How to increase breast milk naturally at home

All mothers are anatomically equipped to feed their babies and there is no such thing as mother’s milk that does not suit a newborn: the milk the breasts produce is the baby’s natural food and he will not reject it.

• There is no such a thing as a mother physically incapable of feeding her baby: the size of your breasts bears no relation to the amount of milk that you can produce although breast enlargement or reduction surgery can affect the ability to breastfeed.


• Milk is produced in deeply buried glands, not the fatty tissue of the breasts, so don’t worry if your breasts are rather small: they are adequate. The amount of milk that you produce is dependent on how much your baby takes, hence the expression supply and demand. For example, if your baby’s appetite is not very great then your breasts will not produce very much milk because they’re not being stimulated by your newborn to do so. If your baby is a voracious feeder, your breasts will respond and produce more milk. The quantity of milk available for your infant will fluctuate throughout the whole time that you breastfeed, according to how much your baby takes.


• If your baby is hungry half an hour after being fed, don’t worry. Your breasts will have produced some milk for your baby to feed on, and they’ll soon build up a supply for his new needs. When the need for more feeds slows down the breasts will produce less.


• A newborn needs 60-100ml (2-3 ½ floz) of milk per 500g (11b) of body weight, so a 3.5kg (71b-11oz) baby will need 400-650ml (14—24floz) daily. Your breasts each produces 40-60ml (11/2—2floz) of milk in three hours so your daily output of 700-1000ml (24—35floz) is ample.
  

  

  How to increase breast milk naturally at home

How to increase breast milk after delivery

Breastfeeding is a strictly demand-and-supply proposition. Put simply, your baby demands your breast milk and your body supplies it. The more times your baby nurses (demands breast milk) the more available and abundant your milk (supply) will be for him.

This delicate process is true throughout the course of your nursing span. Your breasts will

alter how much milk they make as your baby goes in and out of growth spurts, producing more milk as he needs it. As your baby begins to add solids, your body will slowly decrease the amount of milk it produces.

It is remarkable how well your body can adjust in terms of milk supply once you and your baby have established your nursing relationship. Over time, your body will become more adept at producing milk and responding to your baby’s needs on cue. Eventually, your supply can easily vary on an even daily basis, producing more or less milk as needed, according to your baby’s hunger levels at the moment.

Most women who breast-feed their babies produce enough milk. If you’re worried that you may or may not be producing enough milk for your baby, look for the following clues:

• Day one: One wet diaper


• Day two: Two wet diapers


• Day three: Three wet diapers


• Day four: Four wet diapers


• After that point: Five to six wet diapers per day and at least three to four yellowish stools

If you are concerned that your baby may not be getting enough milk, talk to your health care provider. She may suggest bringing your baby in for a checkup so that baby’s latch can be monitored, his weight can be checked, and he can be assessed for overall signs of health and well-being.

Certain types of breast-augmentation or reduction procedures can damage nerves in the breasts and cut the milk ducts, reducing the milk supply.

How to increase breast milk home remedies

If you need to build up your milk supply because your baby has been losing weight or not gaining weight adequately, your health care provider will likely recommend that you:

• breast-feed your baby at least eight times per day and that you offer each breast at least once at each feeding and express milk after your baby has finished feeding in order to stimulate your breasts to produce more milk


• focus on improving your baby’s latch in case he’s not getting very much milk for all the effort he’s putting into nursing


• keep your baby awake until he has nursed actively for at least 10 minutes at each breast


• talk to your health care provider about prescription and herbal products that can be used to boost your milk supply


• If you’ve had surgery on your breasts, find out the specifics of that surgery. Recent surgical advances have led to better outcomes for women who have gone on to breast-feed their babies. Your health care provider should be able to provide you with information about your odds of providing your baby with a full or partial milk supply. If you can’t provide enough milk on your own, a lactation aid (basically a tube taped to your breast) can allow your baby to receive additional nutrition while breast-feeding.


• Drugs designed to dry up milk production are not safe and should be avoided.


• A natural way to help dry up the milk supply is to drink 2 to 3 cups of sage tea per day.

How to increase breast milk naturally at home