Milk Supply Issues
Most mothers have a large increase in milk supply between two and
five days after giving birth, though it typically occurs around the
third day. It is important to nurse frequently in the early days to
encourage the milk supply to come in, or if your baby is not nursing
well, to use an electric double pump to help the milk to increase.
If you are pumping in order to increase your supply
of breast milk, keep in mind that shorter more frequent pumping
sessions are preferable to longer more infrequent ones and that very
long pumping sessions of 30 minutes or more can actually be
counterproductive.
Breast size has
absolutely nothing to do with how much milk a mother can produce, as larger breasts
simply
have more fat in them and fat has nothing to do with milk production.
It is the presence of milk ducts in the breast that determine milk
supply. An estimated 1% of mothers will not produce an adequate supply
of milk to sustain their baby, however most women who
experience some breast enlargement during pregnancy find that they are
able to produce plenty of milk.
Babies usually begin to "cluster" feed during
growth spurts, typically at three weeks, six weeks, three months and
six months, and you may feel like one feeding is starting right after
the previous feeding ended. This is your baby's way of
increasing your future milk supply to meet his needs and you can rest
assured that the seemingly non-stop feedings will not last forever.
Also remember that it is not possible to overfeed a breastfed baby
since he is in control of the feeding and will stop when he is ready.
Newborns should be nursing at least ten times a
day, approximately every 2 to 3 hours. As your baby gets older he will
be able to go for longer periods between feedings. Also, a baby will
occasionally want a longer feeding than usual at the end of the day so
that he gets more of the fatty hindmilk which makes him feel full and
sleepy.
Breasts make milk based on a principle of supply
and demand - the more milk that is removed from the breast, the more
is produced to replace it. Introducing solids or supplementing with
formula will decrease the amount of milk your breasts produce. So the
best way to increase your milk supply is to allow your baby to nurse
as often as possible, or even pump between
feedings if your baby takes long rest periods between each nursing
session. You should always nurse your baby on cue - whenever he shows
signs of hunger such as rooting, lip and tongue movements,
restlessness and turning his head from side to side. Crying is
the last signal of hunger.
Breast milk volume is typically highest in the
morning and naturally low in the late afternoon and early evening,
although it is usually higher in fat at those times as a way to
compensate.
The best way to tell if your baby is getting enough
milk is to keep track of his diapers. If he is having five to six wet
diapers and two to three dirty ones each day then he is getting plenty
of breast milk.
Although nursing more often is the best way to make
more milk, the herb fenugreek can be effective at increasing a
mother's milk supply. The recommended dosage is three capsules taken
three times a day, although dosages vary by manufacturer so you should
check the bottle to determine the correct dosage.
