How to increase milk supply when breastfeeding or pumping?

“Every fed baby is a happy baby!”

First and foremost, don’t stress if you can’t breastfeed. Nowadays, there are formulas that mimic breast milk almost 100% (-minus the antibodies). Here is a comparison table for you to choose the right formula for your baby. However, if you want to increase your milk supply, below are some tips.

On my side, I exclusively breastfed my baby until she was 5 months old. After that, I started supplementing with formula when I realized that in the evening, I had less and less milk for her cluster feeding. My milk supply started to decrease noticeably when I began to sleep through the night.

The first rule of milk production: the more you express, the more you produce! So, when I slept through the night for a week, my production fell by a lot. I tried to pick it up through lactation cookies and Mother’s Milk tea, but in vain. Nothing could bring my supply back until I started to pump again at night.

Increasing milk supply: for exclusively breastfeeding

1. Frequent Nursing:
   • Demand and Supply: The more you nurse, the more milk your body will produce. Aim to breastfeed every 2-3 hours, including during the night.
   • Cluster Feeding: Allow your baby to cluster feed during growth spurts, which can help increase your milk supply.
2. Ensure Proper Latch:
   • Effective Milk Removal: A proper latch ensures your baby is effectively removing milk from the breast, stimulating more milk production.
   • Seek Help: If you’re unsure about your baby’s latch, seek help from a lactation consultant.
3. Stay Hydrated and Nourished:
   • Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated.
   • Balanced Diet: Eat a well-balanced diet rich in nutrients, including foods that are known to support lactation such as oats (this is the lactation cookie that I used), almonds, and leafy greens (I drank the mothers milk tea).
4. Breast Compression:
   • Encourage Milk Flow: Use breast compression techniques while nursing to help increase milk flow and ensure your baby gets enough milk.
5. Avoid Pacifiers and Bottles:
   • Direct Nursing: In the early weeks, avoid pacifiers and bottles to ensure all of your baby’s sucking needs are met at the breast, which helps stimulate milk production.
6. Rest and Relaxation:
   • Reduce Stress: Stress can negatively impact milk supply. Try to rest as much as possible and practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or gentle exercise.
7. Herbal Supplements:
   • Galactagogues: Consider herbal supplements known as galactagogues, such as fenugreek, blessed thistle, and fennel, but consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement.

Increasing milk supply: when you also pumping

If you pump, first make sure you pick a hospital-grade pump, and flanges that are the proper sizes for you and then learn how to pump correctly.

1. Regular Pumping Sessions:
   • Consistency: Pump regularly, ideally every 3 hours, to mimic your baby’s feeding schedule.
   • Night Pumping: Include at least one pumping session during the night to maintain supply. I had my alarm going of every night at 3am and I pumped.
2. Double Pumping:
   • Efficiency: Use a double electric breast pump to pump both breasts simultaneously, which can increase milk production by stimulating more prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production.
3. Power Pumping:
   • Mimic Cluster Feeding: Power pumping involves pumping for 20 minutes, resting for 10 minutes, pumping for 10 minutes, resting for 10 minutes, and then pumping for another 10 minutes. This technique can help increase milk supply over time. Do this especially if you don’t breastfeed.
4. Optimize Pump Settings:
   • Comfortable Settings: Use the highest comfortable suction setting and ensure the pump flanges fit correctly to maximize milk extraction.
5. Hands-on Pumping:
   • Breast Massage: Incorporate breast massage before and during pumping to help with milk flow and increase the amount of milk you express. I use a hands free pumping bra, like this one and while pumping I massage my breast from up towards the nipple to help milk expression.
6. Warm Compress:
   • Stimulate Letdown: Apply a warm compress to your breasts before pumping to stimulate letdown and improve milk flow. I used these breast packs after I microwaved them. Warm shower before pumping also worked great for me.
7. Hydration and Nutrition:
   • Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water and maintain a balanced diet to support milk production.
   • Lactation Foods: Include lactation-boosting foods and supplements, such as fenugreek, oatmeal, and brewer’s yeast.
8. Track Your Progress:
   • Monitor Output: Keep track of your pumping output to identify patterns and adjust your pumping schedule as needed.
9. Rest and Stress Reduction:
   • Relaxation Techniques: Practice stress-reducing activities such as yoga, meditation, and ensuring you get enough sleep.
10. Professional Support:
    • Consult with a lactation consultant for personalized advice and support tailored to your specific situation.

Lactation support (increase milk supply)

Here is a recipe to make your own lactation cookies: Best Lactation Cookies.

Massage & Hot pads

You got this mama!