How to produce more breast milk?

Some first-time mothers worried about feeding their babies ask themselves: How can I produce more breast milk naturally? Which factors influence it? Is the amount they have enough? We are going to try to explain everything in this article.

Why is too little breast milk produced?

It is normal to come across women who say they have too little milk, although in most cases this is the result of an inadequate breastfeeding technique. However, some of thefactors that can reduce the amount of breast milkare:

• Waiting too longto breastfeed.
• Losing a lot of blood during childbirth or retaining fragments of the placenta will delay the milk coming in.
• Not having a goodfeeding frequencyfor the baby. Experts advise doing so between 8 and 12 times a day, also known as feeding on demand.
• Taking certain types ofmedication, for example, those containing hormones or pseudoephedrine.
• Breast surgery.
• Gestational hypertension.
• Having apremature baby.
• If the mother isdiabeticand insulin-dependent, haspolycystic ovariesor suffers from some kind ofhormonal disorder.
• Obesity.
• If the baby does not latch on properlyto the nipple, which will prevent production from being stimulated.

How can you achieve a good breastfeeding technique?

The best thing to do is contact a breastfeeding support group, your midwife or doctor, as they are the most suitable people to advise onhow to increase breast milk production. As a guide, the following signs indicate that a good technique is being followed:

• Fish mouth,open with the lips turned outwards.
• Head aligned with the mother's breast,in a neutral position with neither neck extension nor flexion. Likewise, the baby should not have to turn their head in order to feed.
• The mother's posture,although there is no single best one forincreasing breast milk production. What matters is that both are comfortable, but the traditional and effective positions are seated, rugby hold or cradle hold.
• The baby's latch. The nipple should be close to the upper lip, so that the lower part of the tongue can move and help with extraction. The areola, nipple and part of the breast should be in the newborn's mouth.

What signs may indicate poor breastfeeding technique?

We can mention three very obvious ones:

• If there arenoises while feeding, which may mean that a proper seal is not being formed.
• Ifthe baby's cheeks cave induring a feed. This indicates that they are not suckling but sucking, which means they take very little milk.
• Excessive sucking can causepain and cracked nipples.

How does the breast milk supply work?

Before knowinghow to produce more breast milk naturally, we need to understand how this supply works. Once your milk has come in, the breast continues to produce it according to a supply-and-demand system. In other words,every time milk is removed because the baby feeds, more is produced. As a result, if another type of feeding is chosen, the supply will decrease. On the other hand, the way the little one feeds also affects production.The more effective and frequent the feeds, the more milk is produced. That is why, in cases where babies do not take enough, regular expressing is recommended in order to maintain supply.

How to produce more breast milk?

This is a common question in situations where the baby is not taking enough. However, there is no need to worry, as it is possible to achieve this. Here are some tips onhow to increase breast milk productionso that your little one receives all the nourishment they need:

1. Do not delay breastfeeding after birth. Ideally, this should happen about an hour after birth. However, this is not always possible, for example, if a caesarean section has taken place.
2. Use a breast pump. The more milk that is expressed, the more is produced. Women who work are advised to express every few hours for around 15 minutes. In addition, using a double pump on both breasts at the same time saves some time. It is important not to skip any feeds, as this will probably end up having a negative impact on production.
3. Breastfeed frequently. Feeding the newborn between 8 and 12 times a day or using a breast pump between feeds is very helpful. In this way, the woman receives the stimulation needed to produce more milk.
4. Good latch onto the nipple. Babies need to latch on well and swallow while feeding. If there are any doubts or a need to improve breastfeeding technique, it is always appropriate to see a healthcare professional.

An important detail for producing more breast milk

Another method for achieving better milk production to feed babies is to havemore skin-to-skin contact. This is done before and during feeds to stimulate oxytocin, the hormone responsible for this process. Likewise, you can userelaxation techniquesto help keep stress and anxiety at bay. A third option is toexpress breast milk by hand. This procedure takes around half an hour on average and is carried out as follows:

• Massage the breasts and use an expressing bra to keep your hands free.
• Use your fingers to express the milk and your thumb to compress the breast for a few seconds. This should be repeated several times until the flow decreases and becomes a drip.
• Then massage the breasts again.
• Express the milk again manually or with the help of a pump. The important thing is for the breast to be emptied as much as possible.

With all this, we have answered in several wayshow to increase breast milk production.If you need more information, it is best to consult a healthcare professional so that this process is more comfortable. In any case, at Farmaciasdirect you can find the bestbreastfeeding products: accessories and complements so that you can enjoy this time with your baby.