Natural ways to increase milk supply while breastfeeding

Signs That a Breastfed Baby Is Being Well Nourished

• Your baby nurses at least 8 to 16 times in 24 hours, or every 2 to 3 hours. Your baby may be fussy once or twice a day. At these times, he or she wants to nurse often for several hours before seeming full. This is called cluster feeding.
• Your baby wets at least 6 cloth or 5 disposable diapers and has at least 1 bowel movement in 24 hours. This occurs by 1 week of age.
• You can hear your baby swallow milk while nursing or you can feel your baby swallow when lightly touching his or her throat.
• Your breasts seem softer after nursing.
• Your baby gains 4 to 8 ounces a week after the first week. There is no need to weigh your baby at home. Your baby’s doctor will do this for you. You may notice that your baby has outgrown his or her clothing.
• Your baby has regained his/her birthweight by 10 to 14 days after birth.

Factors Which Can Cause Your Milk Supply to Decrease

• Your baby feeds fewer than 8 to 16 times in 24 hours. Milk production is affected by how well the breast is drained.
• Your baby has a very weak suck, or has an improper latch.
• Giving bottles of formula or water after nursing. Most babies will suck on a bottle after nursing. This just means they need to suck. It does not mean they are still hungry. Babies cry or fuss for many reasons, such as being tired, bored, wet, hot or cold.
• Giving solid foods too early and/or before you breastfeed. Most babies do not need solid foods for the first 6 months if they are breastfeeding 8 to 16 times a day.
• Smoking can cause a decreased milk supply and interfere with the letdown reflex. Here are some things you should do:
  • Try to quit or cut down.
  • Smoke after nursing, not before.
  • Don’t smoke in the same room with your baby.
• Beginning birth control pills too soon can decrease your milk supply. Wait at least 6 weeks before taking birth control pills and then use only the mini-pill (Progestin). If you still notice a decrease in your milk supply, talk to your doctor about other birth control options. Other medications may also affect milk supply. Check with your doctor. (Refer to PI-682, Breastfeeding and Birth Control: You Have Options.)
• Mothers who are exhausted may notice a decrease in milk supply. To keep yourself from getting too tired:
  • Sleep or relax when your baby sleeps.
  • Eat balanced diet that includes high-protein food.
  • Drink when you are thirsty so that your urine is pale yellow in color. Both under and excessive over hydration can decrease milk supply.
  • Take an iron supplement if your healthcare provider says you are anemic.
  • Talk with your doctor or nurse midwife about the need for vitamin supplement.
  • Accept help when it is offered.
• Use nipple shields and pacifiers with caution.
• A breast flange that is too small or too large in size can hurt your milk supply.
• Pregnancy
• Breast reduction surgery may reduce milk supply.

If You Notice Your Milk Supply Is Low

You can increase your milk supply by:

• Nursing your baby often. Nurse every 2 hours during the day and every 3 to 4 hours at night (at least 8 to 16 times in 24 hours). If your baby will not nurse, use a good quality double electric breast pump to increase milk production. Pumping after breastfeeding signals your body to produce more milk.
• Nurse your baby at least 15 minutes at each breast. Do not limit nursing time. If your baby falls asleep after one breast, wake him or her and offer the second breast. A few babies may benefit from nursing at one breast per feeding to increase the fat content of the feeding. Switch nursing- switching breasts several times during a feeding has been shown to increase milk supply.
• Gently massage breast before and during feedings.
• Use relaxation techniques to reduce stress and promote the flow of breast milk.
• Provide skin to skin time with your baby for about 20 minutes after feeds. This “kangaroo care” has been shown to increase milk supply.
• Be sure baby is positioned and latched correctly.
• Offer both breasts at each feeding.
• Try breast compression during the feeding to help drain the breast.
• Pump immediately after breastfeeding during the day. Rest at night. Some mothers find that they get more milk if they pump for 5 minutes, rest for 5 minutes, and pump for another 10 minutes.

Talk to your doctor about using medication or the herb fenugreek.

Works Cited

Wambach, Karen and Riordan, Jan “Breastfeeding and Human Lactation”, Fifth edition, Jones & Bartlett, 2016.

