To Supplement or not to Supplement Low Supply Giveaway

Low supply.  Of all the fears that new moms face with their babies, this one has to be in the top 5: what if I can’t produce enough breastmilk to feed my baby?  Which is just a cover for another fear: am I starving my baby??

How do you figure out if your little one is getting adequate nutrition from nursing when you can’t see how much milk they’re actually able to acquire in a feeding?  Should you just start taking supplements to boost your milk production, you know, just in case?

Before you jump into supplements, there are actually a few steps that you can take to help determine if your baby is getting what she/he needs from nursing.  Motherlove, long-time sponsor of TLB, has a couple of resources to share with you:

1. “Help, my milk supply is low! Or is it?” is a relational resource on TLB sponsored by Motherlove that explores the reasons why mothers think their supply might be low, provides an easy way to gauge if your supply is actually low, and lists a few resources to check out if you have determined that you do indeed have low supply.

  1. “I’ve got milk supply problems, now what?” provides a list of steps to take before starting to take supplements to boost your supply.  It also describes the many different options that Motherlove has developed once you’ve determined that supplements are what you need.  All of them are made with certified organic herbs, making them safe for you and your little one.

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Motherlove is offering a bottle of Motherlove milk supply supplements of your choice to 3 lucky Leakies!

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Good luck to everyone!  Please use the widget below to be entered.  The giveaway is open from February 2, 2015 through February 9, 2015.  A big thanks to Motherlove for their support of TLB and all breastfeeding women; please be sure to visit their Facebook page or follow them on twitter and thank them for their support of TLB and this giveaway opportunity.

This giveaway is restricted to U.S. entries only.

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Fairhaven Health’s Supplemental Giveaway

What makes a business more than just a company trying to sell you something?  The people behind the brand.  Suzanne, Director of Product Development for Fairhaven Health, is a mother of two and she is passionate about raising healthy families.  She has taken the time to answer a few interview questions about her life in the Pacific Northwest, her role at Fairhaven Health, and her views on nutrition and breastfeeding.  Take a moment to get to know her and this great TLB sponsor.  Then, enter the giveaway below for your chance to win some supplements designed to help breastfeeding moms maintain a balanced nutritional diet.  

Munson Family Lake Padden

TLB:  Hello Suzanne!  To start off this interview, what kinds of activities do you particularly enjoy doing this time of year?

Suzanne:  Spring is a great time of year in the Pacific Northwest.  After many months of short days, the extended daylight is always so welcome and I love getting outside in the evenings.  One of our favorite things to do this time of year is to meet up with friends for a walk or bike ride around the lake near our house, and have a picnic afterwards.  (The above photo was taken at that lake.)

TLB:  Could you tell us a bit about what you do with Fairhaven Health?

Suzanne:  I came to Fairhaven Health a number of years ago, after earning a Master’s degree in Nutrition from Bastyr University and working in the natural products industry for more than a decade. As a nutritionist and a mom of two kids, I can’t help but be passionate about raising healthy families. As Director of Product Development at Fairhaven Health, I get to spend my work day talking to women about how they can improve their reproductive health naturally, and I get to work with a team of medical professionals to dream up new products that help couples optimize their fertility and that keep women healthy during pregnancy and nursing.  What an awesome job!

TLB:  As a nutritionist, what would you like to share with our Leakies about how their food intake impacts their health?

Suzanne:   As a whole foods nutritionist, I definitely believe in the health benefits of eating “real” food! By real food, I mean anything that is minimally processed . . .fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and fresh meats, fish and poultry. And, the more you can avoid highly processed junk foods, the more room you will have in your diet for the good stuff.

Of course, eating well is important during all stages of life, but is especially vital during pregnancy and while you are breastfeeding.  It goes without saying that taking care of a newborn is demanding and tiresome (and wonderful!). And, producing breast milk requires extra calories and nutrients. So, eating real food, and plenty of it, is important to ensure that you have the energy and stamina you need to meet the demands of new motherhood.

TLB: Do you have any tips to help nursing moms get the nourishment they need?

Suzanne: The reality is that most us don’t really eat all that well, even under the best of circumstances. So, with the time constraints that accompany new motherhood, cooking, meal planning, even eating, might be some of the first activities to go.  Here are some tips that might be helpful:

  • Have fresh fruit handy
  • Buy vegetables in a ready-to-eat package to cut down on chopping time
  • Snack often on nutrient dense foods, like nuts (and nut butters) and seeds
  • Cook in big batches and freeze extra portions
  • Ask family and friends to bring meals

TLB: Fairhaven Health is giving away Nursing Postnatal. Why do you think it is important for nursing mothers to take a multivitamin?

Suzanne: While women don’t bat an eye about being told to take a prenatal vitamin before and during pregnancy, some women are surprised to hear that taking a multivitamin while breastfeeding could be helpful. As we touched on above, eating enough of the right kinds of foods is a challenge for most of us under normal circumstances, and is certainly no easier when you are breastfeeding. So, taking a daily multivitamin simply allows a mom to bump up her nutrient intake. This is important for her health, and it helps ensure that her breast milk is nutrient dense.

Breast milk is an amazing food, and perfect for your baby. It contains approximately 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein and 7 grams of carbohydrates per milliliter, and these proportions do not change even when the mother’s diet changes.  But, it is also true that a mother’s diet (and her overall nutritional status) can influence the vitamin, mineral, and the essential fatty acid (EPA and DHA) composition of her breast milk, all of which impacts the overall nutritional quality of the breast milk, and ultimately the overall health of the baby. Because of this, it is my humble opinion, that we need to encourage nursing moms to both eat as many real foods as possible and take a multivitamin.

