False Alarm of Low Breast milk Supply

There are many times when a nursing mom feels that her milk supply is decreasing or becoming low. But most of the times it may not be the case. If your baby is gaining enough weight and pooping and wetting diaper on a constant basis there is no need to worry.

There were numerous occasions when I felt that my breasts are not producing enough milk. Some of them were when -

• my baby became cranky after feeding for a while
• I tried to squeeze but nothing came out
• my baby was hungry every half an hour (specially during evenings)
• breast pump did not work or pumped very small amount of milk
• my breast suddenly went soft while feeding most of the times
• my baby would feed for more than half an hour , sometimes as long as 45 minutes
• my baby would take bottled milk or formula even after I fed her
• I did not feel the let-down sensation and my breasts stopped leaking

Most of these problems were during 2-4 month period. After consulting my female friends I found out that these had nothing to do with my milk supply being low. In fact there could be other reasons associated with each of these issues.

For example -

If the baby becomes cranky after feeding for a while it could be because of gas. The baby needs to held up and burped. I tried it and Behold... it worked!

I tried to squeeze but nothing came out - One of my friends told me that your milk may not show up if you squeeze it out yourself, but the baby's sucking reflex is such that they can suck it very well.

My baby was hungry every half an hour (specially during evenings) - A lot of a babies including mine want to be fed very frequently during evenings. One of the reason I figured out was because she wants to sleep for a longer duration at night so she is filling up her tummy accordingly. The other reason could be because the milk flow is slow during evenings as against mornings , babies keep sucking for a longer time or frequently.

Breast pump did not work or pumped very small amount of milk - With every mother it is a different experience. In the mornings I could pump 4-5 ounces but at other times of the day only a few drops. And then when my baby would start sucking, I could see milk dripping over her face. So breast pump can never really tell you if you are producing enough

My breast suddenly went soft while feeding most of the times - Breasts adjust  to the milk supply once its established, so even if they go soft the milk is still there.

My baby would feed for more than half an hour , sometimes as long as 45 minutes - This could mean that the baby is very hungry or you may have a slow let down or the baby may just really be playing around or sucking passively rather than vigorously

My baby would take bottled milk or formula even after I fed her - Most babies would take bottled milk or formula after regular feedings but that doesn't always mean that they are hungry. A hungry baby would no doubt raise alarm and call for your attention so there is no need to worry.

I did not feel the let-down sensation and my breasts stopped leaking - A lot of mothers do not feel the let-down sensation and its normal as your breasts have adjusted themselves to the need to the baby's demand.

If you still feel that you have a low breast milk supply you can take measures to increase it by eating foods that increase breast milk supply or consulting a lactation consultant.

Breastfeeding and Proper Nutrition

My pregnancy was awesome in terms of Nutrition that I took. I remember that the first day when we got comfirmation by our gynacologist about my pregnancy, my husband Nitin brought home all kinds of delicious fresh fruits - strawberries, oranges, apples and pound cake for me. He maintained this ritual through most of my pregnancy period. My mom-in-law was a real sweetheart too. She made a variety of dishes for me. The spicy south Indian food, chole bhature and awesome non-vegetarian dishes were cooked a lot during my pregnancy days.

When the baby is in your tummy most moms want to eat the best they can and so I did as well. It is the time when you can look after yourself really well as against the time when you have a baby in your lap.

If you are breastfeeding it is very important for you take take extra 500 calories to make up. As in the case with most moms, I too felt hungry often while breastfeeding. Eating a well balanced diet which comprises of whole grains, cereals, protein rich food like pulses or non vegeterian diet, dairy products, fruits and vegetables is important.

And as in my case if it is through an operation you really have to be careful with your activities and be dependent on other people for a while. Thankfully, my family members helped me lot.

Since my room was on the secong floor , my mother-in-law kept a lot of dry instant food like nutritious cookies, dry fruits, seeds in my room next to my bed so that I could reach out for it whenever I was hungry. She made a lot of healthy food for me which helped in my recovery after the operation.

All of these food preapartions help a lot with breast milk production as well. Some of the items that she made me eat on a daily basis for a period of 6 weeks were-

* Harira - This is a traditional mixture of roasted dry fruits, gum crystals, desi ghee (clarified butter), carom seeds (ajwain), turmeric powder, ginger powder and jaggery. It can be taken in dry form , in laddoo form or mixed with milk. My mom-in-law made me have it in all forms but in small quantity intially as it is heavy for the stomach (specially if you are recovering from an operation).

