Natural Ways to Increase Breastmilk Supply
Tips to Improve Milk Production in Nursing Mothers
Aug 4, 2008
A breastfeeding mother who is experiencing a low breast milk supply may feel tempted to give up and switch her child to formula. With a little help, however, mothers who feel very strongly that breastfeeding is the way they want to go can continue to nurse while increasing their milk supply naturally. There are a number of natural tips nursing mothers can follow to increase their milk production.
Make Sure Production is the Problem
Before taking steps to increase her milk supply a nursing mother should make sure that production is the problem. A lactation consultant will be able to tell a mother whether other issues such as poor positioning or latching are making it hard for the baby to get enough milk . The consultant can teach a nursing mother how to rectify this problem.
Nurse More Often and More Effectively
According to Dr. Sears, nursing a baby more often and for longer lengths of time will help increase a woman's milk supply. As breasts are emptied more frequently they will fill more frequently and the supply will increase as demand does.
A woman should nurse even when her breasts do not feel full or heavy because she will still have milk that can be drained. A mother should also try and nurse her baby at night, even if the child does not wake up on his or her own.
Eat Oatmeal
According to lactation consultant Kelly Bonyata with the Kellymom website, oatmeal has potential to increase a woman's milk supply. Though the exact science of why this food works is not known, it is believed that the added iron in the woman's diet, as well as specific components in oat bran, help with milk production. Many nursing mothers have found success trying this.
Try Herbal Remedies
There are a number of over-the-counter herbal remedies available to nursing mothers that increase a woman's milk supply without harming her or the baby. Mothers Milk Tea is a warm drink mothers can ingest that will help increase their milk supply. This usually contains sweet fennel seed, anise seed, coriander seed, spearmint leaf, lemongrass leaf, lemon verbena leaf, althea root, blessed thistle herb, and fenugreek seed. Nursing mothers should purchase this tea, rather than try and make it on their own, to get the right amounts of each ingredient.
If a nursing mother is not comfortable drinking a tea that is full of so many herbs, she can also try taking a fenugreek supplement on its own. This is one of the most powerful milk stimulating herbs and can start in creasing a woman's milk supply starting at 24 hours. A woman who is has a nut allergy should not try this herb, however, as she may have an adverse reaction.
Women who are having problems with a low milk supply should rest easier knowing there are solutions to the problem that do not rely on switching their infant to formula right away. Breastfeeding mothers should make sure they are seeing their pediatrician frequently, however, if the baby is not gaining weight. If the baby is losing too much too fast and alternative methods of increasing milk supply are not working, supplementation might be necessary.
