I recently had to stop nursing my 6 month old baby for ten days to
take some medication, and even though I pumped a lot my milk supply
diminished greatly.  What is the best and fastest way to get my milk
back??

Hello!

Congratulations!  Is this your first?

An interrupted nursing relationship can be a very frustrating
experience, especially for first time mothers (though I can tell you
from experience that it's not a lot of fun the second time around,
either!).  It *can* be remedied, though.

The best (and most efficient) way to restore your milk supply is to
nurse the baby frequently, and pump in between.  Your baby provides
better stimulation for you than a pump - the more stimulation, the
more your brain is signaled to produce the hormones responsible for
lactatation, and the better your milk supply becomes.

"Milk is produced according to the law of supply and demand so the
more frequently you breastfeed or pump, the more milk you will make.
Ten to twelve breastfeeding or pumping sessions per day is a good goal
to aim for."

LaLeche League FAQ:  I'm pumping my milk to feed my baby, but my
supply is going down. What can I do?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/pumpwork.html 

In addition to frequent nursing, augmented by pumping, it's important
to ensure that you're paying careful attention to your own nutrition
and rest.  If you're not getting enough rest or your fluid intake is
inadequate, you can unwittingly slow your milk supply down, so make
sure to drink plenty of water, and if you can manage to sneak a nap in
every day, do so.

LaLeche League also suggests "super switching" to help boost your supply:

"Another idea is called "super switch nursing." When you and baby are
together you can try this technique to help increase your milk supply.
It can also be done when pumping with one pump flange. This involves
switching sides two or three times during each feeding. Moms can watch
the baby's sucking and switch to the other breast as soon as the
sucking begins to slow down. Repeating this several times during the
breastfeeding increases breast stimulation and let down."

LaLeche League FAQ:  I'm pumping my milk to feed my baby, but my
supply is going down. What can I do?
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/pumpwork.html

For more information, you might find these resources helpful:

Low Milk Supply
http://www.pumpstation.com/bf_basics/Lowmilk.html

Natural Remedies for Problems in Breastfeeding
http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/natural_remedies.html

...and my favorite resource for breastfeeding information:

LaLeche League Breastfeeding Information
http://www.lalecheleague.org/bfinfo.html

I hope you find this helpful!  If you need further assistance, please
don't hesitate to ask.  I'll be glad to help.

--Missy <-- mom of 2

Search terms: [ breastfeeding ], [ restore milk supply nursing ] and
some know-how left over from my own nursing days.

Thank you!