How to produce more milk?
… is a question that almost everyone has asked themselves at some point during their breastfeeding journey.
Whether it was at the very beginning of the journey, when we are still getting to know our baby and every cry brings uncertainty about the amount of milk we are producing, or later in our story, when we first encounter a breastfeeding crisis (often around three months) and the baby refuses to latch… or perhaps when we start introducing solid foods and are unsure how milk production works in situations where the baby is already receiving complementary feeding…
… this is a question we have all asked ourselves at least once, and it has brought some doubts about breastfeeding along the way.
Of course, it’s normal to ask this question — it’s a sign that breastfeeding truly matters to us and that we want to overcome whatever obstacle we’re facing at the moment.
Living with parental responsibilities, such questions become an inevitable part of everyday life and represent a healthy process of growth in our parental role, as they open space for new perceptions and changes, thus allowing room for our expansion and redefinition of our approaches.
The most important thing we need to learn is how to recognize how much attention we should give to this question. Is it just a momentary doubt that needs to be addressed quickly before it starts to grow deeper, or is there truly a valid reason behind its existence?
Look at the whloe picture
For our baby, crying is a way of communication. Besides signaling hunger, crying can express discomfort, fear, a need for support, warmth, and security. Not every cry is a sign of hunger, although the most common response to crying is breastfeeding.
Babies will most often accept the breast and suckle, but that doesn’t mean sucking happens automatically just because of hunger — babies also suck for self-regulation. Through their sucking reflex, they regulate their emotions and hormones. The closeness to the mother’s body is calming, and the mother’s touch and warmth soothe the baby.
To know if the baby is hungry, we need to look at the whole picture. Important pieces of the picture include the following:
Staying active on the breast
View this post on Instagram
Follow the feeding and observe if your baby is active at the breast and swallowing actively — this means you are in the effective part of the feed, where your baby receives a larger amount of milk.
Watch whether your baby is well positioned at the breast. The latch should be asymmetrical, with the baby able to take a larger portion of the breast tissue and create a good seal. The nose should be free, and the chin should be touching the breast. This way, breastfeeding won’t be painful.
Also, observe your breasts after breastfeeding — notice if you feel any difference. You might not always feel a big difference because after some time the breasts won’t be as full, but you should at least feel some relief or a slight change.
These are the key factors to observe during breastfeeding, not just the time spent at the breast.
Remember: It’s not about how long the baby stays at the breast, but WHAT the baby does while breastfeeding!
Check the diapers
Remember: “If there is an output, there is an input!” — if your baby’s diaper output matches what’s expected for their age, we can assume that your milk is sufficient for your baby. Of course, we monitor all the pieces of the puzzle to see the whole picture!
Check the weight gain
If we have the impression that breastfeeding is going well — the baby is active at the breast, the breasts feel emptied after feeding, the baby has at least 8 active feeds in 24 hours (although I always say our goal should be 10 to 12), and the diapers are wet… then the scale should confirm the impression we have!
The scale should never be the first and only sign of how breastfeeding is going! By the time the baby is weighed, we should already have a general understanding of how breastfeeding is going, and if we think something isn’t right, we should respond accordingly!
… when do we really not have enough milk?
If your impression is different from what’s described above, or if any piece of the puzzle feels uncertain and doesn’t allow you to see the whole picture — seek support.
Increasing milk supply happens in a very simple and natural way — through frequent and effective milk removal. Whether that’s by nursing more often or by pumping, how often, and how — the answers to these questions are always individual.
Working with a professional will help you identify the problem — whether it’s really a matter of milk supply, or if the baby isn’t active enough at the breast. Should the supply be increased, or should the baby be helped to get the milk you already have? Are there any obstacles if you truly don’t have enough milk, and how to overcome them? If you pump, how do you give your milk to the baby?
It’s not uncommon for mothers to start pumping and feeding their milk by bottle, and then the baby begins to refuse the breast, showing a preference for the bottle — sometimes creating breastfeeding problems that might not have existed before.
Here, I would highlight education as a key factor for properly recognizing the specific issue — once we define the problem, it becomes much easier to find multiple solutions for it.
Remember: Education is the best way to tackle any problem, and support given at the right moment can truly shape how your breastfeeding experience unfolds!
