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How to increase your milk supply

If you are having issues producing enough milk for your baby, then this article is for you.

Milk production is dependent on several factors, firstly the correct levels of the hormones in your body which initiate the production of milk. The second factor being the amount of milk your baby draws from your body with each feed. There are other factors such as your diet, your breast health, and if your ducts are blocked or not.

Interestingly it is not normally related to your breast size or general build.

What can you do to improve your milk production:-

*Regular feeding will encourage milk creation and release so this is the most important step you can take. The process of your baby feeding stimulates the nipples which in turn trigger the production increasing amounts of milk.

* Fully empty your breasts during each feed, this is really important as your body generates only enough milk to refill your breast after each feed. This factor is often overlooked by women.

* Use both breasts each time, or try alternating between them during a feed. This ensures that both breasts get stimulated to increase milk production. If you rely too much on one breast, then you will limit your body’s ability to produce its maximum potential output levels.
* Evening or night feeds are generally better for increasing production.

* If you are not empty after a feed, use a breast pump, this will trigger an increased level of milk generation. You can feed the expressed milk via a bottle or just discard it, the idea is to push up production rather than to store the milk.

* Avoid sleeping on your breasts as this can reduce milk production, if your breasts are compressed then they are not going to fill completely.

* Don't smoke or drink alcohol as these will get passed through your blood to baby, both of these drugs are a harmful to your baby.

* Avoid pacifiers.

* Drink fluids such as water or juice before you feed, your body needs to replace the fluids it losses during feeding cycles.

* Keep healthy yourself and eat a balanced diet, your body needs raw materials to produce milk and you need to replace what baby takes, don’t forget you are eating for two, so you should expect to eat more than normal.

* There are supplements available that can increase milk production, ask your Doctor or health visitor for advice.

* Don’t be worried about asking for help and advice, there are plenty of mothers with experience who will be happy to share advice. It’s normal to have a few issues particularly with your first child.

Usually these simply steps will make a significant difference, breast feeding is widely recognized as being more healthy than formula so its well worth spending the time to persevere with it.

Hopefully these tips will help you. If you need further advice or assistance why not contribute to our forum, we have a dedicated section just for breastfeeding and related issues. This can be found here : Breastfeeding forum

As with any concerns about your baby, always ask your Doctor for advice, as there may be other medical issues you are not aware of.

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