Breastfeeding is a very important stage for new mothers. Mother's breast milk perfectly strengthens the immune system and improves the development of the baby.
Sometimes, a nursing woman does not have enough milk to fully feed the baby or the milk is low in calories, which indicates that the baby is not eating enough. If a child does not finish his quota, he becomes capricious and restless, sleeps poorly and cries constantly.
Breastfeeding helps the baby establish contact with the closest and dearest person - the mother; he recognizes her by her smell and feels safe under his mother’s wing. If breast milk is still not enough, how to increase lactation? Let's try to figure it out point by point.
What is lactation?
Lactation is the process of the appearance of breast milk in the mammary glands. Lactation is unstable for the first three months and it is difficult to talk about the amount of milk; after three months the process improves and breast milk arrives steadily and evenly, which is enough to fully feed the baby.
The process of milk production in women depends closely on the needs of the baby; scientists have proven that with proper feeding, the amount of milk produced is sufficient to saturate the baby’s body.
In 80% of women, lactation is disrupted; this can be caused by: nervousness and emotional instability of the mother, improper attachment of the baby to the breast, lumps on the woman’s breast, previous illnesses during feeding, and much more.
For the mother, the flow of milk is accompanied by a slight pinpoint tingling sensation in the mammary glands. This is a normal reaction of the body. The more massage movements you make, the more milk flow increases.
Tablets can only be used as prescribed by a doctor; you should not make prescriptions for yourself. In any case, tablets are a last resort. To improve lactation, a nursing mother should follow simple tips, which we will consider below.
Many young mothers come to the doctor with the question of how to increase lactation. The production of breast milk is an individual and very specific issue, since a woman’s body is a complex system.
The simplest and most proven way to increase lactation is to learn to live in harmony with yourself, not to be nervous, to avoid sharp corners and to receive more positive emotions. The psychological state of a nursing woman directly affects the supply of breast milk.
Walking in the fresh air greatly improves your mood and thereby improves milk flow. It is recommended to walk at least two hours a day. The optimal time to saturate the body with energy.
Even with the busiest day and troubles, a young mother should find time to do what she loves. For example, visit a cosmetologist, bake your husband’s favorite pie, go shopping. At this time, the husband or grandparents can take the child for a walk.
Grandsons, an excellent antidepressant and magically relieves fatigue and fatigue. If you do everything unconditionally, then lactation does not require medications and pills to increase milk.
Improve lactation with your own hands
To increase lactation, use self-massage. Great and free method. You will need to lubricate your hands generously with oil, you can use baby oil, and then rub the mammary glands with light massaging movements.
The oil should not get on the nipple itself, since the baby has close contact with it. So as not to cause breast aversion or poisoning. Massage should be carried out 3-4 times a day; during the massage, the breasts warm up and the flow of milk increases significantly.
One massage will not be enough to get the full effect, so carry out massage treatments regularly until your lactation improves.
Important! Adequate nutrition for a nursing mother is the key to successful breastfeeding of a baby.
To increase lactation, high-calorie home-cooked food will be beneficial. During breastfeeding, you should not go on diets or starve.
Important! The figure is a figure, and the baby’s health comes first. Include foods in your diet: weak tea with condensed milk or green tea with honey.
The tea must be hot. You can also use special tea to increase lactation; it contains medicinal herbs, thanks to which the flow of milk increases.
Carrot or currant juice. Freshly squeezed juices are a wonderful vitamin complex for the health of the baby and mother. Add juices to your diet gradually, in small quantities, and monitor your child’s reaction.
Sometimes they cause an allergic reaction and rash, everything is very individual.
Low-fat meat soups, broths. Chicken or beef are great for soups. It is better not to fry the soup, but boil the vegetables well, avoid hot herbs and spices.
How to increase the amount of breast milk with seeds? The seeds can be compared to a folk drug. They contain many nutrients that promote lactation. The seeds contain a huge amount of fatty acids.
Pumpkin or sunflower seeds can replace a bunch of products due to their rich and healthy composition.
Water is the source of vital energy
How to increase lactation with water? It's simple. Of course, tap water will do little to solve the problem, but purified water will do a great job. During the feeding period, a woman must drink up to 3 liters of water per day.
For many, this figure seems overwhelming, but proper distribution of fluid throughout the day proves the opposite. It is recommended to drink 3-4 sips of water 10-15 minutes before each feeding.
In the morning, when you get out of bed, 1-1.5 glasses of water. Moreover, when breastfeeding, women often experience thirst, and dehydration of the body cannot be allowed.
How to stimulate lactation with the help of medications? Gynecologists advise taking apilak tablets, the basis of the tablets is honey, a very useful ingredient for a nursing mother.
Should be taken three times a day. After just a couple of days of taking the pills, milk flow increases significantly. If the situation has stabilized, you don’t have to take the pills, the main thing is that they have no contraindications.
Apilak perfectly stimulates the increase in breast milk, especially in firstborns. Perhaps the woman’s body has not completely rebuilt itself and the process of milk arrival is slowed down.
Place your baby on your breast as often as possible; even a couple of drops of breast milk can replace synthetic formula for your baby. Adjust the child 10-11 times per day. Avoid hunger, eat healthy foods, and consult your pediatrician if necessary.
Choose the most comfortable position for yourself when breastfeeding, then the baby will be able to properly grasp the nipple without tension and enjoy breast milk and the warmth of the mother.
There is no need to wean the baby from the breast when he is still wet. Give the child the opportunity to release the nipple on his own, do not rush him, let him enjoy and eat his meal.
The doctor is a reliable ally
Don't be afraid to ask your doctors questions about lactation topics, such as how to improve your lactation or how to increase your breast milk supply.
A qualified specialist will be happy to answer all your questions and give practical advice. The future of your baby depends on your adequate breastfeeding.
Important! Remember that a healthy lifestyle is encouraged not only during breastfeeding, but throughout life in general.
Eliminate alcohol and cigarettes from your life. A woman who smokes does not inspire confidence in men, especially if you are breastfeeding. It’s better to eat a piece of natural dark chocolate or a banana, there will be much more benefits and moral satisfaction.
Feed your baby with pleasure, he feels and understands everything, even though he is very small and defenseless. You can increase the amount of breast milk in a thousand ways, the main thing is your desire and desire.
Breast volume does not matter for adequate feeding of a baby. If a woman feels that milk is disappearing, she should pay attention and take immediate action.
Doctor Komarovsky about breastfeeding (video)
How to increase lactation? (video)
How to improve lactation? (video)
- Is there a lot of milk? – asked the pediatrician who came to us from the clinic the day after we returned from the maternity hospital. Since he was a man, I was not eager to discuss breastfeeding issues with him. Moreover, the lump - dear and sweet - sucked without interruption for days on end, with breaks only for sleep. It was really easy to think that she couldn’t get enough to eat.
“You probably don’t have enough milk,” diagnosed a friend who fed two children. “Even for me, with my breasts,” she continued, emphasizing the word MY (it was about size, as I understood it), and even then the first daughter was malnourished in the first month. In general, the seed of doubt was sown, and I began to read.
