16 Natural Ways To Enhance Your Breast Milk Supply

The first four to six weeks of breastfeeding are critical for breastfeeding success, especially if you’re a first-time mom. This is the time when you and your baby are learning together and establishing a daily routine. It’s also the time when you’re establishing a strong and healthy supply of breast milk to increase breast milk supply.

Like many new moms, you might feel concerned about producing enough breast milk for your baby, even as the first few weeks pass. It’s common to worry about low breast milk supply, but only a few mothers can’t produce enough. Most can increase it naturally with simple steps. There are also other ways to establish and boost a healthy milk supply. Try these before you look into alternative treatments, such as herbs or medication.

Here are some natural ways to increase breast milk:

1. Evaluate your baby’s latch during breastfeeding.
2. Continue to breastfeed frequently.
3. Try using breast compression while breastfeeding.
4. Gently stimulate your breasts to encourage milk flow.
5. Consider using a supplemental nursing system if needed.
6. Make healthy lifestyle changes, like eating well and staying hydrated.
7. Breastfeed for longer durations during each session.
8. Avoid skipping feedings or using formula as much as possible.
9. Offer both breasts during feeding sessions.
10. Keep your baby awake and engaged during feedings.
11. Increase skin-to-skin contact with your baby.
12. Use a breast pump to stimulate milk production.
13. Limit the use of pacifiers, especially in the early weeks.
14. Focus on eating a nutritious diet.
15. Drink plenty of fluids to stay well-hydrated.
16. Ensure you get enough rest to support milk production.

Remember, every mom’s breastfeeding journey is unique, so find what works best for you and your baby. 💕🤱

1. Evaluate your baby’s latch during breastfeeding.

Ensure your baby latches onto your breast correctly to increase breast milk supply efficiently. A poor latch can affect the amount of breast milk you produce. When your baby latches on well and drinks milk properly, it signals your body to produce more milk. If you’re unsure about the latch, ask your doctor or a lactation consultant for help. They can guide you to ensure your baby latches on the right way.

2. Continue to breastfeed frequently to enhance your breast milk efficiently.

That’s right! Your body produces breast milk based on the demand from your baby. Absolutely! Your body is amazing at adapting to your baby’s needs. When your baby feeds more often, it triggers your body to produce more milk to ensure they have enough to grow and thrive. It’s a natural and beautiful way your body supports your little one’s development. It’s a natural process that ensures your baby gets the nourishment they require. To increase the supply, breastfeed more often. When your baby latches on well, breastfeeding frequently tells your body to make more milk.

In the first few weeks after birth, breastfeed every two to three hours, day and night. If more than 3½ hours pass since the last feeding, wake your baby to nurse.

Even if you have an older child who breastfeeds well, breastfeeding more can naturally boost your breast milk supply. 🍼👶💕

3. Try using breast compression while breastfeeding to increase breast milk flow.

Breast compression helps babies take in more milk while breastfeeding and aids in milk removal when using a breast pump. Use it if your baby is sleepy or not a strong nurse to keep the milk flowing.

4. Gently massage your breasts to enhance breast milk flow.

Learning to express your breast milk by hand can be really helpful. Some moms like it better than using a breast pump because it feels more natural and doesn’t cost anything. In the first few days of breastfeeding, hand expression might be more comfortable and get more milk out than a pump. But it’s a skill that takes practice, so don’t worry if it takes some time to learn

5. If needed, try using a supplemental nursing system to enhance milk supply.

Sometimes, babies get frustrated when the breast milk flow slows down or stops. But don’t worry! A supplemental nursing system can help your baby keep sucking at your breasts even when there’s no more milk. It’s a way to encourage them to continue feeding at the breast. You can use expressed breast milk or formula with the system, and it helps stimulate your body to make more milk naturally. It’s a great way to keep your baby satisfied and ensure they get the nourishment they need. 🍼👶💕

6. Make healthy lifestyle changes, like eating well and staying hydrated, to increase breast milk production.

You know what, some everyday things can actually affect your breast milk supply. For example, smoking, taking certain birth control pills, stress, and feeling tired can interfere with it. But don’t worry, you might be able to increase your milk supply naturally by making some changes to your daily routine.
After breastfeeding your baby, try using a breast pump or gently expressing milk by hand to keep stimulating your breasts. This extra stimulation will signal your body to make more breast milk. Exactly! When your baby nurses more frequently or if you pump milk regularly, you’re sending a signal to your body that your baby needs more milk. It’s like a communication between you and your body, prompting it to produce the amount of milk your baby requires.

7. Breastfeed for longer periods during each session to increase breast milk production.

Your new-born should breastfeed for about 10 minutes on each side. If your baby falls asleep during feeding, gently try to wake them up to keep nursing. The more time your baby spends at the breast, the more it stimulates your milk production. So, encouraging longer feeding sessions can be beneficial for both you and your baby.

