Do you believe that you can boost breast milk production?

Breast milk is the liquid that comes out from the breast of a woman after childbirth and it is used to feed and nourished the child. The breast is made up of connective and fatty tissues. The production takes place in small clusters of cells called alveoli. The milk aggregate together and travels down ducts to the nipples where it is being squished out to meet the child’s need.

The involuntary action of your baby latching on and sucking rhythmically on your breast activates the function of your milk-producing cells. This process initiates the supply of your first breast milk, colostrum.

Immediately after the placenta is delivered, the level of progesterone in the body starts to drop. This is the phase of milk production. Milk-producing hormones, including prolactin, insulin, and hydrocortisone, goes into action and this will get you on track with starting to produce milk. As from the third day after your baby’s birth, your breast milk ‘comes in’ and your breasts may start to feel noticeably firmer and fuller.

What can reduce breast milk supply?

1. Stress, anxiety, or depression

Over activities of new mothers after childbirth can lead to stress. This happens if they want to do most of the housework by themselves. Stress affects breast milk supply, especially in the first few weeks after delivery.  Stress and been anxious coupled with adjusting to the baby’s schedule can cause a lack of sleep, or not having adequate sleep. These can cause cortisol hormone levels to rise thereby dramatically reducing your milk supply. Depression can also indirectly affect the reduction of milk supply.

2. Supplementation

The breast after delivery operates on the basis that the more you breastfeed your baby, the more the breast is been activated to produce more milk. And when you reduce breastfeeding because of some reason, the breast milk production will be reduced. Supplementing your baby’s food with formula reduces breastfeeding and this tricks your breasts into producing less milk because of lack of use. In case there is a need for supplementation, try to pump the breast when you’re not breastfeeding. This act coupled with breastfeeding can help to promote a higher volume of milk production.

3. Eating or Drinking Habit

During pregnancy, it is normal to gain weight. Some women because of this weight gain might decide to reduce their weight, thereby controlling their food intake after childbirth. A healthy and balanced diet is important in one’s life, especially for breastfeeding mothers. Make sure to eat well enough to replenish the 500 calories breastfeeding burns each day.

For the milk production to have a continuous flow, adequate hydration should be adhered to. Your liquid intake after birth indirectly affects how much milk you can produce.

4. Getting sick

Any time someone is sick, it affects the whole body system and this does not exclude the breast milk production hormone. This gets deactivated and slows down the milk production until the body system readjusts itself back to normalcy. See your doctor at this time for a quick recovery so you can continue to make enough milk to nurse or pump for the baby.

Is your baby getting enough breast milk?

The feeding needs of each baby needs is different. Most newborns babies feed almost 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, but some are less, while some are more. The more they grow is the more they feed. Their feedings might be shorter, but they suck more milk in less time. Depending on each baby, some will like to suck much longer until the flow of milk has almost stopped.

So far as your baby is gaining weight as expected and needing regular diaper changes, then you’re probably feeding the baby with enough milk. The signs to show that your baby is getting enough breast milk are:

• Gaining weight.
• By 4 days of age, they might have three or four stools every day.
• Having their wet diapers changed over 24 hours by the 2nd day after birth, and six or more wet diapers after day 5.

If your milk supply is low, it is possible to boost your breast milk production.

Your baby needs adequate milk production for normal growth. For good breastfeeding, the benefit is both for you and your baby. Why waiting when you can boost your milk production and enjoy the benefits that are accrued to it, both for you and your baby.

Here Are Natural Ways To Boost Your Breast Milk Production:-

1. Evaluate Your Baby’s Latch: Be sure that your baby is not latching on your breast incorrectly.
2. Continue to Breastfeed: Human body system functions in a way that makes breast milk based on the laws of demand and supply. When the demand has increased the demand, surely the supply will also increase.
3. Use Breast Compression: Breast compression is a technique that’s used to help a baby take in more breast milk while breastfeeding.
4. Stimulate Your Breast: The use of a breast pump or a careful hand compression technique can be good to continue to stimulate your breast after you finish breastfeeding your baby. This type of extra stimulation on your breast activates the hormones in your body that you need more breast milk.
5. Breastfeed longer: Your infant ought to breastfeed for at any rate 10 minutes on each side. On the off chance that the child nods off, try to wake him up so that the baby can continue feeding. The additional time your child spends at the breast, the more stimulation you’re getting.
6. Breastfeed from Both Breasts: Breastfeeding from both sides of the breast is very important during the first few weeks of childbirth. This enables the breast to build up a stronger supply of breast milk.

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