Low milk supply while breastfeeding may be caused by health conditions, medications, or delivery problems. It’s important to determine the cause before seeking treatment. Consulting a doctor, pediatrician, or lactation specialist can help. Increasing breastfeeding sessions, changing breasts more frequently, and using a breast pump can help increase milk production. In the meantime, supplementing with formula may be necessary.
Determine if you really are experiencing low milk supply while breastfeeding and the cause, before looking for ways to treat the problem. Certain health conditions, such as hormone and thyroid problems, can cause a mother to produce less breast milk. The same goes for drugs and contraceptive methods that contain estrogen. However, many nursing mothers who suspect they are not producing enough milk are actually dealing with delivery, rather than production, problems. Your doctor, baby’s pediatrician, and even a lactation specialist can help you determine the cause of your breastfeeding problems and ways to treat them.
Some experts believe that experiencing low milk supply while breastfeeding is rarer than new mothers think. For example, in many cases nursing mothers will notice that their breasts are less full and assume they are not producing enough milk, when in fact their bodies are simply adjusting to their babies’ eating habits. Also, a baby experiencing a growth spurt will want more milk than usual, and until the mother’s body recovers it will appear as though she is producing a low milk supply. Other breastfeeding issues unrelated to healthy breast milk production are related to childbirth issues. Such problems include improper latch on the nipple.
If your baby is healthy and active, nurses every two to three hours, and produces a typical amount of urine and stool for her age, chances are she’s getting enough milk. You can also pay attention to signs such as audible swallowing and milk in the corners of the mouth. Your baby’s pediatrician will be able to check for other signs that your baby is getting enough milk, such as regular weight gain.
Because producing low milk supply while breastfeeding is rare but not impossible, it’s important to understand the causes. You can experience low milk supply if your baby doesn’t feed often due to attachment issues or lethargy. Your problems, such as cracked and sore nipples, may cause your baby to breastfeed less frequently and your milk supply to decrease. Birth control pills can reduce milk production, as well as some diseases and hormonal disorders. If you suspect you may have breastfeeding issues and any of these factors are present, consider making an appointment with both your doctor and your baby’s pediatrician.
There are several ways that nursing mothers can deal with the problem of low milk supply while breastfeeding. In any situation, the first step is to rule out or treat any medical conditions causing low milk production, including hormonal and thyroid problems. Also, you should talk to your doctor about stopping any medications that may be causing breastfeeding problems.
Once these reasons are eliminated, you may want to consult a lactation consultant. This professional can examine both you and your baby and offer suggestions to help your body make more milk and help your baby get more milk than your body is making. Such suggestions might include increasing the number of breastfeeding sessions per day, changing breasts more frequently, and using a breast pump to make sure the breasts are fully drained after feeding.
Until your body can ramp up milk production, you may need to pay more attention to your baby’s nutrition. This is true whether you seek professional help or are working on increasing milk production yourself. Talk to your baby’s pediatrician about introducing formula or some other approved nutritional supplement for babies.
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