What Causes Low Milk Supply in Breastfeeding Mothers?

During breastfeeding, all mothers are ridden with this thought that "is my body producing ample milk for my baby or is my child left hungry?" While time and again each paediatrician and gynaecologist will assure you that each mother's milk is sufficient for her child, reassuring a new mother is not so easy. [Also read: 9 Tips to Increase Breast Milk Supply in Lactating Moms]

However, the fact is that if your baby is gaining sufficient weight and otherwise seems healthy and content, you are producing enough for him. Although there are a few mothers who battle low milk supply issues, most of the times it is the improper latching that is the culprit. Make sure that you breastfeed on demand and for as long as your baby wants.

Low Milk Supply In Breastfeeding Mothers

Science has proven that a mother's body is adaptive to her baby's demands. This essentially means that the more your breastfeed, the more your body produces. In the initial days, it is very important to feed the baby on demand to maintain optimum supply. Supplementing with formula can actually affect the production of milk, and is best avoided unless the demand-supply ratio is well maintained. If you are concerned about your breast milk supply, you should seek your doctor's help as some medical conditions can cause your body to produce less milk. If it is essentially necessary to supplement, it is best to feed the baby your own pumped milk. Helpful Read: Hyperlactation Causes & Remedies to Cure

What Causes Low Milk Supply In Breastfeeding Mothers?

The below listed reasons can hamper or lower the breast milk supply in new breastfeeding moms:

• Supplementing: If you are supplementing with formula, especially in the initial days after the birth, your breast milk supply could be interfered. Working on a demand-and-supply mechanism, the lesser your baby feeds, the lesser milk your body makes
• Using Pacifiers: Pacifiers can make it difficult for your baby to latch on the breast properly, and she may start preferring the same over the breast. This can cause considerable decrease in breast milk supply
• Not feeding on demand: Babies have tiny tummies and can feel hungry soon after a feeding. Scheduled feedings interfere the production of milk and hence it is strongly advised to feed your baby on demand
• Baby's Medical Conditions: Having a premature baby, or a baby who develops jaundice, or babies with anatomical problems may not be able to feed properly causing the breast milk supply to decrease
• Using Nipple Shields: Though useful when you have sore or cracked nipples, but nipple shields when used for longer periods of time can again impact the demand and supply mechanism of the body
• Bottle Feeding: Bottle feeding requires different latching and sucking techniques than breastfeeding. It is also much easier to feed on a bottle because the flow is better and quick. However, babies who get used to bottle feeding will feed less on the breast and hence affect the milk supply
• Shorter Nursing sessions: Breastfeeding takes time, and it is a slow process. If you limit nursing sessions to a few minutes, your baby only gets the thin foremilk and does not have the calorie rich hindmilk. This can again send the signal to your body to produce less milk
• Mother's Health: Breastmilk supply can also get affected if the mother suffers from hypothyroidism, has had a recent breast surgery, has PCOS or suffers from any other illness

How Can Breast Milk Supply Be Increased Naturally At Home?

So, here are some tips that will help improve lactation...

• Relax: Might sound paradoxical, but the more you stress, the lesser your body will be able to produce milk. Studies have shown that stress can reduce the production of oxytocin, a hormone responsible for milk production. Go for a walk, listen to some calming music, think happy thoughts and be relaxed
• Nurse more: The sucking motion of the baby stimulates milk production and therefore the more you nurse, the more your breasts will produce milk. The fact is that in spite of your feeling that your baby will not be satisfied after your feed if you don't feed, your body will not produce milk. So basically you create a demand-supply cycle for yourself
• Be confident: Pregnancy and motherhood are times when everyone feels they know how to guide you. A mother-in-law may suggest that there is not sufficient let down of milk and your baby is hungry. Trust yourself. Listening too much to negativity will affect your willingness to feed. Politely tell them that if the baby wants to feed again even after a short gap, you will feed, but are not willing to give the child top feed
• Don't get pressured: Even if your child demands feed every 45 minutes, it is okay! Babies have tiny tummies and cannot hold more than a few ounces for longer times at each feeding. Each child has a separate feeding pattern and so even if your child gives you a gap of 45 minutes between each feed session, rest assured your baby is getting enough milk
• Watch out for signs: How do you know your child is feeding enough? Simply by his output! What goes in comes out so if he is peeing and pooping regularly, then something is going inside him and his body is processing the same. Another indication is optimum weight gain in the baby. Be happy!
• Have a healthy diet: If you eat healthily, your body will be able to produce enough milk. So, rather than focusing on heavy foods, focus on the right diet. Have ample to eat and do not even think of cutting back on your food to lose the baby fat. That can wait. Eat enough cereals, milk and milk products, dry fruits etc.
• Focus on let down of milk: Sometimes, even though your body may be producing sufficient milk, it might not be available to the child because of improper let down of milk. For this: have plenty of fluids, before, after and during feeding; be stress-free; ensure baby latches on properly (the child should be suckling on the entire areola and not just on the nipple
• Offer both breasts: Once the baby is done with one side and it feels softer, offer her the other breast. Offering one breast at a time works when the milk supply is well established until then make sure you offer both breasts to your baby
• Rule out latching problems: Improper latching will leave your baby hungry and milk from your breasts will not be removed completely. This will again cause the breast milk supply to diminish. Make sure the baby is latched properly and is sucking well
• Focus on galactagogue-rich foods: Certain foods such as jeera, ajwain, saunf are scientifically known to help increase lactation. So include these in your diet. Boil them in water and consume that water, or simply mix and grind these to make a churan of sorts and eat that
• Supplement intake: In case, you are still not convinced about lactation, there are some supplements available in the market in both powder and capsule form that can be had to increase lactation. Lactonic and Galact are some of the brands. You can ask your doctor for advice on these
• Consider pumping: Whenever you are away from your baby, make sure you pump and remove the milk so that the body does not get the signal that the milk is not required. Pumping does not have a similar stimulating effect as a baby sucking, but it helps maintain the milk supply anyway

To conclude, go back with the thought that you are the best mother your baby could have!