Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Educating Breastfeeding Mothers on How to Boost Milk Supply

admin Jul 31, 2024

When a woman becomes a mother, one of the most important aspects of her new role is ensuring her baby is well-nourished. Each mom wants to give the little one the very best, which includes plenty of nourishing breast milk. Most of the mothers experience fluctuations in milk supply during breast feeding, and there are things do to support your body and your little one. Let's dive in!

Understanding the nature of milk production

Post baby delivery the women’s body constantly adjusts and adapts according to baby's needs. Breast milk production is regulated by a stimulation of hormones, mainly prolactin and oxytocin.

Prolactin: The workhorse hormone responsible for milk production. Frequent and effective nursing sessions stimulate it.

Oxytocin: The "let-down" hormone facilitating the milk release from the breast to your baby. Its release is triggered by the suckling process, skin-to-skin contact, and even the sound of your baby's cry.

Strategies to boost milk supply

Babies Needs First: You must rely on your baby’s cues for hunger! Do not hesitate to breastfeed your baby whenever he or she wants, even if this happens after every 60-120 minutes.

Boosting the Signal: As your baby sucks more often, your body is forced to produce milk. This is simply a signal that leads to a natural lactation process.

On Request: It is important that when infants show signs of needing a feed, they are given the breast. Doing this tells the body that there is need for more milk.

Latching Properly: It is therefore important that the child’s mouth covers a bigger part of the areola during feeding so as not to make nipples become tender from breastfeeding.

Emptiness of Breasts: Ensure that during each feeding session, you suckle out everything from both breasts thus sending another information to your body it should make more milk.

Changing Breasts: The best way is to ensure each breast is sucked by offering both at all feeding times so as to avert uneven milk production.

After feeding, cuddling your baby triggers the release of oxytocin hormone prompting milk ejection. Additionally, it helps in regulating the temperature of your baby’s body hence facilitating its own bonding process.

A lactating mother should drink 10-12 glasses of water daily.

Eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains (bread and pasta), 100% whole wheat bread, lean meats like chicken.

Please follow the intake of supplements with iron, calcium and vitamin D following your doctor’s prescription to help maintain your body health as well as milk production.

Rest and Relaxation:

This is because when it comes to new motherhood, you were completely caught off guard about how much work a baby can be. Other than that, you can try mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing exercises or meditation which calm your nerves down after being all out throughout the day. While at work a simple yoga exercise done in a quiet room alone without any noise coming from outside or even inside to help put you in a state of relaxation.

You can either have a rest or take a nap

Don’t forget about other types of relaxation including listening to calming music watching a favourite movie spending time with loved ones or just going out.

Pumping and nursing

Pumping for Supply: In case you if baby isn’t latching well or cannot be able to drain milk from your breast effectively, pumping can be helpful to stimulate milk production.

Pumping Schedule: Maintain a regular pattern for expressing milk, even if he/she feeds well.

Combining pumping and nursing can be a great way to boost milk production and guarantee that your baby gets enough milk.

Breastfeeding mothers may find other breastfeeding mamas provide much needed support when they connect with them.

Requirement of Professional Guidance:

Despite following these recommendations If you're struggling with a low milk supply always seek guidance from a healthcare professional. A lactation consultant or paediatrician can help identify any underlying issues and provide personalized advice.

Breastfeeding is a dynamic journey, with the little ones. With patience and effort, a mother can nourish her baby with the gift of milk. Be a woman of courage and rely on the strength of your support people, while your intuition will surely guide you. It's perfectly fine to seek assistance and support, making your motherhood journey a beautiful experience filled with nurturing and love.