Increased breast milk in a nursing mother. Helpful Tips for Increasing Breast Milk Supply

13.06.2012

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First, let's figure out what determines the appearance of milk and its release from the mammary gland.

The “production” of milk in our country is carried out by the hormone prolactin, the formation of which depends on the sucking activity of the child. This hormone causes breast cells to produce milk.

The baby begins to suckle, and after a few minutes the amount of prolactin begins to increase. (Everyone has the hormone prolactin, even men, but it’s just not enough).

We women are designed in such a way that the most prolactin is formed from about 3 to 8 o'clock in the morning (when the baby sucks at the breast). Prolactin, which appears a few minutes after the start of sucking, “forms” milk only several hours after its immediate production.

In other words, by feeding the baby now, we use up the milk formed from the previous production of prolactin and produce prolactin for subsequent feedings.

Full stimulation of the breast for sufficient production of prolactin is possible only when the child holds the nipple correctly. It turns out that the amount of milk depends on three things: correct position at the breast, frequency of latching and night feedings.

Milk secretion depends on the action of another hormone - oxytocin. The effect of this hormone usually manifests itself a few seconds after the baby starts sucking and consists of contraction of smooth muscle cells around the lobes of the mammary gland, which leads to “squeezing out” the accumulated milk from them and moving it along the ducts.

The flow of milk in response to the baby's sucking is called the oxytocin reflex and is often felt by a woman as engorgement of the breast; mothers call this a “rush” of milk. The action of this hormone is very dependent on the emotional state of the woman.

The production of oxytocin is promoted not only by the baby's sucking of the breast, but also by the sight, smell, characteristic snoring, even thoughts of a hungry baby. It may begin to be produced immediately before feeding, and the nursing mother notices this by a feeling of fullness in the breast or milk leakage. Leakage of milk from the other breast when feeding the first is also a result of the action of oxytocin.

In other words, oxytocin is produced before and during feeding and “works” right at the moment of production, immediately. If the mother is scared, very tired, and cannot relax during feeding, then oxytocin will not be formed in the required quantities, and no one will be able to force the muscle cells around the gland lobules to contract and help milk flow into the duct. Neither the child nor the breast pump will be able to remove it from there, and the mother will say that her milk has disappeared “from nerves”...

Thus, a nursing mother needs: peace of mind, self-confidence, a calm environment during feeding, the opportunity to switch gears and relax before putting the baby to the breast, so that lactation is complete.

Lactation can be increased only by increasing the production of appropriate hormones. The production of prolactin will be influenced by correct nipple latching, frequency of attachments and the presence of night feedings. The production of oxytocin will be influenced by the emotional state of the woman.

Among nursing mothers, various recipes for lactogenic drinks are very popular; they really have some effect, especially if the mother, starting to drink them, slightly increases the number of feedings, for example, from 6 to 8, and is firmly convinced that this remedy should help her.

In general, any mother who follows the basic rules of successful feeding is able to feed her child for as long as she likes, without ever drinking any special “milk” product or doing any special procedures for this. Most lactogenic preparations have not so much a therapeutic as a psychological effect (proven by WHO research).

Moreover, some mothers are helped by the most delicious products (that is, those that cause them a surge of positive emotions, therefore increasing the production of oxytocin, that is, the outflow of milk itself, and not its quantity), for some, only those that require a fair amount of “sweat” to prepare ", for example, chop and grind nuts, pour boiling milk over it, leave for a long time, take warm, etc. (that is, she receives satisfaction from the labor-intensive work done - the same oxytocin stimulates), and, finally, there are mothers who are helped by extremely tasteless recipes (they say, this is how much I suffer in order to have milk, what a great job I am, my self-esteem increases, the satisfaction is enormous , oxytocin is stimulated again!)

Of course, if a mother has a lot of free time, she does everything that is necessary for her child, any vitamin or lactogenic drink will not harm her - let her enjoy it! However, if the mother feeds the child 6 times a day, does not feed at night, the child sucks a pacifier and drinks tea, then neither Laktovit, nor nettle decoction, nor Apilak, nor sour cream with cumin, nor anything else can cause stable lactation.

There are stronger herbal preparations that affect the hormonal system and they can cause a slight increase in the amount of milk, but they must be drunk constantly and addiction to them develops over time. Some doctors prescribe medications to breastfeeding mothers to increase milk supply; one of the side effects is an increase in the amount of prolactin. Excess prolactin is a serious hormonal disorder. Even if the mother agrees to this, this cannot be done for long. Stable lactation still does not work out.

What then needs to be done if the amount of milk does decrease?

First of all, try to determine whether this is so and whether it is worth “fencing the garden.” According to experts (figures taken from the statistical report of the Moscow Breastfeeding Support Group), only 3% of women who suspected they had problems with lactation have a real lack of milk, which should be addressed to a competent lactation specialist.

In 55% of cases, this is a temporary lack of milk due to improperly organized breastfeeding and any lactation consultant can help cope with it*. And in 42% of cases, a false lack of milk is stated, that is, there is actually enough milk, it’s just that the mother, due to lack of experience, “invented” a problem for herself, which she heroically “copes with.”

Let's list in what order and what errors need to be eliminated in order to increase the amount of milk if you have any doubts.

