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The best way to establish a healthy supply of breast milk is to start early, breastfeed frequently and make sure your baby is latching on correctly. Some women have low supply, particularly during the early weeks of breastfeeding. This is the main reason some mothers start weaning or move to formula feeding. However, it's rare for a mother to produce less milk than her baby needs. What are some reasons for a low supply?There are many different reasons why some women have low supply including:
Breast milk supply can be low if the woman has medical problems such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, hypothyroidism, diabetes and pre-diabetes, or takes some blood pressure medications and cold and flu preparations, or has taken the contraceptive pill or has been infertile. In some women, breast or nipple surgery makes breastfeeding difficult. In a few women, the breasts did not change during puberty and early pregnancy in a way that makes breastfeeding easier. Typical baby behaviourSome health professionals and mothers have an unrealistic expectation of how the baby will behave and might be concerned that what is normal baby behaviour could indicate low supply. If your baby is having a good number of wet nappies each day, low supply is not a likely cause. Some issues with breastfeeding include:
What is normal for mum?Although breastfeeding is different for every woman, the following do not mean that you have a low supply:
How do I know that baby is getting enough milk?Always look at the whole picture to ensure that baby's growth and development is with normal limits. The baby is getting enough milk if they:
If your supply is lowMilk supply is considered to be low if you are not producing enough milk to meet your baby's normal growth and development needs. Low milk supply is usually a temporary situation that will improve with appropriate breastfeeding support and management. Making more milk is all about supply and demand — the more milk is removed from the breast, the more milk is made. The less milk removed, the less made. How to increase your supplyThe following may help increase your breastmilk supply:
Other options that can help with a low supply include:
Some cultures use food or herbs to increase breast milk supply but many of these have not been formally studied. Domperidone is a prescription medicine that can increase the hormone prolactin, which can help stimulate breast milk production. Your doctor may discuss if this medicine is right for you. The main way to increase breast milk supply is through breastfeeding or expressing milk more than you currently do. If you think you have low milk supply, talk to your doctor, lactation consultant, breastfeeding counsellor or child health nurse. You can call Pregnancy Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 for advice and support. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Last reviewed: October 2021
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You are welcome to continue browsing this site with this browser. Some features, tools or interaction may not work correctly. Why am I not producing enough milk when pumping?Why it happens: Low milk supply can be the result of not pumping enough, pumping too soon after a feeding or not nursing between sessions. You may also have a low supply if you're not pumping long enough, if you're using the wrong type of pump or you're not drinking enough liquids.
What foods increase breastmilk fast?How to increase breast milk supply: 7 foods to eat. Barley. ... . Barley malt. ... . Fennel + fenugreek seeds. ... . Oats. ... . Other whole grains. ... . Brewer's yeast. ... . Papaya. ... . Alcohol.. |