Improving Milk Supply

There are so many reasons someone (YOU!) might be looking to increase your milk supply. Maybe you find yourself wondering why you need to supplement with a bottle of formula here and there, or maybe you wonder why your newborn isn’t content after 45 minutes at the breast, or you wonder why only drops come out when you pump.

Milk production is layered and involves a lot of physiology that must go right. In addition, once milk has “come in” around day 3 or 4 postpartum, subsequent milk production is reliant on frequent milk removal. This means a low milk supply could have a physiological reason (e.g. hormonal, anatomical) or a management reason (e.g. the baby or the pump wasn’t efficient enough to set the supply).

Now, my advice also depends on when I’m meeting you for the first time!

If I’m meeting you prenatally, we are going to talk about the importance of the immediate postpartum period, understanding how frequently you must remove milk to set the stage for the arrival of the milk, and then how supply and demand works. If you know you’ll need to pump right away, we will make sure you have the properly sized flanges. Ill-fitting flanges will not remove milk efficiently, and affect output. We set you up to give your milk supply the best possible start.

If I am meeting you for the first time postpartum, I want to review your medical history. There are red flags that may point to a physiological reason for low milk supply, and it’s important to have awareness of those. For example, a history of irregular periods which could indicate insufficient breast development in puberty, a history of a breast surgery, a history of a pituitary tumor, etc. I take note of these but usually address the low hanging fruit first.

The lowest hanging fruit being: frequent milk removal = faster milk production. Basically, the best way to make more milk is to remove it more frequently. Either bring that baby to the breast or pump, pump, pump.

Next would be to look at the efficiency of the milk removal. If you’re relying on the baby, how is their latch? Are they working hard but not moving any milk due to a poor and painful latch? Improving positioning and the depth of the latch can make the breastfeeding session incredibly more efficient and remove far more milk. If you’re relying on the pump, we need to make sure you’re in the best fitting flanges and using a double electric pump. Hands-free pumps are amazing in many circumstances. However, typically speaking, a double electric pump is best for setting a milk supply.

If we’ve addressed all the low-hanging fruit, and you’re still not seeing improvement, then we go back to the drawing board. What are your goals? How much do you want to go down the rabbit hole as to why your milk production isn’t improving? If you want to throw everything at this, then I recommend a visit with a Breastfeeding Medicine Physician or Midwife. They will be able to look at labs which include hormones among other important values. They will also be able to provide a diagnosis if needed, prescribe medications, herbs, or other supplements specific to your body and your needs.

The bottom line is: low milk production can be due to a variety of reasons, but if you’re trying to troubleshoot, instead of falling for gimmicky marketing of special pumps or drinks or cookies, remember: frequent milk removals = faster milk production. And if that isn’t enough, make a plan to figure out way – and get individualized support along the way. <3