Is your baby latching correctly?
One of the most common reasons for a lack of milk is a painless variant of improper attachment, when a mother who does not give her baby pacifiers and nipples, and feeds on demand, is sure that the baby is holding the breast correctly, because. does not cause any inconvenience to the mother, and in fact, the nipple latching does not properly and does not provide good stimulation to the breast. Despite frequent feedings and night feedings, there is not enough milk.
Does your baby suck on a pacifier?
If you suck, then you may have so-called “bottle” breast sucking. The baby does not latch onto the breast quite correctly and does not stimulate it enough. In addition, if the baby sucks on a pacifier, he is less likely to latch on to the breast.
Do you give your child water or “gas” tea?
If so, then your baby is not getting enough milk at least as much as other liquids your baby drinks. If your baby receives, for example, 150 ml of tea, he does not receive 150 ml of milk.
Do you give your baby any medications (mixtures) in quantities of more than 10 ml per day?
Some mothers, on the advice of doctors, give a “medicinal” mixture 1-2 times a day for dysbacteriosis or lactase deficiency. Usually it is necessary to give it for at least 10 days in an amount of 50 ml to 100 ml. This also reduces the amount of milk the baby sucks out.

Before deciding whether lactation is sufficient, understand these problems. Maybe your child is missing exactly those 50-100 ml per day, which will be perfectly produced on their own if you stop giving your child nutritional supplements. This is possible without any special changes in modes, etc.

If a child is used to calming down with a pacifier or a bottle of tea, he needs time to forget about this habit. The mother's confidence in the correctness of her actions is very important here. If the mother has firmly decided that the child will not suck anything else, the baby quickly agrees with her. While the baby forgets about the pacifier and periodically makes trouble, you must adhere to the following behavioral tactics: if at the moment when you offer the baby the breast, he makes a couple of sucking movements, then spits out the nipple and starts screaming, you should not try to plug his mouth with the breast (the first time the baby is waiting for the usual bottle of “tea from gas”). The breast should be hidden, the baby should be reassured, and the breast should be offered after a while when the baby is in a calm state.

To find out how correctly the baby grasps and sucks the breast, you need to consult a specialist - a breastfeeding consultant. In the absence of one, it is necessary to find a mother who is breastfeeding, who has never had problems with nipples, who monitors the quality of latching, who does not have problems with the amount of milk, preferably, who is not breastfeeding her first child, and consult with her.

DOES ALL THIS NOT CONCERN YOU OR HAVE YOU ALREADY COPE WITH THESE PROBLEMS, BUT YOU STILL HAVE DOUBT ABOUT THE QUANTITY OF MILK?

Then, count how many times the child pees per day. Take off his diaper and start counting his urinations. The result will be reliable if the child does not receive any other liquid other than milk. If he is given water or tea or a mixture, such an experiment does not make sense. A healthy baby over 7 days old who is exclusively breastfed should pee more than 6-8 times a day, usually he pees 12 or more times a day. The minimum number of urinations that can occur is 6-8 times a day. If the baby pees 6 or less times a day for several days, he needs additional feeding, and the mother needs urgent measures to increase her milk supply - contact your nearest lactation specialist. If the baby pees 6-8 times a day, then he does not need additional feeding, but perhaps there is not enough milk and the mother’s lactation needs to be stimulated.

There are more than 8 urinations, but you still have doubts?

Then, try to estimate how much your child gains per week (divide his gain per month by the number of weeks). The minimum weight gain, starting from the second week of life, should be 125g per week, better if 200 - 300.

If a baby gains 500g or less per month, feeding on demand and receiving nothing but milk, consultation with a lactation specialist and a newborn care instructor is necessary, because Most likely, there are some errors in organizing breastfeeding and caring for the baby that are not noticeable to a mother who has no experience (improper attachment, etc.) or there are problems in the digestibility of milk.

If more, you DO NOT have a MILK LACK. If your baby is restless more often than you would like or your breasts have become soft, but your baby pees often and is gaining weight well, you can safely do nothing to increase your milk supply, you have enough.

If you went to the children's clinic and carried out control feeding, during which your baby sucked a little milk, and you were prescribed supplemental feeding (even though you feed him on demand, he does not suck on anything except the breast, has gained a lot of weight and pees often) - this does not mean that you have a lack of milk. This only means that your pediatrician is incompetent in matters related to breastfeeding. Ask if he himself fed anyone and for how long.

If you went to the clinic and discovered that the child had not gained much weight, for example, in his first month, and, after reading the above, you discovered that your breastfeeding was not organized correctly, wait to give supplementary feeding. Try to change your breastfeeding style. Very often this is enough to increase milk supply.

Restoration of lactation

Before you begin measures aimed at increasing your milk supply, note for yourself what other mistakes you are making.

How many times do you put your baby to your breast during the day? If 5-8 times, then your breasts do not have sufficient stimulation to produce the required amounts of milk and maintain stable lactation.

Do you feed your baby in the early morning hours (from about 3 to 8 am)? If you don't feed, or the baby stops waking up, you may actually have a lack of milk due to the lack of sufficient stimulation of the hormone prolactin. (One feeding at 6 am is usually not enough).

If you feed your baby on demand, the baby latches correctly, pees often, but does not gain weight well, you do not have a lack of milk, or a deficiency in the absorption of this product. The reason for the lack of weight is something else, it could be, for example, dissatisfaction in contact with the mother or the baby’s illness - in both cases, consultation with a specialist is necessary.

