Hello my loves.  I struggled with my milk supply with my son Roland and so far have had just enough for December to be satisfied and wanted to compile all the information I read up on to help other mommies out there who are going through the same difficulties I have had.  I understand the guilt that a mom may feel internally because they feel like they can’t care for their child in the way that “they should be” caring for their child.  This is a long read so take your time and read at your leisure.  I’m no doctor, just a mom trying to spread some insight that I learned through my own journey. (So please consult your physician or lactation specialist with concerns).

Signs your baby has had enough milk:

• Your baby should urinate at least 6 times per day and the urine should be clear to light yellow, not dark yellow.
• Your baby nurses frequently.  Breastmilk digests a lot quicker then formula, usually in 1 1/2-2 hours.  Therefore breastfed babies need to eat more often then formula fed babies.  A baby should be nursing 8-12 times per 24 hour period.
• You can hear the baby’s swallowing sounds.
• Check out this website for signs that your baby has had enough milk.

Misconceptions that you have a low milk supply:

• Your baby doesn’t nurse as long as he used to.  Babies get better at nursing as they get older by becoming more efficient at extracting milk.
• Your baby suddenly nurses more frequently or longer.  Your baby could be beginning a growth spurt which can last days to a week.   This will in turn increase your milk supply.  If you supplement with formula then this will tell your body that the baby doesn’t need the extra milk and your supply will either stay the same (which will not be enough for the growth spurt) or will drop.
• Your breasts don’t leak milk.  Mine rarely ever did.  Leaking does not correlate with your milk supply and leaking generally tends to stop after your body has adjusted to your baby’s needs.
• You never feel a “let-down”.  I personally only felt this a couple of times.  Some mothers never feel a let-down.  This does not correlate with your milk supply.
• You get very little milk when pumping.  Your baby will “milk” your breasts way more efficiently then with a pump.  Also, the amount you are able to pump can/will change drastically depending upon the quality of your pump.  My insurance gave me a free pump and I had to pump for such a long time and not have much to show for it.  Frustrating!  When I was meeting with lactation specialties at the hospital due to my low milk supply they gave me a hospital grade pump for 30days.  The hospital grade pump definitely gave me more milk.
• Your breasts are softer.  Your body will adjust to your baby’s needs.  Don’t be alarmed if your breasts are not as firm as when you first started nursing.

Potential causes of low milk supply:

• Not properly draining the milk when your milk first comes in the first week.  This might have been what started my problems.  When my milk came in my boobs were huge and hard as a rock, I literally looked like Pamela Anderson (my husband did not complain).  I was afraid to pump after nursing for fear that it would just make them harder.  So I waited and didn’t jump on the opportunity.  Retrospect, I would have pumped and pumped until those bad boys were empty.
• Improper latch.  If your baby doesn’t have an effective latch then the baby may not be able to properly stimulate and drain the breast.  Check out this website on a step by step guide to proper breastfeeding latches.  I couldn’t get my baby to latch properly until the end of day 2 and let me tell you the baby had already done so much damage in those 2 days to my nipples.  I have a picture where the top piece of my nipple is literally dangling off.  Ladies let me tell you…you can do this!  Push through the pain.  Our bodies adapt.  It won’t always hurt.  It was quite painful for a while for me while my nipples healed.  Remember, it is a learning experience for your baby and for you as well.  Now, put on a stiff upper lip and “shove” that boob in your baby’s mouth….like literally the nipple and areola, the whole thing!
• Trying to stretch out the feedings at night time which disrupts the supply-and-demand of breastfeeding.   Listen I totally get the struggle of trying to get the baby to start switching over to your sleep schedule, especially when you are sooo exhausted, but push through Mama.  You got this!
• Insufficient glandular tissue.  Some women don’t have enough milk-making ducts to meet their baby’s needs.  Ducts grow every pregnancy and breastfeeding stimulates more growth of ducts as well.  So sometimes women who had low milk supply during their first baby don’t have this problem the 2nd or 3rd baby.
• Taking certain medications or herbs.  Check out this website on drug safety while breastfeeding.  It has a list which I found very helpful when I was breastfeeding.
• Supplementing with formula.  Many moms decide to start supplementing for various reasons; they decide to go back to work, have trouble pumping, the baby isn’t getting enough breastmilk to grow properly, or maybe just want a break every once and a while from feeding the baby.  If possible, try and pump as much as possible.  The less often you nurse then the less milk your breasts will produce.
• Bottle preference.  Plain and simple, it is easier to get milk from a bottle then from a nipple.  Less work for the baby.  Some babies have no problem switching back and forth while others will show immediate preference to the bottle.
• Nipple Shields.  Infants are not able to compress the milk sinuses and since the baby relies on suction to get milk, this can greatly decrease the babies milk intake and in return reduce milk production.  Check out this website for more information on nipple shields.
• Scheduled Feedings.  On-demand feedings is the best way to feed your baby in the early days/weeks/months of their life.  As time goes on, your baby will begin to feed on a more predictable schedule.  However, trying to force/help them into a schedule before the baby is ready results in a stressed out mama and a cranky/hungry baby.  (Unless your baby is underweight, then consult with your physician about how often you should wake your baby to eat…usually every 3 hours).
• Sleepy Baby.  I couldn’t get my son to sleep during the day or night.  However, once feeding time came around that was all he wanted to do.   This made my feedings take so very long.  I was constantly having to stimulate him to wake him up to continue feeding.
• Cutting short the feeding.  Don’t time the feedings and cut short the feedings to keep on a feeding schedule.  Allow the baby to feed until they are full.
• Only nursing with one breast per feeding.
• Health problems with the baby.  Consult with your physician and lactation specialist.
• Mom’s health.  Take care of yourself.   Sleep as much as you can, eat a healthy diet and drink lots of water.

