How to increase breast milk lactation?

If a mother has doubts about the amount of milk that her baby sucks from her breast, you should not rush to buy milk formula. First you should try the means of helping to increase the production of breast milk in the female body.

It is possible to determine that the baby receives an insufficient amount of milk from her mother's breast in the following ways:

1. Counting the number of urinations of the infant per day. The diaper is removed to the baby and the number of diapers that the child has soaked during the day is counted. If there were 10 or more, and the urine is light, then there is no problem with the amount of milk.
2. Weighing baby. It is recommended to be held once a month, evaluating the increase. A normal increase is considered to be from 500 grams. Weighing every day or before feeding, as well as immediately after it, are not an objective indicator.

Several reflexes based on the action of hormones such as oxytocin, as well as prolactin, are responsible for the production of milk, as well as its release from the female breast. The first link of such reflexes is breast sucking by a baby. It affects the nerve receptors in the chest, which give signals to the woman’s brain and stimulate the production of hormones. The released hormones, on the one hand, reduce muscle cells in the glandular tissue of the breast so that the milk moves toward the nipple (oxytocin acts this way), and on the other hand, it stimulates the production and accumulation of milk in the breast before the next feeding (this is how prolactin acts). Read more about this in another article about how breast milk is formed and when it appears.

As the baby grows, mothers have periods when milk is produced less than the crumbs require. Such periods are called lactational crises. Most often they are observed at 3-6 weeks after childbirth, at the third, fourth, and seventh, eighth months of breastfeeding. They usually last three or four days and have no effect on the health of the crumbs. During these crises, the baby begins to suck more often, which acts as an incentive for increasing milk production in the breast. And literally in one or three days, the baby begins to receive milk in sufficient quantity for it.

The true lack of milk production is determined only in 5% of women and is often caused by their health condition. In other cases, a decrease in lactation causes the following reasons:

• The lack of a positive psychological attitude to breastfeeding.
• Irrational food.
• Stress and adverse situations in the family.
• Rare feedings.
• Incorrect attachment.
• Feeding baby on schedule.
• Unreasonable introduction of supplemental milk formula.
• Feeding up the newborn with water.
• Use dummy.

No need to worry if:

• The child did not gain weight in a week. Orientation should be on the increase for a 2-week period.
• The chest has become softer and smaller in volume. This is a sign that the mammary glands produce exactly as much “nutrition” as the baby needs. When the crumb was born, the breast began to produce milk in excess, since “I didn’t know” how much food your karapuz needed.
• If the child was born large. Breast milk in her mother's breast is enough even for very large babies. In addition, breastfeeding helps prevent such babies from developing rickets and obesity.
• Baby asks breast very often. This happens if the baby sucks only the milk that comes first - “front”. It is more liquid and rich in carbohydrates. If the baby-dog requests to feed him earlier than in 1.5 hours, we advise you to give him the same breast for its fuller emptying and for the baby to get the “back” milk rich in fats.
• Strained milk looks "lean." In fact, breast milk is very different from the usual white and thick cow milk. But the wateriness and pallor of women's milk do not at all indicate his “poverty”. It is impossible to judge by the type of milk its composition.

The first action of the mother, who began to worry about the insufficient intake of toddler breast milk, should be to check the correctness of attachment, as well as the correctness of the feeding regimen.

In addition to frequent attachments, lactating mothers are advised:

• Feed the baby from each breast for a long time. So the baby will receive milk from the back of the gland, and due to the complete emptying of the milk will come more.
• To change the breast when feeding, so that the crumb did not quickly fall asleep. Also periodically let the baby burp the air. So your baby will stay vigorous all the feeding and fully empty the breast. In addition, you can give the baby both breasts, then walk with your child for 10-15 minutes, preventing them from falling asleep, and again give both breasts.
• Do not forget about bodily contact. Mom needs to be naked to the waist and attach to the breast of a naked child. As a result, the hormones responsible for lactation will be released more from tactile sensations and stimulation of the skin receptors.
• Discard bottle feeding and use of pacifiers. The baby sucks them differently and can "confuse the nipple." The result can be a painful seizure of mom's breasts and ineffective sucking.

Sometimes mother simply enough to increase the amount of fluid that she drinks during the day. You can drink ordinary water, and tea with added milk, and various beverages that have lactogonic components.On sale now you can find special teas for women who are breastfeeding, for example, Hipp instant drinks.

It is noted that lactations contribute to drinks from carrots. You can drink carrot juice, adding to it the juices of fruits and berries, honey, cream. You can also finely grated vegetable in the amount of 3-4 tablespoons pour a glass of hot milk and drink immediately.

Breast, which just gave the baby should be massaged under running water in a warm shower. Treat the breast with water should be 5-10 minutes, while the movement of the jet should be circular and directed from the nipple to the outer borders of the mammary glands.

You can also massage the breast with castor oil. Smeared with oil palm, clasp the chest and make a circular rubbing movement. In this case, much pressure on the chest is not necessary. You should also prevent oil from entering the areola area.

At bedtime, a nursing mother can make a bath for the mammary glands. Pouring hot water into a large container, you need to bend down to it as low as possible and lower the chest into the water. Keep your breasts in hot water for 15 minutes, then wipe, put on linen made of natural fabric and immediately go to bed.

Nursing mothers are not recommended to abuse synthetic drugs, but you can try the effectiveness of tablets, herbs and other drugs.

By dietary supplements that help increase the production of human milk, include various complexes of vitamins and other nutrients that affect the level of lactation (different herbs, royal jelly and others). For example, such means are Laktogon and Apilaktin.

One of the homeopathic remedies that are effective in enhancing lactation is considered to be Mlecoin. This means in granules, which is taken before meals. A nursing mother can use it for the entire period of breastfeeding.

For women who are breastfeeding, a doctor observing them during pregnancy usually prescribes multivitamin complexes. The duration of taking such vitamin supplements will be determined by the duration of breastfeeding.

The ability to improve lactation is noted in fennel, cumin, nettle, anise, dill and some other herbs. Of these, they usually prepare tea, decoction or infusion. For example, 15 g of cumin seeds are poured with a liter of hot water, lemon is added (it must be cleaned and cut) and sugar (100 g). After boiling the liquid for 5-10 minutes, filter it and drink it chilled during the day. For the infusion of anise or dill seeds, raw materials are poured with boiling water and left for an hour. Strained drink consumed 2 tablespoons.

It is noted that every woman is helped by “own” grass. The action of herbal remedies can be noted after half a day. If the tool did not help, you can try to brew another herb.