If you have already started supplementing with formula, then to switch to exclusive breastfeeding you will need the help of a specialist at your place of residence. There are a large number of organizations involved in supporting breastfeeding and there are specialists with the necessary qualifications. This phrase has nothing to do with Russia; there are specialists, but there are very few of them.

If you still don’t have enough milk, but you haven’t started supplementing with formula yet, proceed as follows:

In any case, you need competent support, at least by phone. Unfortunately, in modern civilized society, nursing mothers cannot find the necessary support from their relatives or friends, because... both of them most often do not have experience of successful breastfeeding. Try to find a lactation consultant* near you and discuss this problem with them. If such a specialist is not located anywhere, then:
Try to organize maximum physical contact with the child. Don't try to immediately put him down as soon as he falls asleep. Use a patchwork sling.
If possible, wear shorts and a shirt on two shelves, then the baby will rest against your bare legs and stomach while feeding. Arrange to sleep together at night. If it is not possible to sleep with your child all night, move his crib close to yours, stick your hand through the bars, the child should feel your constant presence. But at about 4 am, take him to your place.
Learn how to apply correctly. Babies who have experience sucking bottles and pacifiers very often hold their breasts incorrectly and do not take the areola deep enough into their mouths. Mom may not be in pain, because... There is no extreme variant of incorrect attachment (when the child closes his jaws on the nipple), but the breast is poorly stimulated, because the nipple and a small part of the areola lie on the tongue, and the child “expresses” them...
It is difficult for a mother who has never observed breastfeeding to determine how well her baby is sucking. The best option is to see a lactation consultant. If there is no such thing in your area, you need to find a mother who is breastfeeding a child, preferably not the first, and the child must be really breastfed, without experience of sucking foreign objects (pacifier, pacifier), and the mother should not have problems with the nipples - abrasions, cracks, neither now nor previously. It is impossible to learn how to apply from books and brochures!
There is little hope for photographs in parenting magazines, because very often in parenting magazines you can find photographs of children holding their breasts incorrectly. This is the most important point in restoring normal lactation. If the mother cannot correct the attachment, or considers the painless option of incorrect attachment to be good, neither frequent attachments nor night feedings will bring the desired result.
Attach your baby to your breast at your request every hour, excluding the night break (from 12 am to 4 am). Feeding at the mother's request means that the baby is latched regardless of his condition, when the mother needs it. If the child “puts forward” his own demands, then, of course, he does his best at these moments.
At night, from 12 to 4, the child applies food only if he asks for it.
Organize mandatory feedings in the early morning hours. If the baby still wakes up on his own at 3-4 in the morning, no longer try to “pump him up”, but put him to your breast. You need 2-3 applications between 3 and 8 am (the time of formation of maximum prolactin concentrations).
If your baby stops waking up, you should set an alarm for 4 am and offer your baby the breast at 4, 6 and 8 am. The child quickly remembers his innate habit of sucking in the morning. If a child sleeps with his mother, he never forgets to kiss a couple of times early in the morning.
For a mother and baby who sleep together from birth, their sleep rhythms synchronize after about a week. The mother adapts to the child and begins to sleep more superficially. When the baby starts fussing at night, the mother opens one eye, gives the baby the breast and continues to sleep. The baby sleeps while sucking. Mom is usually half asleep or has shallow sleep (this is only possible if mom knows how to feed while lying down in a comfortable position in which she can relax).
Having sucked, the baby releases the breast and falls into a deep sleep, and the mother falls asleep. Then again the child begins to “rapid sleep”, he can begin to “fidget” and again puts himself to sleep. There are several such episodes during the night. Their number changes with the age of the child, and their duration changes.
But these morning feedings do not completely disappear even in big children. A child aged 1.5-2 years, for example, sucks very actively somewhere from 5.30 - 6.00 to 8.00-9.00 in the morning.
Forget about scales and weighing for a while. Leave the scale alone, or better yet, give it to someone for a week.
If you haven't stopped doing this yet, stop giving your child water or tea or juice. Any liquid that a child receives gives him a false feeling of satiety and reduces the need to suckle at the breast. If your baby drank 100 ml of water during the day, this means that he did not receive 100 ml of milk.
If you haven't stopped doing this yet, stop using the pacifier. The baby must forget that he can suck on anything other than his mother’s breast. (You can also suck your fist or fingers, but if you see that the baby is sucking very intensely for more than 5 minutes, offer him the breast).
You will need the help of loved ones, because... For 1-2 weeks, it is better for you not to be distracted by anything from your child. This method of restoring lactation is called the “nest method.” The child should be minimally dressed in order to stimulate the mother's lactation with his skin.
You stimulate each other - the baby's mother to suck more often, the baby's mother to produce more milk. You simply don’t have time to do anything else.
Be prepared for the fact that the baby, finally having the opportunity to suckle as much as he wants and unlimited physical contact with his mother, may “hang” on the breast for several hours, sucking continuously. The more pronounced this behavior is, the more stress the child has experienced, and there is no need to stop him from compensating for this stress.
Do not try to maintain your previous daily routine (walks, etc....). Relax and just focus on feeding.
Don’t be upset that your breasts have become completely soft from frequent latching. This is completely normal. With stable lactation, the breast is soft all the time and produces milk only when the baby is sucking. Recount the number of urinations, there should be more of them.
A week after the start of this work, you can carry out the first weighing of the child. In another week you will have a second weigh-in - this way you will begin to control your weekly gain. If it grows every week, everything works out for you.
After establishing 11-12 urinations per day, continue to apply the child every hour for another 5-7 days, then for one day give him freedom and apply only at his request. If the baby again asks for the breast once every 3-4 hours, therefore he has not yet regained the need to suck the breast, continue to apply every hour for another 1 week, then try to observe again, etc.
Most children develop a new daily routine after about 2-3 weeks, when they begin to develop a more or less constant rhythm of daytime sleep. Now your baby should latch on to the breast to fall asleep and latch on when he wakes up.
It often happens that a child, after sleeping for an hour, begins to worry, the mother cuddles him, and the baby falls asleep again.
This is what an approximate regimen looks like for a baby who has restored the innate need for frequent attachments. If, for example, your baby is 2 months old and sleeps four times during the day, you get approximately the following number of attachments: “around” four sleeps there are two attachments each - it turns out 8 (the baby always falls asleep at the breast, sleeps for a while while sucking and releases the breast, then applied after waking up), plus feeding in the evening to fall asleep and in the morning when he wakes up, it’s already 10, plus feeding in the morning 3-4 times - that’s already 14, plus such young children have a need to kiss their mother while they are awake (usually then he is given a pacifier or a bottle of tea, because the mother believes that since the baby suckled half an hour ago, now he has nothing to do at the breast - and the baby wanted physical contact with his mother, he wanted to feel her closeness and tenderness again, he wanted to suck a little more for a reason not related to satiety - for example, I wanted to pee.
There are children who, in order to do their business, need to be attached to the breast, and there are children who need to be attached immediately after... Various options are possible, but the baby has already been given a pacifier or distracted with a rattle...). There could be, for example, 5 such short-term applications. In total, there were 19 applications per day.
Another way to count free attachments looks like this - the child should be attached to the breast “around” dreams (falls asleep at the breast and applied when he wakes up) and approximately once every 2 hours while awake. If the child does not latch on for 3 hours in a row and he does not sleep, it means that you are missing some of his requests, or he has already decided that asking is useless...
There are different children with different needs, but the daily number of attachments is almost never less than 12. If you get less, it means you will need more time to restore his trust.
If you have 12 urinations per day, at least 12 breastfeeding without looking at the clock, the child has begun to gain 200 g or more per week - you have solved your problem.
Don't rush to give up your efforts. Stable lactation occurs approximately 1-2 months after the start of a new life. The more time has passed since birth, the longer the recovery takes. Often the mother feels that there is more milk already on the second or third day, but a stable result is obtained no earlier than after a week, and at least another week is needed for the child to form a stable habit of such a life.
Therefore, the minimum period that needs to be devoted to restoring lactation is 2 weeks.

