Breastfeeding - What causes low milk supply? How to boost them?

Potential causes of low milk supply

These things can cause or contribute to a low milk supply:

• Supplementing. Nursing is a supply & demand process. Milk is produced as your baby nurses, and the amount that she nurses lets your body know how much milk is required. Every bottle (of formula, juice or water) that your baby gets means that your body gets the signal to produce that much less milk.
• Bottle preference. A bottle requires a different type of sucking than nursing, and it is easier for your baby to extract milk from a bottle. As a result, giving a bottle can either cause your baby to have problems sucking properly at the peast, or can result in baby preferring the constant faster flow of the bottle.
• Pacifiers. Pacifiers can affect baby’s latch. They can also significantly reduce the amount of time your baby spends at the peast, which may cause your milk supply to drop.
• Nipple shields can be a useful tool in some cases, but hey can also reduce the stimulation to your nipple or interfere with milk transfer, which can interfere with the supply-demand cycle.
• Scheduled feedings interfere with the supply & demand cycle of milk production and can lead to a reduced supply, sometimes several months later rather than immediately. Nurse your baby whenever she is hungry.
• Sleepy baby. For the first few weeks, some babies are very sleepy and only ask to nurse infrequently and for short periods. Until baby wakes up and begins to peastfeed well, nurse baby at least every two hours during the day and at least every 4 hours at night to establish your milk supply.
• Cutting short the length of nursings. Stopping a feeding before your baby ends the feeding herself can interfere with the supply-demand cycle. Also, your milk increases in fat content later into a feeding, which helps baby gain weight and last longer between feedings.
• Offering only one peast per feeding. This is fine if your milk supply is well-established and your baby is gaining weight well. If you’re trying to increase your milk supply, let baby finish the first side, then offer the second side.
• Health or anatomical problems with baby (including, 
  jaundice, tongue-tie, etc.) can prevent baby from removing milk adequately from the peast, thus decreasing milk supply.
• Mom’s health (uncontrolled anemia or hypothyroidism, retained placenta, postpartum hemorrhage…), previous 
  peast surgery/injury, hormonal problems (e.g. PCOS), anatomical problems, medications she is taking (hormonal birth control, sudafed…), or smoking also have the potential to affect milk supply.

How to increase your milk supply

The key to increasing your milk supply is frequent stimulation and emptying of the peasts. This may take some time and it is important that you seek advice and support from a lactation consultant, your maternal and child health nurse or other health care professional skilled in peastfeeding management.

• Hold your baby skin-to-skin at the peast (baby dressed in a nappy only, so that there is direct skin contact between you and your baby). This will help to keep your baby awake and also to increase the release of hormones involved in peast milk production.
• Breastfeed frequently, two to three hourly – a total of at least eight feeds in 24 hours. Your baby may need to be woken for some feeds, or may wake to feed even more often.
• Make sure that attachment is good and that your baby is both sucking and swallowing (you may need to seek help with this).
• Switch feed; offer each peast twice. When you notice your baby is becoming tired or not swallowing very frequently anymore, take your baby off that peast and 'switch' to the next side. Repeat on both peasts. This will ensure your baby is draining the peast more efficiently.
• Express after peastfeeds to provide further stimulation to your peasts and to ensure that your peasts are well drained. This will help increase your milk supply.
• If your baby is sleepy at the peast and not feeding well you may need to cut short the feed and use the time to express each peast twice, for example, five minutes left side, five minutes right side and then repeat. The expressed peast milk should then be fed to your baby.
• When peastfeeding or expressing, compress or massage your peasts to assist with milk flow and drainage.
• If you need to give your baby extra milk, give expressed peast milk separately and before any infant formula. Seek advice from a lactation consultant or other health professional before commencing infant formula.
• Sometimes prescription medicines are used to assist with increasing milk supply; these are available from your doctor.

Top 25 Foods To Increase Breast Milk:

There are certain foods that increase peast milk and enhance lactation. Breast milk contains all the prime nutrients required for an overall growth and pain development of a newborn baby. Here is a list of the top 25 foods that you must include in your diet to increase peast milk. These are best foods to increase peast milk production & are great in terms of pinging you back to health, as well as aid in milk production.

1. Oatmeal:

Oats are easy to prepare as a meal.