“Most women are able to produce as much milk as is necessary for successful breastfeeding. True hypogalactia occurs in only 5 percent of young mothers, and is associated with serious hormonal imbalances.” That is, if there is still not enough milk, you need to find the cause and eliminate it.
How do you know if your baby has enough food? Firstly, if he is hungry, he will scream 24 hours a day, and even the most inexperienced mother will sooner or later understand that the child just wants to eat. If he didn’t poop, it’s not his tummy that hurts – it’s hunger that torments the baby. If the baby is not screaming and seems alive and happy with life, but you continue to be tormented by doubts, you can do a wet diaper test. A baby should pee at least 12 times a day. So take off the diaper and go ahead and count. If you feel sorry for your Persian carpets, you can calculate approximately. A child who has enough milk fills 5-6 full diapers per day (they must be really heavy). In addition, the baby should return to birth weight by about the tenth day of life, and then steadily gain weight (minimum limits can be easily found).
If the doctor nevertheless diagnoses that your baby really does not have enough milk, you need to understand why there is not enough milk. Perhaps the baby was not put to the breast immediately after birth or was not fed often enough. Try to get into the right rhythm and feed on demand. Sometimes the cause is undeveloped ducts in the mother or improper latch in the baby. In this case, lactation consultants will help you. There is also an opinion that the lack of milk may be associated with the diet of the mother herself. Make sure you eat enough proteins, vitamins, and it is also important to drink a lot, up to 3 liters of warm liquid per day. What drink? Lactation is stimulated by caraway seeds, fennel, and dill. You can buy special teas for nursing at the pharmacy. Just tea will do - not hot, but rather warm.
The most important thing to remember is that the attitude and frequent application are important. It is often said that “he who does not want to feed has no milk.” Perhaps this is too categorical, but milk may well be produced in insufficient quantities if you are afraid that your breasts may lose shape, for example. If the mood is there, the baby will get himself the required amount of food. Just give him this opportunity. Remember that night feedings are especially important - from 3 to 8 am.
A caring mother will always strive to ensure that her child is healthy and happy. She is ready to give her baby all the best. However, many young mothers often have a question: how to increase breast milk lactation?
After all, its lack can affect the health and mood of the child. First, it’s worth understanding why lactation is decreasing and what are the signs of a lack of milk.
Mother's milk or formula?
There is no doubt that breast milk is the best nutrition for a baby. After all, it contains all the necessary components:
- Essential amino acids, including the amino acid taurine. This substance is necessary for the maturation and normal development of the visual organs and nervous system. Albumin predominates in breast milk. These are proteins that are small in size and help digest larger proteins - casein.
- Lymphocytes, phagocytes, lactoferin, lactoperoxidase, immunoglobulins, nucleotides, enzymes, and hormones.
- Fatty polyunsaturated acids, including arachidonic, linolenic and linoleic. They ensure the stability of cell membranes. These components are necessary for the formation of mucous membranes and skin in newborn babies.
- Vitamins D, K, E and A. These substances are necessary for the normal development and growth of the child’s body.
- Phosphorus and calcium. They are necessary for the normal absorption of vitamin D, as well as for normal mineral metabolism. Thanks to these substances, the risk of developing rickets is reduced (more about rickets in infants >>>).
- Beta-lactose. Promotes normal development of intestinal flora. This allows you to protect your baby from dysbacteriosis.
All of these substances are very important for a newborn baby. Infant formula does not allow you to fully saturate the baby’s body with useful components. If the amount of milk has sharply decreased, the problem should be solved immediately.
Only 2.8% of women are unable to feed a child with their own milk. And this is due to the physiological structure of their organs.
So how to increase lactation while breastfeeding?
A short video on this issue:
Signs of low milk supply
Lactation is a complex process that requires some control. There are a number of factors that can affect the amount of milk produced by the mammary glands. How to determine its lack?
Here are some main signs:
- Child's weight. If your child does not gain weight or gains less weight than normal, then you should think about it. The baby should regain its original weight two weeks after birth.
- Number of urinations. You can tell by wet diapers or panties. If a child over 10 days old urinates less than 10 times in 24 hours, this is an alarming sign. Ideal if the number of urinations during the day is 12 or more.
- Very rare stool in a baby can also be considered an indirect sign of a lack of breast milk.
Basic principles of breastfeeding
To prevent lactation from decreasing, several basic principles of feeding should be followed:
- Within an hour after birth, the baby should be attached to the breast. This stimulates the production of colostrum and then milk.
- The baby must latch onto the breast correctly.
It is very important to teach him this. In one of the video lessons of the “Breastfeeding Secrets” course, you will learn how to properly breastfeed your baby and learn comfortable feeding positions.
If breast latch is not corrected, this will lead to poor breast stimulation, abrasions and cracks.
- Organization of the regime.
For a small child, a regimen is not needed. Put the clock in the far corner of the room, and apply the baby at his request. Frequent breastfeeding in the correct position helps increase milk production.
- The baby knows perfectly well how much milk he needs and when he is full. Therefore, do not limit feeding to a time frame.
- You should not refuse to put your baby to your breast at night. This allows you to increase lactation. Try to feed at least 3-4 times at night.
- It is not recommended to bottle feed your baby. The baby may refuse to breastfeed altogether. After all, sucking milk from it is more difficult than from a bottle.
Remember how a house is built: first we lay a strong, solid, reliable foundation, and then build a beautiful house on it.
So it is here: you can increase the amount of breast milk by following the above breastfeeding rules. In addition, study the video course “Secrets of Breastfeeding” so that your milk comes in and your baby has enough of it.
How to improve lactation? Important Products
For good lactation, you need to regulate your diet.
Typically, nursing mothers are prescribed a special diet. In general, during the period of breastfeeding, the diet should include foods such as:
- porridge with fruit, preferably buckwheat or oatmeal;
- fish, eggs, meat;
- raw and boiled vegetables (onions, radishes, carrots, pumpkin, etc.);
- nuts (pine, walnuts and almonds);
- royal jelly, honey;
A young mother should give up mayonnaise, smoked products, as well as dishes flavored with a lot of spices.
Various drinks
There are other ways to increase lactation. They cannot be classified as basic, but nevertheless they can provide temporary assistance to the body.
Start monitoring your drinking regime, drink at least two liters of liquid during the day. In this case, you should not take into account dairy soups and drinks. It is best to drink water or tea. So, how to increase lactation for a nursing mother with the help of drinks? Start drinking more drinks such as:
- green tea;
- compote made from fresh or dried fruits;
- tea made from herbs that increase lactation (anise, cumin, oregano, dill, and so on);
- fresh juices;
- carrot infusion;
- oatmeal broth;
- nut milk;
- blueberry or black currant juice.
Dill water is considered no less useful. This drink helps stimulate lactation and helps relieve constipation in the baby. All drinks must be warm, but not very hot.
Drink more clean water without gases.
Pharmacy products
There are situations when proper and balanced nutrition does not allow increasing lactation. As a result, breastfeeding becomes much more difficult. In this case, you can add pharmaceuticals as a temporary measure. The most effective are:
- Tea to increase lactation: “Granny’s Basket”, “Hipp”, “Lactavit”.
- Dietary supplements "Lactogon", "Apilak". They are made from milk-bearing herbs and royal jelly of bees. Many also recommend Femilak, which is a source of protein.
