Breast milk is the best milk for babies. This is why I definitely plan to breastfeed my third baby after child birth. However, I have this concern that I might not be able to provide enough milk for my baby due to low breast milk supply.
1. Get enough rest
I know that this sounds like mission impossible but it is vital that you take care of yourself as you breastfeed your baby. The best way to accomplish this is to get enough rest because tiredness affects breast milk supply. When your baby sleeps, you should sleep too. Ignore non-crucial chores and prioritise sleep. Being well rested will allow you to focus on your breastfeeding journey.
2. Nurse often
The first few weeks after giving birth is a crucial time to establish milk supply. During this time, frequent, thorough emptying of the breasts sets and controls the level of milk production. It is encouraged to breastfeed your baby every two hours. Your baby’s sucking stimulates hormones to produce breast milk. The more your baby demands milk, the more your supply will increase to keep up.
3. Express milk in between feedings
As not all babies require hourly feedings, or some mums experience difficulties with latching, the use of breast pump is highly recommended. Breast pumps work by mimicking the sucking motion that infants do when feeding, which typically results in an improved supply of breast milk. Do pump between 8-10 times a day including through the night.
4. Massage your breasts gently as you nurse (breast compression)
Another way to stimulate breast milk production is by massaging your breast gently when you are both breastfeeding and also when not feeding. Massaging your breast while nursing can help hindmilk let down more efficiently. In the first 3-6 weeks, babies will often fall asleep at the breast when the flow of milk is slow, even if they haven’t gotten enough to eat. Breast compression helps to continue the flow of milk once the baby starts falling asleep at the breast, so the baby gets more hindmilk.
5. Avoid pacifiers, bottles or formula supplements
If possible, all of baby’s sucking needs should be met at the breast. If you use a pacifier, make sure that it isn’t used as a supplement for nutritive sucking. Babies who are full of formula will nurse less often. If you need to supplement with formula, try to pump after feedings to give your breasts extra stimulation.
6. Eat a balanced diet with extra calories a day
All breastfeeding mothers should make sure she eats the right amount of food. The right diet should include foods rich in carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals. If you are hungry, get a fruit instead of junk or fast food.
7. Create a breastfeeding diet menu
Image: Home made lactation cookies baked by nursing mummy, Anita Shewchuk
8. Drink plenty of fluids
Fluids does not necessarily mean water. It can be juice, milk or soup. Drinking lots of fluids will help you replace the fluids lost in breastfeeding. Breastfeeding mums should be drinking at least 2 liters of fluids daily. Some mothers may need to drink more water each day when breastfeeding is well established.
9. Foods to avoid (Milk killers)
A number of mums on theAsianparent breastfeeding mums group, lists the following as milk killers for them – Chives, cabbage, pig’s liver, fruits like tamarind, guava, watermelon, mangosteens, san cha herbs like mint, sage, rosemary, thyme, spearmint, peppermint and parsley. Chinese herbs like dong guai mei/dong guai tail/American Ginseng is also known to be a milk killer.
10. Continue to take prenatal vitamins
It is also important that you get the necessary nutrients your body needs as you nurse your baby. One way to do this is to continue to take multivitamins or the prenatal vitamins you took while you were pregnant. When nursing, you need 1,000 mg of calcium a day. Unless you’re an avid dairy eater, it can be hard to get that much calcium from food, so your prenatal vitamins can help in that area.
11. Avoid cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine
These are substances you should avoid while breastfeeding because the toxins can get to your milk and to your baby’s body. Remember that whatever you take also goes to your baby.
12. Avoid or lessen exposure to stress factors
Research indicates that extreme stress can decrease breast milk production. So keep away from stressors or to at least lower your exposure to them. If it is the household chores that cause you stress, then hire a maid whether part-time or full-time. Have a baby sitter come once in a while. Find some time to relax. Assign tasks to your husband or to another family member.
13. Placenta encapsulation
The custom of consuming the placenta is centuries old and practised most often in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is believed that eating your placenta has all sorts of benefits, including reducing postpartum depression and increasing milk supply. However, there is no scientific evidence that ingesting your placenta has any health benefits, but there may be a placebo effect.
14. Ask a breastfeeding lactation consultant
If you have followed some or all of these steps and nothing seems to work, then consult a lactation consultant on other ways to increase breast milk supply. They can also help identify latching or other problems. In Singapore, lactation consultants charge between $55 to $160 per session. Charges depend on whether it is a home visit or in hospital visit.
Republished with permission from: theAsianparent Singapore