3 Reasons for Low Breast Milk Supply & How To Boost It
Are you worried about not having enough milk for your little one? You are not alone! This is a common concern for breastfeeding mothers. In this blog post, we're going to dive deep into the world of low breast milk supply and uncover the ‘secrets’ to increasing it. And no, it’s not Lactation Cookies!
Let’s chat about:
How breast milk supply works
Do you REALLY have low breast milk supply?
Three common reasons for low breast milk supply
Natural & evidenced-based ways to boost your milk supply
Low Breast Milk Supply can be caused by a variety of factors and getting down to the root cause is so important. If you are struggling with milk supply PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE work with a lactation professional such as myself! 1:1 support is so important and can set you up for a successful rest of your journey. Reach out here to work with me.
How Breast Milk Supply Works
Milk supply is actually pretty simple when you break it down.
Suppy = demand
So, every time you breastfeed baby or stimulate your breasts with a pump–you are telling your body ‘we need more milk’.
When talking about the process of milk production we can go a little more in depth. If you want to nerd out real quick keep reading this section…
Lactogenesis is the process of developing the ability to secrete milk.
Stage I lactogenesis takes place during the second half of pregnancy. Small amounts of milk can be secreted by week 16 gestation and by late pregnancy some women can express colostrum.
Stage II lactogenesis takes place with the removal of the placenta at delivery, the rapid drop in progesterone, as well as the presence of elevated levels of prolactin, cortisol, and insulin, are what stimulate this stage.
Typically, at days 2 or 3 postpartum, women start to experience swelling of the breast along with milk production. If it’s your first baby, this stage may be delayed and milk volume may be lower. Lower milk volume is also observed in women who had cesarean births, retained placental fragments, diabetes, and stressful vaginal deliveries.
Lactation is maintained by regular removal of milk and stimulation of the nipple, which triggers prolactin release from the anterior pituitary gland and oxytocin from the posterior pituitary gland.
Early & efficient removal of milk (breastfeeding or pumping frequently after delivery) is vital in your milk production because this is where it all begins!
Do You REALLY Have Low Breast Milk Supply?
A LOT of new breastfeeding mothers think they have low milk supply when in fact they don’t!
Let’s go through a little checklist & review some of the common reasons mothers think they aren’t making enough breastmilk:
Baby is extra fussy during a certain time of the day
This could happen for so many normal reasons like: baby is going through a growth spurt and cluster feeding, or baby is fussy during ‘witching hour’ (when we make the least amount of milk during the day and baby is overstimulated)
Baby won’t go X amount of hours between feeds
Just because your neighbor tells you her baby feeds every 2-3 hours on the clock, or the book you read about newborns says to ‘schedule’ their feeds DOES NOT mean that is how baby’s work
They are not on a clock and often tend to cluster feed on and off quite regularly
Baby only feeds for a short period of time
As baby’s age, they typically get more efficient at feeding! This means feeds can be shorter.
Look at their behavior always…are they swallowing? Making gulping sounds? Does their body go from tense to relaxed? Are they coming away from the breast happy/content?
You don’t pump a lot of milk
Pumping can be a very different feeling for our bodies. We may not ‘relax’ and ‘connect’ with a pump the way we do our baby. Flange sizing or suction of your pump may be off as well.
Our bodies cannot always be ‘tricked’ into having a letdown of milk through a pump
Three Common Reasons For Low Breast Milk Supply
Reason #1: Following A Strict Feeding Schedule
Most parenting books or popular social media pages like to talk about feeding schedules. Or feeding at specific times for specific intervals such as ‘feeding baby every 2-3 hours for 15 minutes’.
This is NOT how a baby works. Especially newborns and young infants. They feed cluster feed and often have an unpredictable ‘feeding schedule’.
Learning and following baby’s hunger cues instead of watching the clock will help you tremendously.
Letting baby nurse on cue allows them to control your supply of breast milk–which is what we want!
Reason #2: Health or Physiologic Complications With Baby
If your newborn cannot effectively remove milk from your breasts, your body may not receive the signal to produce more.
Some health complications could be an uncoordinated suck, cleft palate, low muscle tone, or tongue/lip ties.
Your body may compensate for these health complications at first, but majority of the time we see a drop in supply when baby cannot properly remove milk BECAUSE…
SUPPLY = DEMAND
Reason #3: Health or Physiologic Complications With Nursing Mother
Sometimes, as breastfeeding mothers, we have low milk supply because of our own health complications. It’s beneficial to know what these MIGHT be so that when you work with a lactation professional (like me!) you can mention them.
Common health complications are:
Retained placenta
Postpartum hemorrhage
Anemia
Hypothyroidism
Breast reduction, augmentation surgery, or injury
Hormonal conditions (PCOS)
Taking medications like hormonal birth control
Hypoplasia/Insufficient Glandular Tissue (IGT)
Natural Ways to Boost Your Milk Supply
#1 Work With a Lactation Professional:
Sorry, had to put this one in here.
It can truly make or break your breastfeeding experience. And if you are dealing with the health complications listed above working with someone is crucial.
Find a professional you LOVE & trust. Or maybe just like….and work with them! Lactation professionals come in all shapes & sizes. But they should be there to listen, be empathetic, and come up with an individual plan for you & baby.
Even better…find a lactation professional with additional training/education in oral ties (like me!)
If you’re looking for a pretty cool Lactation Consultant you can book with me, here!
#2 Feed Baby On Demand:
Feed baby as often as they want! Place baby skin to skin during feeds and unswaddle them completely.
Feeding baby often will stimulate your breasts telling your body to MAKE MORE MILK.
If you are pumping, you can use a technique called ‘Power Pumping’ (blog post coming on this soon).
#3 Take Care of Yourself & Try to Limit Stress:
Easier said than done right??
But this is truly so vital for your health & well being a mother but also for your body to be able to make milk!
Prioritize eating a well-balanced & nutritious diet. Drink lots of water.
When you are breastfeeding or pumping, try to take calm relaxing breaths and allow your body to unwind. This will help release oxytocin & help with your letdown reflex as well!
Low breast milk supply can be a distressing situation for many new moms. Understanding if you truly have low milk supply & the possible reasons behind it can be an amazing first step. Every woman's breastfeeding journey is unique, and it is crucial to seek support before facing challenges.
Learn allllllll of the normal breastfeeding things BEFORE birth & BEFORE baby arrives in my course ‘Nursing Newborn’.
Work with an amazing Lactation Professional you trust! I am available to help here.
By addressing insufficient demand, inadequate milk removal, physiological challenges, or hormonal imbalances…you can take charge of your breastfeeding experience and work towards optimizing your milk supply.
References:
Pillay, J., & Davis, T. (2023, July 17). Physiology, lactation - statpearls - NCBI bookshelf. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499981/