- Vitamin complexes that are developed specifically for nursing mothers.
- Homeopathic remedies that can not only increase, but also maintain lactation during constant stress and nervous tension. Such drugs include Pulsatill and Mlekoin.
Before taking any drug, you should seek advice from specialists. Do not forget that many drugs have a number of contraindications and can cause side effects.
ethnoscience
How to increase breast milk lactation using folk remedies? There are many alternative medicine recipes that can solve this problem. Here are some simple and inexpensive remedies:
- Cumin with sour cream. A pinch of cumin fruits should be softened. Then they need to be added to a glass of sour cream. The composition must be boiled. This one takes no more than 3 minutes. The finished product should be consumed three times a day, one tablespoon at a time.
- Take two tablespoons of dill, oregano, and anise. All this should be poured with a glass of boiling water. The drug must be infused for half an hour. It is worth taking the finished product up to three times a day, one tablespoon at a time.
Only by following all the rules of breastfeeding can you increase lactation and consolidate the result. Do not forget that proper nutrition is important for your baby. Therefore, you should not switch him to baby formula and deprive him of the opportunity to feel maternal warmth.
Women often ask the question - how to increase lactation while breastfeeding at home? Before we start talking about this, let's figure out why breastfeeding is worth actively fighting for. After all, it is the understanding of how important breastfeeding is that motivates a woman not to give it up when problems arise, but to try with all her might to cope with the difficulties.
Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) say that “Virtually all mothers can breastfeed if they have accurate information and support from families and communities, as well as health care systems.” A woman who understands the importance of breastfeeding will do everything necessary to understand what lactation is, how to increase lactation and maintain breastfeeding for as long as possible.
The key argument in favor of breastfeeding is the irreplaceable value of mother's milk for the baby. In the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, WHO experts characterize breast milk as “ideal nutrition for healthy growth and development of infants”.
Why is breast milk the ideal food for a baby? Why is increasing milk lactation a priority in cases of milk deficiency? Because breast milk is a living product containing unique components such as immune cells, protective proteins - immunoglobulins, beneficial bacteria, enzymes, hormones and other substances.
Of course, bottle-fed babies can also grow up to be healthy children. Especially today, when there is a wide choice of formulas adapted to the needs of the infant. They will be able to provide them with the necessary energy for growth and development, structural components for cell construction, vitamins and minerals. However, such children have a more difficult time when faced with unfavorable factors, primarily infection. This is due to a deficiency of valuable resources (immune cells and proteins) that are contained in breast milk and help the body’s own defense mechanisms mature faster and more efficiently. Also, allergic diseases and digestive disorders are much more common in such children.
Thus, the components of breast milk are necessary not only to meet the nutritional needs of the baby, but also directly affect the digestion of food, the formation of protective immune mechanisms, and the regulation of growth and development processes. All these valuable substances can only be transferred from mother to baby during feeding.
In addition, as the baby grows and his needs change, the composition of breast milk also changes. Thus, no matter how highly developed the technology, not a single formula manufacturer is able to produce such a perfect product, optimally adapted to the constantly changing needs of the baby, as breast milk.
Famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky, talking about the benefits of natural feeding, emphasizes a number of its advantages over mixed or artificial:
- Breast milk is the ideal purity of food. There is no risk that microbes will get into the baby's food, which can cause an intestinal infection. This is very important because in the child’s body, especially in the first weeks and months of life, the mechanisms that help resist dangerous microbes have not yet matured.
- Breast milk has a temperature that is most comfortable for the baby.
- Breast milk contains not only all valuable substances, but also enzymes that help digest and absorb them.
- Mother's milk contains a huge number of immune factors that protect the baby's body from viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
- Breastfed children are much less likely to suffer from allergic diseases due to the optimal protein structure (cow's milk proteins are foreign to the baby's body, and therefore often provoke allergic reactions).
Evgeniy Olegovich also draws attention to the fact that with natural feeding, the mother has virtually no inconvenience when feeding the child outside the home: she always has healthy food for the baby with her, which does not need to be heated, sterilized, etc. Also, a significant advantage of breastfeeding is financial savings: purchasing high-quality artificial formula is a serious expense for the family budget, while breast milk is given to us by nature absolutely free.
Why is it necessary to know what increases milk lactation, and how you can take care of maintaining breastfeeding? Because babies who receive mother's milk, as a rule, develop motor skills faster, begin to crawl and walk earlier, and learn the world faster, which has a beneficial effect on their mental development. It has also been proven that children who receive mother's milk have higher intellectual development than those born artificially. (Kildiyarova R.R. 2011).
Another argument in favor of the fact that in case of insufficient lactation you need to look for a way to increase milk production in a nursing mother is the importance of breastfeeding not only for the baby, but also for the woman herself. The textbook “Pediatrics” (edited by Shabalov) presents the following positive aspects of breastfeeding for a woman:
- Providing the best conditions for the rapid recovery of a woman immediately after childbirth (subject to early attachment of the baby to the breast) - contraction of the uterus, reducing the risk of uterine bleeding;
- If you follow a diet (the absence of a large amount of fat in the diet of a nursing mother), breastfeeding helps to reduce weight in a woman, prevent obesity and metabolic disorders;
- Reducing the risk of developing malignant diseases of the genital organs (ovaries, mammary glands)
An unconditional argument in favor of breastfeeding for a woman is the joy of feeling close to the baby, which is difficult to experience in any other way. During breastfeeding, a woman often experiences an increase in self-esteem and self-confidence. So, talking about how and how to increase lactation, Dr. Komarovsky focuses on the importance of breastfeeding for a woman’s self-realization.
The baby you breastfeed will very quickly prove to you that you are a real woman, explains the doctor. - No man, no matter how Casanova he may be, is able to do this.
What is the danger of a situation when a child does not have enough breast milk?
So why is the situation dangerous when the mother does not have enough milk? Why is it necessary to know how to quickly increase breast milk lactation so as not to deprive your baby of this valuable food? To understand this better, let's look at some of the consequences of hypogalactia (insufficient milk production) in different areas of a baby's life (based on WHO information "Nutrition of infants and young children", the textbook “Pediatrics” edited by Shabalov, as well as some other sources).
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Sphere of a child's life |
Consequences of lack of breast milk |
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Physical health and development |
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Mental and intellectual development |
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Social development |
In children who have been breastfed for insufficient time (less than 6 months) subsequently, aggressiveness, fears, and problems establishing contacts with others are more often observed. This is due to the fact that breastfeeding gives the baby a sense of security, which allows him to build trust in the world, to be more open, sociable, and friendly. |
It is important to know the reasons why a nursing mother has little milk, since knowing the reasons allows you to find an effective method to eliminate them and thus increase lactation. You can read about the most common reasons.
Lactation after childbirth in the first month
The first month after the birth of a child is the most important time for the formation of lactation. It is the correct behavior of the mother during this period that will help prevent the development of various problems with feeding in the future, understand what increases lactation and what affects it negatively. During the first days and weeks after childbirth, mother and baby get to know each other; at this time, a special physiological and psychological mutual “attunement” of woman and child occurs.
