Four ways to ensure that you produce enough breast milk for your newborn!
One of the biggest struggles breastfeeding mothers face is worrying about whether they are producing enough milk for their babies. Some start out having high production, which slowly decreases and becomes low. Some can’t produce enough and have to supplement the lack of milk with formula instead. Over the years, researchers have shown that breastfeeding actually requires a technique. If the correct measures are followed, you will see an increase in your milk production. Here are a few methods and pointers that you can try out if your milk production has been low, or if you feel that you haven’t been producing enough milk for your baby.
Supply and Demand
Your body has its own way of adjusting milk supply according to how much your baby needs. In other words, it is a matter of demand and supply. Your body will keep producing milk as long as it is needed. In the beginning, your body starts out by producing more milk than necessary, and soon after begins to adjust its supply based on how much is consumed. If you want to increase the supply, nurse more often or try pumping more often. This gives a signal that there is a demand for production, and your body will continue producing more milk.
Hydration
It is not necessary to force fluids; drinking to satisfy thirst is sufficient for most mothers to stay hydrated. Pay attention to your body’s signals – busy mothers often ignore thirst if there is nothing nearby to drink – try to keep a drink near where you usually breastfeed the baby. Pumping moms may find that they need to pay more attention to remembering to stay hydrated. Signs that you are not getting enough fluids include concentrated urine (darker, stronger-smelling than usual) and constipation (hard, dry stools).
Diet
The food you consume plays an essential part in your breast milk production. As breastfeeding starts soon after birth, you will need to ensure that the food consumed during your confinement has all the necessary ingredients and nutrition to aid in your milk production. Foods that include lactogenic herbs and ingredients like fish, fenugreek, beans, green papaya, and lotus root, which are known to increase milk production, do help out a lot.