In many cases, what prevents a woman from establishing full lactation is not the lack of 10 hours of sleep at night or the lack of time for walks and money for vitamin complexes for nursing mothers and fresh fruit in the middle of winter.

Moms are hampered by two ideas that are firmly rooted in the consciousness of modern society:

1. A child cannot be taught to hold hands and grab at every squeak - he will be spoiled.

2. You can’t sleep in the same bed with your child - it’s unhygienic and harmful, and you won’t be able to wean it off later. Try to forget about these two nonsenses, and it will become much easier for you.

It is a crucial period for both mother and newborn. Sometimes young mothers are faced with the fact that, while feeding on breast milk, the baby does not gain weight well and is often capricious. This most likely indicates irregularities in the mother’s diet, or a basic lack of milk. It is then that mothers face the problem of how to increase the lactation of breast milk so that the baby has enough and does not need to supplement with various formulas.

Lactation and menu for a nursing mother

First of all, you need to pay attention to the diet and lifestyle of the nursing mother.

The daily menu must include:

Meat (poultry, fish);
Milk or fermented milk products (1 liter);
Cottage cheese (100 grams);
Cheese (30 grams);
Vegetables (500 grams);
Fruits (300 grams);
Butter (20 grams);
Vegetable oil (25 grams).

Avoid:

Large amounts of foods rich in carbohydrates (sugar, bread, confectionery);
Any alcoholic drinks;
Allergenic products: chocolate, coffee, nuts, caviar, citrus fruits;
Hot spices and additives (onion, garlic, pepper).

How to increase lactation with folk remedies

Many mothers learn from their mothers and grandmothers how to increase breast milk lactation using various folk remedies. There are several ways that can really help.

1. Increasing the amount of fluid you drink through the use of vitamin drinks from various herbs. Helps improve lactation cumin, fennel, anise, nettle and some others. Here are a few recipes that can be easily prepared.

For a drink made from cumin seeds (15 grams) you will need one liter of water, one lemon and one hundred grams of sugar. The seeds are poured with hot water, peeled and chopped lemon and sugar are added to them. All this is cooked over low heat for 5-10 minutes. Strain. Drink chilled 3 times a day.

Anise infusion is prepared without adding other products. The seeds are poured with boiling water for an hour. The resulting infusion is cooled. Take 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day. An infusion of dill seeds is prepared in the same way.

Note to moms!

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Tea with milk. It is better to drink before feeding, about half an hour.

Special teas for breastfeeding, which contain fennel, cumin, lemon balm, and anise, provide double benefits for stimulating and increasing lactation. (See and special)

2. Increasing the frequency of feedings and breastfeeding. The baby should be fed on demand, without taking a break at night. Feeding a baby at night is the key to long-term and high-quality lactation for the entire feeding period. It is better to abandon strict feeding by the hour.

