A medical student is taking a test and one of the questions he sees is: “Name the three best advantages of mother’s milk.”
The student immediately writes, “One: It has all the healthful nutrients needed to sustain a baby.
Two: It is inside the mother’s body and therefore protected from germs and infections.”
But the student can’t think of the third answer. Finally, he writes, “Three: It comes in such nice containers.”
Why is it that women don’t have enough milk? Why is it that it’s the most common problem? Are we doing something wrong, or is it just we think we don’t have enough?
I don’t have a problem with this! When my milk comes in after I have a baby, I get so incredibly huge and engorged! Its awkward and even embarrassing how ginormous they are! I feel like I go up 10 sizes!
Its painful. So painful that I can’t even put my arms down. Doing anything hurts at this point!
Then when you’re trying to get this little baby to eat, but can’t because he cant quite get his little mouth around the huge rock hard boob.. It’s quite frustrating and painful.
Not all women have this problem though. Some have a hard time and wait a while for their milk supply to come in. Although it normally comes within 3 to 5 days.
Mothers often think that their baby isn’t getting enough milk (we can’t see how much they are drinking as you would with formula) so we tend to worry and get paranoid. Not every baby is on the perfect feeding schedule or if on any sort of schedule at all. EVERY BABY IS DIFFERENT AND HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS.
But If you are worried about this then look at some of the things to watch for.
- Weigh your baby. If your baby isn’t losing weight you’re doing good!
- Can you see or maybe even hear your baby swallowing as their drinking?
- Do your breasts get softer or smaller after feeds?
- Does your baby have a healthy colour?
- Poops and wets his diaper a few times a day?
Some things can cause your milk supply to decrease such as being sick, stressed, taking medications, having had breast surgery, not having your baby close and keeping the baby on a strict feeding schedule, if you return to work, or having sore nipples which hinder letdown.
Trying to get your milk supply up?
- Make sure baby’s latch is good!! Passafier and supplementing with the bottle can affect a good latch. We want to keep these two things at a minimum when the baby is still very little.
- Pump! Once baby is finished drinking, there is normally about 25% milk still left in the breast. Pump after feedings to drain breast completely, therefore making the breast work harder and make more milk. If you can do this at night-time too that’d be great! Nighttime feeding/pumping can produce higher lactation surges! Try for at least one time a night. (Make SURE you’re able to nap during the day!!!)
- Eat lactation foods! Food such as nuts, ginger, oatmeal, garlic, carrots, and you can even make some lactation cookies!
- Drink your water!! 8 cups a day!
- Certain herbal teas. Such as Mothers milk, (Look for ingredients such as Fennel seed, alfalfa, and Anise seed)
Studies show that only about 2-5% of women can not produce enough milk for their baby’s. Just make sure you’re not doing things to possibly decease your milk supply and you should be good.
If it seems your baby isn’t getting full and constantly eating, baby is probably going through a growth spurt. Which means it wont last forever and your supply will keep up with baby’s demand.
A newborn baby has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three. ~Grantly Dick-Read
How have you increased your milk supply? Do you have advice you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you!
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
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