How To Increase Your Breast Milk Supply

First find out if you have a milk supply problem. If your baby is having trouble gaining weight, you should stay in close contact with your pediatrician and lactaction consultant.

 

Supplementing may be necessary until you bring your supply back up. You can still exclusively breastfeed your baby with a little work on your part!

 

For most of my early breastfeeding, I was nursing most of the time, but pumping a couple of days. This allowed me a great view into the actual amount of milk I was producing. I could see measurable changes in my milk supply based on changes in my diet and our nursing schedule. Based on my experiences and the knowledge I've picked up from books and other resources, I've compiled a list of things that can help you increase your milk production rate and increase your supply.

 

• Nurse every 1.5 to 2 hours  during the day
• Nure every 3 hours or more often during the night (even if you must wake baby)
• After some nursings, pump  for 5-10 minutes (very little will come out but you can save what does, and the stimulation will increase production)
• Add one pumping sessions between nursings (at a regular time per day, to simulate another feeding by your baby)
• Eat a bowl of oatmeal each morning to possibly increase supply
• Eat an oatmeal cookie after dinner each day
• Take a hot shower before nursing
• Take a nursing vacation (spend a weekend in bed with baby and nurse nurse nurse nurse!)
• Offer both sides (let baby nurse one side til he pulls off, then offer other side)
• Switch nurse (switch sides multiple times during a nursing session; this helps babies who tend to fall asleep early during nursing)
• Avoid pacifiers (let the baby fulfill his sucking needs at the breast instead, the stimulation will increase milk supply)
• If you must supplement, try not to use a bottle (instead, use a spoon, cup, dropper or SNS)
• Begin weaning formula supplements slowly to tell your body that you need more milk, offer nursing instead
• Avoid giving water or juice, offer nursing instead
• If your baby is older than 6 months and on solids, reduce the amount of solids offered throughout the day, offering nursing instead
• Make sure you're drinking enough water (don't overdo it, but make sure you're getting enough)
• Make sure you're eating enough (you need extra calories to produce milk)
• Try herb fenugreek
• Try herb blessed thistle
• Try herb fennel
• Try herb alfalfa
• Try a nursing mother's support tea
• Allow baby to end each feeding (never cut baby off, even if he stops sucking, let him fall asleep or unlatch)
• Make sure baby is latched correctly to draw out the most milk (head and body should be aligned, mouth should be open wide, lips turned out)
• Make sure you get enough rest, even if the household chores suffer.
• Nurse while holding your baby in a warm bath to encourage milk flow (of course, baby's head stays out of the water)
• If you are pumping away from baby, bring a used baby's onesie with you and smell it to help encourage the let down
• If you are pumping away from baby, bring a picture of the baby to look at to help encourage let down
• During nursing or pumping, try breast compressions (massage breast or gently push from outside in)
• If you are pumping, make sure your pump is a good one (hospital grade is best, otherwise a quality double electric pump)
• Increase the amount of skin to skin contact you get with baby (cuddle with you topless or in tank, baby in diaper)
• Ask your doctor about a prescription drugs that can increase your supply (Reglan and Domperidone)
• Never nurse on a schedule: When in doubt, whip it out (for breastfeeding!)
• Use barrier methods of birth control rather than the pill, which can sometimes lower supply
• Ease up on smoking (or stop altogether!) which can lower supply