Producing More Breast Milk: How Do You Do It?
The amount of milk produced by the breast depends on the frequency of sucking and the effectiveness with which the baby is breastfeeding. During the feeding, the body produces two hormones: oxytocin and prolactin. However, can we do something to make more breast milk?
First you need to know that prolactin is the milk production hormone. The more the baby is breastfeeding, the more milk the mother’s breasts produce. If the baby needs more milk than his mother produces, he will need to suckle more often or more effectively so that he can produce more breast milk .
The second hormone, oxytocin, causes muscle contractions in the breasts whereby milk flows through the breast ducts and exits the nipples when the baby sucks. This process is called the ejection reflex.
In some cases, however, the mother does not produce enough milk to satisfy the infant’s insatiable appetite. However, there are several ways to make more breast milk.
What to do to produce more breast milk?
You need to heed some tips for developing and maintaining a healthy breast milk supply. They will allow you to guarantee a strong and healthy production or to increase it in a natural way.
1. Help the baby latch onto the breast properly
It is possible that the mother’s milk production is perfectly correct and sufficient, but that the baby is not latching effectively to the breast and, therefore, is unable to suck the amount it needs.
In this case, you need to help the baby to latch onto the breast correctly. For example, a midwife can guide you on how to place your baby so that you can breastfeed in the best possible condition.
2. Breast compression
Breast compression is a technique to help the baby drink more breast milk while breastfeeding. It is also a way to get more milk out of your breasts when using a breast pump.
It consists of holding the breast with one hand and bringing it as close as possible to the rib cage. Immediately after, you have to press with your fingers, firmly, but without hurting yourself. When the baby begins to suckle, you have to leave the breast to let the milk flow.
3. Change your lifestyle
You may not notice it, but some daily habits can affect milk production. These include smoking, taking the combined pill, stress and fatigue.
Just make a few changes to your daily routine to produce more breast milk!
4. Respect meals and do not use powdered milk
The female body produces more milk when the infant is breastfeeding. If you stop breastfeeding and give your baby formula, your body doesn’t get the urge to make more breast milk. The quantity of the same, therefore, will decrease.
5. Breastfeed with both breasts
During the first few weeks, breastfeeding on both breasts during each meal will promote increased breast milk production. You just need to make sure you alternate which breasts you start breastfeeding with each time, as the first breast usually receives more stimulation.
By always starting on the same side, the breast in question will produce more milk and become larger than the other. After the first few weeks, when you are satisfied with the breast milk you are producing, you can continue to breastfeed from both sides or only one per feed.
6. Eat well
While it is possible to ensure that the baby is fully fed breast milk even with a poor diet, it is certainly a good idea to try to eat better while breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding and breast milk production require a good amount of energy, so you need to feed yourself in a balanced and healthy way.
You can also add some foods to your daily diet that increase milk production, such as oats, vegetables, and almonds. All of this in order to get the extra calories you need right now.
7. Drink water
Breast milk is 88% water, so if you don’t drink with every feed, your body will dehydrate!
In order to produce more breast milk, it is very important to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. Thanks to the advice given here, most nursing mothers are able to produce enough milk to feed their babies.