3. Breast massage. After feeding, try massaging the breast from which you fed in the shower. The massage should be done for 5-10 minutes under running warm water. Direction: in a circular motion from the nipple to the periphery.

4. Video

Drugs to increase lactation

There are several ways to increase lactation with pills.

Multivitamins for nursing mothers. Usually their appointment is prescribed by the doctor who observed the woman during pregnancy. The duration of taking vitamins depends on the duration of the breastfeeding period.
Homeopathic remedies. For example, Mlekoin. The drug is available in the form of granules, which should be taken 15 minutes before meals. Can be used throughout the entire breastfeeding period.
Dietary supplements. Tablets containing various vitamins and beneficial substances (royal jelly, lactogenic herbs).

However, you should not abuse industrially produced tablets and vitamins. To increase the amount of milk, you should put the baby to the breast more often, eliminate extraneous irritants during feeding, and stress. And most importantly, don’t be nervous and maintain a positive attitude.

Not enough milk or 13 ways to enhance lactation

Many young mothers immediately after giving birth wonder how to increase the amount of breast milk and whether breastfeeding is mandatory. Are there ways to increase milk volume, and which ones are most effective? We will consider all this in the material.

How important is breastfeeding for a baby?

Everyone knows that breast milk in sufficient quantities is an ideal product for a child at the very beginning of life. It is a unique living product, which contains such important components as:

beneficial bacteria;
hormones;
enzymes;
immunoglobulins (protective proteins);
immune cells, etc.

Naturally, if a child is bottle-fed, he can also grow up healthy, since adapted modern formulas contain everything necessary for successful growth and development. However, breast milk better for immunity, children are less susceptible to eating disorders and allergic diseases.

Its advantages are as follows:

In addition, breastfeeding is good for the mother herself because she can always feed the baby, she does not need to carry bottles with formula and look for where to heat them, and you will also save a lot on formula.

Breastfeeding is good for the health of not only the baby, but also for the mother herself:

this provides better conditions for recovery after childbirth;
If you follow a diet, breastfeeding helps reduce weight, prevents metabolic disorders and obesity;
the risks of developing malignant diseases are reduced.

The formation of lactation in the mother

The key period for the formation of lactation is the first month. The success of feeding, as well as the volume of milk, depends on how the mother behaves at this time. For the first few days, she and the baby will “get used to each other.”

An important point is the earlier application, it is recommended to do this within the first hour after the birth of the child; it is very necessary to maintain the closeness between mother and baby, which arose during pregnancy. And even earlier feeding is very beneficial for the child’s health, because the first milk - colostrum - is a very valuable product, which contains many vitamins, immune components, etc.

Increasing your milk supply with demand feeding

Feeding your baby on demand is very important, because it contributes to the successful establishment of breastfeeding. This will allow for the production of mother's milk in sufficient quantities.

The baby should be latched not according to a schedule, but on demand, even at night. On average, the baby will be attached to the breast about 10-12 times a day. This frequency allows the nipples constantly receive stimulation, which releases hormones that improve lactation.

You can increase your milk volume greatly through night feedings. After all, the hormone that is responsible for its production, prolactin, is released more actively at night. Prolactin is responsible for the production of milk, which will be used for subsequent feedings. Thanks to nightly feeding, you will ensure a high-quality milk supply in the morning.

Dr. Komarovsky recommends putting the baby to the breast often in the first month, but too much, once an hour is the best option. Milk production is thus well stimulated. The process of establishing lactation generally ends by the age of one month, then it is recommended to feed the baby depending on his appetite, but not more often than once every couple of hours, and feeding time should not exceed 25 minutes.

Can I increase my milk supply by pumping?

Many experts say, what if breastfeeding is organized correctly, but milk is produced exactly in the volume that the baby needs, so there is no need for pumping. But, on the other hand, some pediatricians still consider pumping as a method of stimulating lactation. Pumping should be done after finishing feeding.

Expressing is also prescribed for milk stagnation and lactation mastitis. In such cases, milk is poorly separated, which aggravates the situation. If the breast is sick, then the milk should be expressed to the last drop.

A good alternative to pumping manually is the use of a breast pump. Pumping helps to stock up on breast milk if the mother needs to leave, and supplies will also be needed during a lactation crisis, which can occur 2-3 weeks after the birth of the baby.

After expressing, breast milk is best stored by freezing. It is better to freeze it immediately in a deep freezer. Recommended temperature is 20 degrees below zero and below. Milk can be stored for up to 7 months without losing all its properties. If the temperature is higher, the shelf life will be no more than 3 months. In a regular refrigerator at temperatures up to 4 degrees zero, expressed milk can be stored for up to 2 days.

Before feeding, frozen milk must be heated in a water bath. It is strictly forbidden to do this in a microwave oven, so as not to destroy its valuable components.

Phonics during breastfeeding

Quite often, the reason for a small amount of milk in young mothers is an insufficient level of microvibrations, the source of which are muscle cells. All metabolic processes, the removal of harmful substances and dead cells, as well as the delivery of beneficial components to tissues depend on this level.

A high level of microvibration is achieved through sufficient physical activity:

playing sports;
swimming;
walks.

