Low Milk Supply Is A Problem You Can Fix
There are a lot of factors which contribute to milk supply. Sometimes you’re in an emotional state. Sometimes you don’t have proper nourishment. Sometimes you’re in good shape physically and mentally, but the foods you’re eating aren’t conducive to milk production. In other instances, you’re not expressing enough when you should.
There are a lot of reasons your body can have low milk supply. If you want to fix it, you’ll have to take a few dedicated steps. In this writing we’ll cover a few things you might want to consider.
1. Expressing As Often As You Can
“Expression” is the technical term for producing milk. When milk naturally comes from your breasts, you are “expressing” it. When your breasts feel hard, they are likely engorged with milk, and you need to “express” it into a bottle, even if your baby isn’t hungry. See, your body gets on a sort of automated production “cycle”.
If you don’t express yourself at such times, then your body will get out of the “cycle”, and you’ll run dry. So when you start expressing, keep expressing.
2. Eating The Right Foods
The following link can help you find foods to increase milk supply. A few which you might want to think about include barley and barley-malt, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, oats, whole grains generally, brewer’s yeast, and papaya. So if you’re on a gluten-free diet, you may have to stop that for a while to nourish your child. The gluten doesn’t tend to pass to them.
Certainly there are small amounts in your breastmilk, but usually your child won’t have a problem. Basically, as they encounter gluten in your breastmilk, their body learns to process it. Accordingly, they’re less likely to have trouble later on in life with foods that contain gluten. So eat those wheats and don’t worry about it; it’s good for the baby, you’ll produce more milk.
If you can’t eat gluten, well, that could be the reason you’re not able to produce breast milk properly. Talk to your doctor.
3. Continuing To Express After Nursing
Your baby isn’t always going to drink until your breasts run dry. Often he’ll just “stop in for a sip”, if you will, and then turn his head away when he’s done. But if your breasts are still producing milk at that time, you need to assure it keeps coming. When the baby is done, put him in a cradle and pick up the breast pump.
This is one reason it’s best to breastfeed in a safe environment where you’re not concerned about passersby, or anything like that. However, if you’re in a situation where you’re unable to do that, then it can be worthwhile to simply empty your breasts somewhere the act won’t cause any trouble. Still, if you’re low on milk, it’s a shame to waste it. Maybe keep a bottle with you at least.
Producing The Right Amount Of Milk Consistently
When you express after nursing, eat the right foods, and express whenever it’s possible, you’ll have a much greater chance of producing increased breast milk. There are other things you can do as well. Everyone is different, and the reasons for a diminished capacity to produce milk can be very diverse between environmental and biological factors.
One thing is certain: it’s healthiest for you to breastfeed your child; for the child, and for yourself. If you’re having a tough time of it, then you definitely want to be sure you explore what alternatives exist to help you more efficiently produce breast milk.
