Natural Ways to Boost Breast Milk Supply
There is always something to worry about as a new mom. Whether it is the baby not sleeping enough or crying “more than usual” and more importantly you think he is not getting enough milk. While excessive crying and sleeping issues might require you to talk to a professional, milk supply is something that you can solve on your own.
First of all, it is essential to know that in most cases where moms think that their milk production is low it is never the case. Just because your breasts do not feel full or your baby wants to breastfeed all the time, it does not mean that your milk supply is low. As long as the infant is gaining the right amount of weight, there is nothing to stress over.
But, what if for sure you are not producing enough milk? If you are sure that this is the case here are some useful and natural ways to boost milk production
#1 Drink a Lot of Fluid
Staying hydrated is the key to increasing your milk production. Failing to drink enough fluid is in most cases the only reason that many moms do not produce enough milk. The fact that the human breastmilk is up to 88% water is enough to show just how crucial it is for lactating moms. And you do not always have to drink pure water because other beverages like fruit smoothies, vegetable juices, and almond milk will also have the same benefits as water.
#2 Nurse Often
As a mom, you should know that your baby needs to feed as frequently as possible. You should not wait for him to cry to determine that he wants to nurse or do it when you want him to sleep. Nursing often and for long not only keeps him full but it is also a natural and straightforward way of boosting milk supply. It is vital for moms to keep in mind the fact the more the infant feeds, the more the milk that the body will produce since it reacts to the demand.
#3 Do Some Warm Compress
For many moms, low circulation of blood on the breast is the reason why they are not producing enough milk. If you are having milk production issues, you should always consider this as a likely reason. And luckily, it is also easy to solve with some warm compress before nursing your infant. A simple warm compress will entail massaging the breasts for at least five minutes each and doing it gently. You should then dip a clean cloth in some warm water and wring it before using it to massage the area around the nipple. When doing this, also make sure that you press your breasts against the chest gently.
#4 Pump Out Some Milk
Stay at home moms will not see any need to pump milk as they are always available to feed their little ones. But, pumping is not just useful when you need to store breastmilk because you can also use it a natural way to increase milk supply. Adding a few pumping sessions between the nursing sessions can help to improve milk supply. And this is because it puts more demand on your breasts and hence triggering the body to make more milk.
#5 Switch Nursing
Switch nursing is where you shift the baby between your breasts several times during the feeding session. It can help you increase milk production in different ways and so you should make the switch at least thrice during every feeding session. First, the frequent switching between the breasts will put more demand on your body to produce more milk. Secondly, it prevents your baby from settling into a comfortable sucking and instead of keeping him more active to make sure that he drains the breasts completely. Emptying the breasts will create room for the production of more milk.
#6 Take Good Care of Mom
It is true that a baby will take up a lot of your time as there are countless things that you need to do for him. But, if you want to maintain a good supply of milk you also need to take care of mom. Start by ensuring that you do not skip any meals and that you eat a healthy and wellbalanced diet because you need a lot of energy. You also need to ensure that you get enough rest by merely following your infant’s sleeping and waking patterns. And most importantly keep the stress in check by doing some yoga or meditating.
Getting enough milk is the key to ensuring that your little angel grows healthy and quickly. But, even if you are not producing enough there is nothing to worry about as there are many natural ways to boost milk production. And the six above should be an excellent starting point. Lastly, it is important to remember that sometimes the low milk production might be a sign of an underlying problem. And so it is always a wise idea to talk to an expert if the problem persists after trying all the above and other remedies.
This was a guest post written by Regina Dinges. You can find more from her at Mom Discuss
Leave a comment