TLB:  Did you personally take multivitamins after the birth of your children?

Suzanne:  Yes, I continued to take a multivitamin while breastfeeding with both my kids, and try to remember to still take one every day.  I actually have a bottle of Nursing Postnatal on my desk at work.  Even though I am definitely a “food first” person, my life is busy and hectic and I don’t always eat the way I know I should.  So, taking a multivitamin just helps to ensure I am getting enough nutrients.

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Fairhaven Health is giving 5 lucky Leakies one bottle each of Nursing Postnatal and Fenugreek.

Nursing Postnatal is a vitamin and mineral supplement designed specifically for breastfeeding moms, with extra amounts of Vitamin D and the B vitamins.

Nursing Postnatal

Fenugreek is often used to help support breast milk production. Fairhaven Health’s Fenugreek contains a unique blend of organic Fenugreek Seed Powder, along with a concentrated Fenugreek Seed Powder extract (8:1), delivering a dose equivalent to 2000 mg of standard fenugreek seed powder in just 2 vegetarian capsules each day.

Fenugreek

Currently Leakies can find these and other pregnancy and nursing products at www.FairhavenHealth.com.

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Good luck to everyone!  Please use the widget below to be entered.  The giveaway is open from April 1, 2013 through April 8, 2013.  A big thanks to Fairhaven Health for their ongoing support of TLB and all breastfeeding women; please be sure to visit BellytoBreast on Facebook or follow them on Twitter and/or Pinterest and thank them for their support of TLB and this giveaway opportunity.

This giveaway is restricted to U.S. (including Puerto Rico and APO) and Canadian residents only.

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Fairhaven Health Giveaway

The breastfeeding journey rarely happens without challenges.  Suzanne, from TLB sponsor Fairhaven Health, knows this personally, especially when it comes to dealing with low supply.  Today, Fairhaven Health is offering our TLB community a giveaway for those concerned about low supply.  Read on for details about this opportunity, to hear what Suzanne has to share about some of her own experience with low supply and answers some questions about Fairhaven Health.   

 

TLB: What kind of personal breastfeeding experience is behind the breastfeeding related products in your product line?

Suzanne: At Fairhaven Health, we support breastfeeding as the optimal feeding choice for mom and baby, and are honored to be able to support moms in reaching their breastfeeding goals. And, from personal experience, I know that even with lots of effort and intention, it is sometimes very difficult (but never impossible) to achieve the breastfeeding goals we set for ourselves. With my first born (Abigail, now 9 years old – see attached photo), I had high hopes of breastfeeding exclusively for six months or so, and then continuing  for as long as she wanted to, but at least until she turned 1 year. How hard could that be? But, during delivery, a few complications arose, and I ended up having a very late epidural. And, perhaps as a result of this late epidural (or for some other unknown reason), Abby had difficulty breastfeeding from the get go. Even after several visits with the lactation consultant and weeks of trying to establish a breastfeeding routine, Abby and I were unsuccessful. Because Abby never nursed successfully at the breast, I pumped exclusively and we fed her my breast milk from a bottle for nine months. As many women know, it is often difficult to maintain your supply when you are only pumping, and it was no different for me. I needed every herbal galactogogue available to help maintain my supply!  I am so grateful that these products existed when I was breastfeeding, and I love that Fairhaven Health is committed to providing such high quality products, like Fenugreek, Nursing Time Tea and Nursing Blend, to support today’s breastfeeding moms in reaching their breastfeeding goals.

TLB: What should we know about the new fenugreek tablets?

Suzanne: One of the inconveniences associated with taking Fenugreek and other herbal galactogogues (as if having supply issues is not inconvenient enough), is that research shows that these herbs are most effective when taken in large quantities. As a result, most brands of Fenugreek require many capsules each day. Fairhaven Health’s new Fenugreek product is a unique combination of organic Fenugreek seed powder and a concentrated Fenugreek seed powder extract (8:1), providing an equivalent dose of 2 grams of standard Fenugreek seed powder in just two capsules. This product is also great for what it doesn’t contain: no gluten, yeast, wheat, soy, dairy, animal products, artificial colors or artificial preservatives.

TLB: What do you think is most important for moms that are concerned about supply to know?

Suzanne: I think the most important thing for moms with supply issues to know is that it is actually quite rare for a nursing mom to not be able to eventually produce enough milk to feed her baby. Instead, it is often the case that supply issues are temporary, only present as mom and baby work to establish a routine in the first days, if the baby has trouble latching, or when mom or baby is ill. Once these kinks get worked out, supply typically increases. And, moms may see a decline in supply when they transition to work, when regular feedings are interrupted due to extended absences from the baby, or when exclusively pumping. It is during all of these times that moms can really benefit from natural galactogogues, such as Fenugreek, to boost their milk supply.

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Fairhaven Health is giving away this helpful prize to 5 lucky winners:

Three (3) bottles of Fenugreek dietary supplement  Retail value $45.00

 

 

Currently Leakies can find these and other great pregnancy and nursing products on the Fairhaven Health website.

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Good luck to everyone!  Please use the widget below to be entered, and check out fairhavenhealth.com for more products related to fertility, pregnancy, and nursing .  The giveaway is open from September 20, 2012 to September 27, 2012.  A big thanks to Suzanne and Fairhaven Health for their ongoing support of TLB and all breastfeeding women, please be sure to visit their Facebook page and thank them for their support of TLB and this giveaway opportunity.

This giveaway is open to US entries only.

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