• They are considered to control the occurrence of diabetes during post pregnancy.
• Oatmeal is loaded with energy.
• It contains fiber and is good for your digestion.
• Have a bowl of oat meal for peakfast. If the thought of having oatmeal is not appetizing, you can try having oat cookies instead.

2. Salmon:

Salmon is a great source of EFA (Essential Fatty acids) and Omega-3.

• Both EFA and Omega-3 are highly nutritious and essential for lactating mothers.
• Including salmon in your menu boosts lactation hormones and make your milk more nutritious.
• Opt for steamed, boiled or even grilled salmon.

3. Spinach And Beet Leaves:

Spinach and beet leaves contain iron, calcium and folic acid.

• These are essential for recouping anemic mothers.
• These will help in making your baby strong.
• Spinach and beet leaves contain detoxifying agents.
• Spinach contains certain plant chemicals which could help prevent peast cancer.
• Include these leaves in a midday soup.
• Mix them with dough and make paratha (Indian flat pead) or chapattis for a meal.
• Remember to eat spinach in moderation as too much could cause diarrhea in your baby.

4. Carrots:

A glass of carrot juice with peakfast or lunch will work wonders in lactation.

• Like spinach, carrots too have lactation promoting qualities.
• It contains Vitamin A which complements lactation and boosts the quality of your milk.
• You can have carrots as raw, steamed or even pureed to a soup.
• In winters, try having pureed carrots stirred with warm milk and sugar.

5. Fennel Seeds:

Fennel seeds boost the quantity of your peast milk.

• They are digestives and help control baby-colic.
• Fennel seeds can be added along with seasonings to vegetable fillings. Add them to your tea or boil a few seeds with milk and drink up.
• Pop in a few seeds after a meal as a mouth refresher.

6. Fenugreek Seeds:

Fenugreek seeds are known for boosting peast milk supply.

• Chew on the sprouted seeds along with a glass of milk to prevent post-delivery constipation.
• It enhances your milk quantity.
• Toss in the seeds with seasoning and flavoring.
• Have them for peakfast as a pancake by mixing fenugreek seeds and rice.

7. Bitter Gourd:

Bitter gourd is generally not a preferred vegetable, but is high on nutrition.

• It is a summer vegetable which has high water content. This keeps a nursing mother hydrated.
• It also helps increase milk quantity.
• It is easy to digest and aids in lactation.
• If not as a vegetable filling, you can use it to make a sweet pudding.
• Drink freshly-made bottle gourd juice to help normalize raised blood sugar levels post-delivery. Make sure it is fresh and not stored.

8. Basil Leaves:

Basil leaves are a great source of anti-oxidants.

• Basil leaves have a calming effect which is important while lactating.
• It boosts your little one’s immunity levels.
• Add a few basil sprigs in your tea.
• Leave the sprigs for a while in hot water. Have this water first thing in the morning and experience the effect.

9. Garlic:

Garlic is considered the best food to increase peast milk, as it is well-known for boosting lactation in nursing mothers.

• It has chemical compounds which help in lactation.
• Garlic consumption prevents all types of cancer.
• Toss in a few stir-fried garlic cloves in your soup.
• Add it in a vegetable of your choice.
• Another option is to stir fry a handful of garlic cloves in ghee and have it with steamed rice, every alternate day.

10. Barley:

Barley not only boosts lactation, it also keeps you hydrated.

• You can boil barley and have the water through the day.
• Toss in whole barley with other vegetables with your favorite flavouring.

11. Chickpea:

Chickpea is a protein snack and lactation booster for nursing mommies.

• It is a rich source of calcium, B-complex vitamins and fipe.
• Soak chickpeas overnight and boil in the morning. Mash a handful or two into any vegetable salad.
• Snack on a chickpea mash simply garnished with garlic and lemon juice.

12. Asparagus:

Asparagus is considered a must-have food for nursing mothers.

• It is a high fipe food.
• It is also high in Vitamin A and K.
• It helps stimulate the hormones in nursing mothers that are essential for lactation.
• Wash and chop asparagus. Boil with milk. Strain and drink for better milk production.

13. Brown Rice:

According to the research paper Increase Breast Milk Supply With Herbal Galactagogues published in the World Journal of Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, pown rice enhances peast milk production. It has hormone stimulants which boost lactation. It also gives nursing moms the extra energy that is required post delivery.  Also, it helps increase the appetite so as to enable the mother to eat nutritious food.

