
The first signs of low milk supply may be:
- Baby's feeds have become shorter
- Breasts feels less full
- Baby is not sleeping, or waking up too often
- Less than 4 wet nappies in 24 hr
There are many reasons why milk supply is affected. These could be medical or lifestyle:
- Anaemia- usually caused by loosing large amount of blood during labour
- Post-natal depression
- Hormonal disorder- thyroid or pituitary imbalances can cause problems
- Breast surgery,
- Dieting and skipping meals will cause you to miss out on vital nutrients
- Medication
- Sore nipples / Mastitis
- Dehydration- drink at least 8 glasses of water a day
- High stress levels
- Using milk formula can decrease your milk supply
Tips on how to increase milk supply
- Always feed at the same time
- Warm face towels used as compresses can stimulate breast milk production
- Try massaging the breast gently
- Eat a well balanced diet, as breast feeding uses a lot of energy and nutrients
- Drink enough fluids, at least 2 litres of water a day
- Include a source of protein in your daily diet (fish, grass fed organic meat or vegetable protein, chicken soup, nuts and seeds, eggs)
- Calcium - a major ingredient in breast milk. Include calcium rich foods in every meal (tahini, sesame seeds, almonds, broccoli, sardines with the bones, yoghurt and cheese)
- Make sure you rebuild Iron stores with iron rich foods - green leafy vegetables, wholegrain breads, nuts, red meat, fish and dried fruit
- Eat at least five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit per day
- Include healthy fats such as coconut oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, cod liver oil, butter and supplement with essential fatty acids
- Include foods like fennel, oats, green drinks, fresh juices, chamomile, chicken soup, avocado
- Get plenty of rest
- Ask your naturopath what herbs are suitable for you to help you increase milk supply
Some foods can pass into breast milk so it’s best to avoid them:
- Caffeine
- Black tea
- Alcohol
- Cola drinks
- Fried and extremely fatty foods
- Greasy take away food