 hours in the first few weeks, then the quantity increases and so does the gap.
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
^Yep, interesting and very helpfull info Mamaof3 and Niksik.
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
And then there r babies like mine that defy all theories. Formula fed every friggin half hour for the first month. I should say mashallah cuz his requirement was outrageous. And i didnt have enough production of my own. I would also like to say that its not always true that the more the child suckles the more u produce. My baby was totAlly dependant on me for the first two weeks . I would feed him and pump afterwards as well as drinking ant eating more than necessary, did squat to increase my production. So no, not always does the production increase. Its the same amt from birth to now. I just put him to the breast now cuz it calms him.
Re: I want to breastfeed but…
Ditto to waht hareem said. Also eating oatmeal is supposed to increase milk supply. Fenugreek and blessed thistle is also advised to be taken. I would say dont worry about milk supply yet, i worried during pregnancy too but Alhamdulillah didnt have a problem except that unlike khawateen’s baby, mine doesnt want to eat 
Did they try giving you medication to produce more milk? I had to go onto medication after my second week cause my milk production shot down. The meds cost freaking $100 and didn’t even work. They gave me a month supply … I took it for a month and nothing.
Congrats on your pregnancy! 
To maintain an ample milk supply fully breastfeed your baby.
The mother’s milk is designed to provide for and protect baby even in times of hardship and famine, so don’t worry you will have plenty of milk for your baby, insha’Allah. 
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
hey congs! teddy bear sis, i used think like dat to whem my i was pregnet. sis eat lots of grapes and u wr ganna get lots of milk as other said a da more ur baby will drink milk da more ur ganna get milk and dont eat sum thing dat will give ur baby gas problem, cuz for 1 year i had to o threw so much cuz of my baby gas problems. i try diff medicns and lots off doctors specialis for my baby gas problem . now alhamdulilah i eat everything and alhamdulilah my baby has no gas problem now. gud luck sis. wish all da best
No they just kept saying it will come. I had to really fight it out with them before they allowed him to go on formula. I tried all the desi totkas starting from the last trimester and just stopped now cuz its just not meant to be. Everything from oatmeal to makhanay soaked in milk to zeera and fenugreek. Did everything but zilch happened. Its the same amount from day 1.
I just want to tell the poster to give it a serious try, but sometimes its just not possible so dont get depressed if you cant breastfeed. It really is not the end of the world like i thought it was at my time.
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
At hospital I got this homopatic medicine (german brand) to increase milk and it did increase! I would take 8 small pills of those 10 minutes before a feed, especially at night time, so that some more flow would come than the usual few drops of milk.
But don't worry at the hospital I have seen some women having so much milk production that they could easily feed a whole bunch of babies at once.
--
ps. something I had written in another breastfeeding thread:
wanted to add here, just incase I need the name of the medicine again. :D
I too had a hard time. I was secretly crying the first few days at the hospital. Then they gave me this **Ricinus Communis D6, **it did increase the supply but not enough so when I got home I also gave her formula to satisfy her hunger, dont feel guilty, just do both, nurse her as much as u can and the rest give her some formula milk. btw I fed her almost 16 months. *
*ps.
I got it from the hospital after she was born. I have forgatten the dosis, so please ask a nurse or doc about it.
Thanks a lot gals for you advices :)
Some people say that some milk begin to leak during the 5th month of pregnancy so I was worried as it doesn't happening for me
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
i know some people who dont breastfeed at all and went straight to bottle, does this hamr the baby in any way....? Or not provide enough nutrients?
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
teddy bear, i never leaked colostrum either so dont be worried. I was worried for the same reasons as well but Alhamdulillah things turned out ok. And dont freak out when in the first couple of days, the milk hasnt come in yet. When it came on teh 3rd day i think, i KNEW because of slight engorgement and a hard, painful lump in the underarm area.
Re: I want to breastfeed but...
Some people dont have milk until 3 or 4 days after birth. So take it easy, dont panic if you dont have any milk. Drink fluids and have fenugreek.