Each baby has its own unique characteristics that a nursing mother must learn to understand. How and when is the best time to breastfeed? How can you tell if your baby is full? How do you know if a newborn has enough milk? What is the reason for his concern? The more a woman is committed to breastfeeding immediately after childbirth, the faster she will learn to understand her baby.
How to increase breast milk lactation in the first month of breastfeeding? The most important point is early attachment of the baby to the breast. Experts from the World Health Organization recommend doing this no later than 30 to 60 minutes after the baby is born. The value of breastfeeding for the development of the baby’s psychological well-being lies in the rapid restoration of the closeness between mother and mother and baby that arose during pregnancy.
Early breastfeeding is beneficial from the point of view of the baby's psychological well-being. It helps restore and strengthen the bond between mother and child formed during pregnancy, gives the baby a sense of security, facilitating mental and physical adaptation to new living conditions. The taste of early milk - colostrum - plays a special role in creating a sense of psychological comfort in a newborn at the first breastfeeding.
According to psychologist, candidate of medical sciences, dealing with the psychological aspects of breastfeeding I.A. Tishevsky, the organs of taste and smell are the first to form in the fetus in the womb. Therefore, taste sensations in a newborn baby are the main source of information about the world. “That is why all newborns recognize the taste and smell of mother’s milk, which is similar in composition to amniotic fluid; children cope with the stress of birth faster and calm down precisely when they are applied to the mother’s breast early.”(I.A. Tishevskoy, “Psychological aspects of organizing breastfeeding of young children”).
Early breastfeeding is also very useful for the development of the child’s physical health. Colostrum is a valuable product, a source of energy, nutritional components, vitamins, and immune components for the baby.
And, of course, early attachment is a powerful impetus to stimulate lactation in the mother. How to increase milk flow after childbirth? Place the baby on the mother's breast immediately after birth. In this case, the nerve endings in the nipples are stimulated, and this activates the production of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the production of milk and oxytocin, which promotes its separation. Thus, early attachment contributes to the rapid activation of the mechanisms of milk production and secretion, which subsequently ensures more stable lactation in the mother (T.E. Borovik, K.S. Ladodo, G.V. Yatsyk, 2008).
Feeding on demand
How to increase breast milk lactation at home in the first month of a child’s life? An important point that allows you to establish the production and separation of mother's milk is feeding on demand. Encouraging breastfeeding not on a schedule, but on demand, is one of the ten principles developed by WHO/UNICEF as guidelines for successful breastfeeding of newborns.
What is demand feeding? The Union of Pediatricians of Russia defines it as a feeding regimen in which the mother gives the baby breasts not according to any schedule, but on demand, including necessarily at night. Feeding on demand is the answer “What can I do to increase lactation in the first month of a baby’s life?”. This is due to the fact that with this feeding regimen, the child receives breastfeeding on average 10-12 times a day (maybe a little more often or less often depending on the individual characteristics of the child). With this frequency of latching, the mother's nipples constantly receive stimulation, in response to which hormones are released that ensure lactation.
How to increase breast milk supply? They will help with this night feedings. The fact is that prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production, is more actively secreted at night. The peculiarity of prolactin is that it is responsible for the formation of milk in the breast, which will be used for the next feeding. Therefore, putting your baby to the breast at night will ensure better milk flow in the morning.
Famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky explains that many mothers (at the suggestion of some breastfeeding specialists) perceive feeding on demand as the baby constantly being at the breast and latching “at the first squeak.” In this case, the number of applications can be up to 30 times a day or more. This often leads to a woman’s overwork, rejection of her social role, and deterioration of her relationship with her husband.
Speaking about how to increase lactation, Komarovsky recommends reasonable feeding on demand in the first month of a child's life. Evgeniy Olegovich suggests putting the baby to the breast often, but not constantly, for example, every hour. At the same time, milk production is fully stimulated, and the mother has time to do other things. After the child turns one month old - and by this time, as a rule, the process of establishing lactation has already been completed, Komarovsky recommends switching to free feeding. In this case, the child is fed according to appetite (including maintaining night feedings), but not more often than once every two hours. The time spent at the breast is limited to 15-25 minutes.
Is it necessary to supplement the child's drinking?
What should you do to increase lactation? Both WHO experts and Russian pediatricians say that to maintain breastfeeding, it is important not to give the child additional liquids, including water, for up to 6 months. The Manual on Natural Feeding of Children, published by the Union of Pediatricians of Russia, states that When breastfeeding, the baby is fully provided with liquid, since mother's milk consists of 83-87% water. Due to the fact that in a newborn baby the centers of thirst and hunger are combined, when consuming additional amounts of liquid (even those that do not contain nutrients), the child feels full and may begin to refuse the breast. And this, in turn, leads to a decrease in lactation.
Pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky explains that breast milk is able to fully compensate for physiological fluid losses. What does it mean? In the process of life, the child’s body constantly loses fluid: it produces sweat, urine, saliva, and digestive juices. Also, a lot of liquid is spent by the baby’s body to humidify the inhaled air. All of this is normal (physiological) fluid loss, which is covered by the water contained in milk.
The problem is that fluid losses are not only physiological, but also pathological, that is, abnormal, unnatural. So if a child is in a room where the air temperature is 30 degrees and the humidity is about 20% (and such conditions are often created in children’s rooms, as parents are afraid that “the child will catch a cold”), then he will additionally spend a huge amount of liquid to humidify the inhaled air and produce sweat.
According to Evgeniy Olegovich, massive overheating of children and dry air, especially in winter during the heating season, are a huge problem. The situation is often aggravated by the fact that adults dress the baby too warmly - they wrap him up, fearing drafts. At the same time, the child sweats and fluid loss increases.
Many lactation consultants (usually without pediatric education and unable to analyze the problem comprehensively) believe that supplementation carries enormous risks for breastfeeding and is therefore unacceptable, explains Dr. Komarovsky. “At the same time, they do not want to see the difference between physiological and unnatural fluid losses. As a result, children suffering from heat and dry air at the height of the heating season (and it lasts for six months in our country!) scream from thirst. Mothers apply their breasts 20 times a night, but do not replace fluid losses. Issues of climate control technology and correct air parameters are often ignored by lactation consultants
What to do in such a situation? Create optimal conditions in the room where the baby is located to prevent additional fluid loss. The air temperature should not exceed 18-20 degrees Celsius, and the humidity should be in the range of 50-70%.
According to Dr. Komarovsky, if the radiator in the room is not equipped with special regulators, you can simply cover it with blankets, rugs, etc. To increase air humidity, you can use special humidifiers and evaporators. Evgeniy Olegovich explains that when the air temperature does not exceed 20 degrees, the baby himself will refuse to drink water.
The desire or unwillingness to drink water is an extremely convenient criterion for answering the question: is there overheating or not. – says Dr. Komarovsky. - He’s healthy, but he drinks greedily, which means he’s overheated.
Thus, to increase milk supply in a nursing mother, it is necessary to exclude unnatural loss of fluid from the baby’s body, requiring supplementation. To do this, you need to take care of creating the right microclimate in the room, providing the baby with cool air saturated with a sufficient amount of moisture, and stopping wrapping the baby up.
