Low Milk Supply – Breastfeeding Issues
7 min readWritten by Pradeep
“Am I producing enough milk?” This is a very common question and often baffles mothers who are breastfeeding. This often leads to tension in mothers and some even panic that they are not being good mothers. Well, first of all, it’s not your fault, secondly, it is a very common issue and lastly; it is an issue that has solutions. Most often, this worry arises when mothers feel that their breasts ‘do not feel full’ or the milk is not leaking.
However, both these observations imply that your milk supply has adjusted itself to the baby’s needs. So, stop blaming yourself, relax and try to find out the causes and what you can do to overcome the problem instead of stressing yourself out which can also result in the low secretion of milk.
In This Article
- What Causes Low Milk Supply In Breastfeeding Mothers?
- How Do You Know If The Baby Is Getting Enough Milk?
- Low Milk Supply At Night
- Low Milk Supply: How Often to Pump
- 10 Ways to Increase Low Milk Supply In Breastfeeding Mothers
What Causes Low Milk Supply In Breastfeeding Mothers?
For most women, it is the delivery of the milk that is the actual issue and not the production. However, if your baby is not gaining enough weight, and feels hungry, you could be on the other side.
There are quite a few low milk supply causes and we are listing them below for you:
- Under-developed Breasts If your breasts were not developed properly due to insufficient glandular tissue, your breasts may not have sufficient milk-producing ducts. Your doctor will suggest you various options to increase your milk supply
- Hormonal Imbalance Health conditions like Diabetes, Thyroid, PCOS can lead to low production of milk. You can consult with your doctor and learn about supplements
- Breast Surgery If you have undergone any kind of breast surgery be it for medical or cosmetic surgery, there are chances that your milk ducts have been damaged and you have to go for supplements. Even nipple piercing can be dangerous
- Hormonal Birth Control Birth control pills are not that harmful, but if you have taken hormonal injections or patches for birth control before your baby is 4 months old, there are chances your milk production will drop
- Intake Of Excess Herbs Peppermint or Parsley and medications which contain Pseudoephredine can reduce milk production.
- Sucking Difficulties There are chances the baby is not able to suck properly
- Feeding Patterns The milk production is more when the breasts are empty and less milk if they are already filled up. If you are frequently feeding your baby, then your milk production will also increase and vice versa
- Supplementing If you are supplementing with formula, your body will get the signal that this milk is not required and hence the supply would diminish
- Pacifiers Or Soothers Giving babies pacifiers or soothers early can interfere with the baby’s latch to the breast, and this can reduce the time the baby spends on the breast
- Scheduled Feedings A baby should have unlimited access to the breast – if you are feeding as per the clock and not as per the baby’s demand, your breast milk supply can get affected
- Nipple Shields Though useful when new moms have nipple pains and infection, nipple shields can reduce nipple stimulation and cause milk supply to dwindle
- Length Of Nursing If you stop a baby from feeding before she actually leaves the breast, you will likely have milk-production and supply issues
- Missed Feedings If a baby is sleepy and tends to miss feedings in the earlier stages, it can very well signal the body to produce less milk and hence diminish the supply. Read more on newborn feeding here.
Apart from these, waiting too long to start breastfeeding or not breastfeeding enough can also impact breast milk supply/ Women who supplement breastfeeding in earlier stages can also see some effect on breast milk production. Though many women worry about low breast milk supply, insufficient breast milk production is rare. Research has it that most women make breast milk, which is greater by about 1/3rd of the milk their babies drink.
How Do You Know If The Baby Is Getting Enough Milk?
If you are worried about producing less than required milk, the biggest indications would be given by your baby.
Keep A Tab On The Weight
New-borns lose some of the birth weight and then gain the same after about 10 to 14 days. Your baby should keep on gaining about 28 grams every day till he is 3 months and about 14 grams from the age of 3 to 6 months. This is a sure indicator that the baby is getting enough milk, implying you are producing enough
Stools
A well-nursed baby should pass at least 3 stools a day in the first month of life. Now, this frequency will go down to once in two days after the first month
Wet Diapers
Though wet diapers is not a very good indicator of being well fed, yet your baby should typically wet 7-8 cloth diapers and 5-6 disposable ones
Frequent Nursing
A baby typically has a small stomach, so he feels hungry every 2-3 hours. This means the baby takes in at least 8 feedings a day. This is again an indicator that the baby is nursing well and you are producing enough
Latching Techniques
The baby gets latched on properly and you can notice him swallowing the milk
You can read more about signs that your baby is getting enough milk here.
Low Milk Supply At Night
Often mothers complain about low milk supply at night. Well, this is because your hormones work its best in the morning and towards the evening they tend to slow down and absolutely drop down by night. It is expected that your doctor will make you aware of this situation and guide you to use breast pump during this time.
Many women complain that a low milk supply during breastfeeding makes your baby a little bit irritated because he is not getting enough to fill his stomach. The situation is also bound to put you under stress. However, you should know that babies do have something like a ‘cluster feed’, which is they feed frequently for some hours in a day, and that generally happens in late evenings and nights. This will render your letdown reflex a bit slower owing to a slower hormonal response.
To avoid a low milk supply at night, try taking some rest in the afternoon when the baby is sleeping and have a nutritious lunch followed by a healthy snack in the evening. Cuddle your baby to increase the breast milk supply as well.
Low Milk Supply: How Often to Pump
The experts will say that pump as much as you can. If you are solely dependent on pump then you will be advised to pump often. At the same time, it is important that you keep in mind not to overdo it. Pumping in the middle of the feeding and after feeding even for smaller durations can help to boost breast milk supply. 2 hours or so should be ideal. If you feel the need, you can maximum push it for another hour, but not more than that.
Here are some tried and tested tips on pumping breast milk.
Most importantly, keep in mind that a low milk supply is not a letdown. Studies say that every one in three women goes through this and they raise healthy babies. Moreover, there are numerous options to cope with this crisis that are medically safe both for you and your baby.
10 Ways to Increase Low Milk Supply In Breastfeeding Mothers
You have to know that the glands secrete milk when there is demand, the more the baby feeds, the more milk your breasts produce. Frequent nursing sessions stimulate milk supply, so it is important to keep feeding your baby so that your body identifies the need and produces milk.
Here are a few important tips to help you increase your breast milk supply:
- Breastfeed as soon as possible after the baby’s birth.
- Never skip breastfeeding sessions.
- Avoid bottle feeding. The bottle should be avoided till the baby is completely comfortable with breast-sucking.
- Make sure that the baby gets latched on properly. If you cannot find a comfortable position, seek the help of a lactation consultant.
- Trust your baby to show signs that he is hungry and wants to breastfeed.
- Do not give formulas to your baby unless absolutely necessary. The more you breastfeed, the more milk you will produce.
- You can boost your milk supply by eating a balanced and healthy diet. Read about the top foods that boost breast milk here.
- Feed your baby even at night, preferably every 3 hours or as the baby demands so. Infrequent nursing because the baby is sleeping can be a problem.
- Offer both breasts at each feeding until your supply is well established.
- You can also try to have galactagogues in the form of herbs, foods, and medications to increase breast milk supply.
The important thing is to identify the signs that you are producing less milk. Once you identify them, consult your doctor. Improved breastfeeding skills generally work for a majority of mothers. But if nothing seems to work, there could be some serious health problems. Always remember, nursing is a simple demand and supply job!
Happy Nursing!
Pradeep,
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