One of the things that mothers who breastfeed their babies are often concerned with is their milk supply because they think they will not meet their baby’s food needs. Do you want to know how to increase breast milk?
Naturally, the body is ready to continue feeding the baby during the time it is in the womb, but also when it is born. After the baby is born, it takes about 72 hours for the milk to rise.
At that time, your baby will receive colostrum, which is enough to meet his needs. From those first 72 hours, look at how to make more breast milk.
15 Tips and Tricks on How to increase Breast Milk:
One of the basic ways you should know how to make more breast milk is through stimulation. That is, you must stimulate the breast with the use of a breast pump or with the sucking of your baby.
If the baby is not breastfed very often, milk production decreases. In the first weeks, the baby should do about 8/10 feedings or more.
For this reason, it is not advisable that during the first weeks, you give your baby water or any other liquid to avoid anything interfering with breastfeeding. Nor should you give him a pacifier.
- It is possible that you do have enough milk but your baby does not latch on well and therefore does not receive the amount of milk he needs.
- Feed your baby on demand, whenever he wants and for as long as he needs. In the head, we have a gland called the pituitary gland which, when the baby suckles, secretes the hormone prolactin and is responsible for the production of milk.
- When the baby is suckling, compress the breast to increase milk flow.
- When you breastfeed, after a few minutes, switch breasts and offer the other one. After a few minutes, switch back to the first chest to stimulate the oxytocin reflex. This is what is known as the alternation system and you should do it several times a day.
- There are some natural alternatives that are similar to estrogens and that promote milk production. The most recommended are sesame seeds.
- You may be told that you should drink beer to increase milk production, however, this is not true.
- Take care of the amount of liquids you drink because they also play a role in increasing the amount of milk. You must ensure an optimal water balance by drinking at least 2 liters of water daily.
- Your diet is essential! Take care of it and follow a balanced diet. You need nutrients and vitamins that only a varied diet provides to have those 500/800 extra calories that you need in this lactation period. Avoid pastries and other foods that are caloric but not very nutritious.
- Massages to help you. Try straddling a chair but facing the back. Rest your head on the back of the chair. Another person massages your back in circles on the sides of the spine. These circles must be traced starting from the neck, descending along the sides of the spine until reaching the lumbar area and then ascending. This massage will relax you and help the milk rise.
- Skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby is very beneficial because it encourages the baby to seek the breast more frequently.
- Stress will not help you to increase the amount of milk. If you need it, do not hesitate to take it even if it is only 30 minutes for you.
- If you have to separate from your baby for long periods, you should use the breast pump every 3 hours. You can keep milk in the freezer.
- When your baby sleeps through the night, more or less from 3 months, you should not worry because this does not adversely affect your milk production. Your body only reduces the number of shots. However, reducing taking them during the day, in the long run, does cause a decrease in the amount of milk you produce.
- If, after starting these methods, your milk production has not increased, you should talk to your doctor to see if there may be another cause, such as your thyroid not working well.
- Get advice from experts in breastfeeding.