It is important to remember that pathological ones also include fluid losses that occur during intestinal infections (if there is diarrhea), with elevated body temperatures associated with respiratory infections and other diseases, etc. Dr. Komarovsky emphasizes that If a child has pathological fluid loss, then it is necessary to supplement him with food! To do this, Evgeniy Olegovich advises using spring or artesian water (which has not been boiled), neutral-tasting mineral water without gas, as well as raisin decoction. It is advisable to supplement with a spoon in between feedings.
Pumping to increase lactation
Will pumping help increase lactation? When it comes to how to increase lactation, there are different reviews about a method such as pumping. According to the basic rules for successful breastfeeding (WHO/UNICEF), with properly organized breastfeeding, milk is produced exactly as much as the baby needs, so there is no need to pump after each feeding.
At the same time, when the question arises of how to increase milk in a nursing mother when its production is insufficient, both WHO experts and Russian pediatricians consider pumping as one of the methods of stimulating lactation (along with frequent breastfeeding). Expressing is recommended after the baby has finished feeding.
Expressing is also necessary in situations such as milk stagnation -, and. In these situations, milk separation is difficult, which aggravates the situation of stagnation. Therefore, with these disorders, it is necessary to express milk from the sore breast to the last drop.
How to increase lactation with a breast pump? A breast pump is an excellent alternative to manual expression; it allows you to spend much less effort on the procedure. According to pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky, the use of electric breast pumps both to increase breast milk in case of insufficient lactation, and in situations with lactostasis and mastitis, can significantly make a mother’s life easier.
Also, thanks to pumping, you can create a supply of breast milk, which is useful in a situation when the mother needs to go away. Also, milk reserves can be very important in the event of a lactation crisis - a temporary shortage of breast milk associated with an increase in the child’s food needs. Lactation crises quite often occur 2-3 weeks after birth.
How to store breast milk after pumping? The best way to store it for a long time is freezing. According to the recommendations of neonatologist, candidate of medical sciences E.K. Budaeva, breast milk intended for long-term storage is best frozen immediately after receiving it in a deep freezer with a constant temperature below 20 degrees Celsius. Milk frozen in this way can be stored for up to 7 months while maintaining all its beneficial properties.
When milk is frozen in a chamber with a constant temperature above 20 degrees Celsius, the shelf life is reduced to 3 months. Breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0 - 4 C for no more than 2 days.
How to warm frozen breast milk before feeding your baby? According to Dr. Komarovsky, The best way is to heat the milk in a “water bath”- the bottle is placed in a container of water standing on the stove. As the water in the container heats up, the milk also warms up. Under no circumstances should you defrost breast milk in a microwave oven, as this will destroy the most valuable components in its composition!
How to increase milk lactation? In order for a mother to successfully breastfeed her baby, she needs to remember that this is a process provided by nature itself to support the life of a newborn baby. Therefore, the best means for increasing lactation are not miracle teas and pills, but frequent breastfeeding and a positive psychological attitude that helps to cope with emerging difficulties.
Also, it can be considered as an effective means for lactation, allowing a woman to recover faster after childbirth, avoid complications, and increase vitality and emotional tone. In addition, when a mother is faced with the question “how to increase the volume of breast milk during feeding?” It is important to remember how to properly organize the breastfeeding process itself, how to attach the baby to the breast. Do not forget about such aspects that affect feeding, such as maternal nutrition, breast massage, etc.
How can you increase milk lactation? As we said above, the best way to stimulate the production of breast milk is for the baby to suckle at the breast. Why are we talking about psychological attitude as the most important factor for maintaining breastfeeding? Because these moments are closely interconnected. The connection between a woman’s ability to breastfeed and her psychological state has been repeatedly emphasized by the famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky.
So, speaking about how to increase the amount of breast milk, Komarovsky explains that the stage of lactation formation, which lasts 2-3 months, is considered the most responsible for establishing and maintaining breastfeeding. A lot depends on how breastfeeding goes during this period.
Often a woman begins to get nervous that the baby does not have enough milk, and begins to feed him, explains Evgeniy Olegovich. – In this case, instead of sucking at the breast and stimulating lactation, the child simply eats up the formula and falls asleep. This, in fact, puts an end to breastfeeding.
The experiences that a woman experiences, in turn, inhibit the production of the hormone oxytocin, which regulates the release of milk from the breast. Thus, a nervous nursing mother essentially starts a vicious circle. The more negative emotions, the less milk she has. The less milk, the more negative emotions.
The most difficult times for nursing mothers are when lactation crises occur, when the baby actually lacks milk. They can be observed at 2-3 weeks, at 2-3 months of the child’s life and later. Lactation crises are not associated with the fact that there is less milk production, but with the fact that due to the baby’s growth, his food needs increase. The woman begins to worry - how to increase milk lactation urgently? Dr. Komarovsky says that in these situations, two factors are important to maintain breastfeeding - constant stimulation of the breast through sucking and a positive attitude.
Sometimes it seems - why put a baby to the breast when there is nothing there? – says Evgeny Olegovich. – Just the opposite, precisely when it seems that there is nothing in the chest, you can and should apply it. Because the very process of intense sucking even on an empty breast sends signals to the lactation center. Wherein The main task for the mother is to maintain the attitude “everything will be fine, the milk will appear now!”
WHO/UNICEF experts in guidance "Breast-feeding. How to ensure success", talking about how you can increase milk lactation, they emphasize that A woman's confidence in her ability to breastfeed is a critical factor for success. What does this confidence consist of and how can a mother maintain a positive attitude, even when faced with difficulties in feeding her baby?
Very important a woman's initial attitude towards breastfeeding– formation of the so-called dominant lactation. Because, as E.O. says. Komarovsky, in humans, most physiological functions are controlled by the cerebral cortex; a conscious attitude towards lactation, combined with physiological restructuring of the body, gives the best results in ensuring long-term breastfeeding.
It is advisable that a woman’s attitude towards breastfeeding be formed during pregnancy (or even better, during pregnancy planning), through studying literature, consultations with medical professionals (preferably participating in WHO/UNICEF breastfeeding programs), and communication with other mothers who successfully implement breastfeeding. Knowing how to properly organize feeding, what problems she may encounter in the process of feeding a baby, and how to overcome them correctly, will help a woman gain confidence in her abilities and set herself up for long-term, full-fledged feeding.
The emotional state of a nursing mother is greatly influenced by the atmosphere in the family. According to pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky, the big mistake of many mothers is the desire to fanatically follow the recommendations of some breastfeeding specialists. The situation when the baby “constantly hangs on the chest”, leaving the woman no time for rest or communication with other loved ones, can lead to a deterioration in the situation in the family. When a mother is concerned only with the same questions - how to maintain breastfeeding, how to increase the amount of milk, all other family members are out of her field of attention.
– Many breastfeeding experts believe that only the mother, mother’s breasts and baby are involved in the lactation process. But besides this, there is also society that influences this system,” explains Evgeniy Olegovich.
Alienation from loved ones leads to a deterioration in the atmosphere in the family, the emergence of conflict situations that adversely affect the emotional state of the nursing mother. Therefore, Dr. Komarovsky advises not to forget that From the moment of birth, a child is a member of the family like everyone else. Therefore, you should not take attention and love for the baby to the extreme, forgetting about everyone else, jumping up to him at night every ten minutes and not leaving him for a second during the day. We need to look for the right balance, the golden mean.
