Upon entering motherhood, there’s always this constant feeling of worry at the back of your head. It’s not just about anything, but everything, all at the same time. When you’re a breastfeeding mom these feelings could double up. There’s this feeling that you worry whether you’re making enough milk for your baby. This concern is amplified especially in the moments when they go through the growth spurts, phases when they’re cluster feeding, or at times they are exhausted and stressed out. When you’re trying to understand how to get more milk for breastfeeding, the start should be with knowing how this milk production actually works in technicality and some practical steps that could help ramp up with the production.
There are usually two major factors that could really affect the buildup and production of milk supply especially the first weeks of breastfeeding, those are the frequency of feeding and the closeness. During this phase a baby carrier for newborn can also be helpful in keeping your baby close to your breast. This allows you to respond to their hunger cues immediately and encourages frequent feedings, these directly support how to get more milk for breastfeeding by the means of stimulating more milk production with the regular emptying of the breasts.
The Core Principle: Supply and Demand (Frequent Milk Removal)
There is a simple biological rule when it comes to breastfeeding, the more times when the breast is emptied out the more it will make more milk, simply like a supply and demand scheme. The frequency of the breasts getting emptied out signals the brain to make more. Emptying the breasts can happen when you’re:
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Nursing
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Through hand expression
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Pumping
But when the milk sits in your breast for too long, your body will interpret this as a sign to slow down with the production. Just like how frequent emptying of your breast tells your body that more milk is needed. For this reason, even though cluster feeding can be exhausting, it’s actually pretty helpful when you want to increase your milk supply by a lot. It builds up your bond with your little one during growth spurts plus it also supports a steady increase of milk supply.
If you’re trying to learn how to get more milk for breastfeeding, increasing the times of your feedings is an important step in doing so. This positively affect the amount you’re making each feed.
Optimizing Breastfeeding Technique and Frequency
Even if you’re frequently feeding, the milk transfer isn’t that efficient, it won’t be as effective as it should be. This is why knowing the proper positioning and latch is really crucial. For a better latch, here are some pretty helpful tips that you can try if you’re exploring on how to get more milk for breastfeeding sessions.
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Your baby’s lips should be flanged outwards
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Ensure that there’s a deep latch, with your baby taking in more areola and not just sucking on the nipples.
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You should hear more swallowing rather than clicking sounds.
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Feeding should not be painful and must feel comfortable and normal.
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Your target number of feeds should be 8- 12 times in the span of 24 hours, especially during the times of their first weeks. Try switching sides for a change while feeding, it’s ideal to offer both breasts. This stimulates your body to boost production with the help from your little one.
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Breast compressions while feeding can also help increase the flow of milk, which encourage your baby to stay actively sucking and emptying the breast until the last drop.
Strategic Pumping to Signal Increased Milk Production
Another thing that could be a powerful tool to help you is when you’re actively pumping. Doing it strategically is a huge help in ramping up your supply. To do this efficiently there are some tips that we could share with you, and it’s good to also let others know about it, because motherhood isn’t easy for everyone.
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Make time to pump after each feeding to completely empty out the breasts
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Practice the power pumping routine of pumping for 20 minutes, resting for 10 then repeat this cycle for about an hour once every day.
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Have some pumping sessions between the feeds
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It’s all about consistency and not just duration. Even short, frequent pumping sessions can send a strong signal to your body to make more milk and increase the production.
If you’re pretty comfortable with pumping already, it’s best to aim for 8- 10 times of pumping per day, include at least one overnight pumping session, this is the time when the prolactin levels are at their peak.
Nutrition, Hydration, and Lifestyle Adjustments
Given that you’re breastfeeding it’s important to also fuel up because what you’re providing your child is from the foods you’re taking in. There’s no specific food that could magically increase the amount you produce, but being hydrated well enough, and having nutritious foods can play a huge role in supporting a healthy supply.
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Have enough calories as breastfeeding can burn about 300- 500 of those extra calories a day.
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Drink to thirst. If you think that drinking a lot would automatically increase your supply, sorry to break it to you but it won’t increase your supply. On the other hand, dehydration negatively affects your milk supply.
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Get more into whole foods like complex carbs, healthy fats, and lean proteins.
Rest is equally important especially during this time. Being exhausted and chronic stress can mess up with your milk production hormones. Although uninterrupted sleep is surreal, being able to rest when it’s possible, accepting much needed help can have a positive effect on your milk supply.
Understanding the Role of Galactagogues (Foods and Herbs)
There’s a group of foods that although there are mix of evidence, many parents share some positive result about them, these are called the galactagogues and they include,
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Oats
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Flaxseed
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Brewer’s yeast
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Blessed thistle
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Fenugreek
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Fennel
It’s important to note that these galactagogues works their best on how to get more milk for breastfeeding is when they are also paired with frequent milk removal. They are not as effective when taken as is. To add to that, some herbs can sometimes be not that good for some people, so it’s best to have a consult with a healthcare provider or a lactation consultant before using them.
Maximizing Milk Let-Down and Flow
The reflex that releases the milk from the breast is called the milk let-down. But there are factors that can block this reflex, these are stress and anxiety. Being affected with stress and anxiety, milk supply can’t flow easily even if there is enough supply. So, to encourage the let-down,
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Deep breathing before feeds
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Gentle breast massage
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Skin-to-skin contact with your precious baby
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Taking a good look at your baby or smelling them
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Using warmth like a warm shower or warm compress
These relaxation techniques are pretty simple, but they are vital when you’re at that point when you’re not getting enough sleep and weird negative thoughts are rushing through your mind. This supports you on how to get more milk for breastfeeding, especially during pumping sessions which could really be exhausting.
Identifying and Troubleshooting Factors That Decrease Supply
There are times when the supply can suddenly dip down, not because you can’t make more milk but there are external factors that’s affecting your ability to do so. Supply reducers are commonly,
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Illness or dehydration
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Infrequent feeds or sometimes skipped night feeds
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Tongue-tie or poor latching
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Hormonal changes
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Certain medications
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High stress levels
If you notice this sudden drop of supply, you can go back to the recent changes that might be happening or any potential triggers and address them properly. Prevention is always better than cure. Not being able to address the issue may increase the chances of the continuous decline of your milk supply.
When and How to Seek Professional Lactation Support
If you’ve already tried increasing the frequency of your feeding sessions, improving latch, and adding in some pumping sessions in between feeds or just adding up the frequency of this session and still have a hard time increasing your supply, professional help is a huge help, they usually,
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Assess the latch and the milk transfer
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Create a personalized feeding and pumping plan
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Look if there are any oral restrictions
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Offer reassurance and evidence-based guidance
Seeking help early on can help prevent any long-term issues with your supply plus it also helps reduce any emotional stress that is caused by the feeling of not making enough milk. Remember that asking for help doesn’t mean you’re a failure, it just means that you’re willing to do everything for your little one.
Conclusion
Knowing how to get more milk for breastfeeding is like a superpower, because not all mothers are given the privilege of producing a lot of milk. But it’s really more than the quick fixes, it’s having an understanding of your body’s natural systems. Supportive practices like frequent emptying of the breasts, feeding techniques that are efficient, keeping yourself well nourished, and also of course some emotional support, these factors will work together in your favor. Building and maintaining supply isn’t an easy task, but it’s manageable with helpful tools like a baby carrier for newborn that enhances the skin-to-skin contact, helps to make this journey smoother. With dedication, a lot of patience and really knowing yourself, knowing when to get help you’re one step closer to your goal, a healthy, sustainable milk supply for your little baby.