Low Breast Milk Supply

Many mums worry about having a low Breast Milk supply. So they ask: why too little breast milk and how can it be increased?

So if you are one of the new mothers that think you have not got enough breast milk, do not worry! Read on to find out if you have low Breast Milk Supply and what you can do to increase it. It is as simple as that.

Are you pregnant and looking forward to childbirth and breastfeeding? This article is for you. It is pertinent to note here that low milk supply is rare. Only a small percentage of women will have low breast milk supply. Also, it is hard for many mums to know for sure if there is poor milk supply.

Is your baby healthy and growing well? If yes, well you may be doing well. But if you’re concerned about your breast milk supply, it is time to speak with your doctor about it. It may turn out you’re okay. This helps you avoid the trap of feeding your baby unnecessarily with infant formula.

Few new mums may find it difficult to produce enough breast milk during breastfeeding. Here, I will like to highlight the major causes of low breast milk supply.

Medical reasons for low breast milk supply:

1. Excessive blood loss during childbirth

If a women loses more than 500mls of blood during birth, it may delay breast milk supply. Also, retained fragments of placenta can cause excessive blood loss that delays breast milk production. This happens usually within three days following childbirth.

2. Presence of diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome and other hormonal disorders

A mum with a history of any of these conditions may have difficulty with adequate breast milk supply.

3. Mammary hypoplasia

Though a rare medical condition, it occurs when there is no enough glandular tissue producing milk within the breast.

4. Breast trauma or previous breast surgeries

Mums who have had previous breast surgeries or breast trauma may experience low breast milk supply. However, many of them with previous surgeries still do breastfeed successfully.

Do not worry if any of these medical conditions apply to you. All you need do is to contact your doctor for medical advice.

Other reasons for low breast milk supply

1. Your baby may not be latching on correctly

Poor latch is the most common cause of low breast milk supply. A baby that does not latch on the right way will not get enough milk from your breasts.

Breast milk removal stimulates the breast to make more breast milk. Therefore, your milk supply suffers if your baby is not latching on correctly.

2. You may not be breastfeeding often enough

If you do not breastfeed your baby often enough, you will have low milk supply. This follows the same principle as poor latch on.

Your baby may not be getting enough milk if you are not breastfeeding often enough.

The more you breastfeed your baby, the more you stimulate your body to increase breast milk supply. Newborns need to be breastfed at least every 2 to 3 hours in 24 hours.

It is best to breastfeed your baby on demand. Also, if your baby sleeps a lot, wake him/her up every 3 hours to breastfeed.

Frequent breastfeeding especially in the first few weeks of your baby’s life ensures your baby gets enough breast milk, and it helps you make more breast milk.

3. Your baby may not be breastfeeding long enough during each feeding

Normally, your baby should nurse for about 10 minutes on each breast each time you breastfeed him/her. So if you breastfeed your baby for less than 5 minutes at each feeding, s/he will not get enough milk to grow healthily.

Additionally, breast milk will not be fully drained which will prevent milk production and cause low milk supply. Always remember that breast milk removal helps increase milk supply.

4. Your baby may be constantly hungry due to a growth spurt

Babies have high appetite when they go through growth spurts. They may appear very hungry. At this time, it may seem you have a low breast milk.

It is natural for babies to go through this growth phase. So you have to ensure that your breast milk supply also grows along with your baby’s growth.

But how can you increase your milk supply as your baby makes an increased demand for breast milk? At the time of growth spurts, your baby may want to nurse very often. So, continue to put your baby to breast which sends a signal to your body to make more breast milk. Your supply will increase within a few days and your baby will gradually settle down to a normal breastfeeding routine.

5. People around you may have influenced you

Some people may create doubts in your mind about your ability to breastfeed your baby successfully. Perhaps these people did not breastfeed or they lack good knowledge of breastfeeding. They may tell you that you have small breasts and cannot make enough breast milk. They’ll also like to convince you that you must not have enough milk because your baby is breastfeeding too often.

You should not listen to these people. Instead focus on signs that show your baby is getting enough milk. Also, make sure you take your baby to your doctor on regular healthy baby visits.

Don’t listen to negative comments of others as long as your baby is healthy and growing at a consistent rate.

How does breast milk supply work?

Breast milk supply complies with the principle of supply and demand. Once you start breastfeeding, your breast makes more milk. So, as your baby removes milk from your breast, more milk is made.

It stands to reason that if you feed your baby with baby formula, your milk supply will reduce. This is because as no breast milk is removed, your body gets no signal to produce more.

In addition, your baby’s feeding habit affects breast milk supply. For example, the more effectively and frequently your baby breastfeeds, the more milk you produce. Therefore, express your milk regularly if your baby fails to take enough milk during a feeding session. This helps to protect your breast milk supply.

How to know your baby is not getting enough breast milk

Your baby may struggle to get enough breast milk during the first few weeks of life if s/he does not breastfeed for long or frequently enough. This may be because you do not feed your baby on demand, like some mums may want to stick to a breastfeeding schedule. Also, other reasons could be that your baby does not latch on well, or that s/he has a condition that prevents good breastfeeding reflex.

