Being able to breastfeed is probably one of the greatest gifts that you can give your baby. Breastmilk is packed with everything your baby. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out for moms who desperately want to breastfeed. They might develop mastitis, or their nipples might become cracked, and feeding becomes too painful. Then there is the other reality that some mothers don’t produce enough milk.
They might start out producing enough, but as baby grows and the demand becomes more, they fall short and need to resort to formula to supplement the shortfall. Luckily, there are a couple of things you can do to increase your milk supply.
Don’t stress
This is easier said than done. But the truth of the matter is that stress adversely affects your whole body. Studies have shown that excessive stress tends to inhibit proper milk production. So, when you stress about not producing enough milk, you are fanning the flames.
Dad needs to step up and provide mom with a stress-free (or close to stress-free) environment. He needs to reassure her that she is doing fine. Moms already have their hands full with the new baby. To have to stress about the household will not benefit anybody, especially the baby.
Drink enough fluids
Breastmilk contains plenty of water. If you want to make sure you produce enough milk, you need to drink enough water to sustain your body’s own needs as well as the needs of the baby.
Modern times have made it very difficult to drink an appropriate amount of water. There are so many other things that we can drink that we tend to skimp on the water. Water can’t compete with the taste of a refreshing drink.
So if you want to make sure that you give your body the best chance to produce enough milk, you have to suck it up and increase your daily water intake. If drinking plain water is just not your thing, you can liven up the taste with some lemon juice.
Fenugreek
This is the wonder herb for breastfeeding moms. Fenugreek stimulates milk production and is fast acting. You don’t need to consume copious amounts of the herb to start seeing a difference. On the contrary, you should be able to see a difference within a day or two.
Regular feeding
Your baby is growing, and it needs plenty of food to sustain its growth. The sooner you can get into a feeding schedule the better. It might seem like a paradox, but the more you feed, the more milk your body will produce.
A mother’s body is amazing, and it can monitor how much milk is needed for the baby. If you feed on a regular basis, your body comes into a rhythm, and you will start to notice that your milk comes in at the exact right time.
Try and keep to a feeding schedule as strictly as possible, even if you must express or hand pump milk when the baby is not around. When you skip feeding times, your body notices the excess and makes less milk the next round.
Unorthodox alternative
This method might be way out there for some mothers, and you should know yourself before you try this. Whether it’s an old wives tale or not, many mothers have sworn by its effectiveness. When you notice that your milk is running low, drinking a pint of dark ale like Guinness is said to fire things up again.
This is one of those last resort methods because if it doesn’t work and you have already tried all the other ways, you still have nothing to lose. As mentioned before, you also need to know yourself. If you can’t stop dark ales, then you probably shouldn’t try this method. If you know that you tend to drink too much, this is also not the best method for you. Then it’s best to stick to the water.