For all of us nursing moms, having an abundance of the most nutritionally dense substance a baby can have is top priority. But sometimes our milk supply can suddenly drop and this can cause some serious stress on the mom. Boosting the milk supply quickly becomes top priority.
So what causes the milk supply to drop exactly?
1. Stress/Anxiety or Depression
Your mood can affect your cortisol levels and internal bodily functions. Breast milk production is very much impacted by stress and depression and there can be a notable reduction in milk supply. Try to stay calm, happy and address post pardom (if experienced) right away to keep your milk supply on track.
2. Not eating or drinking enough food
If you don’t have the calories or nourishment for your own body, how can you provide more for a baby? This is why many moms in poor 3rd world countries have difficulties nursing past the first several months. If you don’t eat or drink enough, your supply will quickly dry up.
3. Being Sick
Catching a virus where you’re tired, are vomiting or are having diarrhea can really affect your supply. Your body will shift gears to focus on fighting off an infection, and breast milk production gets put on the back burner. Normally this is only temporary until the virus is gone. This is a great time to use some of your stored (pumped) milk supply.
4. Drinking Alcohol
The old “pump and dump”, where you can have cocktails for a special occasion, can be really tempting. But beware that both alcohol and beer specifically (which raises the hormone levels of prolactin) can cause a reduction in your milk supply. I personally found that drinking alcohol would reduce my supply for days after I consumed it, so I hardly drank at all in the first year for both kids. The frustration and stress in my milk supply drop (after drinking) was not worth it…. alcohol is NOT going anywhere and it’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready.
5. Introducing Formula
When you first introduce formula, you’re actually reducing the amount of milk being used and number of times your nursing. It’s basic supply and demand, and your body will adjust to the new milk demand (which is less than before since you’re now using formula).
6. Birth Control
Not all, but some women find that taking hormonal birth control of any kind (pill, patch or injections) can cause a drop in their supply. Most physicians will not start contraception until at least 4 months after you’ve delivered the baby. If you find the drop in supply worrisome, talk to your doctor about pausing or stopping and using other methods (like condoms) until your baby is a little older and fully transitioned to food.
7. Medication
Pharmaceutical and herbal drugs can have an effect on a lot of bodily functions and breast milk production is no exception. Every medication is different with unique side effects so you’d need to consult with your doctor right away to explore alternatives. Using a frozen milk supply, while continuing to pump, may be an option for short term medication usage. Also, some meds you do NOT want to pass along to your child via breastmilk at all, whatsoever. Talking to your doctor and pediatrician about what is safe for the baby is probably your best route here.
These are some of the main reasons for a drop in supply.
So how can you boost your breast milk supply?
1. Eat Oatmeal
Oats contain Beta-glucan which is a type of fiber that helps to raise the level of the breastfeeding hormone prolactin. The higher levels of prolactin, the more breast milk you can produce. Most store bought lactation cookie mix or smoothie powders contain oats as the main ingredient. Any integration of oats into your diet can help boost your supply, like oatmeal for breakfast, oat cookies as snacks through out the day or even adding oats to smoothies. I personally would just buy regular oats and eat some multiple times a day (much cheaper than lactation branded foods). But I know several friends that swear by this lactation cookie mix. They even have Dairy/Gluten free versions for folks with food sensitivities or vegan diets.
2. Herbal Teas/Supplements
There are several herbs that have been well known to improve milk production and flow, Fenugreek & milk thistle being the most notable. There’s also herbs like Fennel & Marshmallow Root that have gained attention and use too. Combinations of these herbs have been infused in teas for breastfeeding mothers for centuries in Europe. I personally would drink Traditional Medicinals Mothers Milk, 2-3x/day when my supply dropped. I found this tea very helpful and always had a few boxes on hand during my breastfeeding stage. I’ve also tried taking supplements when needed, and trust the Gaia brand quality. This supplement I found helpful also. Some herbs should not be mixed with medications so you might need to consult your doctor if you’re already taking prescribed mediations
3. Breast Massage
This is a heavily studied topic, and there’s lots of proof pointing to the benefits of breast massage in maximizing the amount of milk you can eliminate and even increase your supply. Massaging the breasts during nursing (or pumping) can actually help fully empty the milk ducts so you produce the maximum amount possible. You can do this with your hands for free, but theres a number of massage devices, like this popular LaVie.
4. Heat
Applying moist heat, like a warm washcloth, over the breast before a feeding session can help increase circulation, open milk ducts and stimulate the let down process. Massaging overtop of the warm towel for 5-10 min before breastfeeding has been known to help produce more during the feeding (or pumping) session. This is a great, free way of giving your supply a little boost.
5. Eat More
Nursing typically burns an extra 600 calories per day. So you need to be eating slightly more than normal to maintain a good milk supply. Snacking on fruits, veggies, grains and natural fats (like avocados and nuts) are critical to keeping your mineral, vitamin and caloric intake high. If you’re struggling to eat enough greens, there’s lots of “greens” smoothie supplements available in most grocery stores and all health food stores (like Sprouts, Natural Grocers, Aldi, Whole Foods, etc). Here’s a great, inexpensive one from Amazon but the variety available now is impressive. If you have a monthly subscription on Amazon, you can typically get a discount on the price, its delivered right to your door (very convenient with small babies) and will ensure you’ll never run out.
What ever your situation, try not to stress and just keep working towards improved flow. It may not happen over night, but your flow could slowly be improving with each day that passes. I used all the above tips and tricks to get my supply ramped up. You can also call your local hospital or where you delivered and talk to a lactation specialist for free! These specialist are medical professionals and can provide you with a ton of resources, tips, tricks and best practices (including latching support). Best of luck to you in your breastfeeding & pumping journey.
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