Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. That may lead some new moms to wonder: Am I making enough breast milk? Is my newborn getting enough to eat, or could I have a low milk supply? Here's some help decoding the situation. As early as month 3 of pregnancy , your breasts start to prepare for breastfeeding, developing the glandular tissue needed to produce milk and increasing the number of milk ducts in your breasts.
By the end of the second trimester, your amazing body is capable of breastfeeding. Once your baby is born, a hormone called prolactin cues milk production, and another hormone, oxytocin, causes tiny muscle cells in the breasts to contract, pushing milk out. As your baby nurses, your prolactin levels increase and more milk is produced, in a continuing cycle of supply and demand: Baby drains milk from your breasts demand , breasts respond by producing more milk supply.
While breast milk production is influenced by the cycle of supply and demand, researchers still have a long way to go in understanding all the factors that may influence or hinder breast milk production. That said, ensuring adequate demand is a good place to start. The clearest indicator of a problem is lack of weight gain. While most infants lose weight immediately after birth, full-term babies should lose no more than 7 percent of their birth weight in the first few days after birth, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP.
However, a slightly greater weight loss can be normal, too — but it does warrant an earlier first visit to the pediatrician.
By the time they're 10 days old or so, babies should return to their birth weight and start gaining 4 to 7 ounces on average per week. While not all cases of low milk supply are caused exclusively by demand issues, that may be the case for you.
But some women also prefer exclusive pumping, which is also called "EP" or "EPing" — and some of the same supply tips as above also apply here. Focus on self-care. Taking good care of yourself can also impact your breast milk supply, and potentially increase breast milk production. Try keeping healthy snacks and bottles of water stashed by your bedside table, or the chair or couch where you most frequently nurse. Find time to relax and focus on yourself — take a bath, take a nap, read a book.
It may seem nearly impossible to find the time, but by taking care of yourself you are taking care of your baby, too! Consult with the professionals. An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant can help determine if you do need help with your milk supply, and work with you to find ways to address the issue.
Lactation enhancements. Some moms have turned to lactation enhancements galactagogues to increase breast milk production. For many women, your milk supply is just fine. However, if you do need to increase your breast milk production, there are ways to do it.
Read on to learn how to increase your breast milk production using several evidence-based methods and some practices mothers have sworn by for centuries.
The following are things that you can do to increase breast milk production. When your baby suckles your breast, hormones that trigger your breasts to produce milk are released. The let-down reflex is when muscles in your breasts contract and move the milk through the ducts, which happens shortly after your baby begins breastfeeding.
The more you breastfeed, the more milk your breasts make. Breastfeeding your new baby 8 to 12 times a day can help establish and maintain milk production. Pumping between feedings can also help you increase milk production. Warming your breasts before pumping can help make you more comfortable and pump easier, too.
Have your baby feed from both breasts at each feeding. Let your baby feed from the first breast until they slow down or stop feeding before offering the second breast. The stimulation of having both breasts breastfed from can help increase milk production.
Pumping milk from both breasts simultaneously has also been found to increase milk production and result in a higher fat content in the milk. You can find lactation cookies in stores and online on Amazon or you can make your own. These foods and herbs contain galactagogues, which may promote lactation. More research is needed, though. There are other foods and herbs that may increase breast milk production, according to the Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation.
Some, such as fenugreek , have been found to take effect in as little as seven days. These foods and herbs include:. Always talk to your doctor before taking a new supplement, especially when breastfeeding. Even natural remedies can cause side effects. There are several factors that can interfere with the let-down reflex and cause low milk supply, including:.
Anxiety, stress, and even embarrassment can interfere with the let-down reflex and cause you to produce less milk. Creating a private and relaxing environment for breastfeeding and making the experience enjoyable and free of stress can help increase breast milk production. Try one of these 10 ways to relieve stress.
Some medical conditions may interfere with milk production. These conditions include:. Medications that contain pseudoephedrine , such as sinus and allergy medications, and certain types of hormonal birth control may lower breast milk production. Smoking and drinking moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol can lower your milk production. Not having enough glandular tissue because of breast surgery, such as breast reduction, cyst removal, or mastectomy, can interfere with lactation.
Breast surgery and nipple piercings can damage the nerves that are connected to breast milk production. You may be worried that your milk supply is low, but low breast milk production is rare. Most women make more than one-third more milk than their babies need, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Teething, gas pains, or even just being tired can lead to fussiness. Babies are also more easily distracted as they age.
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