Most often, dads suffer from the attention deficit of a woman who is overly keen on breastfeeding. Unfortunately, men, as a rule, are unprepared for what will happen in the family after the birth of the baby. And if a mother does not find time to give her husband her attention and care, the relationship may be in serious jeopardy. Dr. Komarovsky says that as a result of this approach, situations very often occur when the child is left with milk (although as a result of stress, it is often lost), but without a father.
Therefore, after the end of the neonatal period - the first month of the child’s life - during which, indeed, it is necessary to put the child to the breast very often in order to ensure the formation of lactation, E.O. Komarovsky advises switch to free feeding.
With this regime, the mother retains the opportunity and time to implement social functions and communicate with other family members,” explains Evgeniy Olegovich.
At the same time, it is important for those closest to us - dad, grandparents - to remember that A nursing mother needs emotional support and help with household chores. Unfortunately, there are often situations when during pregnancy a woman is literally “carried in her arms”, and after the birth of the baby she is left alone with her problems. Sometimes, to help a mother increase her milk supply while breastfeeding, you just need to provide her with basic assistance, such as laundry, cleaning, washing dishes, etc. This will give her the opportunity to rest, which will have a positive effect on her emotional state and breastfeeding.
Another problem that a nursing mother often faces is intrusive advice from older family members regarding feeding and child care. Very often, refusal to breastfeed begins with psychological pressure (primarily from grandmothers) that the child does not have enough milk, he is starving, and is gaining little weight. Illiterate advice on how to increase the milk supply of a nursing mother, statements that the baby needs to be supplemented - all this increases stress in a woman who is already experiencing anxiety. And at some point, she may follow the lead of the “advisers” and begin to supplement the baby’s feeding, reducing the chances of maintaining natural feeding.
In order to avoid such situations, a woman should talk in advance (preferably before the baby is born) with potential helpers about modern views on feeding and caring for children. Explain why feeding on demand in the first month of life and free feeding thereafter is the most optimal for the baby and mother. If possible, give literature to your relatives to read, for example, the book by E.O. Komarovsky “The Beginning of Your Child’s Life”, where there is a special chapter dedicated to grandparents. In the book, the doctor explains why some approaches that were effective earlier will not help keep a child healthy today. Evgeniy Olegovich says that children from families in which grandmothers live separately or do not interfere in their upbringing are much less likely to end up in the hospital.
- The most important rule that grandparents must follow: never, under any circumstances, make any decisions regarding the child’s lifestyle, much less impose these decisions on his parents, says Dr. Komarovsky.
Dr. Komarovsky advises the nursing mother to strive to organize her life in such a way that the need for assistants is minimal. Proper organization of the day, according to the pediatrician, will allow you to find time for feeding and activities with the child, and for household chores, and for relaxation, and for self-care, and for communicating with other family members. With this approach, the nursing mother will be able to enjoy the baby and maintain a calm, friendly atmosphere in the family. Which is the most important condition for maintaining breastfeeding.
The source of microvibration in the body is muscle cells. The fact is that in addition to the skeletal muscles that give us the ability to move, there are millions of other muscle cells in the body - they are found in most organs. Muscle cells constantly vibrate - even at rest or during sleep. About 80% of the energy generated in the body is spent on maintaining the functioning of muscle cells, and half of this energy is spent on microvibration at rest. Why does the body expend so much energy to maintain it?
The fact is that all metabolic processes in our body, the delivery of useful substances to tissues and the removal of harmful substances and dead cells depend on the level of microvibration. Microvibration affects the functioning of all organs and systems, but it is especially significant for the state of the lymphatic system (and the closely related immune system) and excretory organs - the liver and kidneys. The main source that provides the body with a high level of microvibration is physical activity. Exercising, walking, swimming - all this allows you to create the necessary microvibration background, which persists even at rest and during sleep.
Maintaining a sufficient level of microvibration is especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding. While carrying a child, a woman needs to provide this most valuable resource not only to her body, but also to the growing body of the fetus. In addition, an additional burden falls on the expectant mother’s excretory organs, because it is necessary to neutralize and remove harmful substances formed both in her body and in the baby’s body.
Why do we talk about microvibration when we consider the question of how to increase breast milk lactation? Because a woman’s milk production is affected by the condition of her body. In the first months of a baby's life, a woman needs a lot of effort to care for her baby. At the same time, many mothers experience fatigue and weakness after childbirth, which negatively affects lactation. Lack of energy also affects the emotional state of a nursing mother, giving her uncertainty about her ability to breastfeed her baby.
How to increase the amount of breast milk in a nursing mother? Increasing the level of microvibration allows you to feel a surge of physical strength, fill yourself with energy, and recover faster after childbirth, which will have a beneficial effect on lactation. But how to do this if a nursing mother does not have enough energy and time for sufficient physical activity? Exercise, regular bathing, daily walks - not every woman has enough energy for this in the first weeks of a baby’s life.
In this situation, vibroacoustic therapy would be the best solution. with help, it helps to compensate for the deficiency of biological microvibration of tissues, to have a beneficial effect on metabolism, immune and regenerative processes. What are the benefits of phonation during breastfeeding?
- allows a woman restore resources faster after childbirth. Increasing the level of microvibration, which is achieved with the help of Vitafon devices, helps to activate the overall tone of the body and gain energy. All this has a positive effect on a woman’s emotional state, which is so important for lactation. That is why vibroacoustic therapy is the choice of women who are thinking about how to recover faster after childbirth, how to maintain breastfeeding if there is little milk. Also, the use of Vitafon devices allows you to restore metabolic processes, which are often disrupted during pregnancy and lactation, which also has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the nursing mother.
- Improving the beneficial properties of milk. How to increase milk flow during breastfeeding and improve its properties? To do this, it is necessary to support the systems responsible for milk production. Thus, the lymphatic and circulatory systems are actively involved in the formation of milk. The circulatory system is responsible for delivering fluid and nutrients to the mammary glands, where milk is produced. The role of the lymphatic system is to remove harmful, processed substances, as well as dead cells, from cells and tissues. Due to the fact that during pregnancy the excretory organs (kidneys, liver) have a double burden, they become overloaded with harmful substances. If this situation persists after childbirth, it may negatively affect milk production. In addition, the state of the lymphatic system is closely related to the functioning of the immune system. At the same time, one of the most important functions of breast milk is to provide the baby with immune cells and protective substances.
- The ability to share a resource with the baby. A newborn baby experiences an acute deficiency of microvibration energy. In the first weeks and months of life, the child is deprived of the opportunity to actively move, that is, to independently compensate for this deficit. The only resource available to him is crying (sound, acoustic microvibration). This is especially true for premature babies, for children born with insufficient muscle mass. Often, such children cannot sleep and constantly scream, because during sleep, background muscle activity decreases and is no longer enough to provide basic support to the body. During breastfeeding, the mother not only satisfies the baby’s hunger, but also intensively exchanges microvibration energy with him. The closest possible physical contact that occurs during feeding allows you to create conditions for the baby that are reminiscent of those in the womb, when the exchange of energy between mother and fetus was very active. In order to fully provide the child with a valuable resource, the mother herself needs to maintain the microvibration energy at the proper level, in which phonation using Vitafon devices can help her.