Reviewed by Nivin Todd, MD on December 17, 2020

The more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes. Don't follow a strict schedule. Nurse your baby whenever they are hungry, for as long as they want, especially in the first few weeks of establishing your supply, and offer the other breast when the first is empty.

Many new moms think that they have a low milk supply when in fact nothing is wrong. As long as your baby is alert, active, and regularly filling and wetting diapers, your supply is likely fine.  Remember, it can take a few days after delivery for your milk to come in. Meanwhile, your baby gets colostrum, which is the thick first stage of breast milk, rich in nutrients.

Lack of sleep is really rough on your milk production. If you can, take a “nursing vacation.” Cut back on outside commitments, and spend a couple of days doing as little as possible other than relaxing with your baby, resting, eating, and nursing. (Of course, this is easier with a first baby than when you have older children who also need your attention.)

While stress may not curb milk production, it can hamper your let-down reflex (which releases milk into your milk ducts) and make it harder for your baby to get what they need. Take care of yourself so that you're at your best for your baby. Ask your partner, family, or friends to help with other things. Tell overnight guests to wait a few weeks before they visit, so you can nurse in peace and establish milk supply.

Seek out other new moms who are breastfeeding and lean on each other. If your mom, friend, or grandmother breastfed, ask them what helped. If you're feeling vulnerable while you’re getting your milk supply established, avoid people who are critical or don't support your breastfeeding or who make it hard for you to nurse.

You may have heard the claim that beer stimulates milk supply, but actually, drinking alcohol lowers milk production. For example, one study found that after drinking one or two glasses of wine, women took longer to release the first drop of milk and produced less milk overall.

If you get dehydrated, you'll make less milk. It’s easy to get busy and distracted with a baby, so keep a bottle of water with you, and stash bottles where you usually nurse.  Also, try to eat foods that are naturally rich in water, such as fruits and vegetables.

To maintain your milk supply and your own health, if you’re exclusively breastfeeding, you need to get about 300 to 500 calories per day more than what you needed to keep your pre-pregnancy weight. The best diet for a nursing woman is simply a normal, healthy, balanced diet rich in fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

Bottle feeding is fine for later on, but in the first few weeks of establishing your milk supply, your baby should do all their sucking, or at least as much as possible, at the breast. The baby empties your breast much better than a pump does, so you’ll make more milk in response to your baby’s signals compared to a machine.

Certain herbs are thought by some to have milk-boosting effects for many women. One is fenugreek, a seed often used in cooking. Another commonly used supplement is blessed thistle. The research isn't clear on whether either of these supplements really stimulates milk production, but they’re generally considered safe to take while breastfeeding. Avoid fenugreek during pregnancy, because it may cause uterine contractions. Talk with your doctor before using any herbal supplement.

You don't need to eat certain foods to make more milk. Just eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, protein, and a little bit of fat. Some research shows that garlic, onions, and mint make breast milk taste different, so your baby may suckle more, and in turn, you make more milk.  If your baby seems gassy after you've eaten broccoli, cabbage, or beans, back off of those foods.

If you mainly or exclusively pump to feed your baby, then most of the advice in this slideshow applies to you, too. Also, your milk letdown and production are cued by your baby, so try looking at a picture of your baby, listening to a recording of their voice, or inhaling the scent from their blanket or sleeper as you begin to pump.

Breast massage can help to boost the volume and fat content of your milk. When your baby is “comfort nursing” (calming and soothing themselves more than drinking), massage your breast near the chest and then a little further toward the nipple, and wait for your baby to take a couple of swallows. Then massage another area of the same breast, and wait for more swallows. Repeat.

Some drugs can affect breastfeeding. Commonly used medicines that may cut your milk supply include antihistamines and decongestants, diuretics, hormonal contraceptives containing estrogen, and some weight loss medications. Check with your doctor about alternatives.

If you’re having a hard time getting the hang of breastfeeding, an experienced, nonjudgmental professional can be a lifesaver. Consider hiring either a postpartum doula or a lactation consultant to give you advice on things like latching on and the best nursing holds for you. (Sometimes you can find both skills in one awesome expert!)

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