Maintaining the desired level of microvibration is especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Thanks to its increase, energy is added, the body will quickly recover after childbirth, which will have a positive effect on feeding the baby. However, not every mother is able to devote enough time to physical activity in the first time after childbirth, which is why doctors recommend thinking about vibroacoustic therapy.

Phonation using special devices gives the following results for nursing mothers:

the body's resources will be restored faster after childbirth;
the beneficial properties of breast milk improve, its volume increases;
phonation has a positive effect on the body not only of the mother, but also of the child, and has a positive effect on all its organs;
has a preventive effect against mastitis and lactostasis, which greatly reduce the amount of milk produced.

How to increase the amount of milk with proper latching?

Proper latching of the baby to the breast allows you to provide maximum comfort for the mother and himself and creates conditions for proper grip. It is possible to increase the amount of breast milk, first of all, if all conditions for the process are met.

Correct grip is ensured as follows:

the baby should grasp the nipple along with the areola;
to facilitate the process of latching on the breast, touch the baby’s upper lip with the nipple;
The baby's lower lip should be turned inside out and placed under the areola, not the nipple, and the chin should be pressed against the breast and the tongue should be pushed forward.

How to eat while breastfeeding

Some mothers are interested in how to increase their breast milk supply through proper nutrition. You need to plan your diet so that there is enough nutrients and energy for the mother and child’s body.

Evgeny Komarovsky says that when breastfeeding a baby up to 6 months, the mother should consume an additional 500 kcal, and then 450 kcal per day. In addition, for the first six months during the day, a young mother should consume 40 g of protein and the same amount of carbohydrates and 15 g of fat. The diet must contain microelements and vitamins.

The diet should be thought out so that there are enough useful components necessary for successful lactation. You need to avoid those foods that can spoil the taste and smell of breast milk:

sour;
acute;
salty;
garlic;
spices

As a result, the baby may refuse to take the breast, and this will negatively affect breastfeeding in general. It is also not recommended to specifically increase the fat content of breast milk with the help of nuts, butter, and fatty fermented milk products, so that the baby does not have problems with the digestive system.

If it's not enough, then its production can be maintained by drinking green tea with milk or dried fruit compote in a volume of 300 ml or more after each feeding.

Breast massage to increase milk supply

Many people recommend doing breast massage to improve lactation. This procedure, together with a warm shower, increases blood flow to the mammary gland, activating metabolic processes and improving cellular nutrition. But remember that the key way to stimulate lactation is attachment, and massage, like other methods, is only auxiliary.

Feeding equipment

To make breastfeeding comfortable for the mother, you can use all kinds of devices:

Mother's psychological mood

For breastfeeding to be successful, the mother must, among other things, be psychologically attuned to it. This is especially important in the first 2-3 months, when the lactation process is just getting better.

If she is nervous and worried, then the hormone oxytocin, which regulates milk secretion, will be produced worse. Accordingly, the more negativity, the less milk there will be.

The most difficult period for mothers is the lactation crisis, when the child may experience a lack of milk. It may be in 2-3 weeks, in a few months or later. Such crises are not associated with a decrease in milk volume, but with the fact that as the baby grows, the baby’s need for food increases. Therefore, in order to maintain lactation, constant stimulation is necessary.

Breastfeeding is a natural process, however, many women often have problems with it and some worry that the baby does not have enough milk and are interested in how to increase its quantity. The main thing is to do everything correctly, and you will be able to successfully feed a healthy baby.

Then the search begins for an effective way to restore and improve lactation. But there is no one ideal recipe in such a situation - several methods must be used. We’ll tell you what most often helps restore lactation.

Let's start with the fact that the basis of successful feeding is the right mom attitude on breastfeeding her baby, her conviction that this is necessary. Next point - frequent feedings: It is free feeding at the request of the baby that contributes to sufficient production of breast milk. Increase milk supply and night feedings- after all, the main hormone responsible for lactation (prolactin) is produced at night. And of course you can’t do without proper rest and nutrition. There are even special foods and drinks that help increase milk supply.

What to eat

Many mothers try to eat as much as possible to increase lactation. But not always a large amount of food contributes to an increase in milk supply. In addition, overeating can negatively affect both the mother’s figure and her well-being. But there are such products (they are also called lactogenic food products), which really enhance the production of breast milk: for example, Adyghe cheese, feta cheese, fennel, carrots, seeds, nuts, seasonings (ginger, cumin, anise). The main thing is that you should not consume these foods in large quantities, otherwise there is a risk that the baby will develop an allergy (this is especially true for carrots and nuts).

What to drink

In order to increase the amount of milk or simply maintain lactation, you need to drink enough liquid. On average, if a nursing mother produces more than 900 ml of milk daily, in addition to the usual volume, she needs to drink at least 1 liter of liquid (in the form of soups, tea, milk, juices, drinks, etc.). Important! The total amount of liquid should not exceed 2.5 liters per day. Otherwise, indeed, milk production increases, but at the same time its composition deteriorates. The amount of protein, fat, and vitamins in milk decreases; it becomes as if “diluted.”

