Low Milk Supply

It’s World Breastfeeding Week! I am passionate about breastfeeding but for many women it is not easy. Last year I wrote about mastitis, if you need support for that you can find the post here: 

One problem with breastfeeding can be the supply – too much causes engorgement and can lead on to mastitis, other women struggle to have enough breast milk to feed their baby.

Today I want to talk about under supply. There can be some myths about not having enough milk, so I want to address them first.

Often, but not always, in the initial stages of breastfeeding the milk comes in and the breasts fill, giving an engorged feeling, and the breasts feel like they are full of milk. Once supply has regulated, the breasts can still feel soft. Sometimes this makes you think there is not enough milk, but what has happened is that your supply has regulated, it does not mean there is not enough milk, instead that the milk will be there at the time you need it.

Another time women think they don’t have enough milk is at times when baby will feed and feed and feed and feed. There can be periods for a few days when it just seems like baby is wanting milk all the time, and this can make you feel like the is not enough milk, that they’re hungry. This happens when baby has a growth spurt. Don’t panic, they are feeding more often to stimulate the breasts to produce more milk, and if you can get through this week it will all settle down again, and they will not be feeding all the time. 

Waking in the night. Most babies do wake in the night, it is an evolutionary mechanism to prevent them from dying in their sleep. When they are older it can also be frustrating that they feed regularly through the night, because they are topping up their daily nutrition, sometimes because they are busy or nosy babies and don’t have the time to feed properly during the day! 

“When I express I only get 30ml!”

Breastfeeding is much more effective than expressing milk, so it is entirely possible that you are producing enough milk for breastfeeding, but getting barely enough when expressing.

How do you know baby is getting enough milk? 

They are having plenty of wet nappies

They are growing – weight or height

However, if you do find them continuing to be hungry, more than just a few days for a growth spurt, they are not growing, or they are always irritable then it is worth considering milk supply and other things.

Assess baby for lip and tongue ties. It is possible that they are not latching well and not able to efficiently suck. Even if there is no tongue tie, making sure baby has a good latch means they can feed more efficiently- and milk is produced according to demand, if they don’t drain the breast then the body will reduce supply. 

This is a brief discussion of some of the factors that may make you think you have a low supply. For a much more comprehensive list go to https://kellymom.com/hot-topics/low-supply/

If you have considered all the factors above, and have assessed you need to increase your supply, let’s talk about what you can do. 

First of all, we need to look at what you are eating and drinking. Are you eating enough and drinking enough? Your calorie needs are increased, you are keeping another human alive, and you need more fluid also.

As well as how much you are eating, we need to consider what you are eating. It’s tough when you are running around and looking after little people to prioritise yourself and good nutrition. But if all you are eating is toast and convenience foods you are not getting the adequate nutrition to make milk for your baby. 

There are foods and supplements reputed to support breastmilk production, and some women have good success and swear by them, while other women don’t find any change. 

Oats is the main food, and there are recipes for breastfeeding biscuits, or just having porridge for breakfast is reputed to help. 

There are nursing teas you can try, and supplements of Fenugreek and Blessed thistle (not to be confused with milk thistle which is a liver support) are also effective for some women. 

There is also a medicine, Domperidone, which is sometimes used as a galactagogue. This is an “off-label” use for this drug, as it is primarily used for nausea and promoting movement of food through the gut, and increasing milk (or causing breastmilk production in a non-lactating person) is considered a side-effect. 

Now let’s bring this back to homeopathy. Homeopathy is most effective when you are looking at the whole picture. If none of the remedies below help you with low milk supply please talk to a qualified Homeopath to find the right remedy for you. There is also a combination remedy by Naturopharm called Milk Flow, which contains Asafoetida 30c, Bryonia 30c, Calc Carb 30c, Phytolacca 60x and Pulsatilla 60x. 

Pulsatilla is one of the most commonly indicated remedies for low milk supply. Emotionally they can be tearful (may even weep while feeding) or have changeable moods, and many of their symptoms can be changeable. They are usually thirstless.

Ricinus Communis is castor oil. Clarke wrote that it could bring on milk in women who had not breastfed for years. Lactation 911, a Lactation consultant from Texas states that you should only use this in a 6c so promote breastmilk, as a 30c is more appropriate for weaning. 

Lac Caninum may be useful if breast milk supply seems to switch from one side to the other. Patricia Hatherley states that women who need Lac Caninum may have more conical shaped breasts, unlike Lac Humanum which has more of a “rounded pendulous shape.” 

Lac Humanum is a remedy made from human breast milk, and is also indicated for low milk supply. They may struggle with feeling alone and trying to find their place in a group – particularly if life has changed with the birth of baby. 

Farrington states that Causticum is indicated when loss of sleep or too much exercise causes a decrease in milk supply. This drop also makes them feel depressed, Causticum can be very idealistic, and this inability to feed their own baby is especially hard on them. 

If you are unsure, or the remedy does not help then please contact me or see your Homeopath for an individualised remedy. 

For help with all things breastfeeding, contact your local La Leche League https://lalecheleague.org.nz. 

In the early postpartum stages you can talk to your midwife, however past 6 weeks your care is transferred to your General Practitioner. Plunket nurses may also be able to help or refer you on to a Lactation Consultant, or you can self refer here: https://www.nzlca.org.nz/find-a-lactation-consultant

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