- Microvibration therapy can also be used directly to improve the health of babies themselves. Resource support has a beneficial effect on the functioning of all organs and systems of the baby. By having a positive effect on the digestive system and accelerating its maturation, vibroacoustic therapy reduces the risk of intestinal colic. Supporting the immune, lymphatic system and excretory organs reduces the likelihood of developing allergic diseases and increases the baby’s body’s resistance to infections. Also, the use of Vitafon devices helps the child recover faster from birth injuries, helps normalize muscle tone, and creates favorable conditions for the development of the baby’s motor and mental activity.
- Prevention and treatment of serous (lactation) and (milk stagnation). These problems often arise during breastfeeding and seriously complicate feeding. Phonics using Vitafon devices allows you to get rid of these complications, helping to eliminate congestion, accelerating the healing of cracks, which are the entrance gates for infection, stimulating general and local immunity. That is why, when analyzing effective means for milk lactation, it is necessary to consider vibroacoustic therapy as a way to support and maintain breastfeeding. You can read more about the treatment of serous mastitis using Vitafon devices; the method of treating lactostasis is described.
The effectiveness of vibroacoustic therapy lies in the fact that it has a positive impact on both general and local resources. What is the best way to use Vitafon devices as a means to increase lactation?
All the important points about the features lactation This should be known not only to young mothers, but also to those who are just expecting the birth of a baby. After all, the mother must be “armed” with information about what it is, what it is lactation crises and what they may be associated with. The article will talk about what lactation is in women, as well as how to improve milk lactation in a nursing mother.
A woman should understand that lactation is a natural process that every mother can improve. And she should try to do this. After all, only 0.01% of women have contraindications to natural feeding. Breastfeeding is very important for a baby. Breastfeeding not only ensures the health of the baby’s gastrointestinal tract, stimulates the functioning of the immune system, but also makes it possible to quickly and very closely build that contact that is very important for both the child and his mother.
Lactation as a physiological process
So, lactation is an absolutely natural process involving the production, accumulation and secretion of milk by the female mammary glands. Since lactation is regulated by many, it is a hormone-dependent process.
Produces hormone , which is “responsible” for stimulating milk production by the glandular tissue of the female breast. Gradually, milk accumulates, and when the baby suckles, a hormone is released in the body that determines muscle contraction in the milk ducts. Thus, the production of milk in the glands is stimulated.
In addition, women who practice breastfeeding recover faster after breastfeeding. Indeed, under the influence of oxytocin, the uterus contracts more actively, and it involution accelerates, and bleeding after childbirth stops faster than in women who do not breastfeed.
Immediately after the birth of the baby, colostrum begins to be released from the mammary glands, which the newborn eats. It happens that even before the baby is born, small amounts are released from the breast. However, doctors warn that there is no need to squeeze colostrum from the breast before the baby is born. Indeed, with such manipulations, the production of oxytocin in the body is stimulated, and this, in turn, can provoke uterine contractions and premature birth.
Colostrum is very nutritious for your baby. In addition, it contains, which are very important for the health of the baby. Colostrum contains globulins and that do not break down in the gastrointestinal tract. They are absorbed in the intestines.
Around day 3-5, milk appears in place of the colostrum.
A woman who has just given birth should not worry about how to establish breastfeeding if there is not enough colostrum . In the first days of life, a small amount of colostrum is enough for a newborn, and there is no need to supplement him with formula, as this can subsequently disrupt the process of establishing lactation in a woman.
Almost every mother periodically thinks about the fact that the child may not have enough of the mother’s milk that he receives. This belief is a very common mistake. And sometimes, succumbing to her fears and trying to feed or supplement her child, a woman loses breastfeeding.
The concept of “lactation crisis” really frightens a nursing mother and makes her think about how to maintain lactation. But there is nothing extraordinary in this phenomenon, and if you treat what is happening correctly, it is quite possible to maintain natural feeding.
Lactation crisis This is a period when the amount of breast milk temporarily decreases. It is important to understand that this is a completely natural phenomenon, and if you carefully follow all the rules, then lactation will not be disrupted. Women experience hormonal changes, and this is what causes the lactation crisis. The periods and timing of this phenomenon are different for different women - the crisis occurs at different times. But most often this happens during the following periods after childbirth:
- after 7-14 days;
- in 30-35 days;
- in three to three and a half months.
At this time, under the influence hormones The amount of milk may decrease slightly, which is normal. However, the endocrine system functions differently in each body, which is why the periods of crises are different for everyone.
The duration of the crisis is 3-8 days. On average it lasts 5 days. At this time, the most important thing is not to worry about the fact that the amount of milk cannot be increased. There is no need to worry about the fact that the baby is starving - the baby will have enough milk that is produced. It is important not to succumb to the persuasion of “well-wishers” and not to start feeding the baby with formula. If you follow the rules discussed below, lactation will soon be restored.
How to increase breast milk supply?
There are some effective recommendations for a nursing mother on how to increase lactation while breastfeeding and improve this process. It is also important to take into account when lactation begins - this occurs at approximately 3-4 months. In the first months, a woman may notice that the mammary glands swell, that there is too much or too little milk. When the process is established, there will be an increase in milk lactation during breastfeeding, but milk will be produced directly during feeding, and the breasts will not “fill up.”
That is, the amount of milk directly depends solely on the production prolactin . If a woman has not yet established lactation, and the question of how to increase the lactation of breast milk is relevant for her, she needs to follow very simple but effective recommendations. In this case, you will be able to quickly return everything and continue feeding the baby.
Practice feeding on demand
Feeding on demand will help increase the amount of breast milk in a nursing mother. There is no need to feed the baby according to a schedule, because the baby himself “regulates” the eating and sleeping patterns. Sometimes the child demands to “return” the breast within 20-30 minutes after feeding. Sometimes he sleeps peacefully for five hours straight.
Put your baby to the breast as often as possible
You should try to put the baby to the breast as often as possible. It does not matter how long the baby sucks. After all, the act of sucking itself helps to activate the production of hormones, in particular, prolactin And oxytocin . That is, the answer to the question of how to increase lactation is simple: you need to put your baby to your breast as often as possible.
Sometimes mothers worry about the fact that the baby is breastfeeding for several hours. But there is no cause for concern here. After all, after the birth of a baby, when the connection that connected him with his mother before birth is interrupted, close contact with her is very important for the child. By frequently suckling at the breast, the baby can more easily overcome the stress experienced after birth and get used to the world that surrounds him. Lying at the mother's breast, the baby only periodically sucks on it. It happens that a child “holds” the breast for several hours, not wanting to let go of his mother. In addition, at first - about three months after birth - the baby is tormented, but closeness to his mother calms him down and alleviates his condition.
Be sure to breastfeed at night
Mothers who are interested in how to increase breast milk lactation should definitely breastfeed their baby at night. Teaching a baby to sleep through the night almost from birth is the wrong approach. After all, a baby up to one year old can wake up to eat at night, and this is considered normal. At first, it is very important to feed him at night, since it is at night that the content of prolactin . And if the baby nurses at this time, the amount of milk produced will increase. Therefore, the answer to the question of how to increase lactation for a nursing mother is simple: do not ignore night feedings.
