Increase Breast Milk – But first let’s understand what causes the low supply

It is very rare that a woman cannot nurse her child due due to a low milk supply.  However, there are times when your milk supply does indeed need to be increased, and there are ways to increase breast milk supply.  However, the intent of this post is not on how to increase your supply, but on first understanding what does cause a low supply of  breast milk.  For ways on increasing your milk supply, please see the next post.

Some possible causes of low breast milk supply are:

1. Having a sleepy baby – One of the most important things to remember is that producing  breast milk is all about supply and demand.  Your body will supply it when your baby demands it.  If, however, your baby sleeps a lot or has a relaxed personality, you may notice that your baby does not nurse as frequently.  Your body adjusts to what is being asked of it, and does not know to produce more milk.  To increase breast milk, it will require increased stimulation by your baby’s sucking.
2. Having a baby that does not suck properly due to inadequate latching or not sucking strongly enough.  Good sucking stimulates milk production.
3. Supplementing in the first six weeks or so after the birth of your child -  Remember, that it’s all about supply and demand, and it takes time for your body to adjust to the amount of milk that is needing to be produced.   If you miss a feeding, your body will adjust by producing less milk.   Always follow the advice of your healthcare professional if supplementing is medically required for your baby.
4. When mom follows a rigorous feeding schedule – Follow your baby’s cues.  Don’t be afraid to nurse when your baby is indicating time for another feeding.  I’ve heard moms mention how it’s not yet time to nurse the baby, despite a baby that is frantically rooting at her breast through her shirt.  Remember that babies go through growth spurts too, and they will want to nurse more during those times.
5. Having sore nipples – The thought of having to increase breast milk by allowing your child to spend more time at the breast to stimulate milk production can be an unpleasant one.  But beware that if you’re cutting your nursing sessions down in time because of sore nipples, you risk decreasing your milk supply.
6. Using pacifiers – Both of my children used pacifiers early on, but it is suggested that you hold off on their use until breastfeeding is well-established.   Their use can cause nipple confusion, where you may notice that your baby forgets how to properly open his/her mouth to latch onto the breast.

There are many possible reasons for low breast milk.  First, it involves figuring out what may be the cause of the low supply.  Then you can work on correcting the problem in order to increase breast milk supply.  Ways on increasing breast milk supply are discussed in the next post.