Signs your baby may not be getting enough breast milk:

 1. Poor weight gain

Newborns usually lose about 5 to 10 percent of their birth weight in the first few days of life. However, they are expected to gain up to 20 to 30g per day after the initial weight loss. They usually achieve this gradual weight gain over 7 to 14 days.

If your baby loses more than 10 percent of birth weight or fails to gain weight by the fifth to sixth day after birth, talk to your doctor about it immediately.

2. Low number of wet or dirty nappies

An important indicator of how well or poorly your baby feeds is the number of wees or poos s/he has per day.

So talk to your doctor if you are concerned that your baby’s dirty nappies are less wet and heavy.

3. Dehydration

Your baby could be dehydrated if s/he has dry mouth, yellowing of the eyes or skin or dark-colored urine. S/he could also be dehydrated if s/he is reluctant to feed or is lethargic. Vomiting, diarrhea or overheating can cause dehydration in babies. Therefore, if you notice any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately.

What are the misconceptions about low breast milk supply?

Typically newborns feed very often. For example, they feed between 10 and 12 times in a day. On the average, they feed every 2 hours. Therefore, their frequent feeding is not a sign they do not have enough breast milk.

It is important to note that babies also nurse for comfort. So it is difficult to determine the amount of breast milk your baby takes during each feed.

The following are normal signs. They are not indicative of poor breast milk supply:

• Small breasts
• Breasts used to leak milk but have stopped
• Breasts do not leak milk
• Long feeds
• Baby wakes at night often
• Short feeds
• Breasts feel softer now than before
• Baby takes a feeding bottle after a feed
• Inability to pump much milk
• Baby wants to feed frequently
• Baby does not want to stop feeding

What can be done if you suspect low breast milk supply?

Call your doctor if you think you have low milk supply and your baby is not getting enough milk. Your doctor will assess if you have low breast milk supply.  S/he will observe while you breastfeed to check if your baby latches on well. Also, s/he will observe to find out if your baby takes enough milk.

Your doctor may suggest you adjust your baby’s latch on, or feeding position to enable your baby feed well. Also, try to improve skin-to-skin contact with your baby before and during breastfeeding. This will in turn stimulate more release of oxytocin hormone which improves milk supply.

Further, you can relax by listening to your favorite music or by using other relaxation techniques. The reason for relaxing is to reduce anxiety that could cause low breast milk supply.

Most mums with low breast milk supply can still breastfed their babies with support, albeit partially. But some of them may reach full milk supply over time.

More importantly, you’ll need to express your breast milk to protect milk supply, if your baby is yet to take enough milk directly from the breast. Perhaps, your baby is premature or has special needs and as a result may not be taking enough milk. Also, your doctor may prescribe galactogogues (drugs that increase milk production) to help.

However, if all efforts to express enough breast milk fail, you may need to supplement your baby with formula or donor milk under the guidance of your doctor. You may consider a supplemental nursing system to provide your baby with all the milk s/he needs.

How can breast pump help increase milk supply?

Do you want to improve your breast milk? If you need an improved milk supply in the first five days after birth, then you may need an electric breast pump. Medela Symphony is a good example of breast pump you may want to try out.

Medela Symphony is designed to mimic the way a baby stimulates the breasts while breastfeeding. In fact, it increases long-term milk production. As your milk comes in, you can express more milk in less time via double pumping. Double pumping drains the breasts better and therefore increases milk supply.

It may not be out of place to express milk straight after a feed or an hour after. Though it’s easier to pump from a full breast, think of breast pumping as ordering a milk for the next day. As you start to pump, you may only achieve small amounts of breast milk. But do not be discouraged because as you pump regularly, the amounts will increase.

Aim to remove milk by breastfeeding and pumping 8 to 12 times a day. Include one pumping session at night when the levels of prolactin hormone (producing milk) are highest. The more frequently you remove milk, the better. You will notice a significant increase in breast milk supply after two or three days of regular breast pumping.

Steps to increase expressed breast milk

Is your baby not breastfeeding directly at all? Are you not pumping enough milk for your baby? You may well try a technique called hands-on pumping. It is a useful breast pumping technique that increases the amount of breast milk you can express in a session.

A pumping session lasts about 25 to 30 minutes. Note that the emptier your breasts are, the faster they make milk.

Here is the step-wise approach to increasing expressed breast milk:

• Start with breast massage.
• Use expressing bra to double pump. This technique keeps your hands free.
• As you pump, compress your breast for a few seconds using your fingers and thumb. Compress both breasts until milk flow slows to a trickle.
• Next is to massage your breasts again.
• Then conclude by single pumping or hand expressing. Drain your breasts as completely as possibly, using breast compression and switching between breasts.

With this approach, you are sure to increase expressed breast milk, hence improving your chances of making high amounts of breast milk.

Conclusion

This article has shown that you can increase your breast milk supply with little efforts.

As you make efforts to increase your breast milk supply, and your baby starts gaining weight, move on to breastfeed your baby exclusively.

Remember to contact a lactation consultant or breastfeeding specialist if you need help.

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