And to enhance lactation, before each feeding you can drink a glass of any fermented milk drink, fruit juice, or freshly brewed green tea with milk. Various products also stimulate lactation well. lactogenic drinks. For example, blackcurrant juice and walnut syrup increase milk production. A good effect is achieved by using special herbal collections, prepared on the basis of plants that stimulate lactation. Lactogonic herbs include dill, anise, hawthorn, oregano, nettle, etc. If a nursing mother does not have time to prepare a herbal drink on her own, or it is difficult for her to follow the preparation recipe, you can use industrially produced instant herbal teas. Preparing them is very simple and quick, and all teas are made from environmentally friendly plants. In addition, some herbal teas, in addition to increasing breast milk production, also promote good sleep and relieve nervous and emotional tension.

Carrot juice for nursing mothers

Pour boiling water over washed carrots, grate them on a fine grater, squeeze out the juice and drink half a glass at a time 2-3 times a day. To improve the taste, milk, cream, honey and fruit and berry juices are added to carrot juice. Additives should be insignificant so as not to reduce the effect of carrot juice.

As you can see, there are really many ways to stimulate breast milk production. Some of them, together with the correct breastfeeding technique and a positive attitude, will definitely help the mother restore lactation.

Many new mothers are concerned about the quality and quantity of their breast milk, trying to best ensure that their baby receives adequate and safe nutrition. Sometimes even if the child is born, the mother thinks that the child is not eating enough. She comes to this conclusion when the baby is restless, which may be associated with some other reason.

And they begin to rush from one method of increasing lactation and milk fat content to another, often focusing on the advice of grandmothers or girlfriends. Some people advise mothers to drink more cow’s milk, others recommend starting...

Currently, pediatricians have abandoned the practice of feeding the baby strictly on a schedule and recommend putting him to the breast on demand. It may seem to the mother that the baby requires feeding too often because he is not getting enough. Although this may have a simple explanation: breast milk is quickly digested and absorbed.

Is it possible to check the quantity and quality of milk?

First of all, you need to figure out whether there really is not enough milk or whether it is not fat enough. The fat content of breast milk should not be increased excessively, since the baby’s enzymatic deficiency can lead to digestion problems, leading to and.

You can make sure that lactation is sufficient by whether milk remains in the breast after the baby is full. In addition, it should be remembered that the production of human milk is cyclical: that is, every 1.5–2 months the amount of milk temporarily decreases slightly.

You can also check the fat content of milk at home. To do this, you need to express the milk into a glass container and leave it for 7 hours. During this time, separation of fat and liquid part of milk occurs, visible to the naked eye. With normal fat content in breast milk, fat makes up about 4% of the volume.

If a mother has doubts about the quantity and quality of breast milk, it is best to consult a pediatrician who can help determine whether feeding meets the baby’s needs.

If, however, lactation is insufficient or the fat content of the milk is low, you should not panic and immediately rush for formula. You need to try to influence the fat content of milk and increase its production by adjusting.

How to increase lactation?

First of all, milk production is stimulated by frequent attachment of the baby to the breast. Therefore, even if the baby is sleepy, you should offer the breast to him (sleepy) at least every 2 hours. Pediatricians, because it is at night that a woman releases the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the amount of milk in the breast.

The mammary glands produce about 800–900 ml of milk per day. In pediatrics, the concept of “foremilk” (that which the baby first receives from the breast) and “hind milk” (fattier, obtained at the end of feeding) is distinguished. While the baby is actively suckling, you should not put it on the other breast so that the baby receives full-fat milk.

Experts have found that for normal lactation the mother should receive an additional 500 kcal daily. But not at the expense of flour and confectionery products. A sufficient amount (low-fat meat - 200 g, hard cheese - 30 g, cottage cheese - 150 g, fermented milk products - 200 ml), fruits and vegetables will ensure not only sufficient lactation, but also good quality milk.

Increased lactation is promoted by:

broths and soups;
cereal porridge;
vegetables (onions, radishes,) and;
herbal teas;
juices and drinks;
dairy products;
lettuce and other greens;
watermelons.

Hot soups and broths made from lean meats (chicken, beef, veal, rabbit) must be included in the daily diet. Once a week, it is advisable to include liver in the menu - the contents it contains will prevent the development of anemia in the baby.

Buckwheat, oatmeal, and rice cereals are useful for increasing lactation. They should be used when cooking soups and cereals. Porridge can also be cooked with milk. If your baby is prone to constipation, you should not eat rice porridge. Chicken, rabbit meat, beef for main courses should be cooked boiled or steamed. But lamb should be abandoned due to possible digestive disorders in the baby.

Adding various types of greens to the soup (cumin, anise, dill) will also increase the flow of milk in the breasts. It is advisable to add onions and carrots to soups, salads, and main courses. You can make freshly squeezed juice or carrot drink from carrots, which is a good stimulator of lactation.

You should not rely on cow's milk (as relatives may advise), its amount should be no more than 2-3 glasses per day. But you shouldn’t forget about other dairy products as a source of protein. It is fermented milk products (ryazhenka, yogurt, cottage cheese) that will have a beneficial effect on the volume of milk in the breast and on the condition of nails and teeth.

Drinks to ensure adequate lactation

A nursing mother should drink at least 1 liter of pure still water per day.

