How to increase low breast milk supply

At times I felt that my milk supply is diminishing. So I consulted my elders and read about how to increase it. There were a few things that helped me instantly boost my milk supply. I would like to share it with you.

Proper Food and Fluid intake

-          Fluid intake is utmost important. I started drinking a glass of water or any other liquid like milk , juice, liquid yogurt frequently.

-          Introduced oatmeal in my daily breakfast and while cooking it I put in 4 dry dates and 7-8 makhana. Dates are sweet and so there isn’t any need to put sugar while preparing.

-          Fenugreek leaves / seeds are very effective in increasing milk supply. They are also good for digestion. You can prepare a dish of fenugreek leaves and potatoes by steaming them and frying them with a little oil and some salt, turmeric powder and dry mango powder.

-          Fennel Seeds are also easy and very effective in increasing milk supply. Keeping them on the side table and chewing while I fed the baby was a good and easy solution.

Good Amount of Rest and Stress Free Mind – It is crucial that you rest a lot and have a stress free mind while breastfeeding. You can seek help from your family and friends if they are around and are willing. If not maybe your husband can help you out with a few things like laundry, cleaning or cooking. As I understand most husbands are not used to household chores they need to be assured that it is highly appreciated and is only for a few days. They should understand that it is for the benefit of their own child.

Feeding Often – The rule is the more you feed the more your milk supply builds up. In the early months do not let your child go 4 hours without a feeding. Even if he is sleeping try to feed him by waking him up. In my case, I even went on the the extent of feeding my baby every hour or 2 hours whenever required (cluster feedings)

Pumping after feeding the baby – Pumping helps in boosting milk supply. This is my personal experience that if you pump after you have fed the baby, your supply increases as your body gets the message to produce more milk. Pumping even if nothing comes out is also effective as with time your body will start responding to the breast pump and will produce more milk.

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.