8. Avoid skipping feedings or using formula as much as possible to maintain and enhance milk supply.

When your baby breastfeeds, your body produces more breast milk. If you miss breastfeeding sessions or use formula instead, your body won’t get the signal to make more milk. So, your milk supply will decrease unless you use a breast pump to replace those feedings.

Using a breast pump can help maintain your milk supply, but it’s not as effective as breastfeeding. Your baby is much better at getting milk from your breasts, especially when you’re still building up your milk production.

9. Offer both breasts during feeding times to increase milk production.

In the first few weeks of breastfeeding, it’s good to feed your baby from both breasts during each feeding. This helps to increase your milk supply. However, make sure to switch the breast you start with each time because the first breast usually gets more stimulation.

If you always start on the same breast, that breast might produce more milk and become larger than the other one. After a few weeks when you’re happy with the amount of milk you’re producing, you can choose to continue feeding from both breasts or switch to feeding from just one breast at each feeding.

10. Keep your baby awake and engaged during feedings to increase milk intake.

In the first week of life, some new-born are very sleepy and sleep a lot. If you have a sleepy baby, it’s important to wake her up every three hours to breastfeed. Also, while breastfeeding, you should try to keep her awake and actively sucking.

To keep a sleepy baby nursing, you can do things like gently rubbing her feet, changing her diaper, burping her, or unwrapping her so she’s not too warm and cozy. By doing these things and keeping your baby awake while nursing, she will get enough food and your body will be encouraged to make a healthy supply of milk.

11. Increase skin-to-skin contact with your baby to enhance milk production.

Originally, skin-to-skin contact was used to help premature babies, but it’s also very beneficial for full-term new-born. Skin-to-skin, also known as kangaroo care, is a special way of holding a baby. The baby, dressed in only a diaper and a hat, is placed on the mother’s bare chest and covered with a blanket. This direct skin-to-skin contact has several advantages for the baby.

It helps the baby feel less stressed, improves their breathing, and keeps their body temperature just right. Skin-to-skin also strengthens the bond between the baby and the mother. It’s especially good for breastfeeding too. Studies have shown that kangaroo care can make babies breastfeed for longer periods and help mothers produce more milk supply.

12. Use a breast pump to stimulate milk production and increase breast milk.

If you’re going to be exclusively pumping for your child, you can add extra pumping sessions during the first few weeks to increase breast milk, and Wait for a few extra minutes after the breast milk flow has stopped.

13. Limit the use of pacifiers, especially in the early weeks, to encourage frequent breastfeeding and increase milk production.

Research shows that breastfeeding babies can use a pacifier. However, it’s better to wait until you have enough milk before giving one to your baby. If you offer a pacifier too early, your baby might breastfeed less.
When your baby seems to want a pacifier, try putting her to your breast instead. Breastfeeding more will help increase your breast milk. Once you have a good amount of milk, you can introduce the pacifier if you want.
Some babies might benefit from using a pacifier right from the start, and that’s okay too. Only you, your partner, and your baby’s doctor can decide what’s best for your family.

14. Focus on eating a nutritious diet to enhance breastfeed production.

It’s a good idea to eat healthier while you’re breastfeeding. Breastfeeding and making breast milk require a lot of energy. To have enough milk for your baby, it’s important to eat well-balanced meals and healthy snacks. You can include some special foods that help increase milk production, like oatmeal, dark green veggies, and almonds, in your daily diet to get the extra calories you need. This will help you stay strong and provide the best nourishment for your little one.

15. Drink plenty of fluids to stay well-hydrated, which can help increase milk supply.

Breast milk is mostly water, so it’s important to drink enough fluids every day to increase breast milk production. Try to have about 6 to 8 glasses of water or other healthy liquids like milk, juice, or tea to stay hydrated. If you feel thirsty, drink even more. And if you ever feel dizzy, have a headache, or a dry mouth, it might mean you need to drink more to feel better. Staying hydrated will help you produce enough milk and keep you feeling good while breastfeeding.

16. Ensure you get enough rest to support and enhance breast milk production

Feeling very tired and stressed can make it harder for your body to produce enough milk for your baby. Even though it’s challenging to find time to relax as a new mom, it’s crucial. Try to take a nap when your baby sleeps, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. When you’re well-rested and less stressed, your body can use that extra energy to increase breast milk production and make healthier breast milk for your little one.

Also Read : Foods to Help Make More Milk for Breastfeeding | Nourishing You and Your Baby

Also Read : Breastfeeding Tips: Dos And Don’ts For New Mothers

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Brinda