In the current post I am going to offer several hints on how to regain lactation by means of herb recipes. Where can you possibly find herbs? First, you can gather herbs by yourself (which is not quite suitable for modern mummies indeed); second, you can turn to specialized pharmacies or shops selling natural goods. Also, there are many online shops dealing with herbs. So, I suppose finding herbs will not be a problem for you. Let’s consider several recipes.

Herbs to Restore Lactation:

1. Take 20 drops of woundwort and hawthorn extraction 3 times per day. Treatment duration is 7-10 days.
2. Decoction of nettle. Take 20 dry leaves, pour 1 liter boiling water, let it draw for an hour; take 1 tablespoon 3 times per day. Treatment course - 7-10 days.
3. «Milk» collection. Mix 1 piece of dill, 1 piece of melilot, 1 piece of nettle, 1 piece of anise. Take 2 tablespoons of the mixture and pour with 2 glasses boiling water. Let it draw for 20 min. Pass through a sieve and take ½ glass 2 times a day in an hour after meal. Course of treatment - 7-10 days.
4. Dill seed extract. Take 1 tablespoon of dill seeds. Pour 1 glass boiling water. Let it draw for 30 min and sip slowly ½ glass 3 times a day in 30 min before eating. The same recipe refers to anise seeds.
5. Dill milk. Grind the dill seeds, mix with kefir, add nutmeg and a bit of salt. Filter and drink before breakfast.

The composition of breast milk changes constantly. The change occurs due to factors like mother's age, lactation timeframes, geographical location and food consumption. Colostrum is rich in protein and minerals, mature milk contains less proteins but more fats and carbohydrates.

This is a real "elixir of life" which no formula for newborns can substitute.

The food value of breast milk ranges from 50 to 80 kcal per 100 ml. Formulas are inferior to breast milk, as their food value is about 70 kcal per 100 ml.

The Essential Breast Milk Components

Breast milk is 78% water which a newborn easily digests. Breastfeed babies, thus, do not need water. Breast milk will do for a baby during the first 6 months of age. Water will provide a normal heat transfer, as well as the constancy of internal environment.

Protein level in breast milk varies from 0,7 to 1,8 g. The ratio of casein to whey is 20 to 80. Proteins are great for infants, for they serve an energy source, they assimilate nutrients, and are essential for growth and development. Proteins in formulas should undergo a special processing - not to cause allergic reactions, constipation, etc. This increases the cost of formulas, while breast milk is free.

Fats. Breast milk contains 3-5 g of fats per 100 ml. In terms of composition and acidity, fats resemble vegetable fats. They provide energy and serve the main material for building cells. Particularly useful are linoleic and linolenic fatty acids that promote normal development of the nerve tissue and form the child's retina. Not all formulas contain vegetable oils only, not all are equally healthy.

Why do I loss weight while breastfeeding? Mothers keep asking this question. Some cannot but feel happy about the weight loss, others cannot but become alarmed. Still, weight loss while breastfeeding is considered normal. The thing is that during her pregnancy, a woman gains about 25-35 pounds. Breastfeeding involves extra calories needed for milk production (up to 500 Cal a day). Thus, extra pounds can be shed during the first months after giving birth.

There is no need to keep to a diet during lactation period, as this may cause milk loss. The most you can do is to concentrate on healthy eating. Nursing mothers shed about 500 grams a week.

A newborn sheds from 5 to 10% after the delivery. This is quite acceptable, as while breastfeeding it gains weight and grows up.

The main factor that causes abnormal weight loss with a newborn is not getting enough milk during breastfeeding. Most nursing mothers run into this problem.

What to do to prevent baby weight loss while breastfeeding?

1. Breastfeed upon the baby's request. Do not set some specific time for lactation. Your baby's searching motions inform you about the prompt time to breastfeed. Some women believe that to breastfeed 4-5 times a day will do. This is not actually so. This mode is ok for artificial rearing.
2. Make sure you and your baby have sound sleep. Doctors recommend to have a sleep with your baby at least once a day. There must be the identical mode for a mother and a child - thus, you will be able to easily breastfeed late at night.
3. Be sure to breastfeed at night. If you want your child to have a positive increase in weight, consider breastfeeding between 3 and 8 am. This is the best time for making prolactin (hormone, responsible for formation of pectoral milk). You'd better breastfeed at least 3 times a night.
4. Nipple stimulation. Women breasts should undergo some pressures which occur at baby apposition. If you have poor lactation, no treatment can increase production of necessary quantities of milk like breastfeeding can.
5. Mind correct baby opposition. If the opposition is wrong, the wrong stimulation takes place, less milk is produced and the baby is not getting enough food.

Everyone already knows that there is nothing better for a baby than breastfeeding. But sometimes it happens that a lady can’t produce milk and as a result she needs to use the other ways to feed her baby. The same happened to one of my friends, she has not milk. But she sais that she does not want to feed her baby only by formulas and she wants to find a place to buy breast milk.

So, how to buy breast milk? First of all, if you are serious about such an idea you should go to the pediatrician and ask him for a consultation concerning this question. The doctor can give a good advice as for the place to buy breast milk and as for the official requirements to this precious product etc.

If you are going to buy milk in the milk bank, you should know that this is not an easy procedure. First of all, you have to take a prescription from your pediatrician as most of milk banks demand it. As for the quality of milk you buy, you should not be worried as you are buying breast milk in the official institution where all the procedures of milk donations and storage are adhered.

Breastfeeding is the best nourishment for each baby. But sometimes some situations lead to the necessity to use Baby formula instead of mother’s breast milk.

Every mother should always take the question of choosing a Baby formula very seriously. First of all, it is always useful to consult to a pediatrician as for the formula to choose for your baby. This can depend upon the age, needs and other peculiarities of baby’s organism.

It is also important to check whether the Baby formula you choose for your child is meeting all the requirement of the country’s regulations. The bottle with formula should have the stamp of the organization responsible for the health in your country (e.g. Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation; Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act in the USA etc.)

If giving a Baby formula to your child leads to undesired symptoms, such as diarrhea, unreasonable nervousness, vomiting, gasses etc, this is the signal that you have to change the Baby formula. But instead of trying all the formulas till finding the one, you’d better ask your pediatrician to advise a formula which can be suitable specially for your child. Though, all formulas should meet the same requirements, but this does not mean that they all have the same components. For example, there are formulas without lactose or with low quantity of it, there are formulas made of soy and formulas of other types. So, it is very important to choose that one which is perfect for your baby.