If you are a new parent, then you must be wondering what all the fuss is about milk. As soon as your little one was born, you were told that eating and drinking anything other than breastmilk will only hinder your child’s growth. But as a new parent, did you know that your baby doesn’t eat enough or maybe too much milk? If your answer is no, then keep reading because you may not know this but there are many reasons why your breastmilk supply is low and what to do about it. So let us take a look at some of the possible reasons why your milk supply is low and how to solve them so that your supply gets better again.
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What is a low milk supply?
Let’s figure out why your supply is low and how to increase it. If you have a low breast milk supply, then your baby is not drinking enough breast milk. It’s not that your breasts are not producing at all, they actually produce a lot of breastmilk, it’s the fact that your baby isn’t able to drink enough of it. Let’s look at why your breastmilk supply is low and how you can increase it again.
Your baby is not able to get the right amount of breastmilk because of one of the following reasons:
- Your baby is not able to process certain foods as efficiently as you do
- Your baby is not able to get the right tongue movements to drink breastmilk efficiently
- Your baby is not comfortable drinking breastmilk and there could be many more reasons
How to increase your breastmilk clarity and supply
As a new parent, one of the most important steps you need to take is to increase your breast milk supply. There are various things you can do to increase your supply a little bit.
- Feed your baby on schedule – Your baby needs to be fed at a certain time and not anything before or after that.
- Limit the liquids your baby is drinking – Breastmilk is the best drink your baby can have. When your baby drinks too many other drinks, he or she loses interest in breastmilk and gets confused.
- Make sure your baby is not extremely hungry when he or she is eating – Babies are like little explorers. They explore their surroundings for a good few hours before they finally feel hungry enough to eat. Offer your baby breastmilk at least 30 minutes before you plan to give him or her the bottle.
- Breastfeed whenever and wherever you are supposed to. – Create a warm and relaxed environment for your baby to drink breastmilk.
Random things that can keep your breastmilk supply low
- Your breastmilk has gone bad – This can happen for a few reasons, if you have been drinking a lot of water, breastmilk can get diluted or your breastmilk has gone bad, it can happen. The good thing is that it is easy to tell if your breastmilk has gone bad, if your baby doesn’t like the taste, or if they have bad tummy aches while drinking, then your breastmilk has gone bad.
- You are not comfortable breastfeeding your baby – If you are not comfortable breastfeeding your baby and you are worried that you won’t be able to do it for a long time, then your supply will be affected. Try to get comfortable and make it a habit to breastfeed.
- You are not producing enough milk – If you are producing less milk than what your baby needs, then your supply will be affected. Try to increase your milk production by taking care of your diet and taking walks in the park.
3 ways to improve your breastfeeding skills
- Practice makes perfect – This is a no-brainer to improve your breastfeeding skills, learn all the techniques and try to do it as often as possible.
- Get support – One of the best ways to improve your breastfeeding skills is to get support from a lactation consultant.
- Breastfeed with a friend – Breastfeeding with a friend is helpful in many ways, that includes helping you to improve your breastfeeding skills.
Tips for Increasing Your Breastfeeding confidence
- Make breastfeeding a daily habit – If you are not comfortable breastfeeding every 2 hours, then try to increase it to 3 hours or 4 hours, but make sure that you do it every day. When you make it a daily habit, you will feel more confident and relaxed while breastfeeding.
- Make sure that you are hydrated – Make sure that you are hydrated while breastfeeding, if you are feeling thirsty, then make sure you drink some water.
- Make sure that you have eaten something before you breastfeed – Make sure that you have eaten something before you breastfeed, if you are feeling spicecinemas, then eat something.
- Make sure your baby is comfortable – Make sure your baby is comfortable while breastfeeding, if he or she is fussy or uncomfortable, then try to calm him or her down.
- Make sure that your baby is well supported by the pram – Make sure that your baby is well supported by the pram and not too close to the ground, if he or she falls from the pram, then try to pick him or her up and put him or her back in the pram.
- Make sure that your baby is swaddled – Make sure that your baby is swaddled while he or she is sleeping, if your baby is not sleeping well, then try to calm him or her down.
- Make sure your baby’s environment is well-ventilated – Make sure that your baby’s environment is well-ventilated and that there are no strong smells in the room.
- Make sure your baby is wearing the recommended clothes – Make sure that your baby is wearing the recommended clothes and that he or she is wearing the recommended shoes.
- Make sure your baby is well-fed – Make sure that your baby is well-fed before your 2-hour break and make sure that your baby is also swaddled while he or she is eating.
- Make sure that your baby is well-rested – Make sure that your baby is well-rested before you go back to work and that he or she is also well-fed while he or she is sleeping.
Conclusion
There are many reasons behind low milk supply, but the most common one that many new parents face is low milk supply. This happens when your body is not producing enough milk, and you can easily get it back by eating nutritious foods and following a healthy diet. There are many things you can do to improve your breastmilk supply, but one of the most important things is to feed your baby on a schedule and make sure that he or she is hydrated and properly rested. Now that we have gone through some of the most common reasons behind low milk supply, let’s take a look at some of the ways you can increase your milk supply again.