How To Establish A Great ᴍɪʟᴋ Supply Right Away New Mom Need To Know
If you have a baby on the way and would prefer ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeeding, continue reading our article to know the simple steps that you can take to ensure a great ᴍɪʟᴋ supply.
1. ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeed As Soon As Possible: ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeed soon after birth preferably within an hour or two after you have delivered your baby. Most hospitals would arrange a skin to skin contact soon after birth and provide support to ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeed your little one. Usually, a nurse will be there by your side to assist you with ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeeding.
2. ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeed Often: ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeeding work on ‘supply and demand.’ So the more you ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeed your baby, the more ᴍɪʟᴋ will be produced by your ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛs. The suckling motion of the baby on your ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ will trigger certain hormones in the body to facilitate ᴍɪʟᴋ production. The ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ muscles will then contract to allow the flow of ᴍɪʟᴋ through ᴍɪʟᴋ ducts. This is known as let-down reflex. Try to ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeed your baby 8-12 times a day to maintain a constant ᴍɪʟᴋ supply.
3. ᴘᴜᴍᴘ: If your baby is born ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ or if there are any health complications with your baby, you may not be able to ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeed right away (4). In such instances, you can start ᴘᴜᴍᴘing to ensure that your ᴍɪʟᴋ supply doesn’t get affected by it. You can ᴘᴜᴍᴘ manually or get electric ᴘᴜᴍᴘs to ᴘᴜᴍᴘ ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛᴍɪʟᴋ and stimulate the ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ ᴍɪʟᴋ supply. ᴘᴜᴍᴘing can also be helpful when your baby has ᴍɪssᴇᴅ a feeding or if you have ᴍɪʟᴋ left over after feeding.
4. Feed Your Baby From Both ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛs: ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeed from each ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ alternatively to increase the production of ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ ᴍɪʟᴋ. Feed your baby from the first ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ and wait until they stop or slow down before switching to the other ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ. If your baby falls asleep or feels full after ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeeding from one side, make sure to start with the other ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ during the next time. You can place a band on your bra strap to help you remember which ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ you ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfed from the last time.
5. Aᴠᴏɪᴅ Drinking And Smoking: Drinking moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol and smoking can reduce your ᴍɪʟᴋ supply (6). So make sure that you stay away from it as long as you plan to ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeed your little one. Alcohol can enter your baby’s bloodstream through ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ ᴍɪʟᴋ. This, in turn, can affect their motor skills and disrupt their sleep patterns. So it’s safe to steer clear from alcohol while ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeeding.
6. Relax And Stay Calm: Aɴxɪᴇᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ sᴛʀᴇss can contribute to low ᴍɪʟᴋ supply (5). We know being a new mom can be hard and sᴛʀᴇssFᴜʟ, but find ways to relax and create a positive atmosphere around you so that it doesn’t affect your ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ ᴍɪʟᴋ production. You can try breathing exercises or go out and get some fresh air to help you feel relaxed.
Even if you have a great ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛ ᴍɪʟᴋ supply, there are a lot of hurdles you will still have to face while ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeeding your baby. If you are finding it hard to ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeed, try changing ʙʀᴇᴀsᴛfeeding positions or talk to a lactation consultant before switching to formula ᴍɪʟᴋ.
