How I Increased My Milk Supply

I'm not entirely sure where to start with this post because when it comes to breast feeding, there are a million directions I could go...
-How it's the most un-natural thing in the world when you first start
-How I am positive that somewhere there is a divorce decree that lists "spilled milk" as reason for separation
 The list goes on....I'll just jump right in..

Right around the 4 month mark, I noticed I was slowly pumping less and less at work, which is obviously not good since my little chicken was eating more and more. After doing some reading, I learned that it's pretty common to have a decrease in supply around this time, well crap..what to do now? I jumped on the 'ole interweb and started doing some research which is where this "routine" came from. 

First, I bought this tea..

I'm not gonna sugar coat it, it's pretty disgusting..unless you like licorice, which I definitely do not. I will say though, the smell is far more offensive than the taste, and if you're serious about increasing your supply, whats a little gross tea? The directions say 3-5 cups daily, well here are my thoughts on that...It's not cheap so that could get pretty costly in the long run, and I read a few different things that said too much of this will give your baby gas, which nobody needs! I drink a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening, and it seems to be doing the trick just fine. Following the brewing instructions on the box is also important apparently, so just do it. :) 

That's the first part of my "more milk" equation. The other part is "Power Pumping." Yes I said power pumping, and no I am not lifting weights whilst drinking this galactogogue. That's a real term people, look it up....basically a substance that gets the milk a flowin. Power pumping is when you follow this little routine 

Some of the different articles I read suggested doing this four times a day for two days, well if you can handle that, bras off to ya! I did this once a day for four days and it worked pretty well for me. 

Here are the deets:

I was pumping between 7-8 ounces per session and after doing this routine for about a week I started pumping 10-13 ounces per session. It's not a giant increase, but it is more than enough to keep up with chicken for the moment. Might even revisit this as I am noticing a slow decrease again...It's not an easy thing for us working/pumping moms, but with a little bit of determination and a lot of beer (just kidding) it is possible and well worth it! :)

A.