Homeopathy
There is no consensus on whether homeopathic medicines are effective in increasing breast milk lactation. Such drugs have not undergone the necessary research from the point of view of evidence-based medicine, so there is no reason to definitely talk about their positive effect. But still, many doctors, whom women ask what to drink to increase milk supply, claim that such measures will not make things worse. After all, the so-called “ “, and breastfeeding mothers really improve their lactation. It is quite possible that under the influence of these drugs the production actually increases. prolactin .
Products that activate lactation
If you ask about what to do to increase your milk supply, our mothers and grandmothers will most likely recommend eating certain foods. However, in reality, the products do not affect the level in any way. prolactin , accordingly, they do not affect lactation. But fluid consumption is very important, so you shouldn’t limit yourself in this. A new mother should drink as much fluid as she wants. However, it is also impossible to forcefully pour water into the body. You just need to listen to your body and prevent the feeling of extreme thirst.
Those who are looking for products that increase the milk supply of a nursing mother need to know that asking about what you need to eat to have a lot of milk is pointless.
You should drink enough clean water
Sometimes when asked for recommendations on what to eat to produce more milk, they advise drinking more cow's milk. But in fact, this advice can hardly be called correct, because cow’s milk does not affect prolactin production.
But cow's milk may well be harmful. Proteins entering breast milk can cause severe pain in the baby. In addition, after a nursing mother consumes fermented milk products or cow's milk, the baby may develop severe colic. Therefore, you should pay attention not to which foods increase the amount of milk, but to use other methods described above.
What mistakes do new mothers make?
Young parents should also be aware that they can make certain mistakes that lead to worsening lactation.
You should not set a feeding schedule - the baby should eat on demand
The baby must “decide” for himself exactly when and how much he wants to eat. One of the main mistakes of women who are worried about how to establish lactation if there is little milk is feeding the baby additionally with formula. Having started to supplement the baby's feeding, the mother makes a very serious mistake. Such hasty actions lead to unpleasant consequences. Having “tasted” the formula, the baby may refuse to breastfeed altogether, because sucking the formula from a bottle is much easier than “extracting” breast milk. In addition, the taste of the formula is different - it is sweeter, and the child may think that food from a bottle tastes better. As a result, the baby will refuse to latch on to the breast, and it will not be possible to establish lactation after birth.
In addition, the introduction of the mixture will lead to abdominal pain, colic , which will constantly bother a baby with immature intestines. Such actions can lead not only to complete loss of lactation, but also to the manifestation of allergic reactions.
Therefore, if a nursing mother has little milk, it is better to ask a specialist, rather than friends and relatives, what to do.
There is no need to give water to your baby before introducing complementary foods.
Very often you can hear the opinion that milk is the baby’s food, and he also needs water. This opinion is wrong, because breast milk consists mainly of water – 80-90%. And in any weather conditions - both in summer and during heating periods - the baby has enough of this liquid for normal development and well-being. Therefore, instead of trying to feed the baby with a spoon, it is better to give him an extra breast.
And if the baby drinks even a few spoons of water, his ventricle will quickly fill, and a signal about its filling will immediately go to the brain. Accordingly, because of this, the baby will miss feeding.
They begin to give water to the child only after the gradual introduction of complementary foods has begun, that is, after he reaches six months. By the way, cases when a baby begins to lose weight precisely because of supplementation are not uncommon. After all, due to water consumption, the baby receives less milk.
Of course, this rule does not apply to “artificial” children - they need to be given water.
Don't assume that your baby always cries from hunger.
A little person can cry for a variety of reasons. If he does not take the breast and cries at the same time, then it is quite possible that the whole issue is pain in the tummy. The child may also have a headache, and night or evening tantrums may indicate increased intracranial pressure at the baby. In addition, he may cry due to the discomfort associated with a wet diaper, due to the fact that his teeth are starting to cut. In the end, the baby may simply want to visit his mother in order to feel protected.
There is no need to assume that there is no milk in the soft breast
Milk production is activated during feeding. And if, before the next feeding, the mother does not feel that the breasts have hardened, this is good, since there is no chance of developing breast cancer. This indicates that lactation has already established.
There is no need to express milk after feeding
Pumping should only be practiced if lactostasis . Indeed, in this case, the most nutritious milk is lost. Alternatively, it is better to put the baby to the breast one more time.
There is no need to pay attention to the norms of weight gain that were paid attention to earlier
Modern medicine uses comparative tables that take into account the height, weight, and age of the baby. According to the old schemes, the child should gain 1 kilogram of weight in the first month. But these schemes have been used for a long time and they are more relevant for children who receive artificial nutrition. These standards are not at all suitable for infants.
You should not give your baby a pacifier
Naturally, the baby should not suck on anything other than the breast. A pacifier is a kind of “anti-stress” for a mother, because she gives such a pacifier to the baby when he cries and cannot calm down. However, in reality, a child does not need a pacifier at all. And a woman can determine the reason for crying, which is quite possible for experienced mothers. As for the sucking reflex, breast sucking completely satisfies it. In addition, you need to take into account that later it will be difficult to wean your child off the pacifier. And in any case, he will experience the stress of being “separation” from his favorite pacifier.
No need to introduce complementary foods too early
Until the baby reaches 6 months of age, natural feeding is sufficient. You should not give him any new food before this age. After all, at this age, only those that digest breast milk exist in the baby’s body.
Check weighing is not an indicator
Some mothers, for whom the urgent question is how to understand that the baby does not have enough milk during breastfeeding, practice so-called control weighings. That is, in order to understand that the baby does not have enough milk and to determine how much he has eaten, he is weighed before and after feeding. However, this method is not indicative, and it will not be possible to determine whether he has enough food. After all, a baby can get his daily requirement in 10-12 feedings. That is, he can breastfeed often and eat little by little.
In addition, the child eats a different amount of milk each time. Therefore, for those who are interested in how to find out if a baby has enough breast milk, this method is not suitable. After all, sometimes the indicator on the scale can provoke real panic in an inexperienced mother.
conclusions
Thus, almost every mother is capable of practicing full breastfeeding. If a woman has concerns about the amount of milk and questions about what to do if there is not enough milk, she should first of all pay attention to the condition of the baby. If he behaves calmly, develops and grows normally, then he is fully provided with food.
Those who are interested in how to understand whether a newborn has enough milk should also pay attention to how many times a day the baby urinates and walks “in a big way.” If the baby defecates 1-6 times, and the stool is homogeneous, and urinates 10-15 times, then everything is fine with him. A child who gets enough food has pink, clear skin and sleeps well.
But if a woman still has some concern, she should contact her pediatrician and consult with him about this.
Education: Graduated from Rivne State Basic Medical College with a degree in Pharmacy. Graduated from Vinnitsa State Medical University named after. M.I. Pirogov and internship at his base.
Experience: From 2003 to 2013, she worked as a pharmacist and manager of a pharmacy kiosk. She was awarded diplomas and decorations for many years of conscientious work. Articles on medical topics were published in local publications (newspapers) and on various Internet portals.