A nursing mother needs to drink at least 2 liters of liquid per day (including soup and broth, herbal tea, compote). A significant portion of the daily fluid (at least 1 liter) should be still water. Carbonated drinks are completely excluded.
It is good to stimulate lactation by drinking milk with tea (green or weak black). It is recommended to drink hot tea half an hour before feeding the baby.
Carrot drink. To prepare it you need to take 3-4 tbsp. l. finely grate carrots and pour boiled (slightly cooled) milk. The drink is drunk immediately after preparation.
Ginger tea: chop ginger root, pour 1 liter of water, bring to a boil, drink 50 ml 3 times. in a day.
(apples, pears, plums). In addition to filling the breast with milk, it will provide the body with vitamins.
(Crush 7-8 berries, pour 1 glass of boiling water, leave in a thermos overnight).
Natural fruit juices (without dyes or preservatives!) will also improve lactation. Fresh currant juice can be diluted with water.
A barley drink for female fans (which had to be abandoned) will replace it during breastfeeding and will have a positive effect on lactation.
You can prepare herbal teas yourself or buy them at the pharmacy (instant granular or herbal tea). Milk flow is increased by teas made from plants such as hawthorn, lemon balm, nettle, caraway, anise, oregano, dill, and sea buckthorn.

dill, anise, cumin and fennel will help in case of digestive disorders in the mother;
lemon balm and oregano are effective against nervous overload and stress, which can also reduce milk production;
Nettle is recommended for use when a woman is physically overstrained and has anemia.

Dill tea (1 tablespoon of seeds per glass of boiling water), infused for 1–2 hours, it is recommended to drink 1/2 glass twice a day. The same drink can be prepared from cumin or anise (1 tsp per glass of water).

To test the effectiveness of the selected herb, you need to brew it and take a quarter glass every hour. If by noon you feel a rush of milk, then the herb has been chosen correctly, and it should continue to be taken a quarter glass before each feeding. If there is no effect on the first day, you need to select another herbal tea.

You can add it to herbal teas. In addition to stimulating the flow of milk, it will have a calming effect, normalize stool and sleep. But you should not get carried away with honey to avoid it in your baby.

Any new drink should be consumed carefully, monitoring not only the amount of milk, but also the baby’s reaction. If an allergic reaction does not appear within the next 3 days, you can include the drink in your daily diet.

On hot summer days, watermelons will not only quench your thirst well, but will also help increase lactation. Fresh fruits can be added to yoghurts, and dried fruits can be added to porridges. They will provide the child with the necessary microelements and vitamins.

You should not use plants such as basil, parsley, mint, sage, horsetail, hop cones, walnut leaves, lingonberries. Chocolate and citrus fruits will also have to be excluded.

Products to increase the fat content of milk

Broccoli helps increase the fat content of breast milk. It can be consumed as an independent product or made into soups and salads.

Overeating will not increase the fat content of milk. You should eat food often and in small portions. The diet should be varied, nutritious and nutritious. But it should not be provided at the expense of sweets. should make up no more than 30% of the diet, proteins – 20%, and half of the daily menu – cereals and fruits with vegetables.

The following will help increase the fat content of milk:

porridges and cereal soups;
meat and fish;
walnuts;
cabbage ;
cheese and butter;
sour cream and cream;
halva.

The types and meaning of soups and cereals were mentioned above. Meat and fish should be consumed boiled, stewed or steamed. Fried foods, smoked foods and sausages are excluded.

Broccoli cabbage and various nuts most effectively increase the fat content of milk. Broccoli can be used to make soups and salads.

Walnuts (and any other) nuts should be consumed in limited quantities (2-3 nuts per day), fearing an allergic reaction in the baby. You can make nut milk. For this, 2 tbsp. l. peeled nuts, pour 250 ml of boiling milk and leave for half an hour. Drink the resulting portion of the drink in 3 doses per day.

Fresh almonds increase both lactation and milk fat content. But you need to use them carefully, 2 nuts every other day, because they can also cause constipation in the baby.

Pine nuts are also useful in this case. You can use them to prepare a cedar cocktail: 1 tbsp. l. pour nuts with 1 glass of water, leave until morning, then boil and drink.

You can season prepared salads with sour cream, and add butter to porridge.

Halva increases the fat content of milk and stimulates its production. But this product is not suitable for daily use, as it can cause increased gas formation in the baby’s intestines and colic. But tasty and healthy hard cheese can be eaten daily in the form of a sandwich with tea, or added to salad or porridge.

What else is important?

Of course, products that increase the production and quality of breast milk are of enormous importance during the period of natural feeding of a child.

However, food will not solve the problem with the quantity and fat content of breast milk if the nursing mother does not have sufficient rest and sleep, if stressful situations and significant physical activity are not excluded from everyday life. Even during the day you need to find time to sleep with your child.

Daily walks in the fresh air should also become mandatory for moms, even if there are a lot of household chores.

You should also pay attention to the underwear: it should be loose and comfortable, support the breasts, but not squeeze them - this can reduce milk production.

Positive emotions and the attitude towards a good result will become your allies. Other family members should also help cope with the problem of feeding the baby.

Summary for parents

Many young mothers may experience insufficient lactation or low fat content of milk. In this case, it would be a good idea to consult with a pediatrician and make sure that there is a problem.

But even in this case, you should not immediately grab the pharmacy. Of course, this is the easiest way out. But not the best! Despite advertising, formulas only approximate the composition of mother's milk, but cannot fully replace its unique composition and value. And allergic reactions to mixtures are also not uncommon.

It is necessary to adjust the daily diet and daily routine. In most cases, this helps solve the problem. There are so many products that increase lactation that a nursing mother can choose the right ones for herself. Be healthy!

More about the secrets of breastfeeding in the program “Dr. Komarovsky’s School”:

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