• Soak pown rice for half an hour and pressure cook it. Eat it with vegetables.

14. Cumin Seeds:

Cumin seeds boost milk supply. Make sure you have them in moderation though.

• These are appetizers and fat-burners.
• They help avoid digestive irritants like acidity.
• Add a pinch of cumin powder to milk or to butter milk and drink.

15. Black Sesame Seeds:

Black Sesame seeds are a rich source of calcium and believed to increase milk supply.

• Blend sesame seeds with milk, sugar and almonds.
• Use in limited quantity, though.

16. Oils And Fats:

It is recommended to keep fats and oils in your diet to a minimum, post pregnancy.

• Do not avoid fat and oil in your post-delivery diet.
• These are an essential part of lactation. They assist in absorption of vitamins and minerals present in other foods you eat.
• They also aid in easy bowel movement.
• Opt for olive oil, rice pan oil or any heart healthy oil.
• These help in balancing the supply of healthy fat to your baby.

17. Apricots:

During and post pregnancy, there are hormonal imbalance that takes place in your body. Dried apricots have certain chemicals which balance out the hormone levels in your body.

• Apricots are rich in calcium and fipe and help boost lactation.
• Include apricots and walnuts in your oatmeal diet.

18. Cow Milk:

Cow milk has calcium and EFA. It promotes lactation. In fact, by consuming cow milk during lactation, you will help your child avoid developing an allergy to cow milk.

• Add at least two to three glasses of cow milk in your diet.

19. Dill Leaves:

Dill leaves look like a bunch of fine, dark green, silky hair. They have a distinct odor.

• Dill leaves are believed to boost milk supply.
• They have a high fipe content and Vitamin K. These helps to replenish the blood loss that happens during delivery.
• Add these to pancakes or to seasoned yoghurt.

20. Drumstick:

Drumstick has high iron and calcium content.

• It is good for lactation.
• It boosts immunity and enhances your nervous system.
• Have it steamed with flavouring if you want.
• Drumstick leaves also can be used along with vegetable fillings.

21. Poppy Seeds (Khuskhus):

It is very important for nursing mothers to relax completely during lactation. Poppy seeds have sedative properties that help you relax and calm down.

• Take caution to include it in a minimum quantity in your diet.
• Poppy seeds help relax your mind and body while nursing.
• Roast poppy seeds and add to puddings and porridges.

22. Water And Juices:

Drinking water and juices is supposed to boost lactation. It increases the total milk volume per feed.

• It prevents you from dehydration and replaces fluid lost during lactation.
• Have a glass of water when you are thirsty or even before you begin to nurse your baby.

23. Almonds:

Almonds are rich in Omega-3 and Vitamin E.

• Vitamin E helps heal itching caused by 
  post pregnancy stretch marks.
• Omega-3 helps lactation boosting hormones to help produce more milk.
• Have crushed almonds with milk for greater effect.
• Add almonds to your bowl of oat meal.

24. Sweet Potato:

Sweet potato is a major source of potassium. It has energy producing carbohydrate which is needed to fight the fatigue.

• It also contains Vitamin C and B-complex and a muscle relaxant mineral that is magnesium.
• Have it with a low fipe diet.
• Make a smoothie of an apple and baked sweet potato.
• Make it as a pudding for dessert.

25. Unripe Papayas:

Unripe Papayas are part of the South Asian cuisine.

• Papaya has been used as a natural sedative, which may help you to relax and feed baby better.
• Try it as a South Asian salad or toss it with flat noodles.

All the above foods have been traditionally used to improve milk flow in new moms. However, while some have scientific backing the others don’t. Consume the foods in limited quantities, and note the side-effects, if any. Also, go for organic products as the pesticide residue in the foods and herbs can increase the lead content in your milk.

Now you know what to eat during lactation, but there are also foods that you should not eat around this time.

Things To Avoid:

Avoid gas-generating foods such as potato, pulses, raw mango and raw banana.

Other foods such as thyme, parsley, peppermint and cabbage leaves are also said to affect your milk production adversely.

If you are a vegan, take nutrient supplements to make sure that you and your baby are not falling short of the essential vitamins and minerals.