* Jeera mix - This is a mixture of smoothly blended soaked jeera (Cumin seeds), ajwain (carom seeds) and methi (fenugreeek seeds)

* Oatmeal or Daliya

* Chicken broth with all the vegetables

This diet no doubt gives a new mom the strength and energy to heal fast.

Apart from these I tried to regularly eat a lot of fruits and vegetables which included carrots, beetroot, spinach, strawberries, apples and so on. Dates are good as they give you a lot of fiber, iron, vitamins and minerals. For those like me who love sweets, it is an excellent dessert after your meals.

Apart from food, drinking fluids is utmost essential for a nursing mom. Drinking milk is very important. I made sure that I enough fluid intake during the day. My husband got me a 32 ounce water bottle during my pregancy and I use it till now. I fill it up several times a day and drink a lot of water.

Along with a balanced diet, consuming prenatal vitamin is also good for the breastfeeding mom.

A New Mom's breastfeeding experience

My special thanks to my Mom, my mom-in-law, my sister Neha, my friends Suma, Monica and Anurita Didi and last but not the least my dear husband for supporting me in my breastfeeding endeavour.

Breastfeeding is a very unique and gifted experience for women but at times it can become very daunting and difficult for some new mothers as well. It requires tremendous practise and patience. For me it has been a roller coaster ride. I started out right but the journey ahead was not easy. My daughter Gia was born on 21st January 2011 through a C-section and within minutes of her birth the nurse brought her to me for feeding. I remember I was still on the stretcher and was not even transferred to my room. I was exhausted and drained after the operation as it was an unplanned Cesarean after an unsuccessful effort at getting induced and bearing labor pains half way.

But as soon as Gia came close to me and we touched each other everything seemed worthwhile. My milk (colostrum) had started to ooze out and she was sucking naturally. It seemed she was an expert at it (that's was the nurses said at the hospital). Our stay in the hospital for 5 days was very comfortable. She latched on perfectly. she would stay in the nursery and the nurse would get her to me whenever she needed feedings (almost in  every 2-3 hours). They would bathe her, change her clothes, change her diapers most of the times. I was also looked after very well with food arriving timely and the nursery nurses making sure that I am properly feeding the baby - they would make me sit comfortably, position the baby correctly, propping pillows behind my back, sides and arms.

Once we were home the real trouble began. Taking care of myself as well as Gia was not easy. Gia baby wouldn't latch well. She would cry every time I tried to feed her. She would sleep between feedings and when she would get up she would be even more crankier. It was hard. There were nights that were horrible. My husband and I would hold the baby entire night to keep her from crying.

Then I called my lactation consultant at hospital and she told me to try to give her a bottle first and then make her latch on to the breast. I did that and behold it worked. Next time my husband tried that with a pacifier and that worked as well. So we figured out the first problem in breastfeeding and fortunately found an answer to that. In the days to come I found answers to a lot of other issues. Here is an account of what I learnt from my family , friends and my own experience.

• Problem with latching - One of the solutions is to avoid giving your baby bottle or pacifier for at least  a month or 6 weeks. 
• Pacifier or soother works against breastfeeding - The nurses at that the hospital gave pacifier to my baby which was something she got hooked on for a couple of months till we firmly decided to avoid its use completely.
• Positioning - Proper positioning is very important. Once I was home I had to try with different pillows but nothing worked quite well until I got hold of the boopy pillow. It did wonders. You need to sit comfortably in your bed or rocking chair. My favorite spot was the bed with a regular pillow behind my back leaning on the bed frame. You should not start feeding your baby until you both are comfortably positioned.
• Feeding Frequently - Infrequent feedings in the early weeks can harm your milk supply.  At home I wasn't waking up Gia often for feedings which wasn't quite right. After the operation my body was weak and at times I felt lethargic in getting up and feeding the baby. But it wasn't right. The newborn baby sleeps a lot during the first few weeks and if you don't wake them often (maybe every 2-3 hours to feed), it will make them cranky when they get up and then it might be hard to latch on.
• Proper Nutrition and Rest- One thing that I learnt during breastfeeding was that proper nutrition and rest is very important if you want to continue breastfeeding. Otherwise, after a few months the new mom can get really exhausted with the entire experience and give up easily. Drinking enough fluids is very important to keep up the milk supply.

Substituting with formula is fine once in a while or at times you feel you need a break. But if you plan to substitute on a regular basis make sure you breast pump that time.

Happy Breastfeeding :)