Increasing milk supply:

• Make sure the baby is latched and nursing efficiently.  Make sure the baby is on the areola, well past the nipple.  (If not, you might end up with pieces of your nipple dangling off like me!)  Check out this website on breastfeeding positioning and latching.
• Nurse frequently and for as long as your baby is actively nursing.
• Offer both breasts per feeding.  Allow the baby to stay at the first breast as long as he is actively sucking and swallowing.  Offer the baby the second breast when she has slowed down or stopped.  Allowing the baby to finish the first breast gives the baby the fatty hindmilk.
• Avoid pacifiers and bottles when possible.  Roland never liked pacifiers…and I even tried to get him to use one.  And the bottles…well sometimes you got to do what you got to do.  But as we know, boob is best.
• Give baby only breastmilk.  Avoid solids, water and formula (as much as you can) until your baby is at least 6 months.  Again, let me stress to give only breastmilk as much as you can.  Please don’t feel any condemnation or guilt for needing to supplement.  Just do the best that you can.
• Switch nursing. If you have a sleepy eater then you may benefit switching 2-3x during each feeding.  My baby was such a sleepy eater.  It took soooo long to feed him so I often had to switch breasts or tickle his feet to keep him awake and actively nursing.
• Get plenty of rest and sleep when baby sleeps.  Yes, I know we all “know this” but I had a hard time with this.  Once the baby slept I found myself looking around at a million and one things to do.  Don’t beat yourself up over piles of dishes or laundry.  Please, give yourself a break during this period of your life.  Ask for help.
• Drink lots of water and eat a well balanced diet.  Water, water, water.  You don’t have to go overboard but make sure you are well hydrated.
• Add pumping sessions in between feedings.  Pump it up!  Pump right after feedings if your breasts weren’t drained.  And schedule in regular pumpings.
• Cope with stress.  Stress affects your milk supply.  Now, telling you not to get stressed during this time is a total joke.  But try and find ways to cope with your stress.  Find some relaxation techniques and again try to sneak in naps when you can.
• Fenugreek.  This was my life saver.   I tried everything research told me and yet I still struggled with my milk supply.  I even met with lactation specialists several times.  It wasn’t until I started to take this natural herb Fenugreek that my milk supply was booming.  I took the maximum amount the herb is allowed and all it took was about 2-3 days before I noticed a huge difference.  Disclaimer…you will legit smell like maple syrup.  No joke.  About 3 days after I started taking it my husband walked by me and stopped and asked if I just ate pancakes.  Maple syrup was coming out of my pores!  Weird side effect, but definitely worth it.  (Second baby update:  I started taking Fenugreek 3 days ago and I legit smell like IHOP).  And yes it did increase my milk supply.  Every time December pulls off my boob there is milk dribbling from her mouth.
• Lactation cookies.  The brewer’s yeast, flaxseed meal and whole oats are what specifically help with a mother’s milk supply.   Here is the link to the recipe!  Now I don’t know how much these delicious morsels increase your milk supply (maybe it’s just an old wives tale) but they are a yummy excuse to eat cookies!

Until next time…

Huggles & A Trio of Kisses,

Jaime